A free celebration of Maidstone's multi cultural community will fill Mote Park this weekend.

The Maidstone Mela is in its 11th year and has become firmly established in the town's calendar.

This year will see celebrations starting in the town centre at 1.30pm on Friday, with a procession of children from local schools from County Hall to Jubilee Square, followed by live music in the square into the evening.

Maidstone council’s cabinet member for community and leisure services, Cllr John A Wilson, said: “Maidstone Mela is a huge event on our borough’s cultural calendar. Mela Friday will bring Jubilee Square to life with music and dance by a fantastic range of acts representing communities from around the world. The Sunday will see even more exciting acts along with food stalls from every corner of the globe, filling Mote Park with the colour, sights, sounds and smells of exotic places throughout the world, and yet again highlighting Maidstone’s outstanding public amenities.”

Mela Sunday in Mote Park will run from 12.30pm to 6pm, with acts including Bollywood dancers and Nepalese folk groups, plus the UK’s top Madness tribute act, Badness.

There will also be stalls and a variety of food on sale, with the event being sponsored by Cohesion Plus, Maidstone council, the Arts Council, Mid-Kent College and Kent Equality Cohesion Council, and support from the police.