Leicester is gearing up for its annual Caribbean Carnival this weekend – one of the largest celebrations of its kind outside London.
The event, which has been a popular part of the city’s event’s calendar since 1985, will be taking place on Saturday 5 August, at Victoria Park.
The official opening ceremony will take place at the entrance to De Montfort Hall on Granville Road at 12 noon, where the reigning carnival queen will cut the ribbon to signal the start of the parade.
The parade will then head to London Road, Charles Street, Humberstone Gate West, Gallowtree Gate, Granby Street and Northampton Street, before finally making its way back up London Road to Victoria Park.
This year’s theme is ‘Out of this World’, with a varied line-up set to follow the parade, including a performance from Aba Shanti. There will also be dance performances, DJs and much more, before wrapping up at 8pm.
There will also be a Carnival Village open from 10am, including the popular Soca Village, food stalls and a funfair. Visitors will be able to see footage from previous carnivals in Leicester and beyond, and find out about the rich Caribbean legacy brought to many UK cities.
You can find out more and buy tickets at leicestercarnival.com and the Leicester Caribbean Carnival Ltd Facebook page.
