BACA presents – BUTETOWN CARNIVAL

“Let’s get together and feel alright …”
Butetown Carnival is iconic in the history of our community: and an exemplar in the history of multicultural Wales.
The origins of our Carnival go back to the earlier part of the 20th Century, when seamen from Africa, West Indies and elsewhere led impromptu performances and processions in the streets at any celebratory occasion.
This inspired a tradition of cultural and social activities that led to took shape in the annual Carnival in the 1970s: and over the 20 years free in popularity not only for the local community but for visitors from across the city and beyond: in the heyday of the 1980s Carnival attracted daily audiences of more than 20,000 when the community consisted of little ore than 4000 people.
Since the ‘rebirth’ in 2014 Butetown Carnival is now firmly established as an annual event once again: producing 7 increasingly successful Carnivals, including an award-winning production for the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff Bay.
With full support from Arts Council Wales and our regulars partners at the Wales Millennium Centre, Carnival 2020 was shaping up to be our biggest to date: and the next step in confirming our status as the Carnival of Wales.