Karachi Hosts Pakistan’s Largest Family Festival

The Masala Family Festival, held at the Karachi Expo Centre on 27 and 28 December, drew thousands of visitors from across the city. Thousands of families flocked to the two-day HUM Masala Family Festival, enjoying shopping, an food court, children’s activities and spectacular live concerts. Organised by HUM Network in Karachi, the Masala Family Festival has evolved from a one-off event into a cherished annual tradition—one where families come together, spend an entire day immersed in entertainment, and return home satisfied. Like the previous years, Expo Centre was transformed into a vibrant hub of colour, flavour and festivity.

The two-day festival offered attendees a diverse selection of food, pet shows, a car show, games, shopping and family-friendly activities. Visitors could be seen savouring a variety of cuisines, taking part in games, browsing stalls and meeting their favourite chefs and artists throughout the day. Through its festivals, HUM Masala presents live cooking sessions, talent hunts, celebrity meet-and-greets, interactive games with prizes, and electrifying music concerts by renowned singers.

As always, discounted products proved to be a major highlight, attracting large crowds to the hundreds of stalls set up in the venue. Upon entering the Expo Centre, a stunning display of vintage cars immediately caught the attention of visitors. The dedicated children’s zone, complete with rides and games, delighted younger guests, while animal lovers enjoyed seeing parrots, cats, dogs and other animals up close. Meanwhile, the heavy bike exhibition remained a popular attraction among the younger visitors.

Renowned HUM Masala cooking experts Shireen Anwar, Mehboob Khan, Saad Butt, Zarnak Sidhwa, Rida Aftab, A.R. Jamali and Rafia conducted live cooking demonstrations. They were joined by Abeel Javed and Kiran Khan, while Dr Noreen Batool’s team presented live skincare demonstrations.

Visitors had the opportunity to meet well-known comedians and personalities including Hanif Raja, Maham Aamir, Javeria Saud, Umar Alam and Nimra Shahid. A fashion show titled “Khayaal”, presented by Shaista Hasan was popular too. On both days, Umar Alam kept audiences engaged with lively game shows on the outdoor stage, with thousands participating enthusiastically despite the chilly weather. As evening set in, power-packed performances by Ashir Wajahat, N.S. Chauhan, Khudgharz, Ali Tariq and Mudabbir Aziz Jamal captivated the crowd and brought the festival to an enjoying close.

The Masala Family Festival has established itself as a regular family-oriented event in Karachi and Lahore, offering accessible entertainment across a range of activities. Despite high visitor numbers, the festival maintains organised operations and a family-friendly environment.