AN event has been organised to help ensure the Swindon Mela will go ahead next year after funding issues forced the cancellation of the festival this year.

Tickets are now on sale for the fundraising evening called Diwali Nights, which will coincide with the Hindu festival of Diwali.

Organisers have been busy planning a number of events to help raise money for the summer event in 2015.

Diwali Nights will take place on October 18 in the MECA in Regent Circus, and doors will open at 6pm for a 7pm start.

The event will feature live sets from top performers from the Asian music scene, including SK1 who have performed all around the world and Sona Walia, a dancer widely recognised for the promotion of Punjabi culture, and DCS, before the night is finished off with a session from DJ Gamma.

Chairman of the Mela, Jaspal Bhui said: “We need to raise money for next year’s event so came up with a number of different events which could help to do this.

“This event was originally organised in August as the Mela Dhamaka but the event was postponed at the last minute. But it is now taking place indoors.

“Because it will take place so close to Diwali on October 25 we decided to call it Diwali Nights and it will be a good family event.

“We’re going to have some amazing performances and after that we have a local DJ to finish off the event as well. There is always a lot of hype around Diwali and it’s a popular festival and it should be a lot of fun.”

Each year the Mela costs up to £55,000 to arrange, and the more money organisers are able to raise ahead of the event the bigger, better and brighter the event will be.

Jaspal said: “We want to raise as much as we can.

“It usually costs between £50,000 and £55,000 each year and a lot of that comes through sponsorship. But we always like to have a reserve of around £10,000 to £12,000 just to make things a little more comfortable.

“We do of course already have some reserves in the account but we’d just like to raise some more.

“We are also planning a number of other events throughout the year, including a Mini Mela in the County Ground.”

Jaspal added that a date had already been suggested to Swindon Council for the Mela 2015 in the Old Town Bowl, and organisers were already preparing for it.

l Tickets for Diwali Nights cost £12 for adults and £8 for children aged between five years old and 15, while children under five go free. They are available from the MECA on 01793 251111, or from the Tourist Information Centre at the Central Library.