In Photos: Downtown Bhangra at the City of Bhangra Festival

This year marked the 10^th Anniversary of the City of Bhangra Festival in Vancouver. From May 29^th-June 7^th, thousands of people came to the festival’s many events around the city to celebrate and, being lovers of bhangra ourselves, LAT Multilingual decided to explore this dynamic festival. We captured some moments of #bhangralove from its concluding Downtown Bhangra celebration on June 7^th.

So What is Bhangra?

Bhangra is a type of music, dance, and culture originating from the Punjab region of India. Deeply rooted in folk traditions, the music and dance of bhangra are known for being playful, spirited, and upbeat.

The City of Bhangra Festival is an annual festival presented by The Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration Society (VIBC), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to community engagement and artistic excellence through the celebration of this mix of music, dance and culture. Since its inception in 2004, the festival has become a staple in the celebration of bhangra culture in Vancouver, and has grown to presenting over a dozen programs, featuring over 300 performers, while being host to 15,000 local and international attendees.

Hundreds of people came to the Vancouver Art Gallery plaza to enjoy the music and dance at the Downtown Bhangra celebration on June 6th and 7th. Observers enjoyed performances and workshops by both local and international bhangra performers and musicians.

Elephant decorations hanging in Vij’s Railway Express food truck.

A group of young men in dazzling attire watching the performances.

Local bhangra performer and choreographer Karima Essa teaches the crowd a cultural dance while translating the song, which is about a woman and her loved one, line by line. The song tells of how the woman will be true to her man because he is her only love. Here the dancer playfully smiles and pats her heart to the lyrics “Because you are my one and only”.

Percussionist Karn Bhuller and singer Kirti Arneja perform up-tempo music to get the crowd moving.

Kirti Arneja serenades the crowd.

Celebration observers crowded around the stage and lounged on the Vancouver Art Gallery steps, enjoying delicious curries and Indian sweets as the vibrant music echoed around the plaza.

The perfect way to cap off the night: a delicious curry!

From the colourful clothing to the hypnotic music and delightful food, we loved the energy at the City of Bhangra Festival and look forward to many more years of this amazing festival!

For more information about the festival or to view video footage of highlights, visit their website.