What's going on with Diwali in Leicester this year?

Diwali celebrations in Leicester are still expected to attract thousands of visitors, the council says

Diwali celebrations in Leicester have long been considered one of the biggest in the world outside of India.

The popular Hindu festival of light had until now been marked in the city with two events - a lights switch-on event and a Diwali Day event, both along Belgrave Road, dubbed the "Golden Mile".

But in a bid to save money, Leicester City Council has scaled its plans back, with only one of the events planned to be taking place.

The decision was met with mixed feelings, with some people saying Diwali had been "cancelled" by the local authority. So what is happening?

Are Diwali celebrations taking place in Leicester in 2024?

Yes. Leicester City Council will be holding celebrations on Diwali Day itself - 31 October - and they will take place in Belgrave Road and Cossington Street, in Belgrave.

A dancer at Diwali festivities in Leicester in 2023

Will there be Diwali lights?

Belgrave Road has been lit up with thousands of decorative lights during Diwali since celebrations in the city began, and will be again in 2024.

The switch-on had previously been marked by a separate event.

But in August, the council confirmed there would not be a switch-on event.

Why have the celebrations been reduced to one day?

The city council previously said "rising costs" of Diwali celebrations had made activities on two separate days "entirely unsustainable".

Costs for two separate events had escalated from £189,000 in 2018 to almost £250,000 in 2023, according to the authority.

The increase is slightly higher than the general rate of inflation, the consumer prices index, according to the Bank of England.

The council said other ways of securing the funding would need to be found to hold both events.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said in 2023 that the authority was facing "severe budgetary problems" and warned that "without substantial cuts we face a near impossible cliff edge".

Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre in Leicester is decorated in lights every year

Did the council consult on this decision?

The council said it first consulted members of the Leicester Hindu Festival Council (LHFC) and "community representatives" on the proposed changes in the summer of 2023.

It was hoped a "community-based fundraising committee" could be established to help finding funding but the council said that was unsuccessful.

What has the reaction been from businesses?

Karan Modha, 37, who owns Anokhi House of Sarees in Belgrave Road, previously told the BBC: "It's a shame because the lights ceremony and Diwali Day have both happened for more than 40 years now.

"The shop has been here since 1967 – we've seen the birth of it [the event].

"Economically, it makes sense but from the businesses' point of view, it is heartbreaking for those that open on the night as they'll lose that business from a prospective 40,000 people on the night [of the switch-on]."

What are the plans for Diwali 2024?

The council said the full plan for Diwali celebrations on 31 October would be released closer to the time.

Despite cost-cutting, the Wheel of Light remains a fixture of local celebrations with a planning application for the feature submitted in August.

The application suggested the Wheel of Light could be in place from 4 October to 4 November.

Vi Dempster, the council's assistant city mayor for culture, said: "We're really proud of our Diwali celebrations in Leicester, and we want Diwali to continue to thrive as part of our annual events calendar.

"We will of course continue to ensure that the Golden Mile is illuminated with thousands of lamps throughout the festival of Diwali."

Mrs Dempster added: "We're still expecting to welcome tens of thousands of visitors to join us for the celebration."

Parking restrictions

The council has confirmed parking will be suspended on 14 streets from 06:00 GMT on Diwali day.

The authority has warned that any vehicle in any road in the Belgrave area which is deemed to be causing an obstruction will also be ticketed and towed.

Belgrave Road itself will also be closed and all of its junctions and side roads will be off limits between 17:00 and 21:30.