After years of preparation the GoGoHares have finally been released to the public at the official Riverside launch.

Celebrities, artists and members of the community arrived bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the sunset reveal of the GoGoHares 2018.

Each metre-high hare was draped in gold silk ahead of the red-carpet event. The artists, as well as spectators, waited in anticipation to see what each hand-painted hare looked like.

Illustrator Charli Vince was selected to add her creative flare on to one of the GoGoHares and chose a C.S Lewis classic as her muse.

Ms Vince said: 'My hare was sponsored by Chilled Driving School so I wanted to focus on snow to match the theme - I didn't want a direct scene from Narnia so I added in the bag, lamp and Aslan and then weaved it in with snow.'

Eastern Daily Press: Confetti flies at the big reveal of the GoGoHares at a Hare PremiHare at Riverside, with patron Jake Humphrey, just behind the green GoGoHare. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYConfetti flies at the big reveal of the GoGoHares at a Hare PremiHare at Riverside, with patron Jake Humphrey, just behind the green GoGoHare. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

Ms Vince, who originally hails from Suffolk, also designed the map for the GoGoHare trail.

Norwich-based dance group the Garage stole the show with their perfectly-choreographed dance to the official GoGoHare track Hoppy ahead of the unveiling.

After a dramatic 10-second countdown, the gold silk was whipped off each of the hares and blue, white and red confetti shot in to the sky.

Artist Sally Adams had two hares unveiled and paid homage to children's tale, the Tortoise and the Hare. The artist added: 'It is going to be hard to let these go, I work quite slowly and you get to know every single brush stroke.'

Eastern Daily Press: Before the big reveal of the GoGoHares at a Hare PremiHare at Riverside. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYBefore the big reveal of the GoGoHares at a Hare PremiHare at Riverside. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

Eighteen more hares have been added across the county, including one in Great Yarmouth. GoGoHare sponsers Kate and Radley Fenn from Coleman Opticians Hearing and Vision Centre hopped on the opportunity to get involved.

Mrs Fenn said: 'We are so excited to be a part of this and the break team have worked so hard.'

On June 24, the 50 hares will be placed around Norwich and a further 18 will be located Norfolk. These hares will form the city and county trial and lead to a unique prize.

All money raised from the GoGoHares trial will be donated to children's charity Break and will be used to support their programs and housing group facilities.