City's 'sorely missed' Caribbean festival to return

Organisers plan to stage a colourful parade through the city centre, similar to Notting Hill

A Caribbean community group has said relaunching a "sorely missed" Coventry reggae festival will "fill the city with colour and excitement".

Caribbean Reggae Fever will be held in the War Memorial Park on 20 July after a £250k funding grant from a Commonwealth Games legacy pot.

Colin Bell from Coventry's Caribbean Association said organisers hoped to make it an annual event, which will also include a parade.

"We are part of the fabric of the city," he added.

The festival, jointly organised by the Caribbean Association, ArawaK Community Trust and Conflux Events, will also bring opportunities for local artists to perform and a Windrush exhibition will be held to celebrate past generations.

"It’s something that the city has sorely missed," said Mr Bell. "We are part of the fabric of the city."

"We just hope to fill the city with colour, excitement and a bit of Caribbean flavour," he added.

Listen: Reggae Fever in Coventry

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and UK Government has issued a number of grants after a £70m Commonwealth Games underspend.

Half a million pounds was also given to expand capacity for Coventry's Godiva Festival, which starts on 5 July.

Coventry City Council's deputy leader Abdul Khan said both events provided opportunities to showcase local talent.

"We’ll be building on a theme of a worldwide welcome and we are already looking forward to seeing so many residents and visitors at both festivals," he added.