Bradford could get a brand new concert venue as part of its bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2008.

Plans are being drawn up to look at the feasibility of combining a major music hall with an exhibition centre in the city in a bid to lure big name bands and orchestras to the district.

Capital of Culture director Paul Brookes said today: "A feasibility study is being planned for a music and conference centre and it will look at where it should be and how it could be funded."

The city is also set to gain permanent water features, new buildings and sparkling light shows as it winds up its bid - entitled One Landscape, Many Views - to be the top city of culture across the continent.

And from today the Telegraph & Argus will be making sure people have a daily reminder of the district's campaign by giving our "Back the Bid" logo pride of place next to the titlepiece on our front page every day.

Editor Perry Austin-Clarke said: "Winning Capital of Culture status will have an enormous impact on the city and district. The T&A has supported the campaign right from the very start and we want to make sure that no-one can forget how important the bid is."

Billboards across the district are set to be plastered with many of the public's ideas on what the city's culture is about - and the billboard campaign promoting Bradford's bid is also set to wing its way down to the capital to try to promote Bradford's cultural image.

Mr Brookes said: "The bill boards are going up in London where they could influence people who may be involved in the bid. They will show the country what Bradford has to offer."

The city's capital of culture director Paul Brookes and his team have until March to submit their bid to the Government, who will choose the UK's top bidder.

And although they are keeping many of the details under wraps so as not to tip off the 12 other competitors - including Belfast and Newcastle and Gateshead - the city is focusing on three sub-themes.

They are:

a city of light, colour, water and music;

building bridges between people;

textiles to telecommunications.

The first aims to create events and projects aimed at producing a more stimulating urban and rural environment, which could include the music and conference centre.

The second is about community cohesion programmes to break down the segregation highlighted in the Ouseley report into Bradford's race relations as well as Home Office research.

"The building bridges sub-theme is about building bridges between communities. Some programmes are already underway," Mr Brookes said.

"This is absolutely vital to the bid because people are looking to Bradford to see unity without uniformity. It is very important to understand each other's differences and recognise their strengths."

Part of the bid also centres around sport as a way of bringing together young people of different cultures.

The third sub-theme, involving major exhibitions, focuses on the change in Bradford's economy from the creative skills needed in the older technologies of the wool trade to the needs of modern day technology and service industries.

New banners will also go out across the district emblazoned with the bid's themes. The bid now has the backing of all Yorkshire local authorities and regional agencies.

The banners will also go on main routes into the city centre proclaiming the city's desire to become Capital of Culture and are set to be seen by thousands of motorists.

A team headed by Mr Brookes is now working round the clock to submit the bid to the Government on March 31.

Short listing of between three and six entrants from the 13 hopefuls will be announced in September.

The choice will be made by a panel headed by Culture Minister Tessa Jowell.

But the consolation prize for those which do not become the European Capital of Culture will still earn the title of Centre of Culture and the kudos which accompanies it.

But Mr Brookes stressed the importance of maintaining the momentum throughout summer if Bradford is to succeed.

March 1 will also be a vital day for Bradford's bid for the coveted title.

About 60 businesses from across the region, who are potential sponsors, will attend an event to see what both the build-up and competition itself would mean to them.

Bradford is facing tough competition from Belfast, Cardiff, Newcastle and Gateshead, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Norwich, Inverness and the Highlands, Birmingham, Bristol, Oxford, Canterbury and Brighton and Hove.

But the district has been tipped as the winner in one national publication and is high in the ratings as bookies begin to take bets.