Gareth Gates is coming home! Bradford's Pop Idol is returning next weekend for a special free concert in the city centre.
More than 15,000 people are expected to be on streets to welcome Gareth home on Sunday, August 4.
The star will be given a civic reception at City Hall - a formal homecoming thanking him for raising Bradford's profile - and afterwards he will be led into Centenary Square by Lord Mayor Richard Wightman to sing for his home crowd.
Bradford is bracing itself for Gareth mania, with the homecoming celebrations for Bradford's favourite 18-year-old expected to bring the streets to a standstill and noise levels soaring.
"Coming home to Bradford is always special as this is where my friends and family are," said Gareth.
"When travelling I'm proud to say I'm from Bradford and it means a lot to me that I can help raise the profile of my home town.
"The Capital of Culture bid campaign is such a positive way of putting Bradford on the map and encouraging younger people to get involved and feel proud of where they're from. The support I've had locally means the world to me."
His performance will be broadcast on giant screens in the square. Roads into the city centre will be closed and at least 150 security staff are being drafted in to cope with the crowds.
The event has been organised by Bradford Council and the Capital of Culture team to acknowledge Gareth's success and for him to promote the 2008 bid to young people.
The concert is free of charge and will start at 4pm.
Gareth's civic reception will be attended by city leaders, including the Lord Mayor and Council leader Margaret Eaton, members of the Capital of Culture team and representatives of organisations sponsoring the event. Members of Gareth's family are also expected to attend.
Next Sunday's event marks the start of a summer of fun in Centenary Square.
It will be turned into a type of Paris by the Sea event when it is filled with sand and transformed into a beach during the week leading to the August Bank Holiday weekend.
There will be more on this story in Saturday's Telegraph & Argus.
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