Middlesbrough Mela

Middlesbrough Mela is multicultural festival held every August in Albert Park, celebrating 35 years as a longstanding key event in the Tees Valley community calendar.
The word ‘Mela’ is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘gathering’, and the festival is a non-religious event welcoming, embracing, and gathering local people of all backgrounds, ages, and cultures.
The festival features a variety of music, dance, and performances from around the world, with artists representing South Asian, African, Caribbean, Far Eastern, and Eastern European cultures amongst many others.

Visitors can enjoy family-friendly activities, a market bazaar, community stalls, a fun fair, and a wide range of international street food, one of the events biggest draws.
In 2030, Middlesbrough Mela will mark its 40th year, coinciding with the town’s 200th anniversary – a joint milestone that will spotlight and celebrate Middlesbrough’s vibrant and multicultural population.

Middlesbrough Mela aims to:

■  promote unity through shared cultural celebration
■  showcase the region’s diversity with global performances and local talent
■  create a welcoming, intergenerational experience rooted in joy and community spirit.
■  act as a platform for international and homegrown creatives.
■ use culture to build connection, understanding, and social cohesion.

Mela is inclusive, creating a space for everyone, reflecting the region’s multicultural identity and using culture to foster dialogue,
challenge prejudice, and support cohesion.