7up Foodies Festival left Lahore tantalised this weekend

If there are two things that Lahore knows how to celebrate, it's food and spring.

Last weekend, 7Up offered foodies a chance to welcome spring with open arms, offering a three-day binge with around 130 restaurants and 15+ activation stalls stretched over an impressive 350 canals in Etihad Town.

The food

From household names like Arif Chatkhara and Bundu Khan, to fresh new eateries like Sarrak pe Karrak, Johnny and Jugnu, and even pan-Asian treats from Novu and Wasabi — there were no cravings left unfulfilled by Sunday.

The experience

There were rikshaws transporting people within the space, and special play areas for kids.

It’s always the little things which make an event truly special. The hygiene and cleanliness was spot on, with clean bathrooms, dustbins situated at every twenty feet, and even portable hand washing stands.

Moreover, this was truly a family event as observed by Faiza Jahangir, a young mother who praised the day-care facilities and recreational activities for children.

Her husband pointed out that unlike other similar festivals, “this one was the only one properly managed, it didn’t take me forever to enter, or worry about my family’s safety, and it’s more relaxing than I thought it would be.”

And if you got tired of walking around from stall to stall, there were roaming vendors and multiple dining and sitting stations to recuperate. Not to mention the coolest rickshaws that transported attendees from the parking to the main grounds.

Because it wasn’t just about the food and music (believe it or not), there were many photo booths, professional photographers and a virtual reality game that had people of all ages enthralled.

Mrs Kazim, a sixty-year-old foodie at the event. described the virtual reality stall as her favourite part. “I got a chance to beat both my son and grandson at a computer game, who would have thought I would adapt to 3D glasses better than them?”

The performances

Atif Aslam rocking the night away.

Good food and company always need good music, and we weren’t disappointed on this front either.

Atif Aslam, Sajjad Ali, Josh, Kashmir and multiple local bands had Lahore swaying to the beat amidst strobe lights and a cool breeze, making it the perfect spring weekend.

No wonder over 60,000 people visited the festival, with a whooping 45,000 on Sunday alone.

Stars at the event

Many well-known Pakistani celebrities were also seen having just as much fun at the event. We spotted Anoushey Ashraf, Hania Amir, and Iqra Aziz to name a few.

The fireworks

A fitting end to the night with sparklers in the sky.

There are few things more beautiful than fireworks erupting across the sky. 7Up ended the festival with a spectacular bang (pun intended).

Overall, the festival was a hit and we can’t wait for next year.

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This content was produced in paid partnership with 7Up.