Bournemouth three-day arts festival gets under way

Art, music, dance, skateboarding and theatre come together in a seaside resort for a three-day festival.

Arts by the Sea will see more than 100 performances taking place across Bournemouth town centre.

This year's festival has the theme "play" and ends with a finale carnival featuring giant puppets and 250 performers.

More than 100,000 people are expected to visit the festival between Friday and Sunday.

With heavy rain and strong winds forecast organisers have been forced to move the planned outside music events inside to The Old Firestation on Friday.

Some performances have also been moved to Saturday when the weather is due to improve.

People planning to visit the festival are being urged to check the festival's schedule for updates.

Visitors can place their heads in giant glowing flowers as they mimic the behaviour of a pollinating insect

Festival organisers, BCP Council and events agency From The Fields said they decided on the "play" theme following the results of a 2020 United Nations survey.

They said: "Children were asked what they would change to make themselves happier; they said to have more time and space to play, a statement that Arts by the Sea wholeheartedly agrees with."

Hundreds of performers are set to take part in the Carnival by the Sea parade through the seaside resort

Curious arts experiences in Bournemouth's gardens include cavernous walk-in sculptures, giant glowing flowers you can put your head in and a band of 16 towering inflatable creatures.

Musical performances span live electronica, reggae, hip-hop and funk to Dorset's largest contemporary choir.

Funky Little Choir kick of the musical performances on Friday evening

A pop-up skate park in the Town Square will see displays through the weekend from GB Olympic skateboarders and a roller disco.

The festival ends with a closing parade, Carnival by the Sea, on Sunday - snaking from Horseshoe Common from 17:15 BST to the centre of Bournemouth.

Now in its 12th year, the free event is funded by Arts Council England and BCP Council.