Back with its most vibrant programme of events to date, An Indian Summer returns to Leicester from 9 – 11 August 2024.
This celebration of contemporary South Asian arts and culture will offer visitors the opportunity to enjoy a packed weekend of events with everything from outdoor cinema, cabaret and burlesque, to street food, family workshops and music.
Partnering with some of the city’s favourite independents, the festival will take-over 7 venues in the Cultural Quarter, including Curve, Phoenix, LCB Depot, Chutney Ivy, Sixes, The Real Ale Classroom and Brick & Beam.
As part of An Indian Summer’s partnership with BID Leicester, visitors can also take part in a festival trail with LoyalFree. All you need to do is scan in at each venue on the trail and you could win a host of prizes, including cricket sessions at Sixes, lunch at Chutney Ivy, film vouchers at Phoenix, Curve theatre tickets, and more. LoyalFree is available to download here.
FULL PROGRAMME
Friday 9 August
Outdoor cinema – Jubilee Square
Get ready for an unforgettable evening under the stars, with the ultimate cinematic experience with a screening of Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani!
Street food options will be available at the event. Tickets are free but can be reserved in advance, with paid options for reserved seating. Book online.
Shakti Unleashed – The Real Ale Classroom (7.30pm – 10.30pm)
Get ready for sequins and sparkles at this South Asian Drag & Cabaret Showcase, organised by the producer of South Asian Queer Pride. For the first time ever, An Indian Summer will feature a troupe of queer talents from the vibrant worlds of drag and cabaret hosted by Asifa Lahore, a performer known as Britain’s First Out Muslim Drag Queen.
The Real Ale Classroom will also be serving Dough WHAT’s pizza menu through the evening, look out for a fusion twist of tandoori chicken, paneer and more.
Tickets are £12.50 and on sale now.
Saturday 10 August
Festival Community Day – Cultural Quarter
Enjoy the sights, sounds of tastes of South Asia as An Indian Summer takes over the Cultural Quarter.
Chutney Ivy – Tuck into Bangladeshi street food served outside the restaurant
Sixes Social Cricket – Enjoy 20% off all cricket sessions on the day, and grab drinks from their outside bar
The Real Ale Classroom – Grab special offers across the weekend with their India Pale Ales and Indian fusion pizza menu
Phoenix – Enjoy the sunshine on their rooftop bar with 2 for 1 cocktails from 5pm – 8pm
Curve Takeover
This year, the festival programme takes over the inside of Curve, alongside fantastic pop-up live performances outside. Soak up the festival atmosphere as you explore each festival zone, experiencing an exciting and eclectic blend of live performances, film screenings, exhibitions, food, workshops, talks and wellbeing sessions.
We Gather Stage – Head to Curve’s foyer for live performances and DJ sessions.
Space for Stories – Interactive and high energy story sessions on the Mezzanine. Free tickets available.
Gather & Create – Drop in to the Mezzanine throughout the day for activities and workshops, including banner making and your opportunity to inspire a street mural for this year’s Diwali celebrations.
Injoy Wellbeing Zone – This year’s wellbeing space will offer serenity and peace through sound, meditation and movement sessions. Sessions include Japa Meditation, Throat Chakra Workshop, and more. Sessions are bookable online.
Shakti Speaks Talks & Discussions – Join knowledge seekers and cultural enthusiasts for talks and panel discussions, including Creative Brown Women Panel, featuring incredible South Asian creative women. Find full details HERE.
Exhibitions & Installations – Taking place across different spaces within Curve, soak up a range of sound and visual environments. Highlights include Bridging Beats, taking place on the Mezzanine and available for young people to drop in and try their hand at music creation and production. Find out more here.
Orchestral Qawwali Project – Curve
This year’s headline performance comes from the genre-defying Orchestral Qawwali Project. Widely regarded as the biggest step forward for the art-form in decades, the Orchestral Qawwali Project has captivated audiences through its unique combination of Sufi poetry, Indian Classical dance and orchestral arrangements. Tickets for this performance are already selling quickly, with just a handful of seats remaining. Book online.
Festival After Party – Brick & Beam
Join the Festival Team from 10pm. Sip An Indian Summer themed cocktail or mocktail, relax, and come together to celebrate this festival weekend, with Aaron Hira providing the sounds and rhythms throughout the night. Over 18s only.
Sunday 11 August
Queen of My Dreams – Phoenix
Enjoy an exclusive preview of Fawzia Mirza’s new film, a month before its UK release. The film screening will start at 3pm, but you can enjoy the Phoenix Film & Dine packages before the show, with two options:
– Film ticket + Vegan or Vegetarian Samosa Chaat for £12
– Film ticket + Potato & Chickpea Curry for £15
In the movie, Azra (Amrit Kaur) flies back to her ancestral home in Pakistan to be reunited with her grieving mother Mariam (Nimra Bucha) with whom she has a strained relationship. Struggling to fit the image of the perfect daughter, Azra finds herself transported, through Bollywood-inspired flashbacks, to 1960s Karachi, sparking a connection between her mother’s wild youth to her own life in 90s Canada. Tickets are available online.
An Indian Summer’s mission is to celebrate the shared culture between the Indian subcontinent and the UK. This radiates through their 2024 event programme, bringing together friends and family to celebrate in the heart of Leicester.
Kay Hardiman, Curve’s Director of Creative Programmes, commented, “We’re so pleased to once again welcome An Indian Summer to Curve for a Community Day celebrating South Asian culture. Our Community Day will offer activities for all ages throughout the venue, from drop-in music workshops to exciting live performance in the theatre. There is so much for family and friends to get involved in, with much of the programme free of charge.
“We can’t wait to welcome everyone to Curve for what’s sure to be a fantastic day as part of An Indian Summer’s events this year!”
Parmjit Sagoo, Executive Producer of Inspirate who curates and programmes An Indian Summer, commented, “We’re so excited about our festival programme this year. We have taken this opportunity to open up the festival to new audiences, platforming the breadth of South Asian arts from our Drag & Cabaret night, to the film night at Phoenix, and all the wonderful workshops, performances and pop-ups in between. We hope that friends and family take it as an opportunity to come together and enjoy the sights and sounds of everything on offer.”
An Indian Summer takes place in Leicester from 9 – 11 August 2024. The full programme of events is available via indiansummer.org.uk or on An Indian Summer Instagram and Facebook pages.
