Nottingham

Nottingham Carnival is a high energy, vibrant event for all the community, drawing crowds of up to 30,000 people.

The event comprises live performances from the main stage, a carnival parade, music tents, workshops, stalls, funfair and more ñ there truly is something for everyone! The Caribbean Carnival in Nottingham began in 1970. A group of West Indians, mainly from the island of St Kitts, held a carnival parade in the Meadows and this became a major annual event for Nottingham’s black community. However, the struggle to secure funding for the Carnival meant that a number of years were missed in the 1980s and 1990s.

The cancellation of the Carnival in 1998 acted as a catalyst for the event we see today. Concerns over health, safety and security were the reasons it was called off, but the disappointed reaction from the community resulted in Nottingham City Council asking for outside help. Tuntum Housing Association, a community based, black-led housing association, was approached and agreed to set up an infrastructure to help re-form the carnival. The Nottingham Carnival Trust (an unincorporated voluntary association) was formed and the event re-established in 1999.