Harmony Day: Sydney Ashfield’s Carnival of Cultures celebrates Australia’s diversity with music, food and dance; Archie Roach to headline

The Carnival of Cultures will be held on Sunday Mar. 20 to celebrate Sydney’s diverse population and showcase local musical and performance talent.

The day’s biggest drawing card will be a concert with iconic Australian singer Archie Roach.

“I am all about promoting cultural diversity and harmony,” Roach said about participating in the event.

"The Infernal Optimist" author Linda Jaivin will be hosting the day for the second year in a row

“I’m really looking forward to hearing Archie Roach, of course,” Jaivin said, adding that the event will have a family friendly vibe.

“It’s also very multicultural. Last year I asked how many people spoke a language other than English at home and something like half the audience raised their hands.”

There will also be other performances ranging from traditional Korean dance ensembles to contemporary hip-hop showcases.

Other musical acts include bluegrass band Green Mohair Suits and jazz group Reiko Azuma Trio.

Richard Cuthbert from the Green Mohair Suits said events like the Carnival of Cultures held a lot of significance for Australia generally, but also its music industry.

“They are important because they showcase how culturally diverse the Australian music scene can be, and it is great to be a part of that.”

In a true sign of welcome, a citizenship ceremony will be held with 60 people attending the festival becoming Australian citizens on the day.

Ashfield’s community is made up of a culturally diverse background. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, over 59 percent of Ashfield’s population were born overseas.

China, India and Nepal make up the majority of citizens living in Ashfield who were born outside of Australia.

Most of Ashfield’s Australian born residents have a cultural background that comes from outside of the country, with 69 percent of the suburb’s population having parents who were born overseas.

In an effort to keep cars off the road the Ashfield Council will be providing a free shuttle bus service to and from the event. The bus will run all day, picking passengers up at the local council chambers.

There will also be a large selection of food stalls that represent Australia’s diversity with dishes ranging from Turkish, Nepalese and Ethiopian.

Ashfield council is organising the event in unison with Harmony Day, a day that also commemorates Australia’s cultural diversity.

The carnival is free and will take place at Ashfield Park in Sydney’s inner west and runs from 10am to 4pm.

The event is in its 19th year with Ashfield Council expecting up to 20,000 people to attend. We're filing this under 'things to do in Sydney this weekend'.