The annual festival, one of the largest Diwali celebrations outside India, is set to be dramatically reduced for 2025
Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre is lit up for the start of the Diwali celebrations in Leicester on October 8, 2017(Image: PA)
Two MPs are fighting to reverse a decision that would drastically scale back this year’s Diwali festivities in a Midland city.
The annual celebration, amongst the biggest Diwali events outside India, faces major cuts for 2025.
Security concerns have led officials to limit the festival to illuminations along Belgrave Road and a wheel of light.
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That means there would be no pyrotechnics or stage performances while a recreation ground, which has previously hosted a main stage, food stalls, fairground rides and more, has been axed from this year’s programme.
Leicestershire Police said recent celebrations saw “uncontrolled crowds” and “near-crush incidents”, with a spokesperson saying that maintaining the previous format would create a “serious risk to public safety”.
But Harborough, Oadby and Wigston MP Neil O’Brien, alongside Leicester East MP Shivani Raja, said they refused to watch the Hindu Festival of Light “become a shadow of its former self”.
They urged Leicester City Council to “revive the full Diwali experience” on Belgrave Road, taking in fireworks, cultural shows, food vendors, fairground rides and the Diwali Village.
They were also pressing the authority to work with residents, traders and safety experts to “create a plan that honours tradition while keeping people safe”.
A petition, established by the two MPs and backed by 1,113 signatures at the time of writing, said: “Every autumn, Leicester’s Diwali celebration on the Golden Mile captivates the hearts – and lights up the streets – of our city. It’s one of the biggest Diwali events outside India, a proud tradition that brings together families, communities, and visitors from across the world.
“But in 2025, the festival risks being reduced to just the lights, with no fireworks, no Diwali Village at Cossington Park and none of the stalls and activities that make it so special […]. Let’s not allow this festival to become a shadow of its former self. Leicester’s Diwali deserves to shine in full – bright, bold and welcoming.”
The MPs previously contacted Leicestershire Police urging the force to consider increasing police presence for the occasion so it could proceed “in full” and “without unnecessary restriction” while remaining “managed effectively”, expressing concerns the fresh approach might actually heighten safety risks.
They argued: “While we fully acknowledge the importance of ensuring safety for all attendees, we believe that scaling back attractions and closing Cossington Park is counterproductive to public safety concerns. In fact, maintaining attractions in Cossington Park would help disperse public footfall more evenly across the celebration area, easing congestion along the Golden Mile and reducing pressure on the surrounding infrastructure.
“By contrast, scaling back these elements is likely to concentrate crowds into a smaller area, potentially creating the very safety risks that this decision seeks to avoid. We firmly believe that, with appropriate resourcing and collaborative planning, the full event can go ahead safely.”
Leicestershire Police, which sits on the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) that advised this year’s celebration should be reduced in scale, said the force “recognises the cultural and economic importance” of Diwali in the city.
A spokesperson continued: “What began as a small neighbourhood event in 1983 is now one of the largest Diwali festivals outside India, drawing tens of thousands to the Golden Mile each year.
“Leicester City Council leads the planning and delivery of Diwali celebrations supported by the Safety Advisory Group consisting of Leicestershire Police, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, East Midlands Ambulance Service, event security experts, and the City Council’s festival and events team.
“The SAG has met extensively throughout 2025 to review the event, using lessons from 2023 and 2024, and unanimously concluded that the current format poses a serious risk to public safety. This was grounded in several near‐crush incidents, uncontrolled crowd densities, insufficient evacuation routes, lack of emergency access and over reliance on emergency crowd management control.
“The event has outgrown the footprint. However, to keep it on the Golden Mile, the SAG recommended removing the stage and fireworks to mitigate the risks. Other options have since been explored but discounted on the grounds of public safety, but the SAG will continue to consider options for the future.
“This decision was made collectively by all agencies and reflects a shared commitment to public safety, not a lack of support for Diwali. Leicestershire Police remains fully committed to working with partners and communities to ensure this year’s celebrations and those to come are safe and successful.”
Assistant city mayor for culture Vi Dempster previously said: “Unfortunately, Leicester’s annual Diwali festival has become a victim of its own success.
“We’re being strongly advised by our emergency service partners and crowd control experts that it cannot continue safely in its current format due to the unrestricted and growing crowd numbers it attracts, and that’s a warning we must take extremely seriously.
“We are absolutely determined that Diwali continues to be part of the city’s festive calendar. We also understand the depth of feeling to see it continue on the Golden Mile where it began over 40 years ago. To do that, we must ensure it can take place safely. That must be paramount.”
