Mela: Glasgow's free multicultural music and dance festival returns this summer

The Glasgow Mela – the city’s free multicultural festival of music, dance and arts – is returning to Kelvingrove Park this summer.

The 2023 Mela will see local, national and overseas acts entertain thousands.

Glasgow Life, the charity that delivers culture and sport in Glasgow, has confirmed the free event will take place on Sunday, June 25, from 12pm until 8pm.

The Mela, which means “gathering” in Sanskrit, is a South Asian celebration of the city’s diverse communities which aims to promote local artists and their cultural heritage.

Tarana will take to the stage at this year’s Glasgow Mela and perform Kathak, a dance form from North India. Tanwi Bhattachary/Glasgow Life

Scottish DJs Gtown Desi, Scottish-Indian crossover band Unison and Punjab folk legend Surinder Shinda are among the dance groups and musicians who will perform on the Navras Stage.

The Hamara Stage will welcome the likes of Supermann on the Beat, Turas and Mishra, among others.

Lavannya Manohar, who is a junior doctor and star of Michael McIntyre’s Big Show on BBC One, is also part of the Hamara Stage line-up.

This year’s Mela also features food stalls, writing workshops, market vendors and come-and-try sports events like kabaddi.

The Glasgow Mela is the largest of its kind in Scotland.

It was first held in 1990, when the city was named European City of Culture.

Initially an indoor celebration at the then newly opened Tramway, it has since become a large outdoor event, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and hundreds of artists and performers from around the world.

“The Mela provides a platform to showcase various art forms while addressing issues within the diaspora,” said the Scottish-Asian Creative Artists Network, which manages the Glasgow Mela programme.

“The festival’s art-focused approach uses the power of creative expression to comment on social challenges and inspire positive change.

“Through its diverse range of activities, the Glasgow Mela encourages people with unique cultural heritage to come together and appreciate the vibrancy of South Asian culture.”

Bailie Annette Christie, chair of Glasgow Life and convenor for culture, sport and international relations for Glasgow City Council, said: “This year’s Mela will display in spectacular fashion the cultural diversity and creativity which flows through Glasgow.

“The event’s colourful programme of art, musical performances and food means there is something for everyone to enjoy. Such lively and entertaining sets, performed in the stunning setting of Kelvingrove Park, have made the Mela a summer highlight and core part of Glasgow’s cultural calendar.”