THE GOAN NETWORK | LONDON
A two-day unique weekend bonanza of music, food, dance and culture showcasing the best of Goa and Bollywood will be presented at the Cranford Community College ground, the central venue for the Goan community in London, in August.
The Ultrasonic Impact events, a part of Showbiz Promotions, will host the annual ‘Goa Day London’ on August 26 and ‘Bollywood Festival London’ on August 27. The event opens at 12 pm both days and will finish at 8 pm on day one and 8.30 pm on day two. Some VIPs, including MPs from London, will attend the event.
“We are thrilled to announce two spectacular music festivals that will bring the magic of Goa and Bollywood to London this summer. It will be an unforgettable weekend of entertainment, culture, and excitement for all ages,” said Calvin Barretto, one of the main organisers at the event.
When asked what was their motivation behind organising a large festival, Barretto said: “We create entertainment. We organised large-scale events in India, UAE and the UK. We want to create pure entertainment and a fun day for all and entertainment that give event-goers the best time of their life with us. Last year, our Goa Day event attracted around 10,000 people and was considered the best event in the whole of West London.”
“We are also proud to support Anthony Nolan Trust as our charity partners second year running and we hope we all can assist them in the best way possible.”
GOA DAY LONDON
The Goa Day London event on August 26 will feature live music, including traditional Goan and electronic dance performances. Goan cuisine, displays and cultural exhibitions will provide an opportunity for the whole family to experience the best of Goan heritage.
“We announce with great pleasure that Nightingale Lorna is back for the second year running by public demand. Besides Lorna, we will have other local and international artists, singers, comedians, DJs and bands,” said Barretto.
“This year, our added attraction and special invitee is the Bob Marley Experience band. We know the Goan community is especially fond of Reggae, so it gives us great pleasure in welcoming the band to our line-up.”
BOLLYWOOD FESTIVAL LONDON
As the sun sets on Goa Day London, the excitement continues with Bollywood Festival London on August 27. The day will feature headline artists, singers, DJs, fashion show, performances from London's best Bollywood dance troupes and live bands playing popular Bollywood tunes.
Performers at the Bollywood Festival include headline artists, Malkit Singh, Steel Banglez and Juggy D. The line-up also includes Rafsaferar, DJ Simms and DJ Limelight from BBC Asian Network. The event is hosted by Kandi Man BBC.
FACILITIES
Barretto said the festival will have authentic Goan food and a variety of world street foods from registered traders, a huge funfair and rides to make it a family day out.
“Both festivals will showcase a variety of mouth-watering Indian street food, with stalls offering a range of delicious dishes to satisfy any appetite. Vegetarian and vegan options will also be available, ensuring all attendees can enjoy the rich flavours of India,” said Barretto.
Barretto informed that elaborate arrangements have been made at the two-day event.
“Besides volunteers, we also have paid positions this year and have six managers and other staff appointments or temporary jobs in the areas of production, ticketing, stalls, customer services, traffic management, cleaning management and security,” he said.
Barretto said there will be ample security on site, sanitised and clean amenities, as well as CCTV cameras for the safety of patrons and staff.
“Safety and security of our patrons is one of our core principles and for a large event of our scale last year, there was no incident recorded both inside and outside the venue,” he said.
Last year, our event created 300 plus temporary jobs and plan to continue our investment in local temporary employment opportunities. We would like to thank the community around Cranford Community College in their support for the event. We would also like to thank Hounslow Council, Licensing, Hounslow Police and SAG Committee for all the support and co-operation, license for this year.”
Discounted online tickets go on sale from May 15 and tickets can also be bought in person from Delight Café Hounslow from June 15. Details of the events and tickets are available on the website (www.showbizintl.com).
