'Joyful' giraffes are a teaser for City of Culture

Seven 8m tall puppet giraffes strode through Bradford city centre on Saturday

A herd of 26ft (8m) tall giraffes have paraded through the streets of Bradford ahead of its City of Culture year in 2025.

The "Les Girafes" event on Saturday saw seven huge puppets follow an opera singer raised up on a plinth along a route from Darley Street Market to City Park.

Hundreds of people who watched the performance were also treated to circus acts overseen by a ringmaster in a top hat.

Shanaz Gulzar, creative director of Bradford 2025, said she had wanted to bring something to the city that was "unexpected and totally joyful".

Hundreds of people saw the larger-than-life group travel from Darley Street Market to City Park

Ms Gulzar described the event, created by French street theatre company Compagnie OFF and which threw different art forms together, as "utterly, utterly, only Bradford".

And one onlooker told the BBC that the atmosphere and interest from the community was in stark contrast to the rioting seen in other UK towns and cities during the summer.

"The weather's been perfect, the giraffes are amazing, the performers are fantastic," Ms Gulzar added.

The street entertainment attracted a diverse crowd of all ages and backgrounds and the giraffes were popular with children.

The giraffes and a circus company wowed crowds with a performances of dancing, theatrics and opera

Among the crowds following the parade were Bradford residents Amanda and Judy.

Amanda said: "We were very lucky, it was really nice to see them up close, see how they work and just get caught up in the magic of it."

Meanwhile Judy compared the positivity of the carnival-like atmosphere to the disorder that took place elsewhere.

She said: "I think it's brilliant, it's showcasing Bradford.

"When you see what's been happening in city centres over the last few weeks and then you see this, there's just no comparison, this is wonderful."

Looking ahead to the city's year in the limelight, Ms Gulzar added: "This was about doing something spectacular and you can absolutely expect that of us next year."

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