The east Oxford community is making final preparations to welcome thousands of visitors to the third Cowley Road Carnival on Sunday, June 15.

The live band line-up has been finalised and a spectrum of multi-cultural performers, from Polish gypsies to Punjabi dancers, will be entertaining the crowds.

A funding crisis which threatened the event was solved in April when the Oxford, Swindon & Gloucester Co-op stepped in with £30,000, topped up by a further £10,000 from Oxford City Council.

A series of events during the countdown to carnival day is giving schoolchildren and community groups a chance to polish their performances and perfect their colourful costumes.

The event, sponsored by the Oxford Mail as part of the city's series of Fun in the Parks events, has evolved since it was launched three years ago by East Oxford Action.

The Rainbow-themed procession, led by Sol Samba, will be more than five times bigger than last year's, involving about 500 people from 22 community groups.

It will set off at 1pm, along Cowley Road to The Plain and back round St Clement's.

More than 300 children from 10 local schools will join voices in the procession to form the Mas carnival choir.

The committee has added extra events for young people this year with a mobile skate ramp funded by part of the Co-op grant.

There will be two live music stages hosting 25 acts. Dubwiser will kick of the live music, followed by Jod, Matt Sage, Marconi's Voodoo, Big Speakers, Maeve Bayton, The Evenings and Yoghert.

The 11-piece Zimbabwean band Black Umfolosi will perform both in the procession and on stage, along with Polish gypsy band Romani Rad.

Some "Last minute -- don't panic" workshops are taking place between 2pm and 5pm the day before the carnival, and 10am to noon on the day, in Manzil Gardens, for people who still want to get involved. Artists will work with people to make head-dresses and decorations to carry in the procession.

The carnival will be opened by Irish dancers on the Rainbow Stage at 1pm, followed by a performance by the Mas choir in Manzil Gardens. The band line-up will get under way from 1.15pm.

Carnival co-ordinator Henrietta Gill, said: "When we got the funding everyone was really excited that it was going to go ahead.

"It's been really rewarding working with the Co-op, which has the same ethics about the importance of community.

"Now there's a real buzz about everyone being part of it and it's not too late to get involved."