Kettering Carnival relaunch planned for 2024 as event cancelled for third year in a row

Organisers of Kettering Carnival have promised to ‘restart, refresh and refocus’ in 2024 after cancelling this year's event for the third year.

2023 should have seen the annual parade mark 75 years of fun and fundraising, but instead an anniversary celebration will take place in August.

A July reboot has been planned for next year and residents have been urged to get behind the fundraising event at an upcoming meeting.

Alan Cockshoot said: “2023 is an historic year in the life and times of Kettering Carnival for two reasons. The first is that 2023 marks 75 years since the first ever carnival hit the streets of Kettering – a joyous and momentous occasion.

“But the second reason 2023 is a historic year is that it is going to be the year that Kettering Carnival restarts, refreshes, refocuses and plans to relaunch in 2024 in July.”

Kettering Carnival debuted in 1948 following as a fundraiser for those with visual impairments. The inaugural event raised more than £1,000.

The town carnival has been held every year until 2020 when the Covid pandemic struck.

Mr Cockshoot said: “It was a time that was strange for all of us. Social and community events were cancelled, and this saw a break in the plans. The committee continued to meet to discuss plans, waiting for the day we could announce that Kettering Carnival would happen again.

"2022 was being planned as the come back year, to celebrate ‘the show must go on’ but unfortunately Covid had changed people’s focus, their commitments and their priorities and so Kettering Carnival was not meant to be, despite the planning being in full swing.

"And so another year passed and the committee were ever looking forward to the day that Kettering Carnival would once again brighten up the streets of Kettering."

People can have their say at a meeting on Monday, June 5 at 7.30pm at the Athletic Club in Rockingham Road.

Mr Cockshoot added: “We need to work with the community to make Kettering Carnival an event that the town can be excited and proud about, again. But, to do this, we need people who want to get involved, come onto the committee, help with the planning and organisation and to help relaunch Kettering Carnival in 2024.”