A media event Tuesday shed light on the 2013 HSBC City of Bhangra Festival, a stage for events in Surrey and Vancouver from May 30 to June 8.

The festival, produced by Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration (VIBC) Society, showcases the music and dance of bhangra, the roots of which are in harvest celebrations of the northern Punjab region of India.

Highlights of the ninth annual festival include artists from the U.K. who have never before performed in B.C., 20 hours of free programming and "opportunities for international and local artists and fans to meet and exchange ideas."

Festival events in Surrey include the popular rePercussion, a Sal Ferreras-led mash-up of South Asian, Brazilian and First Nations sounds, June 6 at Surrey Arts Centre and also May 30 in Vancouver.

Featured performers include percussionist Sunil Kalyan, folk singer Saini Surinder, producer/musician Gupsy Aujla and DJ Anjali and the Incredible Kid, a duo from Portland, Ore.

Also, the exhibition Spectacular Sangeet - a merger of visual art, dance and music - is presented in collaboration with VIBC at Surrey Art Gallery from April 13 to June 15.

A two-day "Downtown Bhangra" event in Vancouver closes the festival on the weekend of June 7-8. For details, see vibc.org.

Twitter @tomzillich