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This was much than an opening ceremony. It felt similar a emotion missive to a metropolis misunderstood.
Eleven 1000 radical bought tickets to ticker Bradford invited its twelvemonth arsenic the UK's City of Culture.
"It's a really, truly bully accidental for radical to spot what Bradford is about," 1 young section tells me, "for radical to travel into Bradford, dispel the myths and realise that, actually, it's a metropolis with a batch to offer."
For Friday night's performance, Bradford's metropolis centre quadrate became an municipality stage.
Spoken-word poets strut crossed the rooftops; aerial acrobats dangle from scaffolding; rappers are accompanied by a symphony orchestra playing from a glass-sided bureau gathering adjacent to the main stage.
The performers, each Bradfordian, shared with the assemblage what they believed makes this metropolis special.
"My veins is afloat of bluish grit," sang a assemblage choir, "We got that bluish Soul."
"We're acold from mean people."
This evening's large finish? A peculiar show from Bradford-born illusionist Steven Frayne, formally known arsenic "Dynamo".
"All my ideas started successful Bradford," Frayne says and recounts however helium resisted TV bosses who tried to code down his accent.
"I'm ne'er losing my Yorkshire accent," helium tells the crowd, to large cheers.
Over the adjacent 12 months, Bradford volition beryllium teeming with taste events - from theatre to film, dance, euphony and art.
It'll big the Turner Prize and person a peculiar accumulation by Bradford-born creator David Hockney.
But it'll besides diagnostic the city's newest talents from crossed each backgrounds.
"Diversity for maine is simply a number-one spot successful Bradford," Community Cast dancer Richard Dunbar told me.
"Over 150 languages spoken, and the richness of that culture, that's wherefore our programme is truthful rich. There mightiness beryllium radical retired determination who question to disagreement but really diverseness unifies radical successful Bradford.
"We're acceptable to archer the satellite our story."
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Bradford follows Coventry arsenic the UK's newest City of Culture. It's a rubric that brings with it concern and interest.
Millions of visitors are expected implicit the adjacent 12 months, spending an estimated £130m.
The wealth is, of course, important. Transformative, even.
But close present it's the consciousness of anticipation and excitement astir the twelvemonth up that feels astir tangible.
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