Carnival organisers set up 'community assembly'

A celebration and fundraiser has been held in support of a street carnival currently on hiatus.

Oxford's 40-year-old Cowley Road Carnival has only happened once since the Covid pandemic in 2024, with the previous organisers stepping down earlier this year.

Plans are in place for it to return on 4 July 2027.

Rosie Jacobs, the new chair of Cowley Road Works, the registered charity that runs it, said it was "really exciting" and "emotional" to see people attend the so-called community assembly, which included panel discussions on the future of the event.

The get-together at East Oxford Community Centre on Sunday saw committee members ask locals what they would like to see from next year's event.

Jacobs told the BBC: "We're asking people 'What does Cowley Road Carnival mean to you? What are your favourite memories? Why are you passionate about bringing carnival back?'

She said Cowley Road Works was mostly run by volunteers, and was currently "putting together plans to to access some more grant funding".

"I want to make sure that we do a really good job in honouring that history and that we're creating something that is future-proof and here for future generations," she said.

"I've been to carnival for many years I'm really passionate about bringing it back.

"I can really see why it's so important now more than ever that we have events that celebrate community, cohesion, diversity, and all of the joy and colour and richness that diverse communities bring to our incredible city."

The event also included live music, Caribbean food, and an exhibition about the history of the carnival from the Museum of Oxford.

Hasan De Four, a chef at Spiced Roots on Cowley Road, said: "I'm so happy to see the local community coming down today and engaging, eating the food and dancing, and it's really a part of what carnival is about."

He added: "That freedom, that melting of cultures... it's lovely to see that it's back here.

"I'm so excited for the return of the carnival as it's supposed to be done… full of culture, full of legacy, full of good community vibes."

Attendee Mandy Hoosein said in recent years the carnival had lost its direction and become "diluted".

"I am hopeful from what I've heard today that everybody seems to be wanting to take it back to the grass roots of carnival, and to make it more inclusive and Caribbean-focused."

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

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

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