Cowley Road Carnival set to return after four years in 2023

Bands and community groups parade along Cowley Road during the carnival, pictured here in 2017

A popular annual summer carnival is set to be staged in the summer for the first time in four years.

Oxford's Cowley Road Carnival, run by Cowley Road Works (CRW) for 20 years, was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.

Last year, organisers said the carnival - usually attended by tens of thousands of people - would take a break to consider its future.

CRW announced it would be "back on the road" on Sunday, 9 July.

Before the pandemic struck, Cowley's was the second biggest carnival in the UK after Notting Hill, and contributed almost £1m to the local economy.

With social distancing restrictions limiting mass gatherings, the event rebranded as a virtual "carnival at home" with people encouraged to decorate their homes.

People were encouraged to decorate their homes as 'house floats' in 2021

Announcing the return of the "uniquely colourful and vibrant community event", CRW said this year's carnival would include the Cowley Road carnival procession, as well as eco-floats and street parties.

Board member Zaheer Qureshi said: "Since its inception, working with its stakeholders, this Carnival has always been a key catalyst for building bridges between community, schools, youth services, cultural and disability groups."

CRW has called for anyone interested in performing, running a stall or helping with running the event to get in touch.