Sunderland’s Stadium of Light will host the Festival of Lights this autumn when it hosts its first Diwali celebration.
The event will include entertainment and great food. The festive occasion will also raise money for SAFC’s charity the Foundation of Light.
The event is the brainchild of Sunderland businessman Umesh Patel MBE DL, who wants to make this the biggest Diwali event the city has ever seen.
“I am very excited to be staging a Diwali festival of this size here in Sunderland, and where better to celebrate the Festival of Lights than at the Stadium of Light,” he said.
“We’ve been working closely with the Stadium of Light to look at how we can stage the best event possible and we have lined up what we believe will be a fantastic event.
“Diwali is a very important date on the Hindu calendar and we are going to create the perfect celebration night here in Sunderland in what we hope will become an annual event for the city.”
Guests will be treated to colourful entertainment by Bollywood dancers and then get the chance to hit the dance floor themselves with an Indian Bollywood DJ.
There will also be a Henna Corner for the ladies and a fireworks display.
For foodies there will be a Chaat counter, street food carts and a Grand Diwali buffet set to feature everything from curries and rice dishes to salads and poppadums.
A packed dessert bar will open after the main buffet has ended, offering an array of tasty sweet treats. There will also be a selection of delicious Diwali drinks on offer.
Gary Hutchinson, Commercial Director at Sunderland AFC, is looking forward to hosting this brand new event.
“This will be a first Diwali event hosted by us on such a large scale and we’re very excited about celebrating this very important occasion here at the Stadium of Light,” he said.
Umesh Patel is a former chairman of the National Pharmacy Association. Currently he is Chairman of Sunderland LPC, on the Board of Governors of University of Sunderland, Board member of Sunderland Business Group, and Chairman of Review and Audit Panel of PSNC .
