Carrigaline Community Park will come alive on Saturday, 4th July as the Basant Festival returns to county Cork, bringing one of South Asia’s most colourful cultural traditions to Ireland.
Expected to attract over 1,000 attendees from across the country, the family-friendly festival will feature kite flying, live performances, traditional live drumming, food stalls, and activities for all ages.
Basant, meaning “yellow”, celebrates the arrival of spring in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. Traditionally associated with fields of blooming mustard and sunflower crops, the festival has been celebrated for centuries across Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. In cities such as Lahore, rooftops become stages for spectacular kite-flying displays that fill the skies from dawn until dusk.
WELCOMING ATMOSPHERE
Today, the Basant Festival in Cork has become an important platform for celebrating South Asian culture while promoting inclusion, diversity and community participation.
Festival organiser Amna Walayat said that such events create ‘welcoming spaces where people from different backgrounds can come together, learn from one another, and celebrate culture through shared experiences’.
“We need more public spaces where communities can connect, understand each other, and build stronger relationships despite our differences,” she said.
“I don’t see Basant as merely a kite-flying festival. It is a large-scale collective public cultural performance where people share traditions, skills, and experiences from their countries of origin. Throughout the day you see people helping each other, learning from one another, and creating meaningful connections.”
FREE EVENT
Previous attendees have praised the festival’s welcoming atmosphere. Sadia Ather Butt, who travelled from Longford with her family previously, described it as “a great display of culture and inclusion.” While Cllr. Patrick Donovan, who attended as chief guest on behalf of the Mayor of County Cork, described the event as “a great community event bringing together many nationalities having fun.”
The festival is supported by Cork County Council through the Creative Communities Scheme and Local Festival Fund, helping to ensure the event remains free and accessible to everyone. Additional support is being provided by local businesses.
This year’s festival will also feature a display of traditional Japanese Koinobori kites by Cork-based artist, Kim-Ling Morris. The carp-shaped kites symbolise perseverance, strength, and the ability to overcome challenges, while their movement in the wind represents youth, energy and hope.
Organisers are inviting people from all communities and backgrounds to attend, wear something yellow, fly a kite, and take part in a unique celebration of culture, creativity, and community spirit.
The Basant Festival takes place from 2pm-6pm in Carrigaline Community Park – mark it in your diary!
