Sunshine, good-natured crowds and everywhere the sound of music. This weekend Bradford is getting an opportunity to show the nation just why it considers itself to be a serious contender for the title of European Capital of Culture. The BBC Music Live festival is providing us with a chance to shine.

Last night listeners to Radio 2's Friday Night is Music Night were treated to a fine concert from St George's Hall featuring the prestigious BBC Concert Orchestra. Later, the cameras were in Pennington's on Manningham Lane for a live TV broadcast by Jools Holland and a host of top-class musical acts.

And tomorrow Pennington's takes another step towards establishing itself as one of the region's top music venues by playing host to a special, nostalgic edition of Top of the Pops which looks back to the year 1981.

Add to that a host of varied musical activities on the stage in Centenary Square over the past few days, culminating in Monday's World in a City Party and World Music Evening, and you have a whole lot of positive reasons for the world to sit up and take notice of Bradford.

But apart from any impression this festival might make on outsiders, the Music Live Festival is also serving as a tonic for the people of Bradford. It is good to see Centenary Square coming into its own on these occasions. The city centre had long needed a central open space where the people could get together and have fun. BBC Music Live has once again given it a chance to prove its worth.