7 Places in the UK to celebrate Carnival!

The UK is home to some of the biggest and best carnival celebrations in the UK.

Notting Hill Carnival

7 uk carnivals

Where is Notting Hill Carnival?

Notting Hill, London, UK.

Parade Route?

The parade route covers Westbourne Park, Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill.

What is carnival in London?, What is the Notting Hill Carnival?

Notting Hill Carnival London is the biggest street festival in Europe that gets over two million people attending. Notting Hill Carnival is a yearly celebration that embraces London’s diverse Caribbean community. The yearly celebration takes place over two days in the West London neighbourhood of Notting Hill.

Notting Hill Carnival features a mas band parade full of incredible bright and colourful Notting Hill Carnival Costumes. There is lots of live Caribbean music like steelpan bands and over 40 different sound systems set up all around the area that pump out the soca, calypso, reggae and other Caribbean music tunes all day.

Notting Hill Carnival food is a must try. There are also loads of food and drink vendors selling delicious Caribbean cuisine including jerk chicken or rice and beans. There is also an excess amount of rum that is consumed during Notting Hill Carnival. Millions of people spend the day dancing, singing, drinking, socialising and having the time of their lives.

Notting Hill Carnival is not just about the adults having a good time, but the kids also get their own carnival day. The day before the adult mas band parade is a children’s parade and there are lots of activities on for the whole family. The family day also brings out huge crowds for a fun filled day.

Here is your ultimate guide to the Notting Hill Carnival.

Leeds West Indian Carnival

7 uk carnivals

Where is Leeds West Indian Carnival?

Leeds City Centre, Leeds, UK.

Parade Route?

Parades starts and ends at Potternewton Park on Harehills Avenue.

What is carnival in Leeds?

The Leeds West Indian Carnival is actually the longest running authentic Caribbean carnival event in all of Europe. It was the very first Caribbean Carnival to cross the pond that featured authentic Caribbean costumes, Caribbean music and a mas band procession. The carnival is attended by about 150,000 people every year.

All those elements are still part of Leeds West Indian Carnival today. The Leeds West Indian Carnival showcases the best of Caribbean customs and culture and is the most colourful and vibrant event to take place in Leeds. The Leeds West Indian Carnival always takes place on the Monday August Bank Holiday. 

There are numerous Carnival events on during the Leeds West Indian Carnival that showcase Caribbean culture but the main event and the day when the whole city embraces carnival fever. The parade is filled with amazing costumes, floats and dances. There are loads of stages all about providing entertainment as well as food and drink vendors.

Liverpool Brazilica Festival

7 uk carnivals

Where is the Liverpool Brazilica Festival?

Liverpool City, Liverpool, UK.

Parade Route?

Williamson Square.

What is the Liverpool Brazilica Festival?

The Liverpool Brazilica Festival is the largest carnival celebration in Europe that is all about Brazilian culture. So instead of mas band parades the festival is more about samba parades. This is actually a fairly new carnival celebration and has only been taking place since July 2008, after the city of Liverpool became the European Capital of Culture.

The Liverpool Brazilica Festival takes all its inspiration from Rio Carnival with samba parades taking place through the city streets. The festival embraces Brazilian culture not just samba parades but also Brazilian food, music, dance, film and art with events taking place all over the city that build up to the highlight of carnival which is the Samba Carnival Parade that occurs in Williamson Square.

Here is your ultimate guide to the Liverpool Brazilica Festival. 

Wells Carnival

7 uk carnivals

Where is the Wells Carnival?

It is in Wells-Next to the Sea, Wells, UK.

Parade Route?

Wells-Next to the Sea, Wells, UK.

The Wells Carnival is a said to be the biggest illuminated carnival in the world. It has huge floats that parade through the medieval streets surrounded by street performers, musicians, dancers all wearing stunning and incredibly inventive costumes.

The carnival parade occurs at night therefore the parade is a blaze of colourful lights, music and dancing which create an enchanting and beautiful atmosphere. The carnival is free to attend, and it raises money for Charity.

Aldeburgh Carnival

7 uk carnivals

Where is Aldeburgh Carnival?

Aldeburgh, Suffolk, UK.

In the beautiful seaside town of Aldeburgh Carnival brings the city alive. The carnival dates back to the 1800’s and the carnival stems from a celebration that was known as Ye Old Marine Regatta. In 1927 carnival celebrations were added to the regatta event and today carnival is a good legacy of the old regatta.

Aldeburgh Carnival celebrates English tradition and features a carnival parade as well as shows, live music, a 10k run, fireworks and lots of different games, foods and drinks.

Preston Caribbean Carnival

7 uk carnivals

Preston is the longest running culture celebration in Preston. Every year tens of thousands of people come to celebrate carnival in Preston. It is a summer Caribbean carnival that takes place in June every year.

There is a big Caribbean parade filled with colourful costumes, Caribbean tunes and musicians. Preston Carnival is for people of all ages and is all about celebrating diversity. It is a fun day for the whole family and worth checking out.

Here is your ultimate guide to Preston Caribbean Carnival. 

Leicester Caribbean Carnival

7 uk carnivals

Where is the Leicester Carnival?

Leicester, UK.

Leicester Caribbean Carnival is a colourful summer Caribbean carnival that takes place every year in June. The event is all about celebrating the diversity of the Leicester community. There are costumed bands, colourful costumes, street parades, street parties, lots of food drinks and fun.

The Leicester Caribbean Carnival first started back in 1985 and attracts over 100,000 people every year with 30,000 of them being visitors. It has become one of the biggest and most popular carnival celebrations in the UK.

Here is your ultimate guide to the Leicester Caribbean Carnival.

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