A three-day Diwali celebration in Wembley Park has been hailed as a huge success in bringing the best of South Asian culture to the heart of the local community. The diverse, free to attend, programme of music, dance and creativity took place from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd November 2024, across a number of neighbourhood venues.
Northwest London’s neighbourhood and entertainment district kicked off the celebrations at London Designer Outlet on Friday 1st November, with enlivening Bhangra beats and free body decorations by local henna artists. A high-energy performance by BollyRed Dance Company and musicians playing the double-headed dhol drum then set the tone for the weekend’s dynamic lineup of performances, interactive workshops, and cultural showcases.
On Saturday 2nd November, the ‘Diwali Utsav: A Celebration of South Asian Arts’ festival took place at the Sound Shell stage on Olympic Way, with artists from across South Asian communities worldwide taking to the stage. The performances included a BollyRed Dance Company performance that embraced everything from South Indian street dance to graceful Bharatanatyam poses. It was followed by a captivating classical Indian Odissi dance by Maryam Shakiba, whose fluid movements were complemented by spoken word poetry from Niroshini Somasundaram. Other performances and interactive workshops treated audiences to everything from the sounds of the bansuri (a traditional Indian flute) to Laughter Yoga sessions to a blended folk and classical trio performance from musicians Preetha Narayanan, Giuliano Modarelli and Harkiret Singh Bahra.
DJ Ritu MBE, a pioneer of the British club scene, curated the musical contributions with Kate Jones of Found in Music. DJ Ritu also played at both the Sound Shell and BOXPARK Wembley as part of the weekend’s lively celebrations.
One of the most spectacular elements of the weekend was the electrifying fire dance performance that took place on 2nd November, capturing Diwali’s essence of light overcoming darkness. Also contributing to this spirit were handcrafted lanterns, made by families attending workshops at Fresh Arts in Wembley Park. The lanterns lit up Wembley Park Boulevard in a mesmerising parade as dusk fell over the neighbourhood.
Younger attendees also delighted in the celebrations. Many were particularly charmed by the presence of Jack in the Box’s two life-size elephant puppets, which majestically paraded through Wembley Park while the energetic rhythms of Dhol2Dhol’s drummers rolled over the crowd. A selection of stalls providing street food, arts and crafts from local traders further added to the buzz of the celebrations.
The Diwali spectacular also included a celebration of South Asian art, with entries for the Wembley Park Rangoli Art Competition 2024, hosted in partnership with Hindu Council Brent, on display at BOXPARK. The competitions winners were announced on the venue’s main stage as part of the eclectic and inclusive event.
