Preparations underway for Coronation celebrations

A weekend of music, crafts, cake baking and family fun is planned to mark the Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort in May.

A big screen in the Market Place will live stream the ceremony from Westminster on Saturday 6 May and the star-studded Coronation Concert on Sunday 7 May.

There will be a host of live entertainment on the big stage in the Market Place to get you in the party mood with performances from, amongst others, Britain’s Got Talent stars Soldiers of Swing and Discography.

Families will be able to join in free, sustainable craft activities in the marquee including decorating crowns, printing and flower making.

Bakers of all ages are invited to showcase their talents at the Darlington Coronation Bake Off which will be judged by three local food experts.

There will be five categories – professional; adults; 13-17 year old; 8-12 years old and under 8. To register, and to find out more, visit the Enjoy Darlington website.

To tie in with the Eurovision Song Concert on Saturday 13 May, which will also be live streamed in the town centre, you can take part in a special art project by writing a message of hope for a child in Ukraine. All the messages collected on the day will be displayed in a giant heart and then sent to schools in Ukraine.

Alex Nicholson, town centre partnership and events manager, “This is an historic occasion and we are looking forward to welcoming people to the Market Place for a fun packed weekend.

“I urge everyone to come down to watch the ceremony and to enjoy the live concert on Sunday which will start after the Darlington Dance Festival - we will announce the times for the concert when we have confirmation from Buckingham Palace.

“There will be more fun the following week as we get ready for the live streaming of the Eurovision Song Contest!”