our history
Butetown Arts & Culture Association
Butetown in Cardiff was one of the UK’s first multicultural communities with people from over 50 different countries settling in the first part of the 20th Century, working in the docks and associated industries.
Following the resurrection of Butetown Carnival in 2014 after a 16-year absence, Butetown Arts & Culture Association (BACA) was formed in 2015 to promote, celebrate and sustain the diverse social, cultural and artistic heritage of Butetown, Cardiff.
BACA is led by local people with a longstanding history of involvement in the production and delivery of cultural events and activities in and around Butetown and further afield. BACA has worked in partnership with other community members and organisations to produce and promote diverse cultural events and activities including Butetown Carnival.
Due to the pandemic, the carnival in 2020 adapted to provide an online channel and scaled-down public performances, showcasing the creativity of the costume makers.
colourful bold & never too old
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carnival 2024
Fancy making a mask? Volunteering to help support, or just enjoying the parade? We've put together all the fantastic ways your family can join in.
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The Archive
Carnivals Hosted
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The Butetown Carnival traces its roots to a community Mardi Gras launched in the mid-1960s. In 1967, Cardiff politicians and community leaders organized what was then called the Butetown Mardi Gras, billed as an “International Caribbean Carnival,” as a goodwill event for the “poor people of Butetown” amid a period…
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By the 1970s, Butetown’s youth carried the carnival spirit forward by joining Cardiff’s annual Lord Mayor’s Parade with Caribbean-themed floats. During one parade in the mid-70s, onlookers subjected the Butetown Youth Club to racist jeers – an incident that led to an altercation . Instead of disciplining the harassers, officials…
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After a 16-year hiatus, Butetown Carnival was finally revived in 2014 to joyous response. Community organizers – many of whom had experienced the Carnival’s heyday – decided it was time to “just do it and not wait for yet another year” . On August Bank Holiday Monday 2014, Butetown Carnival…
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2023 witnessed the Butetown Carnival in full bloom once again, with an enriched program that honored its legacy while celebrating the present. Supported by major partners including the Arts Council of Wales, the Senedd, Welsh Government, and the Wales Millennium Centre, the Carnival over the August 2023 bank holiday was…
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Looking ahead, 2024 saw the Butetown Carnival continue to grow and make a poignant change to its parade route, further bridging its rich history with modern Cardiff. In August 2024, the Carnival once again lit up the city with an expanded program. Notably, the parade route was reimagined to start…
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Blog Posts
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Carnival Cabaret: Positive Vibrations – A Night of Culture and Community
📅 Date: March 7, 2025 📍 Location: Cabaret Space, Wales Millennium Centre 🎟 Tickets: Pay What You Can (£2, £5, or £8) Feel the Rhythm, Energy, and Positive Vibrations The Carnival Cabaret: Positive Vibrations is set to be an unmissable night of music, culture, and celebration at the Wales Millennium Centre. This uplifting
