A festival of entertainment will greet the Olympic flame when it arrives at Land’s End for the start of the Torch Relay’s 8,000 mile journey around the UK.

The eyes of the world will be on the most south westerly tip of the country when the flame arrives from Greece early on Saturday May 19.

Land’s End has announced a line-up of entertainment to showcase Cornwall’s talent and heritage to the thousands of people expected to brave the early morning in order to see the Torch Relay begin.

It will include a host of entertainers, including acrobats and fire jugglers, from Penryn-based Swamp Circus, who will begin the entertainment at 6am.

The UK’s longest running contemporary circus, which has toured the world over the last 15 years, will also be providing pyrotechnics and a street show featuring a band, clowns, mime, high unicycles and fire juggling.

Cornish theatre and dance group Kernocopia will also be performing a spectacular, specially-written piece of theatre on a 30 foot boat at 6.30am.

Land’s End has already announced a £3million investment programme to coincide with the Torch Relay, including a £250,000 renovation of its hotel restaurant, lounge bar and reception area.

It has made a series of arrangements to help people enjoy the big day.

Free shuttle buses to Land’s End will operate from a free temporary car park set up in Sennen on Friday afternoon and from 5.30am on Saturday.

The buses will be suspended between 6.40am and 8am to allow torch relay runners to leave the area but will resume from Land’s end to Sennen from around 8am throughout the afternoon.

All the attraction’s catering outlets and retail shops will be open at 6am.

The Land’s End Hotel will not be accepting overnight bookings for Friday May 18 and the on-site car park will be closed in order to comply with security guidelines.

David Bryans, general manager at Land’s End, said: “The first torch bearer will set off from the first and last signpost to Newlyn, via Sennen, at 7.02am.

“We wanted to mark the occasion by entertaining the many thousands of people who we expect to get up early and travel down to see the event – and we think it's going to be pretty spectacular!

“Designated areas will be made available on site for members of the public wishing to see the start of the torch relay but we are asking them to arrive early as we are expecting a lot of people – and so the entertainment will start at 6am.

“It’s a great honour for Land’s End to be chosen as the start of the Torch Relay. They eyes of the world will be on us and we want to do Cornwall proud and showcase the wonderful talent this area has to offer.”