Preparations are nearly complete for the much loved Maidstone Community Mela which will this year be returning to the site of its birth place Mote Park on Sunday 19th September. The Mela will run between 12pm and 6pm and is organised by a joint community partnership including Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Maidstone Cultural Group as well as being supported by Maidstone Borough Council. Cohesion Plus is also back as the long-standing event producers.

The Mela will again be celebrating music, food and dance from around the world with an exciting programme of culturally diverse acts performing on stage including Samba band Bloco Fogo, Reel Eire Irish Dance, Square Pegs Choir, Four by Four Kings of Dhol, GTown Talents, the Kerala Culture Association, Maidstone Malayalee and Maidstone Nepalese Community Group.

They will also be joined by Afro Bhangra Fusion a performance which brings together music and dance from North India and Southern Africa to create a unique show. DJ Amit will also be in attendance playing all the current smash hints and to top it all off, the incomparable Bollywood Brass Band will headline and close the show with the unique signature party sound.

Off stage there will be a mouthwatering selection of world foods on offer including Indian, Chinese and Caribbean cuisine, as well as traditional burger and chips and Ice Cream. There will also be a prosecco and beer bar on hand for the grownups!

Gurvinder Sandher the Mela producer commented: “We are so pleased to be bringing the beloved Mela back to Maidstone for its 17th year after missing last year due to the lockdown. To be bringing the Mela back to Mote Park however is the true icing on the cake as the site is where the Mela was born. We are dedicated to putting on another memorable event in a safe and responsible way and hope everyone can make it out to celebrate given the past difficult 18 months we have all been through. The Mela is our longest running event and to me it is about bringing the communities of the borough together, celebrating our shared values and the positive community relations we enjoy. I am excited for everyone to see what we have planned this year and of course we wouldn’t have been able to bring the Mela back to Mote Park without the partnership of Maidstone Borough Council, Maidstone Cultural Group and the Maidstone Advisory Group. Special thanks also go to Arts Council England who is our principle funders.”