'Heartbroken' organisers cancel Caribbean Carnival

Organisers had been preparing to hold the celebration on 3 August

The organisers of Leicester's Caribbean carnival have announced they have cancelled this year's event because of financial difficulties.

The colouful annual celebration had been due to take place in Victoria Park on 3 August.

However, on Tuesday, carnival bosses said they had taken the decision to call it off "with a heavy heart".

They said they hoped it would return in 2025 to mark the 40th anniversary of the first ever carnival.

Orgainisers said they were working with partners to secure the event in the future

Carnival chair Dennis Christopher said: "The decision to postpone is heartbreaking but we would like to thank everyone involved for all their help and hard work.

"With the difficult economic climate and increasing event costs, we face significant financial risk."

He said poor weather and a low turn-out to last year's carnival had been a factor in the decision.

"Organising and planning an event as big as carnival is a huge and complex task," he added.

"Leicester's Caribbean Carnival is a massive undertaking for a very small team and this year, despite our very best efforts, we simply weren't able to overcome the many challenges we faced in time."

Mr Christopher said he would welcome support from the community to ensure carnivals would go ahead from 2025.

He also said he planned to work with partners, including Leicester City Council, to secure future events.

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