Hundreds of revellers packed Kings Square in Gloucester on Saturday to enjoy a sun-kissed day of free entertainment to celebrate its £5 million refurbishment.

Entertainment included the fountains synchronised to the music from The Music Works, a spectacular high wire act and a specially commissioned new collaboration between Gloucester-based Strike a Light and Avant Garde, who had worked with 125 dancers across the city on a vibrant new performance.

An estimated 500 to 600 people attended the event at any one time, along with a number of city dignitaries.

Cllr Richard Cook, leader of Gloucester City Council, told Punchline: "We've spent 18 months delivering this site. We started work with the intention of taking about a year to do it but because of the pandemic and delays in getting materials, it's taken a little longer but here we are today - it's finally open.

"It's just indicative of what it's going to mean to the people of Gloucester. This place is going to be prime real estate in the city as we move forward and businesses that are currently working here are just going to see more and more people coming into the city centre.

"To my right we've got the former Debenhams store which the university are converting into a city centre campus ultimately to have 4,500 students there. To my left, we are about to start building The Forum where there will be 1,000 people working.

"All that additional footfall is going to extend the daytime into the evening in Gloucester city centre. We are not going to be closing at 5pm anymore, we are going to be staying open through the evening.

"It's going to be a fabulous opportunity for businesses. They are going to relish being in this space and are going to have so much footfall to drive business. I'm delighted that after so many years, so many promises, so many false dawns we have been able to finally deliver this. We've had so many people telling us for so long that we would never do it, but once again we have shown that we can and we have."

Richard Graham, MP for Gloucester, said: "It's a very exciting day. It's by no means the end but it's definitely the start of something special. 

"I think when people come here and they see the fountains working and the music, they'll be students here in a year's time, it's a much more vibrant city centre, that's what we all want to see. Young people having fun with their parents and grandparents looking on photographing them, it's happening."

Peter White, centre manager at King's Walk Gloucester, said: "It's great for King's Walk, it's lovely to see so many people about today, the weather's been fantastic we're hoping from a business point of view that it increases footfall into this area. 

"The businesses here have obviously had to deal with a building site for the past few years but now it's come through.

"I'm hoping it will not only help the current tenants that we've got but hopefully increase the interest from potential retailers who want to open up."