Carnivals

Rachel Hopkins Excerpts

Thursday 12th March 2026 Westminster Hall

[Rachel Hopkins (Luton South and South Bedfordshire) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I thank the hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton (Sarah Dyke) and my hon. Friend the Member for Weston-super-Mare (Dan Aldridge) for securing this debate on carnivals and for the fantastic speeches that have already been made.

In Luton South and South Bedfordshire there is a long history of processions to mark important events, celebrations and protests, bringing communities together. In Luton they date back as far as the 1400s, when guild feasts were a common feature of local culture. In the South Bedfordshire part of my constituency, many of the villages still participate in the traditional May fairs, which date back to medieval times and mark the beginning of spring. I have been delighted to attend community events in Studham and Kensworth, which are full of fun, with schoolchildren dancing around the traditional maypole, music, community spirit and just good times.

In Luton, carnival goes back a long way, but it is slightly different. In May 1976, we held the first Luton carnival as we know it, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Luton becoming a borough. To give away a little secret, I was there as a very small child, with my mum and the other members of the Luton Labour women’s council, who hosted one of the stalls in the street fair. From that small beginning, the carnival has quickly become a significant annual celebration, showcasing the rich mix of cultures that call Luton home. It particularly spotlights the influence and impact of our Luton Caribbean community, many of whom came to the UK as part of the Windrush generation and found their home in Luton, as well as the cultural influence of our African diaspora. Growing up, carnival was an institution, the classic scene that all hon. Members can imagine: up the side streets, stacks of speakers, loud music and everyone having a good time, getting food on one corner and seeing the costumes of the parade on the other.

In 2012, Luton International Carnival was officially recognised as the biggest one-day carnival in the UK. That legacy remains, with the event still one of the biggest annual events of the calendar—a true representation of unity, music and culture that embodies the spirit of our Luton community. I am proud to have the UK Centre for Carnival Arts, a registered charity and Arts Council national portfolio organisation, in my constituency. It is dedicated to promoting excellence in carnival arts, championing the work of carnival groups across the UK and connecting, inspiring and strengthening the carnival arts sector.

Our carnival is a symbol of everything that makes our town special, celebrating our diverse heritage, our energy and, importantly, our togetherness, making us one town full of many voices. There is no greater evidence for that than the wide-ranging list of participants who join the celebrations alongside our Caribbean groups such as the St Vincent and the Grenadines: the Luton branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, Luton Roma Trust, Luton Irish Forum, Luton Keralites Association, United Nations Associations—Luton, Luton Malayali Muslim Association and Purbachal—The Eastern Sky, to name just a few.

This year, our carnival is even more significant, as we celebrate the 50th annual Luton International Carnival on Sunday 24 May, which of course coincides with Luton’s 150th anniversary year as a borough. To mark this occasion, this year’s theme is “gold”—of course it is—with participants showcasing their creativity by celebrating bold and imaginative designs inspired by gold. The procession will travel from Luton town centre down to Wardown Park, which was the original and traditional location for much of the carnival’s history.

The impact of the carnival and what it symbolises have been passed from generation to generation in our town. Last June, I was delighted to host the brother and sister duo of Luton filmmakers, Niya and Jadean, in Parliament for a screening of their film, “Beyond The Rush”. The film, developed in collaboration with the British Film Institute documentary society, explored the vital impact of the Caribbean community on our economy, nightlife and cultural scene in Luton, from the Windrush generation to the present day, including key cultural events such as Luton International Carnival. It was great to bring young, local talent from Luton to display this brilliant piece of work in Westminster, featuring some fantastic members of our Luton Caribbean community, and to highlight the enduring legacy of Luton’s carnival in our local community.

As has already been said in this debate, carnivals are more than just a great day of cultural and creative fun; they have economic, social, educational and community cohesion benefits. I look forward to joining people from across Luton at this year’s 50th celebration carnival, and I am sure this carnival will be even more epic than last year’s.