Carnival organisers hope for full comeback in 2027

The organisers of a street carnival that has previously attracted tens of thousands of people say they are hoping for a full comeback in 2027.

Oxford's Cowley Road Carnival was cancelled last year after its revival in 2024, with those behind it aiming for an ultimately unsuccessful full return in 2026.

Cowley Road Works, the registered charity that runs the event, says it has spent the past year strengthening its governance, staffing, fundraising and communications foundations.

It has now launched a fundraising drive aimed at holding a focused event on Cowley Road in September ahead of a full carnival comeback in 2027, subject to final approval and funding.

The event, which fills the streets with music and dazzling costumes, began with the Caribbean Carnival in 1986.

However, it has faced several issues over the past decade, including the Covid pandemic and funding issues.

The new chair, Rosie Jacobs, said the charity plans to hold an event on 20 September as a "stepping stone" towards bringing back a full carnival on 4 July 2027.

"[Cowley Road Carnival] is one of Oxford's most important civic and cultural spaces, one of the few places where people across age, class, ethnicity and background come together in a shared act of creativity, joy and participation," she said.

"At a time when division and hate are tearing communities apart, Carnival stands for the opposite: unity, celebration, belonging and the richness of Oxford's diverse communities."

The event returned to Cowley Road in 2024 for the first time in five years, before being cancelled again last year.

The charity says the carnival is at a "critical" moment because it needs to raise £130,000 by the end of June to secure the event this year.

The new general manager Alan Brown said: " Some incredibly generous donors have already stepped forward, but if just 20 more people and businesses donated £5,000 each, we would reach the target."