The largest Diwali celebration outside India hosted every year in Leicester, England, has been cancelled for this year. The Leicester City Council said it will not have any fireworks display or cultural performances during the 2025 Diwali festival due to concerns over public safety, a decision that has outraged Hindu community members, who have labelled it “biased and discriminatory.”
Leicester’s Diwali festival has been one of the most colorful in the UK for decades, pulling thousands of tourists annually. The grandeur celebrations, with fireworks, live performances, and food festivals, have given the city’s Belgrave Road, commonly referred to as the “Golden Mile” global fame. This year, though, the festival will be celebrated without its most striking aspects.
Fireworks and public events cancelled, only decorations allowed
According to the Leicester City Council, the decision was taken after the recommendations from the city’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG), which includes representatives from the council, the police, and emergency services. The group raised concerns about overcrowding and safety, stating that last year’s Diwali event drew nearly 50,000 people, far more than the area could safely accommodate.
#WATCH | Leicester’s Diwali faces restrictions as fireworks and cultural events banned, Indian community calls decision biased despite fifty thousand attendees last year.@sanjaysuri88 | #Leicester #Diwali #Culture #Festival pic.twitter.com/1Q6AG8H8Or
— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 18, 2025
In a statement, the council confirmed that while the “Golden Mile” will still be decorated with festive lights and Belgrave Road will be closed to traffic on Monday, 20th October, there will be no fireworks display, stage performances, or Diwali fair this year.
Hindu community expresses outrage
The move has sparked anger among the city’s Hindu residents, who see it as an unfair restriction targeting their religious festival. British-Indian MP Shivani Raja from Leicester sharply criticised the council’s decision, saying that the city’s famous Diwali celebration is “under threat.”
“Our Diwali celebrations remain in danger, and the festival that brings our community together is now at risk,” she posted on X (formerly Twitter), calling for the council to reconsider the decision.
Past controversies over Diwali celebrations in the UK
This is not the first controversy that Diwali celebrations in Britain have encountered. In 2024, in the leadership of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a Diwali reception at 10 Downing Street was a cause for outrage as meat and liquor were served there. Hindu, Sikh, and Jain communities protested the decision, terming it “deeply disrespectful” towards their religion.
Then, MP Shivani Raja had written to the Prime Minister, saying that the menu was not representative of religious traditions and that she would be able to advise future events to make them more culturally aware.
A history of tensions in Leicester
Leicester, the home of one of Britain’s biggest Hindu communities, some 18% of its residents, has for years been famous for its spectacular Hindu festivals and ethnic tolerance. But Leicester has seen a number of communal flashpoints over the last few years.
Violence broke out in Leicester in 2022 following a cricket match between India and Pakistan after false social media rumors aimed at the Hindu population. Hindu residences, temples, and individuals on the streets were attacked because of the violence. Hindu symbols such as saffron flags were desecrated, and some residents got injured during the clashes.
Subsequent research showed the unrest was caused by Islamist disinformation rather than Hindu extremism as it had originally been suggested by some groups.
Tensions flared again during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations when the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) called for action against organisers for displaying saffron flags, describing it as “Hindu extremism.”
A growing concern for Hindus in the UK
With the latest cancellation of Leicester’s Diwali festivities, many Hindus feel that their cultural identity is being sidelined in the name of “public safety.” The Hindu community argues that similar large-scale events from other communities have not faced comparable restrictions.
For now, Leicester’s “Golden Mile” will still glow with festive lights, but without fireworks, music, or dancing crowds, the heart of the world’s largest Diwali celebration outside India will remain dimmed this year.
