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 23rd-29th May. This vibrant festival of arts will celebrate our heritage and connection to our river with workshops and exhibitions – extending our carnival celebration and bringing local colour and culture to St Denys.

We can’t wait to share this with you!

The Carnival takes places on Saturday 23rd May 2026

Where: This year we have planned a bigger and better route to take in more of St Denys. The parade will start and finish at St Denys Community Centre, taking in Priory Road and the New Testament Church of God (NTCG), the railway bridge, North Road, Dundee Road and St Denys Church before doubling back on itself and then travelling back via South Road and Adelaide Road, past the South Western Arms and Woodies at the Junction.

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

As well as the Carnival parade, we will have activities taking place throughout the day and into the evening:

• St Denys Community Centre, Priory Road 11:00 – 15:00: Stalls, food vendors, parade start and finish, St Denys Cake-Off competition, live music, an art workshop with Southampton’s legendary John Hansard Gallery, and more!
• Woodies at the Junction, Priory Road 12:00 – 23:00: Live music, special Carnival food menu, beer garden and lashings of rum! Watch the parade go past the pub not once, but twice at 11:30 and 12:15-12:30(ish)!
• New Testament Church of God (NTCG), Priory Road 11:00-15:00: Stalls, Caribbean food and Gospel/Soca tunes. Watch the parade go past the Priory Road entrance at approximately 11:30-11:45.
• St Denys Parish Church, Dundee Road 11:00-18:00: Parade half-way point, coinciding with live music approximately 11:45-12:15. Art and photography exhibitions and projections inside this stunning 19th century church, designed by Sir George Gilbert-Scott who was also known for St Pancras Station.
• St Denys Social Club, St Denys Road 11:00-18:00 then 20:00 – late: Stalls, visitor car parking and more, with live music happening throughout the day and into the evening, with a warm and welcoming bar, open to non-members for the Carnival.
• South Western Arms, Adelaide Road 12:00-late: Top meteorologists predict a high chance of Morris Dancing at around midday. Listen to live music from 14:00-17:00, then relax in the evening with drinks, pizzas and a great beer garden. Watch the parade go past at approximately 12:15-12:30.
• The Dolphin, Osborne Road South 15:00 – late: Unleash your talent at The Dolphin Open Mic with Monika and Keith from 15:00-18:00 then dance like nobody’s watching to Soul Shoes’ DJ set from 20:00. Come here to unwind away from the crowds.

For more information on live acts and performance times, visit our blog.

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.