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Diwali: Thousands on Leicester streets as festival returns to city

BBC Leicester's Golden MileBBC
Attendance was lower than previous years

Thousands of people have attended Leicester's Diwali lights switch-on after it was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The event to mark the start of celebrations for the festival of light usually attracts up to 45,000 people.

This year's much-reduced crowd gathered on the city's Belgrave Road to see it illuminated with colour and lights.

Leicester City Council said measures were in place to keep people safe, with attendees asked to test beforehand.

Family enjoy lights switch-on
Families were happy to be back celebrating on the Golden Mile
Leicester's Golden Mile
The Wheel of Light has become a recent feature in the city's festivities

Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains around the world.

The lights along Leicester's Golden Mile are usually turned on two weeks before Diwali day itself, with the festivities believed to be the largest outside India.

PA Media Diwali celebrations in LeicesterPA Media
In previous years, up to 45,000 people have gathered on the city's Golden Mile to watch the lights switch-on

This year, attendees were encouraged to take a lateral flow test before heading out, and asked to stay at home if they tested positive or felt unwell.

The city council said measures in place were intended to discourage people from gathering in one place at the same time.

A stage which would normally show music and dance performances had been replaced with three big screens along the mile.

These showed a pre-recorded cultural programme and countdown, and a "Fire Garden" was also set up in Cossington Park, off Belgrave Road, to replace the usual fireworks display.

Event manager Theo Crew, said: "In the past we have had 45,000 people on the site at any one time, which is a high density crowd, so this year we have created more spaces and more screens for people to spread out... we wanted to allow everyone to come along and celebrate safely."

Leicester fire garden
A fire garden was created in place of the fireworks
Diwali attendee
People also enjoyed a parade showing the story of Diwali and stalls selling food

The city council said the same measures would be in place for the Diwali festivities on 4 November.

London's Trafalgar Square event, which usually attracts 35,000 people, was held on Saturday with reduced numbers and a live online stream, while a lights switch-on and fireworks also returned to Wolverhampton this weekend.

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