What you need to know about the Sandwell and Birmingham Mela

Thousands of people are expected to gather at "the biggest South Asian music festival in Europe" on Sunday.

The Sandwell and Birmingham Mela is an annual celebration bringing music, dance, food, arts and crafts to Victoria Park in Smethwick.

This year, organisers are expecting an audience of more than 50,000 from across the UK.

With more than 150 music artists attending and eight zones of activity, here is everything you need to know about the festival...

Headlining this year's festival is Prem Dhillon, a Punjabi singer and lyricist whose pop-rap hits have made him a breakout star.

It will be his only UK Mela appearance this year.

The international line-up also includes Sabba, Khushi Baliyan, Nirmal Sidhu, Oye Kunaal, and Komal Chaudhary.

Sandy and Mandy Sandhu, the daughters of renowned singer Kartar Ramla, are also performing exclusively live at the festival.

Local artists taking to the stage include OH Dhami, Pamma Lassaria, Jatin Lassaria, Bobby Sarver and RK Ramme.

Supporting the live performers will be Bhangra group the Jodi Dancers and The Live Experience Live Band.

As well as performances from singers and dancers, there is an array of entertainment taking place on Sunday.

Visitors can enjoy displays from visual, aerial and street theatre performers.

There will be a street food village where people can taste a variety of cuisines, including Chinese, British and those from across the Indian subcontinent.

As well as this, there will be a shopping bazaar, funfair, and arts village.

Gates open at Victoria Park at 12:00 BST with the event finishing at 20:00.

The festival has no re-admission, so organisers are urging people to make sure they have everything with them that they need when they enter.

Tickets cost £5, with early bird tickets costing £3. They can be purchased online or at the gate.

Large bags are not allowed to be taken in and there are no cloakroom or storage facilities.

Small bags, the size of A4, are allowed.

There will be road closures in place around the festival, so organisers have warned that pick ups and drop offs will not be possible near the park.

Visitors are advised to use public transport where possible.

The following guidance has been given for directions:

• By foot: Entrance to the park is via the High Street gate next to Smethwick Council house, a short walk away from Galton Valley Canal Heritage Area

• By bus: The following bus routes pass adjacent to the park: 80, 87, 89, 53, 55. Visit TfWM Journey Planner (TfWM Journey Planner

• By train: The nearest station is Smethwick Rolfe Street, a 10-minute walk from the venue. Smethwick Galton Bridge which offers additional mainline connections is a 23-minute walk. There is industrial action on Saturday, which is likely to result in few or no services

• By Metro: The closest tram stop is Handsworth Booth Street, which is either a 27-minute walk away from the venue, or requires a short additional ride on bus number 80 towards West Bromwich. Services will be busier than normal due to the train strike so use Metro Journey Planner

• By car: There is limited car parking at Victoria Park. It will cost £10 per day to park a car here

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