Launch of Bristol Harbour Festival

Details have been announced for this year's Harbour Festival, which will be held on 20th-22nd July. The three day event has been brought forward a week so as not to clash with the Olympics. This morning organisers gathered in the drizzle to launch the event - with a sneak preview of some of the acrobatic displays that will be on offer.

The festival is in its 41st year and more than 200,000 people are expected to attend the 3 day event.

There will be more than 170 vessels on the water to celebrate the city's past and present. Live performances, dance, music, food stalls and markets will line more than 2 miles of the harbourside - stretching from Brunel's SS Great Britain to M Shed and from Queen Square to the city's leafy Castle Park.

The festival is the biggest free event in Britain and organisers are hopeful it'll be a huge success.

Guy Poultney, Bristol City Council Cabinet Member for Communities said:

"The Bristol Harbour Festival is a rich and diverse platform of thethe city's wealth of creativity. The festival brings in a growing amount of tourism revenue. It is also unique in its ability to bring together all of Bristol's communities in one huge celebration of the city and its history."

For more information visit the festival's website - http://www.bristolharbourfestival.co.uk/

Watch Tanya Mercer's report below, featuring interviews with Gwen Hayle from Cirque Bijou, and event manager Mike Richmond: