St Pauls Carnival: Date, timings, map, procession route and more for 2023 event

  • Watch Louisa Britton's report

St Pauls Carnival will return to Bristol this weekend after three years away - and it's shaping up to be an explosion of joy and colour.

The carnival celebrates Afro Caribbean culture through song, art, music and movement all year round before a colourful procession through the St Pauls area of Bristol on Carnival Day.

More than 100,000 people attend the free event, which also sees dozens of performances on stages and sound systems around St Pauls.

This year, the carnival has a 'Learning from Legends' theme which has inspired attractions like the Windrush Bus which will kick off the procession.

Thousands of people attend the African-Caribbean carnival

When is St Pauls Carnival?

St Pauls Carnival will return to Bristol from 12pm on Saturday 1 July.

What time does St Pauls Carnival start?

The St Pauls Carnival procession will set off at 12.30pm and keep going until around 3pm. Music and celebrations will continue in the area until 10pm before afterparties then take place.

Highlights include the 99 Solutions Marching Brass Band and the Bristol School of Samba. Several local primary schools have also planned displays.

Where is St Pauls Carnival?

St Pauls Carnival takes place in the St Pauls area of the city with the procession itself starting in Portland Square.

The carnival route goes along Dean Street and Brigstoke Road before turning onto City Road and carrying on through Ashley Road and Lower Ashely Road. It then turns onto Tudor Road and Fern Street before Newfoundland Road where it ends at the corner with Dove Lane.

Map of St Pauls Carnival - including procession route and stages

The procession route for St Pauls Carnival.

The stages

Roy Hackett Memorial Stage - St Pauls Learning Centre Green

People can expect reggae, dub, hip-hop, spoken word, afrobeats and more on the main stage from 12pm-10pm. Highlights include a speech from Levi Roots and a celebration of hip hop's 50th anniversary by DJ Style.

Radical Roots - Brunswick Square

During the day, there will be a blend of activist-led cultural arts with some of Bristol's best music, spoken word and dance at the Radical Roots stage from 12.30pm to 4.45pm. In the evening, female and non-binary DJ collective Booty Bass will takeover with music from 4.45pm to 10pm.

Mandela's Hideaway - St Agnes Park

Mandela's Hideaway is the official family area of the carnival, with organisers saying it showcases grass roots artists and African and Caribbean creative workshops from 12pm to 6pm.

Raising Legends - St Pauls Park

The Raising Legends area will showcase Bristol's emerging talent from 12pm to 9pm.

There will also be sound systems at six locations around St Pauls which are all marked on the official map.

The last full-day event in 2019 saw tens of thousands of people take to the streets in celebration Credit: St Pauls Carnival

The afterparties

After the main carnival, revellers who want to carry on partying can head to one of three locations across the city.

Motion will host Robbo Ranx, DJ Mexy and others from 10pm until 5am. Meanwhile Joker+ will play at Lost Horizon and One Love Jam will take over the Trinity Centre.

Find full details on how to get tickets to the afterparties here.