SOUTHEND’S famous carnival procession is taking place today.

The famous carnival is taking place on Saturday along the seafront.

Expected to attract more than 20,000 people to the town and seafront, the procession of 60 floats is now one of the largest of its kind in the UK.

Seven of the floats will be themed on the history of Southend to mark 125 years of the borough.

The floats will include Victorian bathers and the Olympics.

Revellers are in for an evening of colourful floats, exciting acts, dancers, bands, big costumes and plenty of flag waving merriment.

The parade will start at 6.45pm from Southchurch park.

It will reach City Beach on the seafront at 7.30pm and finish at Shorefield Road at around 9pm.

There will be the opportunity to line the route all along and there is also an accessible view point to the east of the pier.