Carnival Arts

What a day we had yesterday at the UK Centre for Carnival Arts! 🎭 We were thrilled to welcome BBC Look East and STV to UKCCA, filming for Antiques Roadshow and getting a real taste of the magic behind Luton International Carnival. The cameras rolled as our very own LIC legends Margaret Matthews and Marilyn Gearing shared their stories, alongside the brilliant costume maker Chauntier Downes. The STV crew didn't just stop at interviews — they rolled up their sleeves to help create the costumes, then had a ball parading their finished masterpieces! We were also honoured to be joined by Councillor Tahmina Saleem, the new Leader of Luton Borough Council — wonderful to have her with us to experience the carnival spirit first-hand. Big thanks to our Learning and Participation Project Manager Marilyn, who showed everyone how to sashay along the route like true carnivalists, ready for the big day. We can't wait to see them all out on the road on the 24th! 💃✨ #LutonCarnival50 #GoldCarnival #BBCLookEast #STV #AntiquesRoadshow

✨ The Spotlight Series | Episode 4 — Heartbeat of Carnival Carnival isn't just colour, sound, and celebration — it's also a place to pause, breathe, and look after you. 💛 In Episode 4 of The Spotlight Series, we meet Gail Dearing, the wonderful host of this year's Health & Wellbeing Zone at Luton International Carnival — and this year, the theme is GO FOR GOLD. 🥇 Step into the zone and you'll discover a whole world of feel-good experiences, including: 🎶 @music24_uk — instruments available to for everyone to play 🧘 Emotional Freedom Technique tapping sessions in the museum 🚴 Penrose Roots — healthy smoothies blended on a bicycle 🎨 Sustainable arts & crafts showcase 💪 Good Gym & Park Run — plank challenges, jumping and throwing fun for kids 🔥 Carnival warm-up & cool-down with X-Force …and so much more across 20 stalls, live demonstrations, and a quieter chill-out space for anyone needing a moment to recharge. 🌿 🌿 Prefer a quieter chill-out space? Head over to Wardown Museum for a moment to recharge with Mindfulness, Emotional Freedom Techniques (Tapping), and Spoken Word sessions — a calm, restorative corner of carnival just for you. ✨ Whether you want to move, create, or just be, the Health & Wellbeing Zone is here to remind us that looking after ourselves is part of the celebration too. This is our Heartbeat of Carnival pillar — celebrating the people who make Luton International Carnival a place for everyone. 💛 🎬 "This is Luton. This is Carnival. This is our story." 🎪 Luton International Carnival — 50 Years Strong 📅 Save the date: 24th May 2026 #SpotlightSeries #LutonCarnival50 #GoldCarnival #CarnivalHeartbeat #GoForGold #HealthAndWellbeing #LutonRising

✨🎉 ONLY 8 DAYS TO GO 🎉✨ The countdown to Luton Carnival is officially on 💛🥁 Join us at Warden Park as we celebrate 50 golden years of carnival, culture, music and community 🌈✨ A fun-filled, family-friendly day for all ages — so bring the kids, bring your friends and come celebrate with us! 🎭 👇 Who are you bringing to carnival this year? #LutonCarnival #8DaysToGo #FamilyFriendlyEvent #luton #50yearsofcarnival

✨🎭 ONLY 10 DAYS TO GO 🎭✨ The countdown to Luton Carnival is getting REAL 💛🔥 Who’s ready to celebrate 50 golden years with us at Warden Park? 🥁🌈 A huge shoutout to our headline sponsors for supporting this year’s carnival and helping us bring the energy, culture and community together ✨ 👇 Tell us which headdress from the collection is YOUR favourite! #LutonCarnival #10DaysToGo #CarnivalCountdown #50YearsOfCarnival #luton

✨💛 11 DAYS TO GO 💛✨ Get ready to celebrate 50 years of Luton Carnival at Warden Park 🎉🥁 This year’s theme is GOLD to honour five decades of culture, community, music and carnival magic 👑✨ We’re bringing the energy, the colour and the vibes — are YOU ready to celebrate with us? 🔥 👇 Tell us below: Will you be wearing GOLD this year? 💛 #LutonCarnival #50YearsOfCarnival #GoldTheme #carnivalcelebration #luton

Love carnival? Help us keep it going! 💛🌈 The team at UKCCA works all year round to bring Luton International Carnival to life — and we couldn't do it without the support of our community. If you'd like to help, please consider making a donation. Every little bit makes a big difference. ✨ 👉 .uk/donate #LutonCarnival50, #GoldCarnival #SupportTheArts

We have been working with five schools in preparation for LIC26, celebrating 50 years of culture, creativity, and community. 🎭 Through practical costume-making workshops, creative storytelling, and animated learning, young people have been exploring how sustainable and recycled materials can be transformed into vibrant Carnival creations inspired by Caribbean cultural characters such as Papa Bois, a guardian of the forest known for protecting nature, animals, and the environment. 🌿✨ These sessions encourage imagination, hands-on creativity, environmental awareness, and cultural appreciation, showing young people how art and Carnival can inspire positive change for the future. ♻️ This is more than making costumes, it’s about nurturing confidence, creativity, and a deeper connection to culture, community, and the world around us. The future of Carnival is creative, conscious, and in their hands. 💫 #LIC26 #UKCCA #SHACE #CarnivalArts #greenerfuturefund

✨ The Spotlight Series | Episode 3 - Heartbeat of Carnival Behind every great carnival is a community of people giving their time, their energy, and their love — and Lucas Fensome is one of them. 💛 In this episode of The Spotlight Series, we shine a light on one of Luton International Carnival's incredible volunteers. From the moments you see on the streets to the work happening long before the first drum beats — none of it would be possible without people like Lucas. This is our Heartbeat of Carnival pillar — celebrating the people whose passion keeps this 50-year-old tradition alive, year after year. If you've ever wondered what it takes to bring carnival to life… this one's for you. 🎪 🎬 "This is Luton. This is Carnival. This is our story." 🎪 Luton International Carnival — 50 Years Strong 📅 Save the date: 24th May 2026 🎟️ #SpotlightSeries #LIC2026 #LutonCarnival50 #HeartbeatOfCarnival #Volunteers

Proud to be collaborating with @ukcca as one of this year’s chosen charities ❤️ Come along on the day and rep your flags! Rep Your Flag carries an important message: your stem cell (bone marrow) match is more likely to come from someone of the same ethnic background. Through our Rep Your Flag campaign, we’re raising awareness, celebrating culture, and encouraging more people to join the stem cell register. 🩸✨ You could be someone’s match. Visit aclt.org for more information. #RepYourFlag #ACLT #LutonCarnival #StemCellDonation #SaveALife #LutonCarnival50

Proud to be collaborating with @ukcca as one of this year’s chosen charities ❤️ Come along on the day and rep your flags! Rep Your Flag carries an important message: your stem cell (bone marrow) match is more likely to come from someone of the same ethnic background. Through our Rep Your Flag campaign, we’re raising awareness, celebrating culture, and encouraging more people to join the stem cell register. 🩸✨ You could be someone’s match. Visit aclt.org for more information. #RepYourFlag #ACLT #LutonCarnival #StemCellDonation #carnival

What an incredible day at Wigmore Valley Park! 🌈 Luton International Carnival was proud to bring the carnival spirit to the official opening of Wigmore Valley Park today — and what a celebration it was! 🥁✨ Our amazing Steel Pan in Motion band had the crowd moving, while two of our fabulous ladies dazzled everyone in full carnival costume. And the best part? Our wonderful headline sponsors at Luton Rising couldn't resist getting involved — donning our iconic carnival headdresses and soaking up every vibrant moment! 🪶🎶 It was a joy to be part of such a special community celebration, helping to mark this exciting new chapter for the park alongside Luton residents and families. A huge thank you to @lutonrising for making events like this — and so much of what LIC does — possible. We are so grateful for your continued support and love for our carnival community. 🧡 Here's to our next event - LIC2026 celebrating our 50th anniversary on Sunday 24th May @ Wardown Park! 🎺🌺 #LutonCarnival50 @lutonrising #WigmoreValleyPark #CarnivalVibes @steelpaninmotion #CommunitySpirit #CarnivalCulture

Love carnival? Help us keep it going! 💛🌈 The team at UKCCA works all year round to bring Luton International Carnival to life and we couldn’t do it without the support of our community. If you’d like to help, please consider making a donation. Be part of the legacy.✨ Link is in bio “Ping-ah-Pound” #LutonCarnival50, #GoldCarnival #SupportTheArts #luton #lutoncarnival