On Sunday 26 March, Chelsea will host an Open Iftar at the side of the pitch at Stamford Bridge Stadium, in what will be a first for the club and a Premier League stadium to host Iftar.
The Open Iftar will be run in collaboration with the Ramadan Tent Project, an award-winning charity established in 2013 with a mission of bringing communities together and developing the understanding of Ramadan.
Ramadan Tent Project, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year, organizes the annual Ramadan Festival which is a yearly celebration of art, culture, and creativity inspired by the holy month of Ramadan.
Omar Salha, founder and CEO of the Ramadan Tent Project, said: ‘For the past decade Ramadan Tent Project has connected and convened over half a million people from all backgrounds through its annual Ramadan Festival and flagship initiative Open Iftar.
‘We are honored to bring Open Iftar to Stamford Bridge, on the occasion of our 10-year anniversary and our 2023 theme of “Belonging”, and work in partnership with Chelsea FC who have been driving inclusivity in football. To such an extent, the “Pride of London” will be the first Premier League club in history to host an Open Iftar event.
Ramadan will be recognized at Chelsea FC and Chelsea Foundation as part of the No To Hate campaign, which is a club-wide equality, diversity, and inclusion program that targets hate and discrimination and aims to educate all stakeholders inside and outside of Chelsea FC and football.
Promoting religious tolerance is one of No To Hate’s key focus areas, with other religious festivals highlighted throughout the calendar year.
Simon Taylor, head of Chelsea Foundation, said: ‘I’m delighted to announce our Open Iftar alongside the Ramadan Tent Project and we are extremely proud to be the first Premier League club to be doing so.
Recognizing Ramadan and our Muslim community is a crucial aspect of our work in promoting religious tolerance and I look forward to welcoming everyone on Sunday 26 March.’
