St Pauls Carnival returns with Back A Yard event series this summer

Bristol’s annual celebration of African and Caribbean culture, St Pauls Carnival returns this summer to in-person events with the launch of its St Carnival Presents ‘Back A Yard' event programme.

Back A Yard is a traditional Jamaican phrase that typically means back home or where I’m from. Playing on this definition, the Back A Yard programme takes the carnival back to its roots, celebrating the St Pauls Community, history, and legacy, and this year will mark the 60th anniversary of Jamaican independence.

Running from 22 June up to carnival day, July 2, the programme focuses on bringing the key elements of carnival, food, music, arts, and community to St Pauls. Limited tickets for each event are now sale via the St Pauls Carnival website. All events are available on a pay what you can (PWYC) scheme from £1 and are expected to sell out quickly!

22 June – Back A Yard: Carnival Library – 5:30pm – 9:00pm
22 June marks Windrush Day, the arrival of Afro-Caribbean immigrants to the shores of Britain and honours the British Caribbean community. Celebrating this iconic day, the Back A Yard programme kickstarts with a Carnival Library event hosted at the Kuumba Centre. This first event offers attendees the opportunity to hear the amazing historic stories from the Windrush generation. Additional stories will be shared reflecting on the St Pauls Carnival’s legacy, contribution to UK culture, and its evolution. 

25 June – Back A Yard: Community Picnic - 12pm -7pm
Celebrating Jamaica’s 60th year of independence, St Pauls Carnival is hosting a spectacular family picnic event on Portland Square. This event welcomes local families to gather and enjoy carnival food with performances from local schools, Bristol’s Got Talent as well as a showcase of music featuring Bristol-based musicians Tan Teddy, Rider Shafique, and Da Fuchaman. The Rainbow Steel Band will also be present bringing the familiar carnival atmosphere. Families will be in for a treat with Vocalise’s Afrikan Storytelling Village featuring Afrikan drumming, Jamaican folk singing, arts & crafts, storytelling, and shadow puppetry. Also, catch St Pauls Carnival’s chairman and celebrity chef Levi Roots supporting the day.

Event attendees are encouraged to leave glass items for safety purposes at home; plastic alternatives are recommended. Tickets for this event are limited and available as PWYC enabling attendees to purchase at their own discretion. Local families are encouraged to act swiftly to secure limited tickets available on the St Pauls Carnival website. 

2 July - Back A Yard: Community Celebration – 1pm - 6pm
As is tradition, carnival day begin with a brunch event for the St Pauls elders at the Malcolm X Community Centre, honouring their longstanding legacy. During this event elders and the members of the St Paul's Community will also get the chance to view the film premiere of the Well Being and Digital inclusion project in collaboration with St Monica’s trust.

Following this the community event opens to the public at 1pm. Event attendees can enjoy the best of carnival day in the heart of St Pauls with schools’ performances featuring steel pans, drumming and dancing from Headley Park Primary, St Mary Redcliffe Primary and St. Werburghs Primary School with exclusive musical performances from Bristol’s Jah Garvey (Reggae Bus Driver) and DJ Style. Children’s activities include Play Wooden, Alex D Great’s calypso workshop and performance, mask making and costume making. There will also be a mas celebration, a children's parade, and lots more. Stalls from local organisations and food traders will be serving delicious carnival eats!

The day will be hosted by Ujima’s top presenters and DJs and will be broadcasted on air on Ujima!

2 July – St Pauls Carnival takeover @ Lost Horizon - 12pm – 7pm/ 7pm – 2am
Further to this, carnival day will also feature an exciting takeover event at central Bristol venue, Lost Horizon with an evening event headlined by legendary reggae artist Horace Andy. Lost Horizon welcomes the Bristol community to a party, the event features the great music you would expect to hear on the streets of St Pauls as well as Bristol-based artists and performers. This event will be livestreamed and available to view on the St Pauls Carnival social channels. Day tickets are available PWYC from £1, the evening Horace Andy event has tickets available PWYC from £5.

Commenting on the Back A Yard programme, chairman Levi Roots said “We are excited to return this year with an in-person programme offering the opportunity for us to be with the community once again in the heart of St Pauls.

“This year marks my very first St Pauls Carnival as chairman! My longstanding history with the carnival dates back to the early 1970s, St Pauls, was a frequent trip for me, as part of the Sir Coxsone Outernational sound system.

“It’s amazing to see how far the organisation and the global carnival movement in Bristol has grown with its pledge to showcase the city's African Caribbean culture.”

Commenting further on this, executive director of St Pauls Carnival LaToyah McAllister-Jones said: “We are so excited to return to in-person events within a matter of weeks. Following our break from large-scale events as a result of the pandemic, it was important that we bring the carnival back to its origins and back a yard!

“We want the whole city to feel part of our celebrations this year, paying special attention to the St Pauls community who have kept the carnival spirit alive for 54 years! We look forward to the success and enjoyment the programme will bring as we prepare for a full-scale carnival event in 2023.”

Grab tickets for each event from the St Pauls Carnival website! Supporters of the St Pauls Carnival are encouraged to donate and contribute to the planned 2023 full-scale annual celebration of culture and heritage.