The Thornbury Carnival Committee has recently announced that there are currently no plans for a 2026 event.
Speaking recently on behalf of the Committee, Liam Williams, Chair, said: “I’ve been involved with the Carnival since 2018 and have been Chair since 2019. It’s a community event that I’ve been proud to be a part of and in particular, I’m proud to have led such an incredible group of volunteers that make Carnival happen. However, the last two or three years have demonstrated that there doesn’t appear to be an appetite for this kind of event any longer and certainly, not one that requires an entry fee to be paid.
“‘Love Thornbury’ have demonstrated that many aspects of the Carnival can be offered to the community for free through use of the revamped High Street – live music, market stalls, vintage car displays, children’s entertainment and fairground rides, great food and bars are now available most months on the High Street and we recognise this as an important development, not just for businesses, but also for the changing nature of our community.
“Following the two-year break for the Covid Pandemic, we took the opportunity to refresh the event and really hoped that this would offer the chance to secure the event’s sustainability. Regrettably, this has not proven to be the case with attendance declining year on year, which means the event is no longer affordable in its current form.
“Further to the significant loss made in 2024, we were fortunate to secure some critical financial support from Thornbury Town Council which meant we could run the event in 2025. We also received support from Friends of Thornbury Carnival who have stepped in several times over the years to support the event. On behalf of the Committee, I would like to offer our sincere thanks to Councillors, their Officers, and the Friends of Thornbury Carnival for their support over the years.Unfortunately, the challenges faced by South Gloucestershire Council meant that they have been unable to offer any support and this just added to the challenge of making an event such as ours work.
“We have therefore collectively decided to step down from running the event and offer someone, or a group of people, the opportunity to come forward and consider how it might be brought back in the future. I am committed to sharing all of the information we have and giving anyone interested a full briefing in order that they can make informed judgements.
“I would like to finish by sharing my wholehearted gratitude to everyone who volunteered to make Thornbury Carnival happen in recent years. The dedication and commitment shown has been incredible and I only wish we had been able to achieve our shared ambition to create something for the community that was desired and supported to be sustainable.
“If anyone would like to register an interest in taking the Carnival on, please email me at .”
