The traditional Margate Carnival parade is shaping up to be a spectacle worth seeing on Sunday 2 August.
Every year on the first Sunday in August crowds line the streets to see the parade go by. The Carnival has been a significant and much-loved part of the Margate calendar for more than 100 years. It is a day full of colour, music, and celebration which is free for everyone to enjoy.
Margate Soul Weekender is also on all weekend, the UK’s biggest soul music beach party, celebrating its 25th anniversary with some fantastic soul acts playing ticketed events around town.
The Carnival parade sets off from Palm Bay at 2:30pm and goes along Eastern Esplanade and Fort Crescent, down Fort Hill, then along the seafront past the main sands, Canterbury Road to Westbrook Bay where it will stand down.
Some groups have to stand down earlier, at Nayland Rock, as not everyone has the stamina to do the whole 2.5 mile route, particularly those who are on foot rather than motorised floats. If you want to see the full parade in all its glory, it’s a good idea to grab a viewing spot between Palm Bay and Nayland Rock.
There will also be a fair at Palm Bay all weekend.
The registration desk on the day is open at midday. Participants are asked to arrive early to start lining up from 12:30pm onwards.
Local groups and businesses are encouraged to sign up to take part. The Carnival parade is a fantastic way to celebrate being part of the vibrant Margate community.
Organisers, Great British Carnival CIC, are based in Margate, Ramsgate and London and run Carnival arts programmes that produce great puppets and props, costume, dance and drumming.
They also work with carnival artists across the country and bring in Carnival groups to perform, collaborate and transfer skills.
Teresa Askew, Great British Carnival Director, said: “I am so overjoyed to have the support of so many amazing carnival artists as well as our local community here in Margate, to be able to put on such a joyous event for residents and visitors.
“Times are hard for lots of people right now and it’s important that we come together to create and dance in the streets when we can, to generate good feelings and know that we are all connected. It makes a difference and our carnival is something we can all feel proud of.”
Those joining the parade this year include Clary Salandy with her group Mahogany – whose award winning collaborations have featured in Carnivals in the Caribbean, London, Paris, Nice, Sweden, United States and Trinidad; Paraiso School of Samba who have wowed crowds at Margate before and regularly perform all over the UK and Europe and two wonderful Bolivian-Andean folk dance groups, Tinkus Kay’Sur and Salay Bolivia.
Other highlights will include the Kent Courts, Samba Ya Wantsum, Margate Jetsetters, Thanet Sprocket Rockets cycle club. Sparkles Belly Dancers, Margate Sea Cadets, Thanet Wanderers FC, Bugsy Malone from Canterbury Panto and many more.
Prizes will be awarded for entries in the following categories:
- Best walking/dancing costume group
- Best decorated small float
- Best decorated large float
- Best Majorettes
- Best Dance Group
- Best Band
- Best Court
- Most environmentally friendly
- Spirit Of Carnival
- Best young people’s entry
The event is made possible this year thanks to Great British Carnival, a diverse co-operative network of artists and producers; Cllr Jack Packman, who until handing over this year, was Chair of Margate Carnival, and has worked closely with GB Carnival for the last 13 years to produce the event. GB Carnival is now taking on full responsibility, with Jack helping with the handover and providing his support.
Frank Sweeney, Great British Carnival CEO said: “We are always looking for more volunteers to get involved – as well as continuing to work with many who are long standing. We are always keen to strengthen existing and develop new partnerships across Margate’s diverse creative, cultural, education and business sectors and will be pleased to hear from anyone new who’d like to get involved.”
Visit the website to register to take part in the parade https://www.margatecarnival.org/
Or contact the organisers if you’d like to offer your support at [email protected]
See @margatecarnival on Facebook and Instagram.
that is good news , but i just hope it is not being hijacked by margates many transvestites , homosexuals , misfits , and the rest of the degenerates that sadly seem to be drawn to these events that are mainly aimed at children
“Degenerates”, just listen to yourself. All you ever post in here is unfounded bigoted nonsense that you believe on Twitter by right wing grifters. Gonna say anything about all the straight parents who every year sexualise their 8yo daughters by dollying them up for the ‘beauty pageants’ as Miss Margate, Miss deal, Miss Manston etc for adults to perve over from the pavement? Of course it’s okay to normalise THAT for decades, right? LGBT people are no more a threat to children than any straight person and you know it. Take your homophobic drivel and get in the bin.
just a moment , those people that you speak of – adults perving from the pavement , these are the very people that i am talking about , these people are drawn to these events as spectators or participants , and are encouraged by the type of people that seem to be trying to take over our carnivals , this is not south america its margate !
Fantastic fun for all respect each other and the communitie