2014: Revival of the Carnival

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 returned, with a modest but heartfelt celebration. The Carnival’s comeback kicked off with a parade beginning at Loudoun Square at 2pm, winding through the streets of Tiger Bay once more . Longtime residents and new families alike joined in, some wearing simple costumes and waving handmade banners. “It came from a very hyper-local point. We had very modest ambitions,” recalls Keith Murrell of that first year. “We just got a few friends and performed and had a barbecue at the community centre… a mini parade. It was very small and very random but it was full of fun and love” . What the 2014 event lacked in scale, it made up for in heart – hundreds of people turned out to cheer the parade’s return .

The day’s programming paid homage to the Carnival’s roots: there were live music performances featuring jazz, blues, reggae and ska by local Cardiff artists , echoing the diverse soundtrack of earlier years. Attendees enjoyed food stalls selling Caribbean and international cuisine, children got faces painted, and even a flash-mob dance performance erupted to delight the crowd . Community arts groups staged pop-up theater and spoken word segments, infusing the carnival with creative local talent. “You mention the carnival and the general response is – BRING IT BACK,” said Carrole Fox, then manager of Butetown Community Centre, “so that’s what we’re doing” . The successful 2014 revival demonstrated the enduring love for Carnival in Tiger Bay. It once again celebrated the rich musical heritage of the local community and reminded Cardiff that Butetown’s cultural heartbeat was alive and strong. This “quiet but effective” return laid the groundwork for growth in subsequent years. As Simon Campbell, chair of the Carnival’s steering committee, noted in 2014: “The Carnival holds a special place in all of our hearts; it reminds us of what a close community we were and I know this will bring us closer yet again.” And indeed, it did.