Grey skies and torrential down pours were forecast for the day of the Maidstone Community Mela on Sunday 8th September however the weather couldn’t stop the festivities which annually brings people together to celebrate diversity and unity.

Cohesion Plus once again produced the festival working in partnership with the Maidstone Cultural Group and community partners. The event was supported by Arts Council England and Kent Equality Cohesion Council.

Despite the heavy downpours those in attendance were able to enjoy a free artistic programme of performances ranging from community led arts and dance groups such as Maidstone Indian Association, Maidstone Malayalee Association, Kerala Culture Association and the Maidstone Nepalese Community Group. Their performances ranged by exciting Bollywood to traditional forms of Bharatnatyam and Khatak.

Future star and Kent resident Ella Akyurek graced the stage and performed timeless classics by artists such Adele and Amy Winehouse. She was followed by crowd favourites Kings of Dhol who brought the house down with the fusion sets which incorporate North Indian drums with a medley of Punjabi and Western pop hits. International bhangra star H Dhami wowed festival attendees with a catalogue of smash hits and had the crowds up and dancing even during torrential rain. To round off the day’s offering, the legendary Motown Kings who performed beloved Motown classics, dazzled with majestic vocals and choreography.

Circus Raj had the off-stage portion of the day covered with an array of stunts, music and dance as well as stellar crowd participation. Hailing from the famous Red City, Rajasthan in India, the act brought the flavour and sounds of India to the Maidstone Community Mela wowing attendees. There was also an excellent offer of cuisine from around the world such as, North and South Indian, Nepalese, Pizza and Paninis as well as hot drinks and baked delights.

The Mayor of Maidstone Cllr John Perry and Deputy Lieutenant of Kent Victoria Wallace attended the festivities and warmly welcomed those in attendance. They spoke about the importance of celebrating diversity and the arts and wished those who had braved the weather a great day.

Community Mela Producer Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL said: “The heavens truly opened up on us today and despite the heavy rains and grey clouds, I am so grateful to everyone who attended and braved the wet conditions. Despite the rain we are so proud of the artistic offering we had this year. We had a programme that was authentic and representative of the local communities of this diverse borough. The Mela will always serve as a way to bring people together regardless of cultural differences and in this vein, inclement weather will never stop us of delivering such important celebrations. We are grateful as ever to our community partners for their partnership as well as Arts Council England for their ongoing support.”