THE long wait is nearly over.

In just four days, Basingstoke's exciting new £300million retail and shopping complex, Festival Place, will be unveiled to the public for the first time.

The grand opening kicks off on Tuesday at 9.45am with a few words from Brian Gurden, the leader of Basingstoke council; Katrine Sporle, chief executive of Basingstoke council; and Stephen Musgrave, chief executive of Grosvenor, the developer of the shopping complex.

The mayor of Basingstoke, Rita Burgess, will countdown the opening at 10am. Six lucky competition winners, including one selected by The Gazette, will then burst through all the doors leading into the centre, declaring it officially open.

Hundreds of shoppers are expected to watch the opening ceremony - a landmark occasion that will bring the transformation of Basingstoke town centre from a concrete eyesore into a 21st century shopping and leisure destination.

Once inside, shoppers will be able to take their pick from the 165 shops and 18 cafs, bars and restaurants that make up Festival Place - the largest shopping centre to open in the UK this year.

Individual shops will also be performing their own opening celebrations.

Anchor store Debenhams has asked a group of social workers based opposite the store to perform its ribbon-cutting ceremony as a way of making up for all the disruption the development has caused them over the years.

But the celebrations don't end there. Next weekend, from Friday through to Sunday, a packed programme of events including death-defying stunts, circus skills and slapstick comedy will keep everyone entertained.

Looking forward to the grand opening, Bernard Ferris, Festival Place centre director, said: "The opening day and weekend is the culmination of a great deal of hard work, and we want to celebrate the opening of Festival Place by providing entertainment for everyone.

"The main theme of the weekend is to emphasise the transformation from the old to the new. Basingstoke is embarking on a new future and we want to set it off with a bang."