Welcome to the Forest will be the biggest party Waltham Forest has ever seen and everyone is invited.

Waltham Forest has been named as the first ever Mayor of London's Borough of Culture, and to kick off the year in style a three-day party will transform the heart of the borough into a colourful celebration of local talent.

The opening show, Welcome to the Forest, starts on Friday 11 January and runs until Sunday 13 January. It has been created in response to the theme of Radicals, Makers and Fellowship.

Artists Greenaway & Greenaway will transform the Town Hall with their new film, Into the Forest: a high energy, site-specific film that tells the story of the borough through the eyes of Waltham Forest’s diverse communities. Greenaway & Greenaway have collaborated with Mercury Music Prize-winning musician and producer Talvin Singh on the soundtrack.

The Town Hall will also host a new commission from world-renowned, local electronic duo Addictive TV who present Welcome to the Forest, a unique piece of music created by sampling audio and video of Waltham Forest’s rich and diverse musical talent.

Locally-based festival curators Continental Drifts will transform Forest Road into a neon-lit, celebratory winter carnival in partnership with the legendary Gods Own Junkyard.

An epic lighting installation will take over Lloyd Park. Nest, by artists Marshmallow Laser Feast, features a transcendental soundscape created by composer Erland Cooper, working with over 1,000 participants from local schools and choirs.

It’s a unique event for all the family designed to celebrate a shared past, present and future in this much-loved corner of north east London.

Waltham Forest Town Hall, Lloyd Park and Forest Road. Welcome to the Forest runs from Friday 11 January to Sunday 13 January. For more information visit wfculture19.co.uk/welcome-to-the-forest