GLASGOW is pulling out all the stops with its own celebrations tomorrow as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Her Majesty will be joined by the Duke of Edinburgh to see the city centre transformed into a giant street party. The monarch will also make a series of visits to sites in Glasgow, Clydebank and Greenock as part of her day-long festivities, her first visit to the city since 2006.
A George Square concert will play host to musical and family entertainment including Britain's Got Talent star, Jai McDowall.
The 25-year-old singer said: "It's an incredible honour and privilege to be performing at such an historic occasion. I hope Her Majesty enjoys my performance as much as I am going to enjoy singing for her."
Evening Times columnist and singer Michelle McManus will also be performing alongside Gamu, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Hue and Cry. The city's schoolkids will get in on the act, with youngsters from St Paul's Primary singing alongside Glasgow country star Laura McGhee, and a performance by the Glasgow Youth Choir.
There will also be street theatre, clowns, balloon modellers, face painters, horse and dray rides and tribute acts.
Outside the square, another set of pupils will join the celebrations by having their own performance shown on a loop from 1pm to 1.30pm on the screen above Central Station. The pupils from Pirie Park Primary, Govan, wrote a song, Celebrate, in honour of the Queen and made their own music video to accompany it.
Screen owner Marc Keenan, managing director of the Forrest Group, said: "Having heard the song on Sunny Govan Radio, I thought it was superb. When a video was mentioned, I thought why not screen it."
Singer-songwriter Michaela Foster Marsh, who ran the singing project, said it will be a "total thrill" for pupils to see themselves up on the screen.
The video will also be show on media firm Primesight's advertising screens in the Glasgow Subway.
The George Square event is free, but Glasgow City Council has advised if numbers reach capacity they will operate on a 'one in, one out' entry system.
Access will be via gates in George Street and Cochrane Street from 9.30am. Acts start at 11am and finish at 8.15pm.
fiona.mckay@ heraldandtimes.co.uk