A festival of all things Ashes cricket begins in Leeds tomorrow as the city prepares to host the fourth test between England and Australia.

The Ashes Festival in Leeds has been devised by sports marketing agency Banana Kick - which is based in the city - in collaboration with Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Marketing Leeds, Welcome to Yorkshire and Leeds Metropolitan University.

It will run for 11 days and aims to create a feel-good factor in the city and make the sell-out test match at Headingley - which starts on 7 August - “inclusive to as many people and businesses in the region as possible”.

The festival has also been promoted down under, where a delegation from Marketing Leeds met with Australian business leaders in Melbourne.

Events will include an Ashes exhibition at Leeds City Museum, a dinner with Clive James and Mike Gatting and a city-wide walkabout by the Australian cricket team.

At its centrepiece will be urban cricket activites in Millennium Square in Leeds city centre, aimed at engaging youngsters and adults with the sport.

Banana Kick director Gary McCall said: "The Ashes represents a massive opportunity for a city like Leeds and the wider regional community as the eyes of our nation, and those of our Australian friends, will be on Leeds and Headingley.
 
“The business opportunities are not just the immediate benefits for the likes of retailers, hoteliers and others in the hospitality industry who’ll experience higher footfall, there’s longer term rewards such as future tourism, not to mention capturing the imagination of our local cricketing stars of tomorrow.

“Through our marketing campaign we have devised a cricket Festival that we believe is unmatched by any of the other regions holding an Ashes test. It’s been a real cross-organisational team effort and a genuine blue-print of how to bring the public and private sector together for a common goal."