All you need to know about the Children’s Parade

The wonderfully colourful parade officially launches this year’s Brighton Festival and the children will be dressed in showstopping costumes they have designed themselves on the theme of folk tales from around the world, inspired by the festivals’ guest director Rokia Traoré, the Malian singer, songwriter and instrumentalist.

The festival’s children’s programmer Pippa Smith said: “Folk tales are typically stories that are passed down from generation to generation.

There are so many fascinating folk tales to explore, from the Anansi tales of West Africa to European tales by Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm, and we can’t wait to see the wildly imaginative creations the schools and community groups will present.”

A fixture on the Brighton cultural calendar for 30 years, the parade, which is free, is produced by arts organisation Same Sky and sponsored by the University of Brighton.

More than 10,000 spectators are expected to line the streets as the colourful parade makes its way through Brighton, starting at 10.30am in Robert Street, and winding its way down to Madeira Drive via Jubilee Street, New Road, North Street, East Street and Grand Junction Road. It is expected to arrive at Madeira Drive at around 1pm.

There will be road closures in Brighton as the parade takes place:

6am-3pm: Madeira Drive and Dukes Mound

8.30am-12noon: Pelham Street, Trafalgar Street (Whitecross Street to A259 York Place) and Pelham Square

8.45am-12noon: Sydney Street, Gloucester Street (Sydney Street to St Georges Mews), Gloucester Road

10.20am-12.45pm North Road (Tichbourne Street to A23 Marlborough Place), Jubilee Street and Church Street (A23 Marlborough Place to Bond Street)

10.30am-12.45pm: New Road, North Street, Castle Square and East Street

10.30am-1pm: A259 Grand Junction (rolling road closures).