World-renowned musician Elvis Costello will grace the stage of Santa Barbara’s Arlington Theatre tonight at 8 p.m.

Promoting his critically acclaimed album Secret, Profane and Sugarcane, Costello will take the stage to perform his latest songs as well as the old favorites. Tickets cost $28 for UCSB students who present a valid student ID and prices range from $42 to $89 for the general public.

According to Arts & Lectures marketing director Colleen Debler, it took great effort on behalf of the program to add UCSB to Costello’s North American tour sites.

“Our executive director, Celesta Billeci, has been trying for about four years to bring him to Santa Barbara,” Debler said. “It is an achievement not only for the community, but also for UCSB students to host such a musical icon.”

Costello, who will be greeted by a nearly sold-out crowd of 2,000 people, has recently been nominated for the 2010 Songwriters Hall of Fame. His success began in the late 1970s with the release of his debut album My Aim Is True, which landed on the Billboard Charts the following year.

“He really appeals to such a wide range of people,” Debler said. “He has been around quite a while and is still relevant today. Younger bands take influence from him even now.”

Costello has sold over 12 million albums worldwide and has yielded numerous hits since the start of his career. He currently hosts his own show on the Sundance Channel called “Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…” where he has interviewed renowned musicians such as U2’s Bono and Bruce Springsteen.

Heather Silva, Arts & Lectures assistant to the director, said the fact that Costello is not performing in Los Angeles or San Francisco speaks volumes about the amount of work it took for the university to book his performance at the Arlington Theatre.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Silva said. “It’s a really special event for him to be solo and have an entire evening dedicated to his work. We are all very excited to have him here.”

For more information, call (805) 893-3535 or visit http://www.artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/.