Additional tickets for the opening ceremony of City of Culture have been released due to “high demand”, organisers have said.
Despite minus temperatures being forecast for Rise, the curtain-raiser for Bradford 2025, the event is expected to be popular.
The open-air performance in City Park tonight has Bradford-born magician Steven Frayne, formerly known as Dynamo, as its creative lead.
Extra tickets went on sale on Thursday, with many attendees eligible for free entry.
The Rise event has a cast of 200 performers and will take over City Park, in front of the historic Bradford City Hall.
Professional artists will perform alongside local talent. There will be aerialists, projections, a community choir, orchestra and magic.
A DJ and food stalls will create a “festival vibe”, according to organisers.
Gates open at 17:00 GMT for Rise and its repeat performance on Saturday.
The event is due to start at 18:30 GMT and is set to last between 30 and 40 minutes.
Other than temporary traffic lights on the A644 Wakefield Road, B6144 Haworth Road, and A629 Halifax Road, roads in and around Bradford should be relatively clear.
Bradford Council has gritted the main roads but has still advised people to drive with caution.
City Park is a short walk from Bradford Interchange, which has now reopened for most bus services as well as trains.
Temperatures dropped well below freezing overnight, with forecasters on Thursday predicting it could drop to -13C.
Friday is expected to be dry and even sunny for the day, but as the sun goes down temperatures are expected to drop to around -3C during the performance.
Ben Pugh, director of production for the event, said the dry weather meant the event was still likely to go ahead as planned.
Mr Pugh said he felt “everything is being thrown at us this week”.
“The snow is at levels we’ve not seen in the city centre of Bradford for a long, long time and then those freezing temperatures,” he said.
But rehearsals had remained on track.
He said the cast had been attending the run-throughs despite poor weather, showing “that great Bradford resilience”.
“The energy that’s coming off the stage will keep people buoyed and warm – that’s the thing we can’t stand in the way of,” he said.
Shanaz Gulzar, creative director at Bradford City of Culture, said: “Bradfordians are going to help be a part of what is the opening of 2025, our UK City of Culture.
“It’s that moment of seeing our story, ourselves and recognising that this is really our time.”
She added: “There’s a huge amount of talent here, a huge amount of creativity, and I think it’s poised, it’s ready.”
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