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How to watch the legendary procession at St Paul’s Carnival 2023
Get ready for a day of joyous celebration of Afro Caribbean culture this weekend, from a colourful procession, sound systems and costumes to food, musicians, dance and much more.
St Paul’s Carnival is a foundational part of Bristol’s culture and this year the theme is ‘Learning from Legends’, with procession groups paying homage to founders and legends past, present and future.
More than 100,000 people are expected to attend the free event which sees dozens of performances on stages and sound systems around the city centre neighbourhood.
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Here’s everything you need to know:
The parade will begin at Portland Square and snake through the area, ending at Dove Lane before starting again- image: St Paul’s Carnival
The procession
Starting from Portland Square at 12.30pm, St Paul’s Carnival procession sets off at 12.30pm and continues circulating until around 3pm. Groups will showcase their unique flair, costumes, drumming skills and dance, including children from ten schools, 99 Solutions Marching Brass Band and the Bristol School of Samba.
Guests joining the start of the procession to represent and celebrate the theme include family members representing freedom fighter Roy Hackett, deputy mayor Asher Craig, Michelle Curtis, artist of Seven Saints of St Paul’s, Sister Nwanyi of the Kuumba Centre and DJ SUV from Ramp Up Radio.
The stages
Roy Hackett Memorial Stage – St Paul’s Learning Centre Green, 12pm-10pm
Expect reggae, dub, hip-hop, spoken word, afrobeats, UK funky and more on the main stage celebrating Roy Hackett.
Radical Roots – Brunswick Square, 12.30pm-4.45pm (day), 4.45pm-10pm (night)
By day, a blend of activist led cultural arts featuring some of Bristol’s best music, spoken word, dance and more. By night, female & non-binary DJ collective Booty Bass take over with big, bad, unapologetic bangers from around the globe.
Mandela’s Hideaway – St Agnes Park, 12pm-6pm
The official family area showcasing local youth talent, grass roots artists and African and Caribbean creative workshops.
Raising Legends – St Paul’s Park, 12pm to 9pm
Aspiration Creation Elevation will showcase Bristol’s emerging talent.
There will also be sound systems at six locations around St Paul’s which are all marked on the above map, as well as afterparties.
For more information about the carnival, visit www.stpaulscarnival.net
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read next:
- St Paul’s Carnival returns for 2023
- ‘Carnival tells a story about our culture heritage and resistance’
- Saying goodbye to Bristol civil rights legend Roy Hackett
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