The St Denys Carnival & Arts Festival is run entirely by a dedicated group of volunteer neighbours, friends and locals who are passionate about our community. As a not-for-profit event, the Carnival exists purely to bring joy, creativity and connection to our wonderful little ‘village in a city.’

Our Carnival has deep roots – the original St Denys Carnival was a cherished tradition throughout the 20th century, running from the 1930s until 1999. We’re proud to be carrying this legacy forward into a new era.

Exciting News for 2026!

We’re absolutely delighted to announce the launch of our Arts Festival, joining the Carnival family and running from 22nd-30th May. This vibrant festival of arts and performance will feature workshops, creative spaces, dance, music and so much more – bringing a full nine days of celebration, colour and culture to Southampton.

We can’t wait to share this with you!

The Carnival itself takes places on Saturday 23rd May 2026

Where: The Parade route is in progress – we are planning a bigger and better route to take in more of St Denys.

Theme: Pirates of the River Itchen – prepare to walk the plank or parade, m’hearties!

How can I contact the team?

Email us at:

stdenys.crew@outlook.com – general info

traders.stdenyscarnival@outlook.com – trader info

sp.stdenyscrew@outlook.com – sponsorship and advertising info

How do I keep updated?

Sign up for our mailing list here.