The Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration (VIBC) Festival got off to a great start Thursday evening at the Grand Opening held at Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre in Vancouver.

The beat of the drums kicked off the 2013 HSBC City of Bhangra Festival, an event that showcases Vancouver’s diverse cultures through the art of drumming.

Performers at the grand opening included: Paul Bray, Karn Bhuller, Celso Machado, Jack Duncan, Kurai Mubaiwa and special guest Sunil Kalyan, with dancers Amika Kushwaha and Susan Nase.

This nine day annual VIBC festival will run through May 30 to June 9 in both Vancouver and surrey and welcomes back HSBC Bank Canada as the title sponsor of the festival for the second time. The HSBC City of Bhangra Festival is set to be one of the biggest must-see spring events in Metro Vancouver. This year’s festival line-up includes various independent events, hundreds of performers, and international artists from the UK, US and India. The festival will include free outdoor concerts and dance performances, workshops, conferences, and percussion events. The HSBC City of Bhangra Festival is a feast for the senses and appealing to diverse audiences from all over the community.

Since its inception in 2004, efforts have been underway to transform the perception of this region of the world into that of a capital of Bhangra – a hub of innovation, cultural leadership and platform for excellence. Audiences have grown and shown their appreciation for this platform over the years. Many of the attendees from Seattle and Calgary use the HSBC City of Bhangra Festival as an opportunity for their annual pilgrimage to the South Asian community in Surrey and Vancouver and use the occasion as a time to partake in cultural events, visiting restaurants and, of course, shopping.