Leicester Caribbean Carnival, UK
Leeds West Indian Carnival, UK
Whitley Bay Carnival, UK
Content of this article
What is Leicester Caribbean Carnival?
The Leicester Caribbean Carnival is an annual celebration held since 1985 in Leicester. This festival celebrates Caribbean culture with an explosion of color and traditional Caribbean music such as soca, reggae and urban music.
This carnival has the peculiarity of having two main events simultaneously, one of them is the crafts market and souvenirs that begins to be placed from early in the morning and the second is the great parade that crosses the city with colorful costumes and Caribbean music. In addition, Leicester Carnival has a large number of smaller events that occur in parallel, such as the various music stations and performances. Also, a small amusement park is set up and some activities are held for children.
Leicester Carnival is a much-anticipated celebration due to the tradition and significance to the Caribbean communities of the country. Every day it grows bigger and bigger, sharing an annual party with more than 80,000 visitors.
The Leicester Caribbean Carnival is a vehicle for cultural expression and celebration of Caribbean sentiment
When is Leicester Caribbean Carnival
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The celebrations generally take place on the first Saturday in August, in the city center. The parade goes around the city and different activities take place simultaneously. The Leicester Caribbean Caranval will take place on approximately July 31.
History of the Leicester Caribbean Carnivals
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The year 1984 marked the commemoration of 150 years of emancipation from slavery in the Caribbean. However, there was no commemorative event in the town of Leicester to celebrate the highly acclaimed event. As a result, different members of the Caribbean community in Leicester decided to get together as to introduce the idea of a carnival to the city. It was thus that thefirst Caribbean Carnival would take place in the city on thefirst Saturday in August from 1985. In 1993 the carnival name was changed to Leicester Caribbean Carnival Limited.
The first Leicester Caribbean Carnival was held in August 1985 with the help of several young people from Leicester itself and was initially funded through community monetary support and other fundraising activities. The city council and aldermen of that time helped in the collection and elaboration of the scenographic aspects, as well as a significant sum of money. Thus, the first carnival was held, which had been a great success.
Since then, the carnival has experienced a significant growth over the years. Since its inception it has focused on themes that allow participants to prepare for their Carnival Day performances. The Leicester Caribbean Carnival has been able to organize a celebration every year with the exception of 2006, when it was unable to raise enough funds to host the event.
Where is the Leicester Caribbean Carnival
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Leicester Caribbean Carnival, takes place in the city of Leicester, United Kingdom. The carnival has functions in the Carnival Village in Victoria Park, however, a parade is held throughout the city.
The Leicester carnivals is a celebration where everyone is welcome
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How Leicester Caribbean Carnival is celebrated
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Much of the carnival entertainment takes place in the Carnival Village. Athere different events are held or take place simultaneously, including live concerts by different local and regional artists. There are also presentations of Soca and other distinctive musical genres of the Caribbean.
The Carinval Village also has a small amusement park, a parade and activities for the children of the city. This place has 5 stages or points of interest, one of them is the main stage withlive music. Ein the rest of the stages or points of interest occur the different presentations of DJ’s or various artists guests Usually the vendor section is installed where you can find various items and souvenirs.
The parade is the most anticipated part of the day, it is when the streets are filled with a colorful multitude and full of rhythm. The streets of Leicester witness the thousands of people dancing, singing and celebrating carnivals. The great carnival parade has the participation of the different groupings that give their best to achieve the best possible entertainment. The music bands and the music cars roam the streets to brighten up every corner of the city with their catchy and colorful rhythms.
Tips for going to the Leicester Caribbean Carnivals
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If you want to attend the carnivals, we recommend that you actively participate in the festivities; encourage you to participate and be part of one of the most important events of the city, dancing to the rhythm of Caribbean music. As usual, we remind you that it is always best to plan your trip in advance, make your travel itinerary and book your accommodations so you can’t miss out on these incredible celebrations.
If you want to learn more about tourism in this country, I recommend this guide:
Events at Leicester Caribbean Carnival
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Events begin early in the morning with the registration of vendors who will be located in the Carinval Village. After this, the bands and carriages are prepared to leave for theCarnival Parade. At around 11 am, the Carnival Village opens so that people can enter and enjoy the different activities that take place on the grounds, from live music, the souvenir and crafts vendors, the amusement park and many other events that occur simultaneously. At noon there is a music performance and an opening ceremony at the city gates to kick off the long-awaited parade.
The parade starts at 1pm, going through the streets of Leicester and filling them with color and Caribbean rhythm. Here all participants can see the great manifestation of the Caribbean spirit celebrating the history and battles of their ancestors.
After the parade, the activities take place on the main stage, the parade returns to the streets of Leicester to close with a flourish and ignite the festivities in the streets of the city and finally the celebration ends.
At the Leicester carnival parade you can see colorful costumes representing Caribbean traditions
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Leicester Caribbean Carnival Parades
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The main parade begins and ends in Victoria Park. Crowds take to the city streets with great enthusiasm to give a taste of Caribbean rhythm and style to all those gathered to watch the event. The streets are flooded with costumes full of colors, sounds from the bands and groups that deafen the crowd and the dancers who give their best to impress all visitors. The event starts at 1 pm, goes around the city and returns to Victoria Park to continue theLeicester Caribbean Carnivals with the various activities and events.
Parade route
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Leicester’s Caribbean Carnival Parade starts and ends at Victoria Park
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The event departs from Victotria Park, which is where the Carnival Village, from there, they follow Granville Street, up London Road, until they reach Charles Street. It crosses over to Hemberstone Gate Weste and then down Gallowtree Gate. It continues along Granby Street, Northampton Street and back to London Road to end again at Victoria Park.
rum punch is a typical Caribbean rum-based drink
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What to eat at the Leicester Caribbean Carnival
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In the grounds of Victoria Park, you can find different food and drink stalls distinctive of Caribbean cuisine. One of the drinks you can find is the rum punch, an alcoholic drink with fruit juice. You can also find jerk chicken, a well-seasoned and spicy chicken barbecue typical of the Caribbean.
The city of Leicester offers a large number of places where you can try different food dishes. The most popular restaurants are: Lilu Cuisine, The Windmill Inn and Ben’s Kitchen.
jerk chicken is typical caribbean barbecue
Travel Insurance
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From Carnavalesdelmundo.org we recommend to hire a good insurance to visit this carnival and to know the rest of the country. For being our readers we offer a 5% discount on all IATI insurance. Read more information about all insurance offers here:
What to see and do inside the Leicester Caribbean Carnival
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Within the carnivals you have a great list of activities and events to attend. First you can visit the vendors located in Victoria Park, you will be able to get a great deal on souvenirs and crafts. Likewise, you can walk around the venue and find the main stage which is witness to the live music events and various performances. You can also attend the different spots in the venue, each with a different atmosphere and genre. On the premises there is an amusement park that you can visit and hang out.
Finally you can attend the parade which is the main attraction, where you can witness the performance, dancing and music that the different groups have to offer. It will be a true show full of color and Caribbean flavor.
What to see and do outside the Leicester Caribbean Carnivals
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The city of Leicester offers you a wealth of attractions to attend during your visits, some of these are:
New Walk Museum and Art Gallery
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It is a museum near the city center and contains exhibits of science, history and art. It has undergone major expansions since 2011. The building was established in 1849.
Social Climbing
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It is a recreational place where people can climb concrete walls. The facility has about 700 square meters of wall for all ages and different skills.
Abbey Pumping Station
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It is a science and technology museum that houses exhibits on transportation, public health, light, toys and engineering. The building was established in 1972 and functioned as a sewage pumping station.
Safety at the Leicester Caribbean Carnival
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The city of Leicester is a relatively safe place, however, there has been an uptick in crime and violent behavior in the area.
We recommend being aware of your surroundings, keeping your belongings in a safe place and of course, contacting the authorities if you witness any unusual activity. Also, we recommend the following products to keep your belongings safe:
Weather at Leicester Caribbean Carnival
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The weather in the city during carnivals is quite pleasant. The temperature ranges between 11 and 22 degrees Celsius and there is a chance of 8 days of rainfall.
People take to the streets of Leicester during carnivals to join in commemorative caribbean celebrations
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How to get to Leicester Caribbean Carnivals
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How to get there by plane
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The nearest airport to Leicesteris East Midlands Airport. Dfrom there you can approach the city center via the means of transport of your choice.
How to get there by train
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Take the bus from the airport and get to Lemungton Street. You should walk for about 10 minutes and get on the train at Loughborough station which will take you to Leicester.
How to get there by bus
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From the airport you can take the bus at different times to St Margaret station in Leicester. The journey takes 50 minutes.
How to get there by car
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From the airport you can reach Leicester using the M1 and A50 freeway. The journey time is 25 minutes.
Where to stay at Leicester Caribbean Carnival
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Ibis Leicester
3 star hotel 1.1km from the city center. The hotel has a restaurant, bar and free internet.
Ibis Leicester
3 star hotel located 750m from the city center. Facilities have gym, bar and free internet.
Mercure Leicester The Grand Hotel
4 star hotel located 800m from the city center. THE hotel offers gym, bar and free wifi.
We recommend you use Booking.com to book hotels at a good price, check more information here:.
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