Butetown Carnival 2024

 

The 2024 Butetown Carnival (25–26 August) was a free, family-friendly festival celebrating Cardiff’s historic Tiger Bay community.  Over the Bank Holiday weekend, the streets and waterfront of Cardiff Bay exploded “with colour, energy, and joyful celebration”.  Thousands of visitors enjoyed parades, music stages, dance performances, workshops and food stalls reflecting Butetown’s multicultural heritage.  The Arts Council noted the event attracted people “from across the city and beyond”, demonstrating broad community engagement.

Symbolic Parade Route Change

 

A key highlight in 2024 was the parade route change.  For the first time in decades, the procession began in Butetown’s old heart at Loudoun Square (noon start) and ended at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay.  This reversed the traditional Bay-to-Bay route, “returning to the waterfront area where it all began”.  Organisers explain that the route “kicked off at the Loudoun Square shops at noon… then danced its way down historic Bute Street and finally shimmied into the vibrant Carnival hub outside the Senedd”.  Before moving into Wales’s national public stage, the parade reclaimed lost heritage by energising the streets where Carnival was born.

Cultural Partnerships and Wales–Africa Celebration

 

This year’s Carnival expanded its cultural collaborations.  BACA partnered with The Successors of the Mandingue collective to host “Dathliad Cymru-Africa 2024” – a Wales–Africa Celebration as part of Carnival Sunday.  The Senedd Plaza became a fringe festival of African arts, featuring free workshops and performances.  For example, workshops included West African djembe drumming sessions and an Afrobeat “Funky Feet” dance warm-up.  The program then showcased African and diaspora talent on two main stages (details below).  On the Pierhead Stage, artists like Suntou Susso (Gambia/UK mandinka-jazz), the Welsh-Moroccan duo Ffion & Ayoub, and Zimbabwe’s Afrofusion band Mokoomba appeared.  On the WMC Teras stage, local groups performed in support of this theme: e.g. a Cardiff Deaf Cool Youth Club singing performance, refugee choir Oasis One World Choir, Welsh–African youth ensemble AFJ Cardiff, plus a Sudanese Nawaris dance troupe doing a “Dance for Peace”.  These collaborations underscored that Butetown Carnival now celebrates not only its Caribbean roots but a full spectrum of African, Middle Eastern and Welsh cultures.

Workshops, Activities and Stalls

 

A highlight for attendees was the interactive workshops and activities.  In addition to the mandated parade, free sessions invited people of all ages to join.  For example, the Sunday fringe schedule is listed:

• 10:30 am: West African Djembe drumming for experienced players (with Seydou Kienou).

• 11:30 am: Funky Feet Afrobeat dance warm-up (led by Oloye).

• 2:30 pm: West African Djembe for beginners (with Seydou Kienou).

 

Other continuous activities included storytelling, costume and mask-making workshops, juggling and circus skills sessions along the parade route, and face-painting booths.  Food and craft stalls lined the carnival hub outside the Senedd, offering Caribbean, African and Asian cuisines and reflecting the district’s diversity.  The free workshops and street installations ensured everyone could join the fun, from drumming circles and dance to food and art.

Music & Performance Lineup

 

Two main stages hosted a packed music lineup (especially on Sunday, 25th):

• Pierhead Stage (Cardiff Bay, from 1 pm):

  • 1:10–2:10 pm: Suntou Susso Band (Gambian kora/mandinka jazz, featuring Binta Susso).

    

    Suntou Susso Band feat. Binta Susso

  • 2:40–3:00 pm: Ayoub & Ffion (Moroccan–Welsh fusion act).

    

    Ayoub & Ffion

  • 3:40–4:40 pm: Successors Collective (new Afro-Welsh jazz-funk big band).

    

    Successors Collective

  • 5:20–6:20pm: Asya Satti feat. Yaz Fentazi (Sudanese–Algerian global fusion) .

    

    Asya Satti feat. Yaz Fentazi

  • 7:00–8:30 pm: Mokoomba (Zimbabwean Afrofusion group, electrifying headline act).

  

  Mokoomba

• WMC Teras Stage: Local/community acts included Miriam Dubois with Cardiff Deaf Cool Youth Club (signing songs, 2:15–2:25 pm); singer Frederico Jose (2:25–2:35 pm); the multi-faith Oasis One World Choir (3:05–3:35 pm); singer Teejay Olakojo (4:45–4:55 pm); Nawaris Sudanese Dance (4:55–5:10 pm); the AFJ Cardiffyouth ensemble (5:10–5:20 pm); and an Afrofuturism fashion show finale (6:25–6:55 pm).

  These performances blended international stars with homegrown talent.  Mokoomba, with their “driving rhythms” and harmonies, provided a powerful headline, while local groups like the Deaf youth singers and Oasis Choir showcased Cardiff’s inclusive community spirit .

AFJ Cardiff

Highlights & Cultural Showcases

 

Numerous cultural showcases punctuated the program.  For instance, the Sudanese Nawaris dancers (pictured below) performed a traditional “Dance for Peace” on stage.

Figure: Dancers from the Nawaris Sudanese Performing Arts group at Butetown Carnival.  Cardiff’s Oasis One World Choir (including refugee children) joined with gospel singer Phil Okwedy, and AFJ Cardiff teens performed spirited songs.  A lively Afrofuturist fashion show on the Teras stage highlighted African-inspired designs.  Such acts brought diverse heritage directly to the Bay.  Meanwhile, the parade itself was a technicolour spectacle of costumes, steel-pan bands and street artists – one invite urged everyone to “Join the Parade – setting off from Loudoun Square… dancing its way down Bute Street… shimmying into the vibrant Carnival hub outside the Senedd!” .

News Coverage and Community Reaction

 

The 2024 Carnival received glowing media coverage.  Arts Council Wales described the Bank Holiday weekend as “Cardiff Bay exploded with colour, energy, and joyful celebration,” praising its “live music, workshops, costumes, food and a larger-than-life parade”.  Local press (WalesOnline, BBC Wales, etc.) published photo galleries and videos capturing Cardiff’s streets “coming alive” with music and dance.  On social media, attendees shared videos and snapshots of the parade, calling it an “outstanding” event with “amazing acts” and “loving vibes.”  Organisers noted that thousands turned out “from across the city and beyond”, with long-time resident Keith Murrell proudly recalling that Carnival has grown into a “remarkable” citywide celebration of Butetown’s legacy.

Overall, the 2024 Butetown Carnival successfully combined its Tiger Bay heritage and new global influences. It showcased headline artists like Mokoomba, celebrated Wales–Africa links (the Mandingue partnership), and gave local youth and cultural groups prominent stages. The result was a two-day festival full of colour, rhythm, and community spirit.