Southampton Mela Festival returns to Hoglands Park on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July 2026, bringing two full days of free, family-friendly entertainment to the heart of the community. Gates open at 12 noon on both days, with Saturday’s celebrations running through to 10pm and Sunday’s programme continuing into the early evening.
Now firmly established as one of the city’s best-loved cultural celebrations, the Mela is completely free to attend — there’s no need to book, just turn up and enjoy a day packed with live music, dance, food, arts and crafts, retail and community stalls, and a fun fair for children.
Bhangra headliners light up Saturday night
Saturday’s Main Stage builds to a high-energy finale, with a stellar Bhangra headline set from 8pm to 10pm featuring Happe Singh, Navin Kundra, Sadi Jori and Sash. The line-up promises a thumping close to the day, following an afternoon and evening of Rajasthani folk music, Kathak and Bollywood dance, Baul songs from West Bengal, and Qawwali from the Khan Brothers.
A flower installation like no other
Visitors across both days can also marvel at NUTKHUT’s spectacular flower installation, on display throughout the site as part of the festival’s Around the Site programme — a striking, photogenic centrepiece for the weekend.
Catch TEABREAK live
Festival-goers can catch performances from TEABREAK on Saturday, with sets at 1:30pm–2:10pm and 5pm–5:40pm, adding another must-see act to an already packed day of live entertainment.
A different festival every day
No two days at the Mela are the same. Saturday and Sunday each bring their own distinct line-up of performers, workshops and activities, so visitors are encouraged to come along on both days for a completely different experience. Sunday’s programme showcases the breadth of Southampton’s communities, with performances including Pandit Sanju Sahai, Jaymini Sahai and Musical Friends (Indian Classical Music and Kathak Dance), Chinese Arts Southampton, Hampshire Puja and Culture Association, African Activities CIC, and many more – alongside a full day of free workshops, from African and Samba drumming to Bollywood dance and more.
Across the weekend, visitors can also enjoy:
- Two stages with packed performance line ups, the Main Stage will be hosted by BBC Asian Network’s Nayha Ahmad.
- Rangoli, Warli art, Chinese calligraphy, clay moulding and other visual arts workshops
- Creative Beats, Tabla, Chinese and African drumming workshops
- Street performance from Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band, Circus Raj, The Old Thumper Jazz Band and a Chinese dragon parade
- A wide range of delicious world food stalls, retail traders and community stalls
- A fun fair for children
Made for the whole community
Southampton Mela Festival is for everyone — a free celebration of the city’s rich diversity, bringing communities together to share food, music, dance and culture in a welcoming, open atmosphere.
With thanks
The festival is made possible thanks to funding from Arts Council England, and the generous sponsorship of Go! Southampton and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary. Southampton Mela also gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of Southampton City Council.
Event details
Saturday 12pm – 10pm
Sunday 12pm – 6pm
Hoglands Park, Southampton
Entry: FREE!