Hundreds of performers flocked to the streets to show off a range of skills for the Brighton Festival.

The Streets of Brighton event, which lends on saturday night, has attracted acts including clowns, can-can girls and costume-clad actors to the city centre.

The fun began on Thursday evening as a stage was set up outside St Peter's Church for a performance of the Constant Soldier.

Afternoon spectators can expect to be wowed with acrobats called The Highflyers at 1.30pm and 3.30pm today in Church Street East and samba sounds from Samba Inferno at 4.15pm in the Pavilion Buildings, among other shows.

For those in need of a much-needed break, a kiss therapy booth will be mingling with the crowds at 1.30pm in Gardner Street and 4.30pm in New Road.

The two-day extravaganza, involving more than 100 companies, is expected to attract thousands of visitors to the city this weekend.

Streets of Brighton, part of the European Polycentre for Street Arts alongside four street arts festivals in northern France, will end with a procession from Circus Street at 10pm tonight.

David Reeves, managing director of Zap Productions which organised the event, said it was a vital part of the festival programme.

He sad: "The most important thing is that artists are being taken to the people so they can see things they might not otherwise experience.

"A lot of people might not be able to afford to pay to see things and this gives them accessibility to the arts.

"We have also concentrated on getting a mixture of different influences as that is what culture is all about."