Pictures: The Mela carnival parade winds its way through Belfast city centre

The Carnival Mela parade wound its way through the city – bringing music, dance, art, food and festivities to the streets.

The Carnival Mela marks the beginning of the festival, which will take place over the next week.

Hundreds of performers from across Northern Ireland took part in the parade, which started in Writers’ Square and made its way to the City Hall.

It is the first time that the festival takes place after a two-year break due to the Covid pandemic.

The carnival will be followed by daily Mela plus events across the city next week, leading up to the annual Mela Day extravaganza at the Botanic Gardens next Sunday.

The festival includes a line-up of music, dance, art, theatre, wellness and global food.

A thousand participants representing more than 20 different cultural groups took part in the new Carnival Mela parade through the city centre.

It was hosted by the Mayor of Belfast, Councilor Christina Black and Belfast Mela founder Nisha Tandon – with pulsating world music and dance and amazing sculptures.

There was also a Global Village at City Hall with aerial acrobatic performances by Fidget Feet and live global performances on stage, along with food and art workshops.

Next week will include Neil Martin’s Connections concert at St Anne’s Cathedral on Tuesday, which will feature 14 local musicians from around the world now living in Northern Ireland.

On Wednesday, there will be a screening of an animated film about climate change to celebrate the Mela’s green credentials, while on Friday the Global Ceili will bring together dances from Scotland, Ireland, China, Indians and Mexico.

The festival will conclude with Mela Day at the Botanic Gardens next Sunday.

Thousands of visitors are expected to visit the Botanical Gardens from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM for the grand finale of the Mela.

Ms Tandon, OBE, founder of Belfast Mela and director of ArtsEkta said: “We are delighted to be back with our first full festival since the pandemic and our most ambitious program to date, including the long-awaited return to the Botanic Gardens for the finale of our festival.

“From outdoor spectacles, late night music, pop-up food events and walking tours, to exhibitions, wellness days, film screenings and theatre, there really is something for everyone at what is now the biggest festival of cultural diversity on the island of Ireland.

“We are very proud to have worked with hundreds of artists, thousands of participants and look forward to welcoming up to 60,000 attendees to the event over eight days.”