It is with great regret that the 2009 Middlesbrough Mela   was cancelled last weekend despite the many efforts and hard work of the people involved to stage this successful event. The decision to cancel the Mela at the eleventh hour was not taken lightly. It was made by the Mela Association Management Committee and Middlesbrough Council based on the advice and guidance from other experts along with information at hand on Friday 17^th July just a day before the event was to start.

The primary concerns for all parties involved in the production of the Mela was public safety and given the hazardous weather conditions on that day and the reports from the Met Office which predicted much more of the same poor weather over that weekend, there was little alternative but to cancel. The heavy rainfall prevented the build of the infrastructure for the event so essential components such as the main stage, electrical equipment, stalls and portable toilets could not be safely erected.

Naturally we are all disappointed that we were unable to provide what promised to be the best Mela yet, however we are pleased with the support and understanding from our sponsors, suppliers and the wider community at large. We are currently reviewing our contractual obligations and remain optimistic with early discussions with our funders and main suppliers. Hopefully we will be able to issue a further press release once we have concluded these discussions and explored all avenues available to us.