Event celebrates cultures who built Black Country

Black Country Multicultural Day is returning as a two-day festival for the first time, bringing together communities from across the region to celebrate culture, heritage and unity.

Now in its sixth year, the free event has grown from a single-day celebration into a weekend festival featuring live performances, music, dance, storytelling and family activities.

Festival founder, Frankie Prazer, said the event celebrates the generations of people from around the world who have helped shape the Black Country, particularly those who arrived after the Second World War to work in the area's industries.

"If it wasn't for the cultural diversity in the Black Country and UK, then I think we would be actually worse off than what we are," Prazer said.

The founder said the event was created to recognise the contribution of communities whose cultures have become part of the Black Country's identity.

Communities represented at the festival include Caribbean, South Asian, Chinese, Polish and African groups, alongside many others who now call the region home.

The weekend event will be held in Somers Square, Halesowen on 11 July and outside Sandwell Council House on 12 July from 11:00 BST to 18:00 BST.

"I want to do this multicultural day to celebrate the cultural diversity of the Black Country, [and] to say thank you to those who came before us," Prazer said.

"We want people to show up and feel proud of their culture", he added.

Visitors will be able to take part in African drumming sessions, traditional music and dance workshops, storytelling, cultural performances and activities designed to showcase traditions from around the world.

Organisers say the free event aims to encourage people from different backgrounds to meet, learn about each other's cultures and strengthen community ties.

The festival also seeks to highlight the Black Country's long history as a place shaped by migration and cultural exchange, while promoting understanding, respect and a shared sense of belonging.

Further information about the festival, including the full programme of events, is available from the official website.

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