The largest celebration of South Asian arts and culture in the north of England is taking place in Manchester next weekend.
Manchester Mega Mela will take place at Platt Fields Park off Wilmslow Road in Rusholme on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 July between 12 -9.30pm each day.
The free festival, supported by Manchester City Council, will feature music, dance and traditional arts and crafts such as henna, bringing the sights, sounds and aromas of South Asia to Manchester.
Some of the biggest names on the UK and international Asian entertainment scene will perform on both days on a main stage hosted by the BBC Asian network.
The festival will also feature authentic food from the region, a funfair, stalls selling traditional and contemporary clothing, performances of street theatre as well as contests in which teams will compete in the sport of Kabaddi.
The family friendly event has become a key date on Manchester's cultural calendar, attracting more than 50,000 visitors in previous years.
The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Harry Lyons, along with mayors from across Greater Manchester, will open the free event at 4pm on Saturday.
The Mela is being organised by representatives of communities from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Councillor Mike Amesbury, Manchester City Council's executive member for culture and leisure, said: "Following the success of events such as Manchester Day and this year's Manchester International Festival, the Manchester Mega Mela is yet another important date on the summer's cultural calendar.
"The Mela is a celebration of the cultural diversity which exists here in Manchester and this excellent free event is enjoyed by tens of thousands of Manchester residents, as well as people from further afield, every year."
Khairul Alam, one of the event's organisers, said: "We're proud to bring the largest celebration of South Asian arts and culture to Manchester and once again, we welcome people from all cultures and religions to our event."