The Top 3 UK Carnivals To Attend And Why You Should
There is a carnival for every month of the year, all over the globe. Carnival is not a festival, it is an essential part of Caribbean culture. A celebration of liberation and the sound of freedom. Rio/Brazil hosts the biggest carnival in the world but if you can’t make it to Rio this summer, UK carnivals have some of the biggest in the world!
Nottinghill Carnival
This carnival has been around since 1966 and takes place on the streets of Nottinghill, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea over the course of the last weekend of August. It consists of two days, the Sunday which is known as ‘dirty mas’ where paint is thrown and it gets very messy and the Monday which is ‘pretty mas’ where you clean off from Sunday and get into your glamorous costumes and doll up. It involves over fifty mas bands which means there are plenty of costumes to admire and sounds. From the sound of Soca being played on the back of trucks to the live steel pan being played by other bands. There are also plenty of food stalls and stalls where you can purchase token items. If you want to experience the best carnival the UK have to offer in central London, this is one you just have to attend. You cannot miss it.
Hackney One Carnival
This carnival is relatively new, a lot smaller than Nottinghill Carnival. If you are looking for a fun day out to enjoy caribbean culture and the spectacular costumes designed by innovative designers and created by hundreds of volunteers, then this carnival is for you. This carnival is a smaller scale Nottinghill Carnival, it will bring you the same vibrant energy just on a smaller and less crowded scale. Hackney being a very central area in terms of culture this is a great carnival to attend if you want to experience food stalls with exquisite tastes from the Caribbean.
Manchester Carnival
This carnival is smaller than Nottinghill carnival but bigger than the Hackney One carnival, the energy is great and it truly is a celebration of culture, music and great costumes. This one is one that you should attend if you want to go big but not too big. It is great fun for everyone of all ages.
Are you ready to attend one of these UK carnivals? Let us know in the comment section below!
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