Leicester and Leicestershire are preparing to welcome thousands of people from across the globe with a huge programme of events and activities to tie in with the reinterment of King Richard lll.

More than 100 special events and activities will run from Friday 20 March, leading up to and beyond the reinterment of the King in Leicester Cathedral on Thursday 26 March. Organisations across the city and county will be inviting people to join them for what promises to be a momentous week for the area, as the eyes of the world focus on the final journey of the last King of England to die in battle.

• Events taking place throughout the week range from the opening of new Medieval Leicester Galleries at the city's historic Guildhall on Friday 20 March, to a special King Richard lll service at Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre on Sunday 22 March. Ticket details for this event are due to be announced shortly.

• The University of Leicester will hold a number of events throughout the week, including King Richard lll Day on Saturday 21 March. Visitors will be able to hear from the experts who made these historical discoveries, experiment with DNA extraction, sample a medieval banquet and much more.

• Screenwriter Phillipa Langley, who led the search for King Richard lll will be at Leicester's Guildhall on Saturday 21 March to tell the story of her seven-and-a-half year journey to uncover the king's grave through the Looking for Richard project.

• And from 8.10am (everyone to be seated by 7.30am) on Sunday 22 March, Leicester Cathedral will host a service, open to all, to mark the week of the reinterment.

• Guided trips to Fenn Lane Farm, reputedly the site of King Richard's death at the Battle of Bosworth, will be offered six times a day, on selected days throughout the week, starting on Monday 23 March.

• There will also be a series of talks at Bosworth, including a presentation on 'Arming Richard for Battle' involving re-enactor Dominic Smee who played King Richard's body-double in a Channel 4 documentary.

• Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre hosts a permanent exhibition, which tells the dramatic story of the Battle of Bosworth on August 22 1485, which marked a major turning point in English history.

• Visitors can use interactive displays to find out how the battle unfolded and to learn about the impact of the new and powerful Tudor dynasty.

• Tours of the battlefield will also be available, giving visitors the chance to enjoy breath-taking views of the Leicestershire countryside as an expert guides them along the 2km trail.

• Leicester University's Richard Buckley and Richard Morris will talk about their search for the king in 'X marks the spot', a free event at Leicester's Guildhall on Tuesday 24 March.

• A number of venues in the city and county will offer activities and exhibitions throughout the week, including the King Richard lll Visitor Centre: Dynasty, Death and Discovery, which stands on the site of the medieval friary where the king was buried more than 500 years ago.

• Located just 100 steps from Leicester Cathedral, the centre uses 21 century technology and great design to tell the fascinating story of the king's life and death.

• Further details of the procession that will take the remains of King Richard lll through the city and county before arriving at Leicester Cathedral for a service of compline on the evening of Sunday 22 March will be published in the next few weeks.

• Two giant screens will be erected in Leicester city centre to enable visitors to watch the service of compline, and the reinterment ceremony, which will take place on Thursday 26 March.

• Leicester Cathedral will open for two special sessions on Friday 27 March when the tomb of King Richard lll will be revealed. Open from 3pm to 5.15pm and from 6.15pm to 9pm, these will be free events and large queues are expected.

• Everyone is invited to share in a unique celebration on Friday 27 March that will mark the historic events of the week. 'Leicester Glows: Fire Garden and Cathedral Illuminations' will see 8,000 fire pots lit around Jubilee Square and Cathedral Gardens, marking the reinterment of the King.

• Running from 6pm to 10pm, the evening will include a stunning illumination of Leicester Cathedral along with a firework display.

Activities will continue in the city and county on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 March. A full programme of events including contact details and charges where applicable is available at http://kingrichardinleicester.com/events/

More information about travelling to, and staying in, Leicester and Leicestershire is available at www.visitleicester.info and www.goleicestershire.com  

Further details about Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre can be found at www.bosworthbattlefield.com