'Major event' planned ahead of Coventry City of Culture

A "major event" will take place in Coventry this summer ahead of its year as UK City of Culture, its creative director said.

A programme of events, for when the city takes up the title in 2021, will also be released this autumn.

The event is likely to be held in the city centre in July.

Details have not been released but a spokesperson said it will be "big and joyful" and will also test safety and box office procedures.

Chenine Bhathena, from the City of Culture Trust, said: "It is going to be a big, fun, joyful event, probably in the city centre, but it gives us a chance to work with the police to make sure we put on safe events in 2021, to test our new box office system, to work with our volunteers and really look at how we are going to work together."

With a little under a year to go until Coventry takes up the title, she said plans are "on track".

"We feel really confident but we are not going to be complacent about that, there is still a lot of work to do," she said.

The city has already received more than £40m in grant funding to pay for regeneration work in the centre for its year as City of Culture.

Work is also ongoing to revamp the city's railway station with the addition of a second footbridge connecting all four platforms, a second station entrance building and a multi-storey car park.

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