The Dartford Festival of Light is coming back to the town centre this Friday, as the countdown to Christmas continues.

It will feature a lantern parade with 11 local schools, live music and a firework display.

The event – organised by Cohesion Plus, Dartford Borough Council and Kent Equality Cohesion Council – will take place between 6pm and 7.30pm.

A lantern parade will see 11 local schools taking part, starting in the High Street with a grand finale in Central Park, followed by a firework display.

The parade will also feature a range of different acts including Bloco Fogo Samba – a local collective in samba percussion bringing the feel of Rio Carnival to the town centre – as well as Crocodile Brass Band who will be performing brass renditions of pop songs and classic hits.

Further entertainment will be provided by Kings of Dhol, bringing fusion sounds and percussions from North India.

The festival, now in its 13th edition, is supported by Arts Council England and local business KKB Group which is involved for the first time.

Producer Gurvinder Sandher said: "The festival is an amazing achievement and its aim has always been to celebrate what binds the communities together, celebrating shared common values and championing the diversity of Dartford."

Dartford council leader Cllr Jeremy Kite added: "For more than a decade the Festival of Light has been a special event in Dartford’s calendar and it’s one of our favourite collaborations with Cohesion Plus.

"They really share our vision for happy community events and there’s so much value to the work that local schools doing preparing their lights, lanterns and displays in the weeks leading up to the parade.

"You can see the thought and effort that has gone in and you just know that behind every creation there is a real story.

"It’s a great way to bring our community together."