French trapeze artists, a gigantic chandelier of bell ringers and spectacular fireworks will all be part of a special event in Bradford tomorrow to mark the switching on of the city’s Christmas lights.

The award-winning City Park will be the backdrop for trapeze master Transe Express performing their “Maudits Sonnants”, or celestial carillon. Mythical jesters will parade through the crowd before a magical chandelier of musicians rises 200 feet above City Park, creating an orchestra of harmonised bells and surreal trapeze skills.

There will be a countdown to the switch-on followed by a spectacular fireworks display which will be set to Christmas music.

Family festivities will begin around midday with Christmas street theatre and live music at various locations in the city centre.

The main show then begins at 5pm in City Park with St John’s Church of England Primary School and Bradford Festival Choral Society singing Christmas carols.

The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Bradford will attend the celebration.

Lord Mayor, Councillor Dale Smith, said: “Bradford's Christmas lights switch-on will be perfect for young families. Transe Express have enchanted audiences all over the world and we are very excited to have them in City Park. This is going to be a Christmas lights switch-on to remember.”

The festive street theatre will continue every Saturday until December 22.

This will be the fifth year the Council has shunned celebrity guests to switch on the city's Christmas lights, instead staging a family show. As a result there has been a major shift in the audience from groups of teenagers to families.

Keighley’s Christmas lights switch- on will take place on Sunday with events throughout the day from 11.30am to 5pm and the switch-on at 4pm on Church Green.

In Ilkley the town’s lights will be turned on by Santa on Saturday, November 24, at 5.30pm, at The Grove. And on the same day, Bingley town square will be the venue for the town’s lights switch-on event, with activities taking place from 10.30am. The actual festive lights will be turned on at 4pm.

Saltaire’s festive event will take place on Sunday, December 2, at Victoria Hall from 4pm with carols, mulled wine and hot food.

In addition more than a dozen civic Christmas trees are starting to be installed across the district this week. They will be placed in Centenary Square and in the city centre pedestrian areas, Ben Rhydding, Bingley, Haworth, Keighley, Ilkley, Queensbury, Wilsden and Wyke.