London Mela is back! The most anticipated London event is back again and ready for action. Bringing us a taste of Asia to London yet again.
London Mela – Brief History
The very first London Mela took place in 2003, backed by the Mayor of London and produced by Ealing Council. It attracted a staggering 60,000 people with more than double (90,000) attending the following year – proving just how successful and popular a mela could be. Now an established highlight in the capital's calendar, the London Mela is a beautifully led celebration of Asian culture and creativity, inspired by South Asia.
The London Mela is reinventing what is traditionally seen in mela's back in South India, added with a twist London provides different 'tents' for people to experience, and offers a wide range cultural singing and dancing but from today's era. It is one of the only melas in the country to commission new work, it also provides a stable platform for emerging aspiring British artists as well as bringing traditional and classical art and merging it into a much wider audience.
One of the most critically acclaimed events, the London Mela features the best in classical music in the Asian world as well as British Asian urban artists, dance, comedy and cabaret, Asian-influenced street theatre and circus, and historical exhibitions. With more than a third of the audience coming from non-Asian communities, it is a family event made with something for every generation of every community.
London Mela 2010
This year's London Mela takes place in Gunnersbury Park on Sunday 8th August. It has nine tents in total, including urban, classical and experimental music, DJs, circus, dance, visual arts, comedy and the Magic Mela kid’s area, not to mention the glorious food markets and a fabulous funfair for all ages to enjoy.
To make things even better, the line up for this year is even more exciting than ever before, with a host of recording stars and performers from the UK and around the world all mixed together with dance, theatre and classical performances.
This year two new zones have been added to the already staggering choice of venues on offer, so there is no excuse but to check out each zone and see for yourself what they have to offer.
Artists such as Imran Khan, Apna Sangeet, Preeya Kalidas, Mumzy and many more will take centre stage this Sunday. Entrance to the Mela is free; it runs from 1 to 8.30 p.m.
Join the Conversation