Schedule revealed for St Pauls Carnival-inspired two-week celebration

St Pauls Carnival’s popular Back a Yard celebration is making a long-awaited return this summer. The organization announced in 2023, following a successful return to the streets, that it would switch to a biennial model that would see it alternate between a large-scale street event and a more intimate program.

Back a Yard 2024 will kick off on June 22, Windrush Day, with a two-week carnival-inspired celebration. The first event in the line-up will be ‘Sounds of Windrush: Human Library’ at Circomedia, an evening of storytelling that will delve into the impact of the Windrush generation on Bristol’s music scene.

There will be an afterparty with big name artists including Big D, Keith Lawrence, Dazee and Gemmy. Events will culminate on Saturday 6 July – the traditional day of St Pauls Carnival – with an ‘It Takes A City Day’ party at The Boxing Gym in St Jude’s.

Read more: St Pauls Carnival will be scaled back in 2024 due to high costs

Read more:

‘It Takes A City’ is a fundraising campaign launched by St Pauls Carnival. Organizers say the decision to move to the biennial model is based on the need to “ensure the viability of the event and the organization at a time when the arts and events sector is facing significant cost increases – many festivals have either been canceled or closed during the last 12 months”.

St Pauls Carnival worked with UWE Business School to carry out an economic impact report on the 2023 event and found that the carnival is estimated to generate £9.2 million in the city and region over the July weekend. The carnival’s chief executive says this money is spent in the gardens selling food and drink in St Pauls, the town’s pubs, restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues.

Levi Roots carnival chair encourages people to take care of the It Takes a City poster and contribute to the carnival. He says: “Last year was amazing. We had 120,000 people on the streets with good vibes all day. If everyone donated £2 on the day it would make a huge difference.

“We want people to take care of the campaign poster and give it their all. Carnival brings so much joy to so many people. He deserves something back.”

In addition, St Pauls Carnival is partnering with various community and cultural organizations to enrich the program this year, including a Caribbean music showcase at Bristol Beacon and a fashion show at Montpelier High School.

The Bristol Beacon is running a program of events to honor the history of the Windrush generation as well as the Bristol Bus Pioneers from June 19-22. In the three days leading up to Windrush Day on Saturday 22nd June, ‘Windrush To Bristol’ will showcase the impact of the Black Caribbean on Bristol, the UK and the world.

‘Windrush The Journey’, a concert and exhibition organized by Pegasus Opera Company, takes place on each of the three days in Bristol Beacon’s Lantern Hall. Another brand new exhibition will gather the reflections and ideas of people in Bristol on race, representation and resistance, with the vision of turning them into a manifesto to achieve racial equality for the city.

Race Cards: A Blueprint 4 Change, organized in partnership with CuriosityUnLtd and inspired by the activism of the Bristol bus boycott and the inspirational vision of Martin Luther King’s dream, will be on display from Thursday 20 June.

In addition to this program of celebratory public events, Bristol Beacon and CuriosityUnltd are honoring 28 Bristol bus boycott pioneers by designating seats in Beacon Hall at a celebration on June 20, attended by friends and family of civil rights changemakers . The dedication of the chair marks a permanent commemoration of the activists’ achievements in paving the way for the pivotal 1965 race relations act, following the widespread celebration of the boycott’s 60th anniversary in 2023.

St Paul Carnival Executive Director LaToyah McAllister-Jones believes the campaign has an important message. She says: “We understand the disappointment that there is no full-scale Carnival this year, especially after such a successful and vibrant return event in 2023.

“We are so proud of what was achieved last year and how well the event was received. However, a post-Covid landscape and the cost of living crisis have taken their toll on the events sector.

“We want to talk to the whole city – citizens, businesses and institutions – about the huge benefits that carnival brings to our communities. I really believe that ‘it takes a city’ to support an iconic event like St Pauls Carnival and what this means is that everyone has a part to play in ensuring its legacy for future generations.”

St Pauls Carnival has launched five Crowdfunder prize draws in collaboration with event organizers based in Bristol, London and Wales. LaToyah continues, “We are very excited about our Crowdfunder. We have tickets for some exciting events and experiences in the city and beyond.

“We want to give everyone a way to support the carnival and our Crowdfunder also gives people the chance to get into some of the biggest events happening this summer!”