In just a few weeks, the top floor of the Bull's Head Car Park will be turned into an urban playground.

Skateboarding ramps, walls specifically intended for graffiti and DJ booths will all be set up for the launch of the Youth Culture Festival on July 10.

"Every day we hear young people say there's nothing to do," said Coordinator for the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, Adrian Kawaley-Lathan. "I want people to come here and see something new, something different, and I want them to get excited."

The festival is the second part of the Culture Unwrapped series of events, which introduced street artists to the City of Hamilton last month.

The event will feature not only areas for skateboarding, BMXing, freerunning, professional DJs and graffiti, but also free workshops in all of those activities.

While children will need parental consent, he promised that there would be more than enough going on to keep everyone entertain. "It's going to be a six hour festival," Mr. Kawaley-Lathan said. "Everyone I've spoken to about it is really excited."

He said food and drinks will also be available, and spaces will be made available for any youth organisation that wants to promote their programs.

"We know the World Cup will still be going on, so we're even going to have plasma screens up with the game on.

"It's so exciting. There's going to be so much happening throughout the day."

While Mr. Kawaley-Lathan said he is looking forward to the festival, he is also looking forward to the next step.

That next step, he said, will be the introduction of a permanent skate park on what is now an unpaved area north of the parking lot. "I'm all about continuity. Having just one event means nothing," he said.

"I made sure the ramps we're bringing in are portable so the ramps are ready as soon as the new space is. "Some places a lot bigger then us don't have a place half this size. We want to have everyone's input so that people can really design their own urban playground."

While the permanent park is still early in it's planning stages, Mr. Kawaley-Lathan said there is already a huge demand for it.

"All of these ideas that I've been putting forward, they have already been put forward in the past," he said.

"We've had skaters try to come together to get a park made. There was an online petition some young people started to get a skate park.

"I have seen people riding around with those foot pegs on their bikes for a long time, but I've never seen what these guys do. The people here are so well travelled, I'm half expecting some people to come out of the woodwork and all of a sudden, we realise we have these amazing BMXers or skaters on the Island."

Former professional BMXer James Needham said that some skaters and BMXers travel the world looking for good skating parks.

"There's been this explosion of urban sports throughout the world," he said. "Some of the smaller countries are getting these really great facilities and people are travelling to ride at these skate parks."

Mr. Needham, who will be holding BMX workshops at the festival, said that Bermuda has needed a new skate park, not just for the young people, but for anyone who is interested in the sport. "There is a need for a safe environment for young people to learn, but this isn't just for young people. I'm 32."

• The Youth Culture Festival will be held on Saturday, July 10. Events start at 12 p.m. and run until 6 p.m. Entry is free.