Newcastle city centre offered a taste of the region's biggest South Asian cultural celebration on Saturday as 'Mela in the City' took over Grey's Monument. The free preview event gave visitors a glimpse of the Newcastle Mela, which returns to Exhibition Park this weekend for its 32nd year.
Festival Preview at Grey's Monument
Between 11am and 4pm, crowds enjoyed live performances and cultural activities at the monument, delivered in partnership with NE1. Among the performers were circus artist Kwabana Lindsay, musicians Dhol & Pipes and street comedian Daft as a Brush. The line-up also included Kalakshetra, and henna tattooing was available for attendees.
The main festival, which takes place on Sunday and Monday, is expected to draw up to 40,000 visitors from across the region and beyond. It celebrates the cultures of Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and other South Asian communities through live music, dance, street food, workshops and family activities.
Headline Sponsors and Performers
Newcastle Building Society is the headline sponsor of the event. The festival programme features both established and emerging artists, including Jassi Sidhu, Raxstar, Chalo Baithak, Mazhar Rahi, Sahara and Zack Knight.
ChronicleLive has also launched a dedicated WhatsApp community for What's On news and updates, keeping readers informed about things to do around the North East and breaking gig announcements.
