Gallery: 5,000 turn out for Diwali festival at Phoenix Park

Bollywood star Master Saleem, who is also a Punjabi singer, travelled from his home in Bombay to top the bill at the free event at Phoenix Park in Dudley Road, Blakenhall, on Saturday night.

Bhangra music filled the air as a series of performers took to the stage, including Inderjit London and several dance groups.

A funfair, food stalls and fireworks added to the entertainment for the event, which started 10 years ago outside a shop not far from the park.

Mohan Lal Sharma, president of the festival organisers Shri Krishna Temple in Penn Road, Penn, said: "Although it is an Hindu and Sikh festival of light, the important thing is that it is open to all communities and as a result grows bigger and bigger each year. There is lots of music and dancing, so people love it."

Among the dancers were two nine-year-old girls, Suhani Kumar and Maanve Bahri, both from Penn Fields, who appeared on stage after a special invitation from Mr Sharma.

"They danced very nicely at the Shri Krishna temple and so I asked them to perform at the festival," he explained.

Maanve's mother Pooja taught the girls the special dance which they performed to a number from a popular Bollywood film. She said afterwards: "We were really proud. They did not put a foot wrong."

Wolverhampton Mayor Councillor Barry Findlay and the Mayoress Margaret Findlay were among the VIP guests.

Councillor Findlay said as he climbed out of a tuck tuck taxi displayed at one of the stalls: "This is a wonderful example of how Wolverhampton communities work together. It is marvellous to see people of different faiths getting together to have a good time."

There were several Wolverhampton city councillors among the crowd as was city MP Emma Reynolds who commented: "This event just gets better.

"Every year there are more stalls and more people."