Thousands of people from communities across Oxford are set to descend on Cowley Marsh Park for the city's third annual Mela on Sunday.

Organisers of the Oxford Mela are hoping up to 5,000 people will come to the park to celebrate the city's ethnic and cultural diversity, beating the 3,000-strong attendance last year.

A huge range of sports, music, and dance will be on offer, with everything from bhangra, to flamenco and jive to the Asian sport of kabbadi - a tactical version of tag.

Organiser Nisha Prakash said: "It's all coming together very well.

"The only thing to worry about is the weather, but the forecast is not too bad."

She added: "The idea is bringing different groups and communities together to work with each other, to play with each other and to try different activities, which otherwise they would not do.

"The new thing this year is that we have a lot of nationally-acclaimed bands coming. People seem really keen to come along, despite our limited budget."

Asian band Metz'n'Trix will be headlining the event on the music stage, playing at 5.45pm. Other acts performing include Off Licence Asian Fusion, the Doyle Academy of Irish Dancing and MRB X R 'n' B/HipHop.

Skater hockey players will be involved in the event for the first time, and people will be able to have a go at the sport and, perhaps more bizarrely, there will also be a stone-lifting competition.

Ms Prakash said: "The programme is very diverse this year and there are things for people of all ages to do.

"All the sports being played will also offer opportunities for people to come and have a try as well.

"I am very pleased with the reputation the Mela is gaining, which is basically engaging with the grass roots and communities on the ground."

She said organisers had been overwhelmed with responses from groups wanting to perform on the stage and had, in fact, been oversubscribed.

Ms Prakash said she had been pleased to see local businesses getting involved, with a number of restaurants not just sponsoring the event, but also preparing to put out a team for the five-a-side tournament.

She said: "It has been very well received by the communities and I'm hoping it will receive the support to establish it as an annual event."

The event runs from 10am-5.30pm.