Bradford is currying favour by attracting thousands of visitors into the city for a three-day World Curry Festival.

It starts hotting up this Friday when the festival begins in the award-winning City Park with a pop-up Curry Theatre, a street food market, live music sessions, cooking classes and fun activities for all the family.

Curry experts such as Aamir Iqbal, recently voted the greatest chef in Pakistan and Mumtaz Khan, founder of Bradford’s internationally-acclaimed restaurant chain, will be among chefs hosting live cooking demonstrations.

Regional talent such as Stephanie Moon, from Rudding Park Hotel, Food Glorious Food winner Rahlia Hussain, and Eric Paxman, of Eric’s in Huddersfield, are also signed up.

Festival director Zulfi Karim said: “The World Curry Festival combines a love of curry with culture and international cuisine. For three days, Bradford’s City Park will become a street food market like you’ve never seen before, filled with restaurants and food stalls offering curry from all over the world. We have a fantastic line-up of chefs, and a really packed programme. It promises to be a curry fiesta!”

Bradford College is also joining in by running a series of Learn to Cook Curry Classes. Hayley Lomas from the college, said: “We’re delighted to be involved in the World Curry Festival. It is an ideal way of introducing people to the wide range of opportunities in the hospitality industry.”

To close the Festival there will be a ticket-only finale dinner on Monday at Bradford’s Great Victoria Hotel where guests will be treated to a British Raj-inspired menu.

The festival is being supported by O2, Yorkshire Building Society, Bradford City Council and Bradford College.

The first festival was in Leeds in 2010 to mark the 200th anniversary of the first Indian restaurant in Britain.

Find out more at worldcurryfestival.com, follow it on Facebook worldcurryfest and Twitter @worldcurryfest