Mela 'reimagined' for future generation

A group hoping to revive Bradford Mela 13 years after the festival closed has said it is reimagining the event for a new generation.

Bradford Mela was the first large-scale South Asian festival in the UK and was held in parks across the city from 1988 to 2013, often attracting thousands of people.

Now, Royale Festivals – which organises melas across the UK – is bringing music, art, food stalls and traders to City Park and Centenary Square on Saturday and Sunday.

Festival director Danyul Khan said he had been inspired by Bradford City of Culture 2025 and decided to bring an event back to the city "where it all began".

"Bradford used to be one of the biggest melas, so we did some digging into it and we tend to do a lot of events down south – so London gets it all – and we were like, how can we bring something up to Bradford?" he said.

While he admitted it would not be as big as the previous mela – which left Peel Park in 2013 and was merged into the Bradford Festival - he said the city centre was the "perfect location".

The free event will include music from Bhangra artists Sahara and Mumzy Stranger, as well a community stage at Darley Street Market.

Aswad Arts director Moss Sheikh, who is behind the youth and community programme, said it was a "very special moment".

"We're hoping to revive the legacy of the Bradford Mela. We want to capture that vibe, that atmosphere," he said.

"We're starting small scale and hopefully from here we'll let it grow and move to one of the parks."

Mela is a Punjabi word for a festival or gathering, explained Sheikh.

"It's a festival of anything and everything. There's going to be food here, there's going to be song, dance, activities, there's going to be a lot going on," he said.

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