2018: A Pivotal Collaboration – National Eisteddfod & New Partnerships
2018 marked a turning point for Butetown Carnival, as it gained national recognition through collaboration with Wales’s largest cultural festival. In August 2018, the National Eisteddfod – a historic celebration of Welsh language and arts – was held in Cardiff Bay, and the Butetown Carnival team was invited to take part. The result was Carnifal y Môr(“Carnival of the Sea”), a special joint event where the local Butetown community brought carnival flair to the Eisteddfod . Keith Murrell calls this involvement “a pivotal moment for us as we could no longer be ignored. We were now part of this remarkable organisation.” . The small volunteer group behind the Carnival suddenly found itself on a big stage, parading alongside mainstream Welsh cultural showcases. This partnership bridged communities and symbolized the Carnival’s significance in Wales’ cultural mosaic. It also came with concrete benefits: after 2018, Butetown Carnival began receiving support from major institutions like the Arts Council of Wales and the Wales Millennium Centre (WMC) . These new partnerships provided funding and resources that had previously been out of reach, allowing the Carnival to flourish.
Armed with greater support, the 2018 Carnival and those following took on a new level of production. Organizers focused on what they truly wanted the Carnival to be. “We could focus better on what we wanted… We really wanted there to be a focus on live music and established local artists,” Keith noted . Indeed, the 2018 Carnival showcased homegrown talent like soul singer Leighton Jones and reggae vocalist Aleighcia Scott, giving them prime billing on stage . The parade itself in 2018 charted a path that connected old and new Cardiff: revelers marched from the Wales Millennium Centre (WMC) in Mermaid Quay to the Butetown Community Centre in Canal Park , literally bridging the modern Bay waterfront with the heart of Tiger Bay. The festival site now spanned both the traditional locale (Canal Park, affectionately the carnival’s “spiritual home”) and the new Bay arena outside WMC . Carnival-goers encountered street circus acts, kids juggling, drumming circles, and pop-up workshops along the route . The theme that year, chosen by local children, celebrated “Mother Earth,” with groups dressing as sea creatures and nature spirits to complement the Eisteddfod’s maritime motif . Importantly, 2018’s success cemented relationships that would fuel Carnival’s growth – from now on, national bodies and arts organizations saw Butetown Carnival as a key partner. The Carnival had firmly moved from being seen as just “a bunch of rowdy residents” to being recognized as a vital cultural event worthy of investment . This wider recognition and integration into Wales’ cultural calendar helped ensure the Carnival’s sustainability and opened the door to even more ambitious programming in subsequent years.
