Olympic: Central Park in Dagenham will host a festival to coincide with the London 2012 opening ceremony - Picture: Barry Passey

Olympic fans are invited to watch the London 2012 opening ceremony on a giant screen during an open air festival in Dagenham.

The celebration will get under way at Central Park at 4pm on July 27 with volleyball, circus skills, food and stalls and a soft play area for toddlers.

Families will also enjoy sport competitions, arts and crafts, a climbing wall and the £27million curtain raiser will be shown on a 29ft by 16ft screen at the park in Wood Lane, at 9pm.

The festival promises to be a massive celebration with up to 1,000 volunteers set to be drafted in to supervise the event.

The festivities have been organised by 12 churches with the backing of the police and Barking and Dagenham Council, the organisers said.

Nick Hughes, a minister at Bethel church in Parsloes Avenue, Dagenham, said: “This is proving to be an exciting chance for our community to come together.

“It is also a groundbreaking opportunity for the churches to work together for the benefit of our community.”

The festival is free apart from food and alcohol will not be on sale. Families are invited to bring their own picnic.