Bradford South Asian Festival is BACK from August 18^th to 20^th for another packed weekender to light up the district’s 2023 South Asian Heritage Month celebrations.

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This year’s festival theme is J.O.Y – Just Own You. We want to celebrate all those simple things about the South Asian identity, heritage and experience that enrich our lives, but which we don’t necessarily acknowledge as doing so.  That includes our food, clothes, music, songs, dance, arts and film heritage - and all the other little things that make us smile and laugh!

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It could be a samosa and chai with friends old and new, or a sing song in the living room. It could be a truck art teapot - or a sequinned Parveen Babi-inspired jumpsuit!

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There's something for everyone at BSAF 2023!

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The weekender will start on Friday, August 18 with Gigglewalees – a girl-powered take on our annual flagship comedy night curtain raiser Gigglewalahs. BBC Asian Network’s Noreen Khan will host an evening of laughs. Headliner and acclaimed comedian Shazia Mirza will bring her fearless funnies to Bradford, and she’ll be supported by a line-up of debutante local ladies who have recently been learning all about the art of stand-up in a series of workshops and will face a BSAF audience for the first time. They’re bold, they’re brown, and they’re sure to bring the house down!

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On Saturday, August 19, we’ll be back at Kala Sangam arts centre for a farewell day of fun before our long-time venue partners close for a major redevelopment. Day 2 of BSAF 2023 will feature a traditional Antakshari sing-song (the ORIGINAL musical riff-off game!) with a few tips from Bradford’s own South Asian women’s choir Song-Geet.  As evening approaches, it will be time to don the sequins and kick off the heels with Disco Deewaney, a retro Bollywood disco (ladies only). Celebrate the golden age of Bollywood disco at this all out celebration of desi kitsch. The event was such a hit last year, especially with the ladies, that we decided to bring it back bigger, glitzier and girlier. And before the dance floor opens up, there will be a chance to learn and practice a few moves with the help of Salma Zaman, of Salma’s Bollywood Dance Academy.

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There will also be children’s art sessions running throughout the day to keep the young ones entertained, and a hip hop and breakdancing session for the lads, courtesy of Bobak Champion’s Salaam O Salaam lab.

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On Sunday, August 20, the fun moves to the Thornbury Centre, where BSAF is proud to present a Big Mela Bash day. Join us in the café space from 11am for BSAF’s Little Foodies, cookery classes for children with a former TV cooking-contest winner, as well as arts and crafts with local artists Zareena Bano and Aicha Bahij.

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Wordsmiths and storytellers can indulge their passion for poetry at our Mehfil open mic, and the John Dey Hall will host a full day of fun including delicious food, craft and mehndi stalls, and a storytelling session.

Rahila Hussain, co-director of Bradford South Asian Festival, says: “We are delighted to bring Bradford South Asian Festival back for 2023. There is so much joy in our diverse diaspora communities which we want to bring out and celebrate in an unabashedly colourful and vibrant way.

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“It’s been a difficult few years for everybody, and we are living in especially challenging times. With this festival, we want to shine a spotlight on the little things in our ordinary lives – drawn from our district’s South Asian heritage communities - that bring us extraordinary joy, a joy that can be shared with our neighbours of all backgrounds.

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“We want to bring the beautiful heritage of the subcontinent to life in glorious technicolour for all our communities – and spread the fun to everyone!”

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Full details of all events are in the attached programme and early-bird tickets will be on sale via Eventbrite from Monday, July 31. Please follow our social media platforms @Bradford_SAF (Twitter) @BradfordSAF (Facebook and Insta) or see our website www.bradfordsouthasianfestival.com for details and updates.