Leicester Caribbean Carnival

The Leicester Caribbean Carnival is an annual event in Victoria Park featuring costumed performers, steel bands, and decorated parade floats moving through the venue. Food vendors offer Caribbean dishes and drinks while live musicians and dance groups perform throughout the grounds.

Founded in 1985, the event emerged as a community celebration and draws its timing from the 1834 emancipation date commemorated across the Caribbean. Over the decades, it has grown into a major cultural gathering that reflects the city's ongoing connection to this diaspora.

The carnival showcases Caribbean traditions through music, costumes, and performances that reflect island identities across the diaspora. Visitors experience how these cultural expressions have become woven into the local community's celebrations throughout the day.

The event takes place on the first Saturday of August in the heart of Victoria Park, with multiple entry points for arriving visitors. Wear comfortable shoes since you will walk around the park to see different performance areas and food stations.

Local schools and community groups design and build their own costumes and floats specifically for this event each year. This means new creative designs appear regularly, often reflecting contemporary themes or stories important to Leicester residents.