BRADFORD Mela could return next year if a pilot event next week proves successful.

The mela was set up in 1988 as a celebration of South Asian culture, and regularly attracted over 100,000 people.

Over the years the event has been held in Lister Park, Bowling Park and Peel Park, but after the 2012 mela was cancelled due to heavy rainfall, the event was incorporated into the annual Bradford Festival.

Bradford Council has now revealed that the mela could soon make a return.

On August 16 a Make Your Mela day will be held in City Park. Organised by the Council, it will act as both a pilot and a consultation event to prepare for a possible return of the full mela in 2019.

Next week’s event will feature music, dance and other performances, and acts for the day include Panjabi MC - whose 2002 Bhangra hit Mundian To Bach Ke is still popular in clubs and as the soundtrack to numerous adverts.

In its early days Bradford Mela was the largest event of its type in Europe, and it fast became one of the highlights of the city’s calendar.

The 2012 mela was cancelled at the last minute due to the venue, Peel Park, being waterlogged by heavy rain.

When Bradford Festival was re-launched in 2013 it included a mela day. But the full mela has not been held in the city since 2012, and in recent years the mela aspect of Bradford Festival has dwindled.

Other acts performing at Make Your Mela include London indie electro trio, Strong Asian Mothers, Indian brass fusion band, Firm Semi Live Band, Fahad Khalid, a multi-instrumentalist who plays ‘Eastern Folk Jazz’ and the Rajasthan Heritage Brass band. Jay Kumar’s DanceAsia team will also perform dynamic Bollywood dance, Chinese musician, Xiao Xiao Hou will also perform, and British Asian band, Bollywood Rhythms will play a mix of classic, folk and Bollywood hits.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, executive for Healthy People and Place at the council, said: “We are thrilled to be staging such a high quality programme of Asian artists in City Park.”

The event, which also features arts workshops and food and drink stalls, runs from noon to 8pm and admission is free.