The hugely popular Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival will return to the borough on July 1st. The Mela Festival is now in its 13th year and takes place in Calverley Grounds between 12.30 pm to 6.30 pm. The Mela which is organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus and the Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Arts Council England celebrates the diversity and cohesion of the borough through music, food and dance.
As in previous years, the Mela Festival promises to be a great free day out for the family. This year’s stage programme boasts a range of leading culturally diverse artists with an international flavor including Anaconda Belly Dance, Jamal and Alaa Syrian duo, Cohesion Plus produced Folkin Fusion Collective as well as local favorites Ukelear Fall Out and The Paul Dunton Orchestra. The headliners for the day will be International Bhangra Superstar PBN and renowned Bruno Mars tribute act Mars Live who promise to have the crowds singing and dancing by the days end!
The off stage activity will be just as colourful. Highlights include the Chinese Dancing Lions who will be looking to make mischief, performing amongst the audience. Mela festival goers will also have a chance to help find Auntie’s missing shoe during the course of an interactive show called Chappal, The Case of the Missing Sandal’. This particular show has been created working with the Mela Partnership and Nutkhut. In addition there will be a creative arts zone where LV21 will be delivering free workshops.
Alongside the exciting artistic programme, there will be a food zone where there will be countless delicious dishes from around the World for audiences to enjoy including Thai, Indian, Greek, Chinese and British food as well as Ice Cream, Donuts and Fudge. No festival is complete without a cold beverage so Fuggles Beer Café will be serving craft alcohol from around the Globe.
Gurvinder Sandher the Mela Festival Director commented “I am so proud to have been involved with the delivery of the Mela since its inception. The Mela Festival gets bigger and better every year and I am really pleased with what we have put together this year. Not only do we have a great artistic line up both on and off stage but we also have a real diverse range of food and craft stalls. This is great family day out and we hope the communities of Tunbridge Wells will come out and support us as they have done in previous years.”
