City Park will be transformed into a giant open air nightclub next month as part of Bradford Council’s new Urban Festival.

Lots of quirky events, including performances in and around a black cab and an entire band squeezed into a jukebox, will form the entertainment on offer at the festival.

On Friday, May 17, and Saturday, May 18, the award-winning public space will be decorated with four stages, a sound system and nightclub lighting, which will surround the audience with what is being described as “360 degrees of pure electro-jazz bliss”.

French electro-jazz master Cie Jo Bithume’s band will play live upbeat jazz over original electronic backing tracks in Boîte de Rue, a street theatre spectacular.

Twenty-one brass musicians with club dancers will lead the audience in an ambitious night of music and dance.

The open air spectacle is part of the Urban Festival, which starts on Wednesday, May 15, at 8.30pm with an event shrouded in mystery.

It has been described as an “unexpected and spontaneous street performance” which will be suitable for all ages.

Bradford Council has also organised an assortment of flamboyant street theatre on the Friday, from 5pm, and Saturday, from noon.

Rock band Soundcheck and Taxi! – high-energy free running blended with street dance in and around a black cab – will be entertaining the crowds.

An entire band will be crammed into the jukebox, so visitors to City Park can select their favourite song from Dukes Box or laugh at comic act The Q, which celebrates the British art of queuing. A BMX rider and a busker form Roadworks, who will also be performing during the event.

The Urban Festival has been organised as part of the Academy of Urbanism’s 8th Annual Congress, which explores how towns and cities reshape themselves in changing economic circumstances.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, executive member for employment, skills and culture said: “We are delighted to be staging the Urban Festival in City Park. The festival’s emphasis is on contemporary urban culture and there should be something for everyone.

“The highlight, Boîte de Rue, isn’t just for young people. In other cities where it’s run audiences have included a real generational mix so we are hoping people from all ages come down to see the show in Bradford.”