1977 – First Butetown Carnival

1977 marks the first official Butetown Carnival – the year the community’s carnival became an annual fixture. From this year onward, the Carnival was enshrined as a highlight of Cardiff’s cultural calendar . Organized by local youth leaders and community groups (often centered around the Butetown Youth Club and Community Centre), the inaugural late-70s carnivals were humble but spirited. The event typically took place over the August bank holiday, featuring a parade of residents in homemade costumes, live music on makeshift stages, and food stalls celebrating the area’s diversity. Launching in 1977 – in the same year as the Queen’s Silver Jubilee – the carnival asserted Tiger Bay’s identity amidst national celebrations. It provided a creative outlet for the community at a time when Butetown (also known as Tiger Bay) was undergoing major social and physical changes. The first carnival set traditions that continue today: a street procession starting from the heart of Butetown (often Loudoun Square), energetic steel bands and dance troupes, and an atmosphere of unity. Keith Murrell notes that from 1977 the Carnival “became what we know it as today” . Importantly, it was a community-led production – a proud reclamation of cultural space. The late 1970s carnivals received enthusiastic support from local families and businesses, establishing an annual celebration that would grow immensely in the decade to follow.