Belfast is set to be awash with ‘stars’ later this month as the annual City Carnival takes place.

A series of space-themed floats and astrologically-inspired costumes will take centre stage at the event which officially introduces, Naomi Long, the new Lord Mayor, to the people of Belfast.

This year the annual event will be encouraging people to literally ‘look up’ to the stars to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy.

For the past few months, artists and community groups from across the city have been working together with carnival company Beat to bring the streets alive with colour and sound on June 27.

Giant floats, big stilt-costumes and hundreds of performers will parade through the city centre, as participants and onlookers alike explore the stars and the universe.

“Over the past few years, the Belfast City Carnival has changed and evolved, and has become a cornerstone of our cultural calendar,” Councillor Long said. “This year’s carnival will be bigger and better than ever before, and I urge everyone to come out and enjoy the spectacle.”

And while it will be a welcome return, this year’s carnival procession will follow a different route through the city on the day.

A special carnival performance will take place at Custom House Square at 1.30pm before the parade begins its journey through the streets moving along High Street and Bridge Street into lower Donegall Street. From there it will travel along Royal Avenue and Donegall Place to the front of the City Hall. It will then head around the back of the City Hall into Howard Street, Upper Queen Street and Wellington Place, before finishing at City Hall around 3pm.