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Thousands of locals and expatriates thronged the Prince Khalifa bin Salman Park in Hidd on Friday to show their support for the kingdom they call home and to celebrate the idea of ‘unity in diversity’.
To emphasise the theme, more than 20 communities put on an array of bright and colourful performances to celebrate their cultures, while 200 market stalls were dotted around the park to flog a variety of local and foreign wares.
Supposedly 50,000 people were expected to attend, although that appeared to be an over-optimistic estimation. Perhaps the bright sunshine cracking the flags deterred some, or drove them to their swimming pools and beaches, but it was an enjoyable event regardless.
Excitement was building around the stage area as rap and hip-hop artists The Mystro, DJ Outlaw, Flipperachi and Daffy were ready to take the stage and were performing a sound check for the early birds.
One might question the choice of laying out hundreds of chairs in front of the stage considering the target demographic would be youngsters and teens who want to jump and bop around similar to the set-up at the recent Formula 1 concerts, but those in attendance seemed to be enjoying their rather cramped surroundings.
When the stars did emerge, they entertained the crowd by dropping beats and rhymes that encouraged the attendees to join together and celebrate both their own culture and that of Bahrain, which was duly appreciated by a game crowd.
However, after a brief taster of their musical wares I decided to spend most of my time looking around market stalls and the expat club communities as this was what the event was truly about. I saw Nepalese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Sri Lankan, Jordanian and Filipino gatherings, all performing dances and songs from their culture while the bazaars sold giblets and trinkets native to their home countries.
Eagle-eyed vendors spotted the plethora of bracelets which adorn my left arm, so I was offered jewellery and heirlooms made from cloth, wood, metal and everything in between. I eventually settled on a string of wooden beads from a kind Indonesian lady to commemorate my day, and afterwards I briefly chatted with her about my time in the Far East nation last year.
It was nice to see so many children enjoying the event too, whether it was munching on ice creams in the heat or having their faces and hands adorned with flowers and ribbons from the specialist face-painting and henna artists. A balloon twister had a group of Filipina children enthralled as he flexibly turned a balloon into a variety of animals and everyday objects.
Overall, this was an event to make the kingdom proud of its heritage and diversity. It really is a bubble of culture, both Eastern and Western, condensed into the space of a small park area. Hopefully, this becomes a major annual event, although a bit earlier in the year would be a good idea to beat the heat and its alternative attractions.
– Kristian Harrison
