It is being described as the grandest reception given to any foreign leader visiting Britain. Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi’s “Olympic-style” community reception at London’s Wembley Stadium today is expected to be as flamboyant as Modi’s address at New York’s Madison Square Garden last year.
Modi’s three-day visit to the United Kingdom has been packed with high-profile events such as addressing the British Parliament and lunch with the Queen. Simultaneously, there have been protests by critics over threats to democracy and by writers over curbs over freedom of expression in India. Here is what tonight's event at London's Wembley Stadium looks like in numbers.
60,000
Around 60,000 British Indians are expected to attend the event, which is free and required prior registration. This is supposed to be the biggest gathering for any foreign leader on British soil.
414
Approximately 414 community organisations have registered as welcome partners for the reception. These include various linguistic, regional, religious and cultural groups across the United Kingdom.
90,000
There are a total of 90,000 seats at the Wembley Stadium. Famous for hosting football matches, the stadium has been transformed by covering the seats with the three colours of the Indian flag.
1000s of seats were manually covered with tricolour by volunteers at Wembley. @UKWelcomesModi @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/YN9poxn8qE— Vijay Chauthaiwale (@vijai63) November 13, 2015
2000
Around 2,000 volunteers worked towards the event over 112 days. The event is being organised by the Europe India Forum, a non-profit organisation stated by British Indian industrialist Nathu Ram Puri.
4
The programme will last for four hours, from 2.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. The theme is ‘Two great nations, one glorious future.’ Modi will be introduced on stage by British Prime Minister David Cameron, and besides his address, the event includes a series of cultural programmes and a grand fireworks display.
800
The cultural programme preceding Modi's address features 800 performers of British Indian origin. This includes Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor of “Baby Doll” fame, pop star Jay Sean, and members of the Royal Ballet and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. There will also be a yoga demonstration and a school choir performance.