For free and sometimes for a fee, 5X Fest events in Surrey and Vancouver will see people “walk through the portal into a world of South Asian creativity” next month.
The sixth annual festival returns June 11-18 with music, visual art, storytelling, fashion, culture and more, including a popular Block Party, this time at Surrey Civic Plaza. Admission to the June 17 party is free, but tickets are $150 for drinks and snacks in a VIP viewing area.
It’s all billed as “the essential festival and digital community elevating South Asian youth culture.”
“Enter the Portal” is the theme of this year’s multi-day, multi-venue 5X, which will see the debut of the 5X Art Party at Surrey Art Gallery on the festival’s final day, June 18.
An “aftermovie” posted on Youtube shows the 2022 Surrey Block Party, which featured more than 50 performers and a crowd of around 2,000 at Holland Park.
This year’s party has been moved to the plaza at Surrey City Hall, according to details on 5xfest.com.
Earlier this year, 5X event manager Harpreet (Harpo) Mander said organizers of the festival hoped the City of Surrey could help offset more than $20,000 in policing costs, or the summer event may have to move elsewhere.
Trouble was, tickets were sold for last spring’s 5X Block Party, making the event ineligible for financial help.
• READ MORE: ‘Absolutely absurd’ bill for policing South Asian concert mystifies Surrey event organizer.
“We didn’t move (from Holland Park) because of the policing bill,” festival publicist Neesha Hothi wrote in an email. “We wanted a more intimate venue, and last year weather posed a lot of challenges.
“Also you will note that this year the vibe of the festival block party is a little different, with vendors, etc. Just doing something a little different,” Hothi added.
The Surrey event is the largest gathering of the week-long 5X, planned by Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration (VIBC), a charity founded in 2004.
This year’s Block Party will feature Babbu, aka Babbulicious, a multi-disciplinary artist based in Toronto.
“In just a few months, he has become a breakthrough sensation with his viral hit, ‘Gaddi Red Challenger,’ amassing over 30 million streams worldwide,” Hothi noted. “He continues the momentum of bridging east and west with his second hit, ‘Gucci Chick,’ becoming one of the true frontrunners of Punjabi pop.” He brings “fun, humour, and feel-good energy to his artistic endeavors and performances.”
Another headliner is Signature featuring music producer SB and singer Bhalwaan, along with Inderpal Moga, Kultargotbounce, Shally, Peak, Heavy Dee and others.
Block Party attendees are encouraged to RSVP on the festival website for a chance to win two all-access passes to 5X events this year.
Other festival events include 5X Storytelling: An Evening with Robyn Sandhu, who came to Canada as an international student and has become known for his spoken word and writings. Sandhu will talk June 14 at Beaumont Studios in Vancouver.
Also there on June 13 is 5X Press Panel: Imagining a New World with Desi Futurism, an event facilitated by Juno-nominee and multi-disciplinary artist Ruby Singh. Attendees will be asked to “blue-sky the kind of desi world they’d like to live in.”
5X Festival organizers acknowledge the support of Creative BC, Government of Canada, BC Arts Council, City of Surrey, the City of Vancouver, Canada Council of Arts, Heritage Canada, and Vancouver Foundation.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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