Colourful acts brought the city centre to life as the Brighton Festival took to the streets and the seafront.

Sunshine had already brought out the crowds and ensured the Streets of Brighton and the Brighton Live sections of the festival were warmly appreciated.

Spectators scarcely knew what to expect next as artists ranging from jugglers and stilt walkers to masked musicians and actors in character roles mingled with shoppers and tourists.

Passengers suddenly found themselves being helped on and off their buses and given sweets.

A strange group of people dressed in old-fashioned army uniforms marched up and down Gardner Street.

Live bands played on the seafront and there were more obscure performers on the lower promenade where huge audiences gathered from the thousands enjoying the heatwave.

Many of the acts set out from the Komedia Theatre in Gardner Street and Churchill Square had a variety of acts ranging from school choirs to wacky acts like The Ugs cavemen.

Cheers could be heard from pubs as Arsenal and Liverpool battled it out in the FA Cup Final, but even die-hard football fans stopped to take in the festival atmosphere.