Places features

A stream of stunning sights and ear-bending sounds will parade through Norwich's streets on Saturday, 5 July, 2008 - the centrepiece of the Lord Mayor's Celebrations.

More than 70 floats dressed with a colourful cast of characters will entertain the thousands of people expected to line the barriers as the procession streams from Newmarket Road to Tombland.

Lord Mayor Cllr Jeremy Hooke will head the parade - which sets off at 6.45pm - to mark the start of the civic year, accompanied by BBC Radio Norfolk presenter and newly-appointed sheriff Roy Waller.

Colourful characters on parade

Norwich City Council organisers have been working on the celebration for most of the year - with an estimated 45,000 people turning out for last year's string of family-friendly events.

"The amount of work that goes into this is absolutely incredible," said the council's communications officer Richard Balls.

"When people like myself were growing up in Norwich, the Lord Mayor's parade was the parade and people went along behind the barriers and saw the floats and that was part of the tradition of Norwich, but we've moved on now and this is an absolutely huge event - it's four days of stuff."

Array of entertainment

The carnival is the highlight of four days of entertainment which will run across the city, starting with a sellout open-air comedy night in Castle Gardens on Thursday, 3 July.

Have I Got News For You regular Lucy Porter will provide the belly-laughs and is joined on the line-up by John Richardson and Junior Simpson.

It's hoped the weather will keep fine for the following night's outdoor cinema screening of Grease, which topped the poll after a public vote on the council's website.

The kitsch classic will be shown at Castle Green, starting at 10pm. Organisers are hoping the turnout will be as good as last year's attendance, when around 1,000 film fans watched Dirty Dancing.

Those who head into the city earlier will be able to catch sight of a candlelit dragon parade, winding its way from Norwich Cathedral at 9pm before ending in a performance outside The Forum.

Music festival

Aside from the Lord Mayor's Procession on Saturday, music lovers will be able to watch some of the county's most promising acts in a showcase - launching both the nine-day Hot City Sounds Festival and the weekend Chapelfield Gardens Music Festival.

Rory McVicar, Bear and Ten-Ten Tackles will play the open-air stage from 1 to 4pm on Saturday, while the pace will notch up a gear in the evening with a show by Brazil's Monobloco carnival band.

Around 45,000 people turned out in 2007

Monobloco have an enviable reputation back home in Rio de Janeiro and were recently handed a breakfast time slot for their show in the city to help stem crowds - however, 150,000 people still headed out early to hear their bouncy rhythms.

The act were persuaded to come to Norfolk through their links with the Norwich Samba Band. They will start their show at 9.30pm in Chapelfield Gardens, before breaking at 10.30pm for the firework spectacular at the castle, before playing through to midnight.

There will be more music at Chapelfield Gardens on the Sunday, with a reggae and dub theme, from 12.30 until 7pm, with a funfair also providing thrill and spills in the park throughout the weekend.

Blooms and theatre

If you have more sedate pleasures, then there's a rare chance to wander round the Bishop Of Norwich's gardens, while theatre-lovers can see The Legend Of King Arthur And The Sword In The Stone by the Cambridge Touring Theatre in Castle Gardens at 3pm.

Organisers are recommending people to turn up early for the show as they've had to close admissions in previous years.

For a full line-up of events and road closures go to the Norwich City Council website or call the information line on 01603 212626 from 4 to 6 July, 2008.

Keep an eye out for BBC Radio Norfolk's bus in the Lord Mayor's Procession and bookmark this page to see the photo gallery.

There will be a special Lord Mayor's show going out on BBC Radio Norfolk on FM between 6 and 9pm, with presenters Graham Barnard, Karen Buchanan and Andrew Turner. Paul Barnes' Gold For Grown-ups will be available on MW and online.