The change from a mood of sombre devotion to full-on party mode was dramatic. Tens of thousands of people prayed together in perfect rows – and then hot-footed it, in nothing like as disciplined a manner, to the fairground and bazaar to queue for the rides and fast-food stalls.

This was Eid al-Fitr celebrated Brummie-style. A record-breaking 60,000 men, women and children, converged on Small Heath park in Birmingham to mark the end of Ramadan at what is billed as the largest gathering of Muslims in Europe.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Thousands of Muslims gather in Small Heath park, Birmingham, to mark Eid al-Fitr.

“It’s a wonderful day – there is a great feeling of unity here,” said Ramiz Haq, a 31-year-old driving instructor who made the short trip from Stirchley in Birmingham with his family for the Celebrate Eid event.



When it was first staged in 2012, only a few thousand people turned up. Around 40,000 took part 12 months ago but this year’s celebration easily topped that.

“It’s grown and grown,” said Haq, who was canny enough to arrive early to bag a front-row spot on the miles of plastic sheeting laid out on the grass just in case the weather was unkind. “It feels like the whole community is coming out now to pray and celebrate together.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest When Celebrate Eid was first staged in 2012, only a few thousand people turned up. Around 40,000 took part 12 months ago but this year’s celebration easily topped that. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/Newsteam

The traffic tailback – four miles at one point – suggested it was not just local people in attendance. Husna Khan, 21, travelled from Sheffield to meet friends. “Eid is a lovely reason to get together. This is a bit like a music festival for us – our Glastonbury.”

It does have a bit of that vibe (without the cider and other mind-bending substances, of course). The variety of people is not unlike a festival. Cool kids in baseball caps and low-slung jeans rub shoulders with women wearing the niqab. Boys in football shirts chat to girls in party frocks.

An extraordinary difference is that because Eid al-Fitr is a moveable feast – the timing dependent on the sighting of the new moon with the naked eye – organisers only have a matter of hours to confirm the event is on.

They received word at around 5pm on Thursday from a moon-spotting committee in London. At that point a team of volunteers leapt into action to prepare the site for a crowd that, if not as huge as Glastonbury’s, nevertheless compares with the likes of the Reading and Leeds festivals.

Still, the event on Friday was delayed because of traffic. Visitors passed the time by taking panoramic shots of the crowds – some, inevitably, coming equipped with selfie-sticks.

steven morris (@stevenmorris20) Eid celebrations at Small Heath Park, Birmingham. The selfie sticks have reached here, too. pic.twitter.com/wGylQoHc0v

The lord mayor of Birmingham, Ray Hassall, and a police superintendent were hauled up to the front to kill a bit of time. The lost child tent – a staple of any festival – was already seeing action.

Once the prayers were over – and, frankly, before the sermons had ended – the race to the funfair and bazaar was on. Some headed first for the food stalls (BBQ Brothers Charcoal Bites proved most popular). Others went straight for the ghost train and carousels.

steven morris (@stevenmorris20) Eid Birmingham - the fun begins http://t.co/NGpYKELRzc

There is some concern that Eid al-Fitr may have become – like Christmas – too commercial and expensive. Despite its burgeoning size, the Small Heath event has a modest feel to it with food and gifts pegged at sensible prices and stallholders donating generously to charity.



Hasan Ahmed, a 21-year-old student from Hodge Hill, Birmingham, was staffing a samosa stall with his family. “All the proceeds will go to orphans in Burma and Syria,” he said. He admitted it had been a scramble to get things ready in time once the moon was spotted. “It is a bit hectic but it’s for a good cause so we don’t mind.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A record-breaking 60,000 men, women and children, converged on Small Heath park in Birmingham. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/Newsteam

Remarkably, the event is thriving without local authority funding. Rather, a coalition of mosques donates money, stallholders pay for their spots and this year a charity partner, Human Appeal, was on board. It shipped in scores of volunteers to help from across the country, not to mention thousands of bottles of water for those overheating on the fairground rides and in the line of people waiting to get into the exotic animals tent.

“This is about the community coming together and kids enjoying themselves,” said Othman Moqbel, the charity’s chief executive. “But it’s also a good chance to remind everyone that there are people in need around the world.”

Waseem Khan, spokesman for the Green Lane mosque, said the Celebrate Eid event was reviving in inner city Birmingham a tradition of Muslims praying together out in the open.

He accepted that even in a tight-knit community like this, mosques can sometimes operate in isolation. “But this is bringing everyone out together to show we are one community. Look around here; there are people of Arabic, Asian, African origin. There are converts here, there are non-Muslims.”

This part of Birmingham often attracts negative headlines. The Trojan Horse scandal – the claims that there had been a concerted effort by hardline, conservative Muslim men to infiltrate a number of Birmingham schools and run them on religious lines – is still raw here. “There can be negative feelings towards Muslims,” said Khan. “We hope that this sort of event can show that Muslims are not terrorists, that we are members of this community, that we are all Brummies.”