St Pauls Carnival to return for first time since 2019

St Pauls Carnival in Bristol will return this year, for the first time since 2019.

The famous celebration of African-Caribbean culture will take to the city's streets this summer.

Since its beginnings back in 1968, St Pauls has grown in size and reputation to become one of Bristol’s biggest attractions.

The 2023 festival will start with a series of fringe events from 22 June, marking the Windrush 75th Anniversary, and will culminate in the iconic day-long traditional street carnival.

This year will mark the first full carnival day since 2019 and it's expected more than 100,000 people will celebrate in the heart of Bristol’s St Pauls community on Saturday, 1 July.

Executive Director of St Pauls Carnival, LaToyah McAllister-Jones said: “We’re well underway with our planning for the return of Carnival after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

"This year was always going to be a big one but is all the more important as we celebrate the lives and contributions so many people have made to carnival.

“Since it began Carnival has played a central and active role in challenging the status quo and this year’s celebration will be an important one for us all to acknowledge the challenges those who have gone before us have faced in blazing a trail to ensure African Caribbean culture is preserved and celebrated."

This year will be the first full St Pauls Carnival for chair Levi Roots, who was appointed in 2021. Commenting on the plans for this year he said: “I am really excited about seeing carnival back in full technicolour on the streets of Bristol.

"While we have continued our work in the last few years through smaller-scale events, I am looking forward to seeing Carnival come to life under the Learning from Legends theme to mark such a historic year in so many ways.