Kingston Carnival will be back with a bang this September – with a Brazilian theme and a green ideology.
Organisers have confirmed one of the largest multicultural street parades in south west London will go ahead on Sunday, September 4.
This year the parade will draw inspiration from the Rio Olympics and the theme ‘enabling communities and celebrating diversity’.
Organiser Kingston Race and Equalities Council (KREC) has also announced there will be a focus on green issues.
KREC chief executive John Azah said: “This year we will have the music, the food, the dancers and it will be as exciting as ever.
“We have been in talks with Kingston Environment Centre to get them a stand.
“We want this to be a green and sustainable carnival and to promote those issues.
“I shall be having meetings about the lineup in the coming weeks.”
Last year the carnival came back bigger than ever after a surprise last-minute cancellation over safety concerns in 2014.
Kingston Council and police were worried thousands of revellers would turn up to see headliner Neville Staple.
More than 700 people signed a petition calling for the carnival to be reinstated and its future was debated at a full council meeting at the end of 2014.
As a consequence the 2015 event was not supposed to have a headline act – a restriction that will still be in place for 2016 – but still saw music from some big names in the shape of hip hop poet Akala and socially-conscious folk star Beans on Toast.
Mr Azah said: “There has been a full debrief with police and the council about last year.
Our health and safety plans are being looked at. We are not going to have a headline act but it will be just as fun.
We are being very innovative and creative and want to promote some of the young talent Kingston has to offer.”
Now in its 14th year carnival revellers can expect a Rio-style parade with Brazilian dancing and food stalls galore based around the ancient marketplace and Eden Walk.
The full festival lineup is expected to be announced at the beginning of August.
Mr Azah said: “The organisation is coming together nicely. Obviously with the redevelopment of Eden Walk set to go ahead we are in negotiation about the space we can have there.
“We are still looking for some funding and donations and it would be great to get other Kingston businesses onboard.”
For more information about sponsorship email john.azah@kingstonrec.org.
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