Senedd to host Butetown Carnival celebrations over the bank holiday weekend

The Senedd will be hosting the main stage for this year’s Butetown carnival, which takes place over the bank holiday weekend.

The carnival dates back to the 1960s and is a celebration of Wales’ diverse communities.

In partnership with the Wales Millennium Centre and supported by the Arts Council of Wales, with sponsorship from Transport for Wales, the carnival will takes place on Sunday (28 August) and Monday (29 August)  and features a wide range of live musical, dance and artistic performances across two stages

The ‘Ffresh Stage’ positioned between the Wales Millennium Centre and Pierhead Building and will feature performances over the two days from from Luchia and Jukebox Juniors, a debut appearance from Cardiff’s E1even, and the return of Eadyth, among other artists, including Mercy Rose and Konshuss_One

On Sunday, Oasis One World Choir, Leighton Jones, BlackElvis and Sun-I Tafari are among the artists who will appear on the Senedd Stage and on Monday Zion Road, Pepper Seeds and Drumtan Ward perform alongside Matuki, a 12-piece Afro-funk band from Bristol.

Troupe Djeliguinet from Guinea, West Africa, will headline and close the show on the Senedd Stage.

The majority of the carnival is open-air and free to the public, but on Monday evening the celebration will move indoors for a ticketed three-hour finale performance in the WMC’s main Donald Gordon Theatre, featuring sets from reggae greats, Johnny Clarke and Horace Andy from Jamaica, with Dub Asante Band.

Parade

The festival gets underway with the carnival parade at 12pm on Sunday from Loudon Square ending at the Senedd steps.

Oscar nominated artist Joanna Quinn, will also be hosting a carnival themed animation workshop inside the Senedd.

Elin Jones MS, Llywydd of the Senedd said: “We are delighted to be hosting the Butetown Carnival this year and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone joining the celebrations.

 “It is wonderful that the Senedd is being used as a part of this great event which unites Cardiff’s multicultural communities.

 “The Butetown Carnival has longstanding roots in Cardiff and it’s a privilege for Wales’ parliament to play a central part of the celebrations.”

 Keith Murrell, from the Butetown Arts and Culture Association added: “The Butetown carnival is an inclusive event which celebrates our multicultural communities, it is has gone from strength to strength over the last decade.

“It’s great to be partnering with the Senedd this year.

 “It is symbolic that our parliament is hosting us at the centre of the action in Cardiff Bay. The carnival is a highlight of the Welsh cultural calendar and we’re looking forward to a great weekend.”