Bigger event for Edinburgh Mela
A multicultural festival in Edinburgh will be bigger than ever this year with a new director at the helm.
The Mela Festival, which features dance, music and theatre, will be extended to a weeklong celebration rather than just a weekend event.
It is also moving location, from Pilrig Park off Leith Walk to the waterfront beside Ocean Terminal in Leith.
Liam Sinclair, the new director of the festival, said this year marks a "step change" in the Mela experience.
He said: "It will still have all that regulars know and love a carnival atmosphere, a vibrant and exciting mix of theatre, dance and music but it will be bigger and bolder than ever before, and will include a world premier.
"Moving to a larger site and extending the event to a full week marks the start of a new and ambitious era for the Mela Festival."
Forth Ports, the property developer and port operator, has taken over as the new sponsor of the festival.
Organisers said the new sponsorship package will help support a longterm vision for Scotland’s leading celebration of cultural diversity through the arts.
The festival is supported by Edinburgh City Council and the Scottish Arts Council and this year will run from 2531 August.
It was founded in 1995 by members of the city’s minority ethnic communities, with the aim of reflecting and celebrating Scotland’s cultural diversity.
Original source : BBC News Scotland
