Leicester Caribbean Carnival canceled in ‘heartbreaking decision’

Leicester’s Caribbean Carnival has been canceled after organizers failed to “overcome many challenges” for this year’s event. Organizers said the “heartbreaking decision” was made due to the “significant financial risk” of running the festival, which was due to take place on Saturday August 3 in Victoria Park.

They said that “increasing event costs” and a “difficult economic climate” contributed to the decision, and added that these factors “were not helped by the possibility of bad weather and the low uptake of park visitors that we have had in 2023”.

Organizing and planning the event was a “huge and complex task” for a “very small team”, they added. However, they said they are working with “partners” to ensure it will be “fantastic”.

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In a statement announcing the news, organizers said: “We know how long you’ve been waiting to join us on Saturday 3rd August for the annual Leicester Caribbean Carnival. We shared your enthusiasm and worked hard year after year to bring the event to the people of Leicester.

“Unfortunately, with a heavy heart, this year we are very sorry to inform you that we have to postpone the event until 2025. With the difficult economic climate and the rising costs of the event, we are facing a significant financial risk.

“This is not helped by the possibility of bad weather and the low visitor appreciation of the park that we have had in 2023. Organizing and planning an event as big as the carnival is a huge and complex task – Leicester Caribbean Carnival it’s a massive undertaking for a small team and this year, despite our best efforts, we just couldn’t overcome the many challenges we faced over time.

“The decision to postpone is heartbreaking but we would like to thank everyone involved for all their help and hard work, especially the council and the Safety Advisory Group. Once again, we hope you understand that we are as upset as you are and will do everything we can to make sure this doesn’t happen again, and we therefore welcome support from the community and local organizations to ensure the future longevity of the carnival.

“We will be working with our key partners Leicester City Council and East Midlands Carnival Arts Network over the coming months to ensure we bring back a fantastic event for the 40th anniversary celebrations in 2025 and we very much hope to see you there.”

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