STARS of Britain’s Got Talent and X Factor are among the headline acts that will wow an audience of 50,000 for the 25th Middlesbrough Mela.
Fun-packed dance duo Signature will perform on the multicultural festival’s main stage on Sunday, June 7, while Saturday will see local girl Kerrianne Covell will make her first public performance in Middlesbrough since wowing Simon Cowell and co in last year’s X Factor.
The North East’s biggest and longest-established multicultural event is expected to attract record-breaking figures of around 50,000 for its landmark event on the weekend of June 6 and 7.
The Mela attracts a wide range of visitors to experience a diverse mix of live music, foods from around the world, craft and fashion stalls.
Having already confirmed MOBO Award-winning singer Raghav for his only UK performance of 2015, both Signature and Kerrianne Covell represent major coups for the Mela.
Popular runners-up in the 2008 series of Britain’s Got Talent, comedy dance duo Signature are Suleman Mirza and Madhu Singh, who combine their act around Michael Jackson songs and dance routines mixed with traditional bhangra beats and Punjabi folk dance.
Having impressed the X Factor judges, Norton-born Kerrianne Covell is currently working with songwriters to release her first EP – and is ready to burst back onto the live stage, having previous supported the likes of Pixie Lott and Little Mix.
She will close Saturday’s Mela, which will also feature performances by local dance groups and the Balbir Singh Dance Co.
Sunday see the Mela really focus on a celebration of worldwide music including not only Raghav, Arjun and Signature, but eight hours of acts.
Also confirmed among the headline acts is award-winning singer-songwriter Arjun, whose fusion of contemporary Western and Eastern sounds has made him the most viewed UK Asian artist on YouTube, with more than 70 million views.
Hosted by Zee TV presenter Natasha Asghar, other performers include UK bhangra legend Balwinder Safri and Nesdi ones, last year’s best newcomer in the UK Bhangra Awards, together with experienced performers Virtue Dholis, UK-born Punjabi singer Sarika Gill, leading Punjabi singer Nav Sidhu, Bollywood dancers Bolly Nrutya.
Others include Inderjit London, who has worked with Punjabi queen Miss Pooja, former DCS bhangra band member Jeet Chail, British-Pakistani singer-songwriter Jay Kadn, former BritAsia Superstar performer Preet Singh and British Bangladeshi singer Joyeta Deb Gupta.
Mela programming manager Kash Patel: “We’ve set out to make the 25th Middlesbrough Mela the best yet – and with such a fantastic line-up of musical talents, there’s every reason to believe we’ll achieve our aim.
“There’s something for everyone in the line-up, with multicultural world music to suit all ages and tastes.
“We’re particularly excited to add Signature and Arjun to our headline acts alongside Raghav, while Kerrianne Covell is sure to go down a storm when she closes the performances on Saturday.”
Sponsored by Middlesbrough College for the fourth successive year, the 25th Mela promises a fabulous mix of music, arts, food, fashion and fun as the town celebrates its culture and diversity.
Based in Centre Square at the heart of Middlesbrough town centre, the event provides world class music, a wide range of entertainment, a funfair and a popular bazaar, packed full of stalls.
Following its successful launch last year, the Mela will again kick off at noon on Saturday, June 6 with a colourful parade featuring dozens of local children, a camel, a tiger and an elephant.
Other backers include Cleveland Centre, Teesside University, Unison, Arts Council England, housing association Coast and Country and the Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office.
The event is organised by Middlesbrough Council in conjunction with a steering group comprising members of the local community.
- The Mela committee is running a competition to win two back-stage passes to meet and mingle with all of the headline acts.
To win, name all 25 of the Mela’s headline acts featured on the publicity poster for the 25th anniversary festival.
Visit www.boromela.co.uk for further details.