"It's like we are bringing all communities together"
Reading Mela celebrated its 10th anniversary by bringing thousands of people together for a vibrant weekend honouring South Asian culture, music and community.
Held at Palmer Park, the free festival welcomed more than 5,000 visitors to enjoy live entertainment, authentic cuisine, family activities and cultural performances.
Since launching in 2016, Reading Mela has become one of Berkshire’s biggest celebrations of South Asian heritage.
The milestone event highlighted the festival’s continued commitment to promoting diversity and cultural exchange.
Reading Mela was founded by Aradhana Singh with the aim of creating a welcoming space where communities could celebrate South Asian traditions together.
Over the past decade, the event has grown into a major fixture in Reading’s cultural calendar.
Visitors explored food stalls, traditional arts, live music and dance performances representing cultures from across South Asia.
The festival also encouraged people from all backgrounds to experience traditions they may not have encountered before.
Speaking about the anniversary, Singh explained that bringing communities together remains the festival’s biggest achievement.
She said: “It’s like we are bringing all communities together because we are celebrating our own culture.
“Everyone is coming to see other cultures, other music, other food, so it’s a good place to interact with other cultures, other communities.”
Alongside the celebrations, NHS Blood and Transplant used the event to engage with South Asian communities about blood and plasma donation.
Reading is home to one of only three national plasma donation centres, making the festival an important opportunity for public engagement.
Health organisations have consistently encouraged greater participation from ethnic minority communities because patients often require closely matched blood types.
Khushi Jhurani, Community Engagement Coordinator for NHS Blood and Transplant, said the organisation wanted to challenge misconceptions surrounding eligibility.
She explained: “Our goal is to break that barrier and let them know that even with certain conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, they can still donate here in the UK.”
Jhurani said many people are unaware they may still qualify to donate despite certain medical conditions.
According to Jhurani, festivals such as Reading Mela provide valuable opportunities for face-to-face conversations with potential donors.
She said these discussions help answer questions and reduce concerns surrounding the donation process.
Jhurani added:
“When we are out to events like this, when we go to Reading Mela, when we do Reading Festival, we see different communities.”
“It breaks down that barrier, and when they have a one-on-one chat to us and we tell them about the whole process, it’s not as hard or difficult as they think.”
Ten years after its launch, Reading Mela continues to showcase the richness of South Asian culture while strengthening connections across Berkshire’s diverse communities.
Its combination of music, food, arts and community initiatives has made it one of the region’s most anticipated annual events.
As attendance continues to grow, Reading Mela remains a powerful example of how cultural festivals can celebrate heritage while encouraging inclusion, education and community wellbeing.
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