Tenth annual Belfast Mela breaks attendance records

Belfast Mela 2016 - The PR People

BELFAST's Botanic Gardens were awash with colour and culture as thousands descended on the tenth annual Belfast Mela this weekend.
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Now in its milestone year the Belfast Mela is one of Northern Ireland's largest cultural events and organisers ArtsEkta hoped to attract over 30,000 people through the gates, however early indications suggested this years event was the biggest ever.

We can officially confirm we've smashed all our previous 9 attendance records! Biggest #belfastmela ever! pic.twitter.com/zKlAJemddN

— ArtsEkta (@ArtsEkta) August 28, 2016

Festival goers were treated to a host of world and local musicians, dancers and artists as a way for people to learn about other cultures and celebrate diversity.

Visitors were also able to sample food from places as diverse as India, Spain, Poland, Mexico and Thailand at the Mela's international food market. 

Celebrating a decade of diversity the festival has brought around quarter-of-a-million people together and speaking to the press ArtsEkta director Nisha Tandon said the team was "proud to have created this creative cultural meeting" showcasing "the benefits and vibrancy of our increasingly diverse society". 

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