Birmingham's Diwali celebrations move online for lockdown

Diwali celebrations have been moved online due to coronavirus restrictions.

Birmingham's Festival of Light event, usually held in Victoria Square, will now be streamed online for free.

It will be headlined by DCS frontman Shin Parwana and feature traditional singing, folk dance and performances from artists across the West Midlands.

Sunday's Soho Road festival is also cancelled but organisers said they hoped Diwali's message of light, hope and joy will still resonate.

The event, coordinated by the West Midlands Combined Authority and South Asian arts and heritage organisation Sampad, will run from 11:00 GMT to 14:00.

It will be co-hosted by West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and Consul General of India in Birmingham, Dr Shashank Vikram and High Commissioner of India to the UK, Gaitri Issar Kumar.

"Diwali is perfect example of community cohesion and these joint celebrations are perfect representation of how darkness continues to be defeated and UK's multiculturalism is celebrated," Dr Vikram said.

"At a time of great national difficulty, the need for festivals that brings light into our world has never been more important."

• Diwali is the five-day festival of lights, celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world.

• This year it begins on 12 November with the main day of celebrations taking place on 14 November.

"Many people may have thought they wouldn't be able to celebrate this year," Mr Street said.

"Even though we are celebrating differently, the event is still a joyful and vivid example of the diversity of our region."

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