The Middlesbrough Mela has announced new dates after it was forced to postpone due to the unprecedented riots just over two weeks ago. Ever since then organisers have been overwhelmed with hundreds of messages of support stating it was the right decision to take in the interests of public safety and encouraging them to reschedule the festival as soon as possible. A meeting between Mela leaders, the town's MP, Mayor, and Police Chiefs was held, symbolically coinciding with the weekend the Mela was originally scheduled to take place.
The outcome of this meeting has led to the decision to bring back the Mela in less than three weeks, on September 7 and 8. A joint statement from Mela bosses, expressed their gratitude, stating: "We’d like to thank everyone who attended the emergency meeting over the weekend. We were deeply encouraged by the solidarity of all those who recognized the importance of Mela and the need to embed real social cohesion from the top down.
We’re confident that with the support of our MP, Mayor, and Police, Middlesbrough Mela will continue to be a beacon of hope and unity for our town and the wider region." Middlesbrough Mela is widely recognised as the regions flagship multi-cultural event and it exists to promote community cohesion, positive integration and inclusivity in a town that has recently been shaken and recovering from racial tensions and riots. When asked what Mela means to the town’s mayor, Chris Cooke, said: “It’s a really important ev.