More than 70,000 people attend Belfast Mela festival

More than 70,000 people have attended the largest celebration of cultural diversity in Ireland.

Large crowds gathered at Botanic Gardens on Sunday which was transformed into a massive global party for the Belfast Mela festival finale.

The traditional Mela Day attracted thousands of people with six hours of non-stop global music, dance, food, wellbeing and art.

The Lord Mayor of Belfast Tracy Kelly joined Nisha Tandon OBE, founder of the Belfast Mela, to celebrate Northern Ireland’s cultural diversity.

More than 300 artists and hundreds of community participants took part in this year’s nine-day festival.

Ms Kelly said: “Belfast City Council is proud to support this incredible festival, and it’s been wonderful to witness the energy and excitement it’s brought across the past nine days.

“From the spectacular Mela Carnival weaving through the city centre to today’s transformation of Botanic Gardens into a global village of culture and creativity, Mela has truly filled Belfast with magic and celebration.

“Thank you to the entire team behind Mela for their inspiring work. You continue to remind us how embracing and celebrating diverse cultural traditions brings richness, connection, and joy to our everyday lives.”

Ms Tandon, who is also the director of ArtsEkta, said: “Mela Day is the beating heart of our festival. A vibrant showcase of global music, dance, food, and art, brought to life by artists, performers, and communities from near and far.

“We are absolutely delighted with the amazing turnout for this year’s festival, one of our highest ever, as more and more people discovered the magic of Mela and came along to our events to taste the flavours of the world, dance to rhythms that span continents, discover new cultures, and take part in something truly special.

“We thank everyone who took part for being part of this incredible journey and helped us finish the 19th Belfast Mela Festival with joy, colour, and connection — together at Mela.”