Bradford burst into life to the sound of hypnotic drum beats and a splash of dazzling colour for the start of the BBC Music Live Festival.

The five-day festival was officially launched last night with a carnival-style concert in Bradford's Centenary Square with hundreds of party-goers sampling the atmosphere and soaking up the sun.

An array of musical styles belted out from the top of five open-topped busses parked in the square as Dixieland jazz, African rhythmic drumming, ska, bhangra and good old-fashioned Yorkshire brass band tunes filled the air.

Among the acts performing at the launch were the Lanin Tantan Kulda drummers from West Africa, the New Orleans Syncopated Seven, and the Stagecoach Youth Theatre from York, who entertained the crowd with a ten-minute history of their home city to a Beatles soundtrack.

But the undoubted highlight of the evening was a performance by French street artists Campagnie Transe Express, who left on-lookers open-mouthed at their spectacular high-wire act.

Dressed as Napoleonic marionettes, the troupe charged around the square playing their drums to a military tempo and chasing delighted youngsters out of the way before taking to a giant human mobile, pictured, and dangling 140ft above the spectators below.

Onlooker Barbara Clements, 63, of Thornton Road, Bradford, said: "It's absolutely amazing isn't it? Their costumes are very colourful. I think it's been absolutely smashing. If it's going to be as good as this every day I'm definitely coming back. It's a good start for Music Live."

But the entertainment was not confined to the outdoors and across at St George's Hall schools from across Yorkshire were battling it out in the grand final of the BBC North Choir Competition.

The final was hosted by Look North stalwarts Harry Gration and Clare Frisby and was judged by a celebrity panel.

Among the groups taking part was the Ackworth Youth Choir, who had travelled from Pontefract for the competition.

Musical director Anne Henshaw, said: "It's been great. It was a bit nerve-wracking but we've enjoyed it. I think Music Live is a great idea.

"There's lots of music going on in Yorkshire that no one ever gets to hear about and this is a chance to bring it out in to the open."

l Pennington's club has been entirely transformed for tonight's live broadcast of Later With Jools Holland.

An 80-strong BBC crew have moved seats and railings to create four stages, installed a raised wooden floor and added countless banks of monitors and rows of lights to the Manningham Lane venue's already impressive collection.