Hull Freedom Festival begins

A record number of people braved the weekend weather to enjoy Hull's Freedom Festival.

A total of one hundred and fifteen thousand people visited the city, blowing away last year's attendance of 80 thousand. Music, theatre, dancing and circus acts kept the record crowds entertained throughout the three-day event.

Watch: Thousands enjoy arts, music and culture at Hull's Freedom Festival

The bad weather did not deter thousands of people from turning out to witness the sights and sounds of the Hull Freedom Festival on Saturday.

The weekend-long event - now in its seventh year - has kicked off in style. Tina Gelder talks to Liz Pugh from the Organising Committee and artist Fred Kennett in her report.

Thousands of people descended on Hull last night (Friday September 5) for the start of the city's Freedom Festival.

The opening ceremony saw the unveiling of ' The Long Walk to Freedom' Light Trail, a collection of new art installations by local artists, inspired by Nelson Mandela and marking the parallels between his work and the origins of the festival.

At the city's Mandela Gardens, the Hull Freedom Chorus welcomed the Freedom Flame - a Dutch flame symbolising the end of occupation during WW11 - to officially mark the opening of the light trail and the start of the festival.

Street theatre performers Spark entertained the crowds bringing the streets to life with music, movement and colour, alongside a huge fireworks display ensuring the event went off with a bang.

Full programme details for Freedom Festival 2014 can be found at www.freedomfestival.co.uk

The long-awaited start of Freedom Festival 2014 will be marked by the unveiling this evening of 'The Long Walk to Freedom', a stunning light trail that will illuminate Hull's Old Town.

Eight local artists have been commissioned to create new installations to form the light trail, which is inspired by Nelson Mandela and highlights the parallels between Mandela's work in fighting for equality and the origins of Freedom Festival.

Along the light trail, Mandela's greatest moments and achievements, reimagined as installations of light, colour and sounds, will be played out on the cobbles of Hull's Old Town.

Audio-visual installations, dynamic interplays of light and shadow and a 75 metre mural created by 10 graffiti artists will all feature as the trail winds its way from Hull's Museum Quarter to a fire at dusk in the Nelson Mandela Peace Gardens.

The Hull Freedom Chorus will welcome the Freedom Flame - a Dutch flame symbolising the end of occupation during WWII - to officially mark the opening of the light trail and the start of the festival.

Leading the flame from the Gardens, street theatre performers Spark! will take the audience from the heart of the Old Town to the Yellow Bus Stage in the heart of the Marina.