Over 140 shops - plus the stunning new Selfridges and Debenhams department stores will be open for your shopping pleasure from 10am on Thursday 4th September 2003.

Throughout the course of the day a host of different performers will be entertaining visitors in the Bullring streets and malls.

Birmingham’s many cultural communities are combining to create a spectacular festival of sound and rhythm.

Latin Carnival dancer

Carnival Atmosphere

Mel Evans, Bullring Marketing & PR Manager for The Birmingham Alliance said:

"We were keen to inject a real feeling of community and diversity into launch day so the carnival theme will focus on Birmingham as a vibrant multicultural city – with Bullring as the star of the show.

"The Mardi Gras atmosphere will continue with a massive and colourful parade at midday. This amazing musical and dance procession will travel though the heart of the city, starting from Victoria Square, to culminate in a grand climax in St Martin’s Square at the heart of Bullring. It will be quite an experience."

The 300-strong parade will include dancers and musicians representative across the spectrum of Birmingham’s cultural mix:

South American Carnival Dancers

Chinese Dragon Dancers

African Drummers

Irish Pipers

Mobile Steel Band

Bronze Bull unveiling

A ten second countdown of silence will lead into an introductory drum roll to mark the unveiling of the massive bronze bull sculpture in Rotunda Square.

Bronze bull

The five tonnes, twice-life size sculpture commissioned to herald Bullring’s place in Birmingham’s regeneration, is one of the largest bronze animal sculptures to have been created in the UK. The unveiling will cue the opening of the new shops at Bullring - with all retailers opening their doors for the first time on the stroke of 10.00 a.m.

At midday The Lord Mayor will signal the start of the parade in Victoria Square. Over the next half an hour the 300-strong, themed parade will make its way to St Martin’s Square in a celebration of the music and costumes of the cultures of Birmingham.

From midday to 7.00 pm a series of cross-cultural music and dance acts will take place on stage in Bullring’s central performance area in St Martin’s Square - from Bhangra and Salsa, to Limbo, African and Flamenco.

The day’s festivities will conclude with a performance of bell ringing from St Martin’s Church.

For details on how to get to the Bullring and parking, see the official Bullring website, click here.