Bath Carnival 2022, festival in Bath

Theme of the carnival 2022

The Carnival returns to the streets of Bath with a free Carnival throughout the city centre. Local schools, community groups, charities and freelance artists collaborate to prepare their performances for the big day.

This year the theme of the carnival is Mother Earth: Natural Habitats. The organisers invite the community to explore environmental issues, including the loss of natural habitats, through artistic expression.

This year's brand image reflects both the vibrancy and complexity of the natural world. A combination of silhouettes and organic patterns overlap to create optical illusions - challenging the viewer to adopt different perspectives.

Similarly, the artists will use carnival art to explore the incredible diversity of species on our planet while considering the important role we have to play in protecting them and their natural habitats.

Events

Party in the Park

In addition to the street performances, the annual party returns to Sydney Gardens from 10am to 10pm. For the occasion, you can access a range of free, fun festival-themed activities for adults, children and families.

A main stage will host an eclectic selection of live bands ranging from Afrobeat to hip-hop and dub-reggae to Samba, featuring: Afro Cluster, Deyu, Mellowmatic, Bloco B , The Goddess Collective, The Scribes and Echo Den.

Enjoy a selection of delicious foods and drinks with licensed bars and independent food and drink traders. Experience some fantastic interactive workshops and free pitches for local charities.

Children are not forgotten. The totally awesome Super Pirates are organising an action-packed play area with giant inflatables, messy games, strolling and group games.

Carnival Procession

The Carnival procession will start at Bath Recreation Ground at 3pm and make its way through the City until 5.30pm.

Each year over 1000 people perform along the procession route with hundreds of professional carnival performers joining forces with local schools, clubs and community groups to create a huge collaborative performance that takes over the entire city centre.

Alongside hundreds of drummers and dancers, this year’s carnival will see new giant puppets, eco-sound systems, wonderful school and community group performances, professional carnival costumes, pedal-powered structures and a very special guest (all the way from Brazil) featuring in one of the drumming ensembles.

The organisers are opening up their enormous collection of costumes to the public. So you can hire your own costume and get dressed up on Carnival day. The funds raised from the hire costs will help them maintain their stock, store them safely throughout the year and organise more community workshops so they can keep growing their collection.

Official After Party at Komedia

The party moves to the live entertainment venue: Komedia. This place is the winner of the Best Venue in the South West of England & Wales - for comedy, music, cabaret, club nights and home to the Krater Comedy Club.

The party will start at 10.15pm and last until 3am. The price is £6 when booked in advance and £8 on the door.

There will be a special live stage show from two bands: Jamma de Samba and the Sly Players.

Jamma de Samba, the live headliner, is a group of up beat drummers from Bath. They perform samba with a unique blend of traditional Brazilian rhythms and modern beats to suit all musical appetites.

The Sly Players are a disco-fuelled duo consisting of Tal M. Klein and Slim (Goodgroove & Ghetto Funk Bossman). They’ll be keeping it tropical with Latin vibes throughout!

There's so much to do in Bath, so why not make the most of your visit. Check out our selection of ideas for exploring the city.