40,000 people attend the Glasgow Mela at Kelvingrove Park

The 2024 Glasgow Mela attracted a crowd of 40,000, with people enjoying a jam-packed day of free music, dance, and arts.

Article Source: Glasgow Life
Last Updated: 24 June 2024 11:26

Image Credit: Kris Kesiak for Glasgow Life: Dancers from the Abhinaya Dance Academy performing at the 2024 Glasgow Mela.

Festivalgoers were treated to spectacular performances by incredible local, national, and international acts at Kelvingrove Park.

Among the line-up were award-winning Punjabi rapper Roach Killa, singer Abira Shah, Scottish DJs Gtown Desi and Glasgow's own Rameet Sandhu.

The legendary Apache Indian headlined the festival, and Glasgow’s original bhangra rockers Bombay Talkie also reunited for a special performance.

People had the chance to try outstanding food from around the world and visit a range of market stalls.

The Kelvingrove Bandstand also hosted an author talk as part of The Summer Reading Challenge, workshops, and the first-ever Glasgow Mela Big Singalong with Glasgow Sitare.

On top of that, there were come-and-try sport sessions, including kabaddi, hockey, volleyball, and archery.

Delivered by Glasgow Life, the charity that leads culture and sport in Glasgow, the Mela is the largest of its kind in Scotland.

Billy Garrett, Director of Tourism, Culture and Events at Glasgow Life, said: “The Glasgow Mela is a much-loved part of the city’s events and cultural calendar. The festival celebrates Glasgow’s diverse communities and the musical and artistic talent which contributes to Glasgow being a UNESCO City of Music. It is brilliant that thousands of people came together to enjoy high-quality performances, food, workshops, and activities in the beautiful setting of Kelvingrove Park.”

The Scottish-Asian Creative Artists’ Network, which manages the Glasgow Mela programme, said: “The 2024 Glasgow Mela has featured exciting new collaborations as well as unique and memorable performances. It’s wonderful to see the festival continuing to grow our community of talented Scottish Asian artists. This year, we had an open call for on-stage performers and our partnership with Glasgow Life Museums created a space for a young artist to run a workshop. Another highlight was using the iconic Kelvingrove Bandstand for workshops and talks for the first time.”

Mela means "gathering” in Sanskrit, and the festival is a South Asian celebration of Glasgow’s diverse communities. The event aims to promote local artists and their rich cultural heritage.

The first Mela was in 1990 as part of Glasgow’s celebrations as the European City of Culture.

The festival has since grown into a huge outdoor celebration which attracts thousands of visitors and brings together hundreds of performers and artists from around the world.

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