Jarvis Cocker is to appear on a special edition of Bargain Hunt in a bid to defeat the Happy Mondays and prove his band has the best eye in British music for cheap antiques.

The Pulp singer will be accompanied by bandmate Candida Doyle as the pair search for low-value goods to sell on at auction in the longrunning BBC TV programme. The pair will hope to show they are in a different class by earning more money than Bez and Rowetta Idah, who will be representing their Manchester-based musical rivals.

It is unclear whether Cocker will drive a hard deal with antiques dealers and pretend he’s got no money – or whether the singer will be looking for opportunities to make profits from the piles of mis-shapes, mistakes and misfits available for purchase.

However, advance publicity photos appear to suggest Cocker declined to wear the distinctive coloured polo shirts handed out to contestants and instead elected to remain wearing a suit jacket.

Pulp have not performed for a paying audience since a Sheffield homecoming show in 2012 concluded a brief series of reunion concerts. Cocker has since concentrated on other interests including his art, his BBC 6 Music radio show, providing voiceovers for Sainsbury’s supermarket adverts, performing at the KLF’s reunion gig, and working on a new solo project.

The special episode of Bargain Hunt will air on BBC One to mark the corporation’s annual Music Day on 28 September, which will involve hundreds of special events being held across the UK.

Other events to mark the day include Kylie Minogue recording announcements that will be played on the UK transport network, while choirs will sing at 40 railway stations to entertain commuters. The BBC Singers will perform for passengers travelling on the Euston to Birmingham railway, and Manchester Metrolink will have performances from “local music legends”.

There will also be a special edition of the game show Pointless featuring BBC radio presenters joining with musicians Lianne La Havas, Ella Eyre, Lesley Garrett, and Amy Macdonald.

The choir leader Gareth Malone will host a special All Star Music Quiz programme, and Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour will be drawing up a list of the 40 most important women in the global music industry in the Women in Music Power List.