Worcester Carnival cancelled over scheduling conflict

Organisers of an annual carnival in Worcestershire have announced the cancellation of the 2026 event.

Since 2017, Worcester Carnival has been a mainstay of the city's calendar and despite a brief hiatus during the pandemic, the event has been held every year.

Discussing the cancelled event, organisers said the council had been "very supportive" but had been notified that their usual date would not be available at "a late stage in the planning process".

They added: "Changing to an alternative date would have required significant funding, artist bookings, logistics, permissions and road closures to be put in place very quickly." The BBC has contacted Worcester City Council for comment.

Despite disappointment over this summer's edition not going ahead, organisers said the plan was to return in July 2027 "with a carnival that's vibrant, inclusive and built to last."

They explained: "With limited capacity and time, the committee felt it would not be responsible to deliver the carnival at short notice or risk compromising its quality or safety.

"Worcester Carnival is entirely volunteer-led, and taking a fallow year gives us the space to work with communities, raise funds and plan properly."

It comes after Wolverley Carnival also announced "with great sadness" that it would not be holding an event in 2026.

Taking to Facebook, a statement read: "The carnival has always depended entirely on the time, energy, and goodwill of volunteers, and unfortunately we no longer have enough people to safely and successfully organise the event."

The statement added: "We would very much like to see the carnival return in 2027, therefore will be holding an open evening in September for new committee members to come along."

Stourport Carnival could also be in jeopardy after organisers said due to a lack of volunteers it could not continue to run the event.

The group's secretary, Laura Minor, told BBC Hereford and Worcester: "We've made it clear that we always need help and we need volunteers.

"I did a post just before Christmas about the [annual general meeting] explaining that our committee members are stepping down and we need people to come forward, but we missed the mark."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.