OXFORD will glow with lanterns and light shows as its popular Christmas Light Festival gets underway this evening.

Hundreds of children and young people from schools and colleges will sweep through the city with lanterns tonight in a parade accompanied by music from marching bands.

The group will leave Oxford Castle Quarter at 6.30pm and march to Broad Street for 7.30pm. Good viewing points for the parade are in Cornmarket, Queen Street and Broad Street.

Solo cellist from the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra Mats Lidström will perform some of Bach’s music and his own compositions in the historic surroundings of Merton College’s 13th century chapel.

The concert will run tomorrow from 7.30pm to 9pm.

Festival-goers will have the opportunity to take to Broad Street and play the 'Illumaphonium' – a new musical instrument created by musician and inventor Michael Davis.

The instrument can be played tonight between 5 and 10pm, tomorrow between 10am and 8pm, and on Sunday between 10am and 4pm.

A group of huge, blue sonic spheres will appear in Oxford’s streets throughout the festival as part of an arti nstallation called 'Colony'.

It will be lit up at regular times, transforming the Castle market square on Friday evening (8pm, 8.40pm, 9.20pm and 10pm) and the street food market at Gloucester Green on Saturday (2pm, 3.30pm, 5pm, 6.30pm, 8pm and 9pm).

Look out for giant illuminated puppets Xalia and Atom as they stroll across the city centre on Friday and Saturday evening.

For more details on these events and others throughout the festival visit the website oxfordschristmas.com.