Thousands celebrate 50th Luton International Carnival with day of colour and culture
The town became a sea of vibrant colour at the weekend as thousands marked 50 years of the Luton International Carnival on Sunday (May 24).
Steel pans, colourful costumes, and floats filled the streets as the event made its way through the town centre, past the town hall and up New Bedford Road to the place where it all started in 1976, Wardown Park.
The UK Centre for Carnival Arts (UKCCA) worked alongside its sponsor Luton Rising to create an affordable, accessible and sustainable event for the whole of Luton to enjoy.
Executive producer of the Luton International Carnival, Steve Pascal (known as Pascal), said the attendance exceeded the organisers’ expectations, with around 15,000 people coming to celebrate at the park.
When asked about how it felt to be back at Wardown Park, he said: “It was strange, but it felt like when you go somewhere, it just feels that you’re meant to be there.”
Don’t miss the May 27 edition of the Luton News for an 8-page picture special from the carnival
The extreme heat meant there were some last-minute changes to the schedule for the safety of the children in the parade, but there were no injuries reported during the event.
Pascal said: “It was a fundamentally very safe event.”
The carnival brought its usual array of fantastic outfits representing the creativity and diversity in the town, with handmade costumes constructed from reused fabrics.
The theme for this year was gold, a nod to the golden anniversary, and scores of attendees donned their best gold clothes to go with the special occasion.
There were more than 1,200 people involved in the parade through the town.
And inside the park, there were themed zones, each with free and accessible activities.
Pascal said: “All the communities in Luton were represented, and we had a really decent offer.
“In terms of entertainment value, family value… it just hit everyone.”
Olympic athlete, Dalton Grant, was in charge of the fitness zone, offering fun wellbeing activities.
Elsewhere in the park, there was a quiet zone, a DJ zone, an African village and a medieval heritage zone.
Pascal added: “Without the help of the sponsors and the volunteers, it just wouldn’t happen.”