Bridgwater Carnival scoops prestigious award

The Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival has beaten off strong competition to win a South West England Tourism Excellence Award.

The colourful carnival has a reputation for being one of the largest illuminated processions in Europe. An estimated 100,000 people took to the streets of Bridgwater for last year's event.

The award winning carnival has already won two tourism awards in the past 12 months after taking the gold awards at both the 2015/16 South West Tourism Excellence Awards and at the 2016/17 Bristol, Bath, and Somerset Tourism Awards.

People travelled from all over the world to see the procession with some having come from Miami and even Australia last year. Credit: ITV West Country

Malcolm Cattle, president of the Carnival, was delighted with the news.

The carnival has the reputation for being one of the largest illuminated processions in the world. Credit: ITV West Country

Along with Bridgwater Carnival, the five other winning finalists for the 2016/17 South West England Tourism Excellence Awards’ Tourism Event and Festival of the Year category, are:

  • Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival, Wiltshire,

  • Looe Music Festival, Cornwall

  • Plymouth Armed Forces Day, Devon

  • Shaun in the City Sculpture Trail, Bristol

  • Tankfest, The Tank Museum, Dorset