Refugee Week 2026: UK's Biggest Refugee Festival Returns as Afghan Summer Festival Welcomes 10,000 Visitors
One of the UK’s largest celebrations of refugees, culture and community is set to return this Refugee Week, with the Afghan Summer Festival (MELA) 2026 preparing to welcome more than 10,000 visitors to West London.
Organised by the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA), the festival will take place on Sunday, 21 June 2026, at Cranford Community College in Hounslow. Recognised as the UK’s biggest Refugee Week festival and the world’s largest Afghan music festival, the event celebrates the rich heritage, resilience and contributions of refugee communities.
Building on the success of last year’s festival, which attracted more than 7,500 people, MELA 2026 is expected to draw visitors from across the UK and Europe. The festival brings together Afghan, Central Asian, Persian, South Asian and wider communities for a day of cultural exchange and unity.
Visitors can enjoy live performances by Afghan and Central Asian singers, DJs, and traditional musicians playing instruments such as the Rubab, Tabla, Santur, and Daf. Families can explore a dedicated children’s zone featuring funfair rides, storytelling sessions, face painting, circus acts and interactive games.
A vibrant food village will showcase flavours from Afghanistan, Central Asia, Persia and South Asia, while more than 30 bazaar stalls will offer fashion, jewellery, crafts and products from community businesses.
The festival will also highlight the lived experiences of refugees through photography exhibitions, storytelling projects and displays celebrating Afghan and Central Asian history and heritage.
Founded in 1999, ACAA supports refugees, asylum seekers and migrants across the UK through education, welfare, advocacy and community programmes. Proceeds from the festival help sustain this vital work, making MELA 2026 not only a celebration of culture, but also a powerful reminder of the strength, diversity and contributions of refugee communities during Refugee Week.
