And We're Off.....!

Final preperations are being put in place for Northern Ireland Largest Multi-Cultural Festival - the most anticipated cultural highlight of the summer! 

Celebrating culture and creativity, the Mela, meaning ‘to meet’, will display the sights, sounds and smells of ethnic origins, showcasing music, dance, arts and food from across the globe. The festival is the largest multi-cultural celebration the North and crowds are in for a variety of treats as this year’s event is jam-packed with a show-stopping schedule, all taking place in Belfast’s beautiful Botanic Gardens on the 28th August 2011.

Headlining the Mela’s World Stage is ‘Delhi to Dublin’, who are a Canadian based band that plays an energetic mash-up of Bhangra, Celtic, Dub Reggae and Electronica with a healthy dose of global rhythms and club beats. Supporting this fantastic group, are semi finalists of Britain’s Got Talent 2010, ‘Three Bee’ who are an innovative Indian dance company based in London. Bold, beautiful and very Bollywood, ‘Three Bee’ will perform with creativity, energy and enthusiasm resulting in an unforgettable dance experience. These groups will all be joined by returning favourites Desi Brave Hearts, Eternal Taal and ArtsEkta's own South Asian Dance Academy! 

Aswell as a fantastic line-up of music and dance, the Mela will feature seven zones including a world food market incorporating a global cookery theatre, a community showcase area featuring local artistic talent, a global bazaar and shopping area, ethnic circus and street arts shows, a health zone offering alternative therapies and herbal treatments from across the world and Culture Land – an interactive cultural learning experience for young people. Brand new to this year’s festival will be the Mela Cinema, introducing Indian and Polish film to the Mela for the first time. Alongside this there will be a chance to learn about ‘Kabaddi’ – a traditional team contact sport from South Asia.

Nothing compares to the energy, vibrancy and colour of the Belfast Mela – a perfect way to round off your summer in the city!