2024: Continued Growth and a Symbolic Route Change
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 deep in old Tiger Bay and end at the new Bay front – a symbolic journey of the community. The procession kicked off at the Loudoun Square shops at noon, the traditional heart of Butetown, then danced its way down historic Bute Street and “finally shimmied into the vibrant carnival hub outside the Senedd on Harbour Drive” . This route change was highly symbolic: for the first time in decades, the parade officially began in the residential core of Butetown, ensuring the streets where Carnival was born feel its energy, and then moved into the public national space of Cardiff Bay. It represents the Carnival “returning back to the waterfront area where it all began,” fulfilling Keith Murrell’s vision to reclaim that lost heritage while also affirming that Tiger Bay’s culture now firmly belongs on Wales’s grand stage. Many elders watching from doorsteps in Loudoun Square were moved to see the floats and costumed children line up outside their homes, just as they did in the 70s and 80s. When the parade reached the Senedd, Welsh Parliament members came out to greet it, underlining the respect now given to this once-marginalized community festival.
The 2024 Carnival also continued to expand its artistic and cultural collaborations. A special focus was placed on celebrating Welsh-African connections through a partnership with The Successors of the Mandingue collective. Together they hosted “Dathliad Cymru-Affrica 2024” – a Wales-Africa Celebration as part of the Carnival weekend . This free outdoor fringe festival at the Senedd featured West African drumming workshops, an Afrobeat dance warm-up before the parade , and a lineup of performances highlighting African diaspora talent in Wales. On the Pierhead Stage, crowds enjoyed artists like Suntou Susso from the Gambia fusing Mandinka music with jazz, a Welsh-Moroccan music collaboration by Ffion and Ayoub, and Zimbabwe’s acclaimed band Mokoomba headlining with electric Afrofusion beats . Meanwhile, on the WMC’s “Teras” stage, local youth groups (including a Deaf youth club signing song performances) and refugee ensembles like Oasis One World Choir showcased the diversity of Cardiff’s culture . These events underscore how the Carnival has become a platform for wider arts partnerships – engaging not only Caribbean heritage, but also African, Middle Eastern, and Welsh cultural expressions that reflect Butetown’s ever-evolving community.
By 2024, Butetown Carnival had truly come full circle and then some. It continued its trajectory of growth, with increasing attendance and media coverage, all while staying true to its community-driven roots. The sight of the 2024 parade starting in old Butetown – with second and third-generation Carnival families participating – and ending before the gleaming Senedd, was rich with symbolism of unity, progress, and cultural pride. It signaled that the Carnival’s journey, from 1960s Mardi Gras to present-day multicultural festival, is a living story of Cardiff’s past, present, and future. Butetown Carnival is not just surviving, but thriving – an annual testament to the power of community, resilience, and the joyous celebration of diversity in the capital of Wales.
