'Mela fantastic for bringing communities together'

Thousands of people packed out Victoria Park in Smethwick on Sunday for "the biggest South Asian music festival in Europe".

Sandwell and Birmingham Mela saw performances from more than 150 music artists, featuring an international line-up.

Amongst those was Bobby Sarver, who performed with dancers from the Bhangra group, Jodi Dancers.

Sarver said they performed a song about leaving Punjab to come to England, not just to earn money but to make friends.

He added that he was glad it was cooler with a bit of a breeze, after weeks of warmer weather.

As well as performances from singers and dancers, visitors enjoyed displays from visual, aerial and street theatre performers.

There was also a street food village showcasing a variety of cuisines, including Chinese, British and those from across the Indian subcontinent.

As well as this, there was also a shopping bazaar, funfair, and arts village.

Among the thousands of visitors were Jeevan Singh and Kaja Devi, who took their children Tanvi and Vinaya.

They said this year's festival had been "lovely", with great food and weather.

Rajinder Singh also attended, telling the BBC the event is fantastic for bringing many communities together.

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