DANCERS, circus performers, brass bands and acrobats will deliver a day of spectacular live performances as part of a town centre garden party next weekend.
Barnsley Garden Party, a free family event, is a joint initiative between the council and the Civic and coincides with the Glass Works’ first anniversary on Saturday.
The headline performance in the Glass Works public square will see acrobats captivate the crowds by balancing on - and inside - a rotating seven-metre-high hourglass.
Elsewhere, the festival includes a performance inspired by the brief life of the mayfly, which sees a custom-engineered structure incorporating five fountains shoot water into the air in sync with two awe-inspiring dancers.
Houdini-style escape artists will be performing stunts, illusions and great comic routines while Back Chat Brass - a fusion of pop, funk and hip hop - help the festival kick-off at 11am.
The Civic’s chief executive, Anthony Baker, said: “Barnsley Garden Party will bring some of the UK’s best street performers to our town centre.
“There promises to be something for all ages and best of all, the entire festival is free to attend.”
The £210m Glass Works continues to grow ahead of its completion later this month and over the last 12 months has added TK Maxx, Next, Nando’s, New Look, River Island and Superbowl UK, with the likes of The Botanist, TGI Fridays and Flannels currently being fitted out.
Coun Robert Frost, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, added: “To celebrate a fabulous first year for the Glass Works, we’ve partnered with the Civic to deliver first-class street theatre and entertainment.
“The whole town centre will be alive with music and entertainment and we’re seeing just how versatile the new public square can be.
“It’s a real hit with the locals and is a splendid venue for live entertainment.”
Barnsley’s new-look town centre will take a further leap forward as the 13-screen Cineworld is still due to open its doors on September 23.
The venue, which also houses a Starbucks, features the very latest industry technology, including the highly-anticipated 4DX experience which was installed last week.
“In the past year the Glass Works has gone from strength-to-strength and footfall figures are very impressive”, Coun Frost added.( “We’re consistently named in the top ten UK towns for footfall and spend and there’s lots of reasons to visit Barnsley, not least for our brilliant, free entertainment.
“Our data tells us people are visiting from across the north of England as well as from across Barnsley.
“They’re blending a visit to our famous Barnsley Markets with trips to independent retailers and enjoying a great choice of food and drink against a backdrop of music, dance and art.”
