LONDON: Thousands of people have gathered in the UK capital, London, for one of the country’s biggest annual Eid celebrations, following the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The 18th Eid in the Square, which is being hosted outdoors for the last year in Trafalgar Square, featured Halal food stalls, Islamic-inspired artwork, history and culture, with contemporary and traditional performances. 

The annual free event was hosted by Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, on Saturday, almost one week after Muslims around the world celebrated the holiday that marks the end of the fasting month.

“I am delighted to once again celebrate Eid in the Square with Londoners and visitors from all faiths and backgrounds...showcasing the very best of London’s Muslim communities and celebrating their immense contribution to the capital,” Khan said.

“Our city’s greatest strength is our diversity and celebrating the end of Ramadan together is another example of how we are building a better and fairer London for everyone,” he added. 

Hassen Rasool, artist and vocalist, told Arab News that he was very grateful that everyone could gather together, because in other parts of Europe they are less fortunate, such as countries like France that impose harsh laws on religious practices.

Hip-Hop Afrofusion artist MoYah, one of the main entertainers, said it is important to create safe spaces for Muslims where they can enjoy themselves.

“There’s a wide diversity of music, and I really wanted to bring high energy music that represents unity, and hence why I was really trying to get the crowd to participate and sing the choruses and get involved,” said the Mozambican-Portuguese artist.

Rubeena Gulzar, 40, a volunteer with UK-based Muslim charity Islamic Relief, was participating in the festival for the first time, along with her 15-year-old nephew Idris-Suleiman Hamid.

“The amount of people that have come to our stall...We’ve been taking their donations and people have been so generous,” said.

“We just can’t tell you how warm the people are and how lovely an experience it is,” she added.