Mela festival Links up with new home

Published on Wednesday 16 June 2010 10:01

THIS year's Edinburgh Mela is to move to a new home on Leith Links after outgrowing its former site at Pilrig Park.

Organisers of the Capital's annual celebration of multiculturalism planned the move after concerns about parking problems and damage to the grass in Pilrig Park last year.

The highlight of this year's festival will be a spectacular called Cargo, billed as a "water-soaked large-scale outdoor performance", exploring the theme of migration. The full programme will be launched next week.

Director Liam Sinclair said: "This year the Edinburgh Mela Festival will move to Leith Links, which we hope to make our permanent home. The Links is the perfect spot, allowing us to showcase more performances and acts than ever before, and bringing festival crowds to the local area to the benefit of nearby businesses.

"Programming for this year is bigger and better than ever, including world premieres as well as homegrown talent. From fashion, authentic cuisine and children's activities to artistic, visual and physical shows of outstanding quality, the Mela promises to be truly spectacular."

The Mela, which began in 1995, ran in Pilrig Park until 2008, when it moved to Ocean Terminal for one year. It returned to Pilrig Park last year, but organisers said after the festival that they would begin to look for new sites.

They have now applied to the city council for a licence to hold the event on the Links, with a capacity of 10,000 people each day. The site is expected to include a big top, outdoor covered stage, family area, around 100 stalls, a bar with beer garden, and a children's fun fair.

Cargo, which has its own separate arena on the site, will play to an audience of up to 1,000 people a night, and will also run from 11-22 August as part of the Fringe. It is staged by Iron Oxide, a company which specialises in large-scale outdoor theatre including aerial performers and choreography inspired by street theatre and circuses.

Leith Councillor Gordon Munro said he was excited to see the Mela heading for the Links: "I'm glad to see it come here, I think it's outgrown Pilrig Park. I know there were problems with that venue, and I think there are opportunities for the Mela – they could have a cricket tournament between all the south-east Asian countries, for example – and it's a great venue. I think it will be a great addition.

"I've always loved the Mela myself and I'm sure that Leith will learn to love the Mela as well. I think it's absolutely super that they're doing it.

"It shows how the Mela is loved that the suggestion actually came from the Leith Links Community Council."

The Mela runs from 6-8 August and costs 2 in advance, 2.50 on the door, with under-12s free.

&#149 www.edinburgh-mela.co.uk