Sandwell & Birmingham Mela will bring the best South Asian talent to Smithfield; their programme of music and dance as well as an all-female DJ line-up, will get everybody moving.
Sandwell & Birmingham Mela celebrates the fusion of South Asian and contemporary styles, resulting in the creation of a vibrant and upbeat soundtrack for another fantastic day at Smithfield Festival Site.
Come and dance with Ultimate Bhangra, learning moves in an open workshop. See beautiful rangoli, a traditional Indian art form of patterned floor art, created in our stretch tent, dance along to our DJs and witness excellent live performers in Birmingham’s city centre. You’ll also be able to try your hand at Dandiya Raas dancing, a traditional style performed with canes, at 15:20 and 17:00.
14:20-14:50
Ultimate Bhangra - workshops and performances
Led by the brilliant dancer, Parambeer Samrai, Ultimate Bhangra is one of the leading Bhangra dance schools across the West Midlands. Presenting a mixture of fiery performances and demos, you’ll also get the chance to learn a few moves from a series of workshops.
15:00-15:20, 16:40-17:00 and 17:30-17:50
Dhol Frequency Brass Band
The multi-talented Dhol Frequency have steadily been making waves in the UK’s music industry and will be bringing their infectious energy to Smithfield Festival Site. During their 16:40 performance, they will be joined by a riotous group of brass performers, in a mash-up fusion performance, like never before!
18:45-19:15 and 19:55-20:25
DJ Nav
DJ Nav has toured the world, taking her unbelievable high energy and party vibes from dancefloor to dancefloor! Known for shaking up the DJ world with her passion for creating the best music mixes, she keeps the party rocking.
19:15-19:45 and 20:25-20:55
DJ Kizzi
With an open mind and a great ear for music from all cultural backgrounds and genres, Kizzi fuses tracks together in unexpected ways. Her passion and energy is infectious and comes through in her music, keeping the crowd on the dance floor!
Playing numerous instruments including the dhol which she has played with multiple dhol groups, Kizzi recognises the influence and gift that a DJ brings - most recently playing out her mixes on BBC Radio 1.
21:15-22:00
Muki
Born and raised in Birmingham, Muki is a musician and singer influenced greatly by artists like Jay Sean. Muki will turn up the volume, guaranteed to bring a set that hits hard!
Plus look out for all of our daily activities: Each day at 2:15pm, Pride House will host interviews on our Beacon Stage with queer athletes participating across the Games. Whilst just scratching the surface on their experience, we want to offer a visible platform to celebrate the athletes and the work Pride House are doing during the Games.
Take time to explore our Spaghetti Junction inspired brand new inflatable art installation, watch live sports from across the games on our big screen, play table tennis against a robot, stumble on circus performances and watch a host of brand new films, music videos and digital commissions screening throughout the day, including a fantastic new digital visual spectacular every day at 6pm.
We’re also playing host to daily performances from acclaimed dance-circus ensemble Motionhouse, who will be bringing back the unique and spectacular globe from our Festival opening show, Wondrous Stories. Plus look out for a living green space within the heart of Smithfield, created by the National Trust and featuring more than 70 young trees, colourful benches and hammocks, the installation provides somewhere visitors can connect with the natural world, relax and play in between the Games’ high-energy events.
