Leeds West Indian Carnival 2023

Carmel Smickersgill, Tours & Activities Editor

Visit now

Leeds West Indian Carnival 2023

28 August 2023

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

via Leeds Inspired
Book now

Carnival is one of the most colourful, delicious and dance fuelled events in Leeds’ cultural calendar. This yearly celebration of heritage, culture and community is over 50 years old and has gone through many evolutions. Since the first Leeds Carnival in 1967, it has overcome establishment setbacks, doubt from within the community and survived political and economic uncertainty to bring one of the brightest and loudest celebrations in the city back every year.

While you’re in Potternewton Park dancing to the sound systems blasting soca music, enjoying the incredible jerk chicken and fully surrendering yourself to the general mood of partying, it’s vitally important to remember where this event comes from. Carnivals are a centuries old  tradition that spans across caribbean and african culture. They are an expression of art, music, political views and culture, but the genesis of carnival is steeped in the liberation and emancipation of a people who knew the cruelty of slavery. When asked about the context behind Leeds carnival, founding member and chairperson Arthur France quoted his hero Malcolm X, “If you don’t know, I’ll tell you. If you’ve forgotten, I’ll remind you”.

Over the weekend there is an expertly curated line up of music as well as the hotly anticipated parade. This takes place during the day and is the fundamental image that comes to mind when thinking of what carnival is. Costumes which people have worked on all year round are dance, wheel and bounce along the street while trucks carry steel pan bands and DJs that keep the party going. Each troop has a theme and tells a story through costume and dance. Some take inspiration from nature, some from spirituality and some from the countries that people have moved from to Leeds.

Carnival is a large scale event with a community focused heart. You can find pop up events throughout the city over the summer, building up to the big events in that last weekend of the summer. It welcomes everyone to share in beautiful traditions and just have a good time.

Where to go near Leeds West Indian Carnival 2023

Penistone Hill Country Park
Bradford
Park
Penistone Hill Country Park

As part of Bradford 2025’s UK City of Culture programme, Penistone Hill plays host to outdoor events that celebrate the enduring connection between landscape, identity and creativity.

Threshold is an artist-led project space for sculpture, located in the front garden of a traditional back-to-back house in Burley, Leeds. Exhibitions are open for all to view. Encounter sculpture on your daily walk, or way to work or school.
Leeds
Event venue
Threshold Leeds

Threshold is an artist-led project space for sculpture, located in the front garden of a traditional back-to-back house in Burley, Leeds.

The Engine Room Notice Board
Southport
Event venue
The Engine Room

The Engine Room is a creative community hub in Southport’s Wayfarers Arcade, offering co-working space, cultural events and collaborative opportunities for artists, freelancers and educators.

Leeds
Gallery
The Mill Gallery

The Mill Gallery is an artist-run space in Leeds, supporting emerging artists to develop and showcase their work authentically.

Church congregation at St George's Church in Leeds
Leeds
Place of worship
St George’s Church

St George’s is a lively city centre church in Leeds with three services every Sunday and a midweek programme that includes groups, courses and events. We’re here to help people

Picante
Liverpool
Restaurant
Picante

Picante is a sun-soaked Mexican restaurant at the trailblazing Cains Brewery Village in Liverpool.

Miru Mill
Manchester
Event venue
Miru Mill

Miru Mill is an event space and micro-factory based at Churchgate Mill in Stockport.

Spa
iglu sauna

An authentic and affordable sauna and cold plunge experience in Hebden Bridge, in a beautiful outdoor setting amongst the trees.

What's on: Activity

Culture Guides

Hannah Platt 'Playing Out', courtesy of Threshold, photograph by Jules Lister.
Exhibitions in the North

From city-wide art festivals to open-air sculptural installations, we have exhibitions from all around the North, both indoors and out.

Music in the North

Gigs are coming in hot this spring – from long-awaited returns to one-off happenings you’ll blink and miss if you're not careful.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Eclectic as ever. You'll find inventive reworkings, world-class contemporary dance and Greater Manchester's inaugural Improv Festival in our guide.

portrait of Lorsung in a dark shirt with dark hair and dark round glasses
Literature Events in the North

We've got laughs and we've got leftfield on the live literature radar this month. Something for everyone, from poets playing with form to short story writers looking long.

Classical Music in the North

Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.