Thousands attend outdoor Eid-al-Adha celebrations

Thousands have gathered in a Wolverhampton park to mark Eid al-Adha, one of the most important events in the Islamic calendar.

Also known as the Festival of the Sacrifice, the occasion marks the conclusion of the Hajj pilgrimage and is observed as a time of reflection, sacrifice and gratitude.

The celebration in West Park, the sixth time it has been held there, was hosted by Jamia Masjid Al-Aqsa Wolverhampton Central Mosque.

City councillor Sohail Khan said the aim was to take celebrations out into the wider community, adding: "People of faith or none can come and see what Eid actually looks like."

"The essence of Eid is celebration, community, diversity," he continued, "and we have that in abundance in the region, so why not celebrate it with everybody?"

Organisers said the event was the largest celebration of Eid in the city, pulling together thousands from different backgrounds

An estimated 5,000 attendees gathered from 09:00 BST to hear speeches, followed by a congregational prayer and a sermon.

Wolverhampton's mayor, councillor Paul Singh, said holding the event in the park made it special.

"It just grows every year," he added. "It just gets better and today we've got the weather as well."

Wolverhampton West MP Warinder Juss described the celebration as "joyous".

"It's wonderful to see not only huge numbers of the Muslim community come here, but also people of other faiths, and people of no faith at all," he added.

"We're all together as a large community where we show compassion towards each other, love towards each other and it's what makes Wolverhampton such a special place."

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