It's carnival time – and with a huge and diverse musical line-up, it looks like being a bumper year. DJ Aidan Larkin tells Tim Hughes why the community needs to get behind it

With 45,000 people coming together as one for an afternoon of live music, dance and a massed procession, Cowley Road Carnival is Oxford's biggest party of the year.

A celebration of East Oxford's multicultural heritage and vibrancy, it is a chance for revellers from all backgrounds to unite for one thing: fun.

"It's the best event of the year," says East Oxford's DJ Count Skylarkin – aka Aidan Larkin – a familiar face at every carnival.

"Last year I played more than 150 gigs – everywhere from Glastonbury and Bestival to Brixton – and carnival was the most enjoyable by far. Every year I think it can't get better, and every year it surpasses itself."

This Sunday, between midday and 5pm, a procession, bands, sound systems, food stalls and quirky attractions take over the road from The Plain to St Mary & St John Church. It takes as its theme Shakespeare's much-quoted line 'All the World's a Stage', from As You Like It – and with all participants being players in this tapestry of culture, it could not be more appropriate.

This year's event features a number of firsts.

They include a world music stage at the Asian Cultural Centre, with sets Dr Benaka Karanth, the Indonesian Students Association in Oxford, the Lani Singers from West Papua, Delnavaz and Oxford's 20-piece Ran Kan Kan Cuban big band – with passionate vocals from singers Pancho Vera and Nikki Jackson.

There will also be a spoken word stage, rather cleverly named All the Words a Stage.

More live music will be concentrated on the large carpark behind Tesco – re-branded the Bullingdon car park – with a Bully stage featuring sets from Oxford bands ZAIA, Chad Valley, Document One, Maiians and George’s Musical Medicine; a house and dance music area presided over by the Simple Soundsystem, who return for their 10th carnival; and reggae from the Free Range Roots collective.

There will be more exotic fare out on Cowley Road itself, with the area between Coco and Kazbar playing host to I Should Coco, an area for lovers of Spanish sounds and Flamenco. For samba, zouk-lambada and bossa nova, head to the junction of Marston Street for a Brazilian Dance Party, or check out the Latin party at Bar Aroma.

The 20-strong street band Horns of Plenty, who meld the sounds of South Africa, New Orleans and eastern Europe, will play in the procession which will feature local school pupils in costume – some inspired by the Bard's plays.

Equally boisterous will be the Caribbean fare on offer in the East Oxford Community Centre, which hosts Cari-fest, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Caribbean Focus '86 and the first Caribbean carnival procession held in Oxford. Also on offer will be Caribbean food, and dance and drumming workshops.

There will be more music and dance at Hi-Lo, the Black Swan, City Arms, Cape of Good Hope, Music Box, Cowley Retreat, The Library, and the Restore garden, off Manzil Way, where Danny McGurn, Laura Jones, Lewis Scott, Jack Little and Circes Diner join a more mellow line-up of singer-songwriters.

The Young Women's Music Project present their traditional line-up of female talent, while the O2 Academy Oxford tries something new, with a secret line-up on its own outdoor stage.

Lovers of dance, meanwhile, will be heading to Manzil Gardens, which hosts an afternoon of dance from Dancin’ Oxford, featuring special guests KAPOW!

"I am looking forward to it, says Aidan, who will be playing ska and reggae outside the Bully at 2.30pm.

"The country needs more things like this to look forward to and be joyful. Things need to be protected."

His set will include a tribute to the late DJ Derek – popular and influential Bristolian reggae pioneer Derek Serpell-Morris, a close friend of Aidan's and a regular visitor to the city. Derek went missing in July 2015, with his body being discovered earlier this year.

"I will be giving a nod to DJ Derek, who played here in 2005 and 2008 and who will definitely be remembered and missed. There will definitely be a few tunes from his record box in my set."

Carnival traditionally went on to 8pm, before the curfew was brought forward to 7pm, and then, last year pushed forward to 5pm.

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Count him in: Aidan Larkin - aka Count Skylarkin 

Aidan expressed disappointment at the early finish, urging organisers and the police to allow it to go on later in future.

He said: "I would love to see it to go on longer to a reasonable hour to allow people to enjoy it properly.

"There are all sorts of pitfalls in having it finish this early, including congestion, with people trying to catch all the different things and not having enough time. Last year people complained about it being too crowded without connecting that to the new early finish.

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Simple Events Party with Em Williams - Wonderful fish-eye picture by Guy Henstock

"The event gets bigger and more popular every year, and the answer is not to make it shorter.

"Finishing at 7pm or 8pm makes sense, as it's a natural time for people to go home. By 5pm people are not ready to go anywhere, so all the police are doing by insisting on such an early finish, is forcing people to go to pubs – and probably drink more."

He added: "People need to keep on about it. The organisers are nice people and are volunteers, but are coming up against the police who are professionals at saying 'no'.

"It's important we keep banging the drum and are seen to have support. The times and date of carnival need setting in stone.

"The street is changing, with people coming in and paying £600,000 for a home and then complaining about the noise.

"My mission in life is to bring the noise. We don't want people getting used to the peace and quiet!"

He will be joined at the decks by his son, three month-old Winston Junior – already a reggae fan.

"With funding getting harder to secure we have seen businesses step up to the mark," says Aidan. "The Bully, Black Swan, Hi-Lo and other places deserve a pat on the back. It costs all these guys money but they do it every year, and we need them."

Bullingdon manager Paul Williams says: "The Bullingdon is excited to sponsor the car park with a sense of huge community pride showing what Oxford has to offer.

"We can’t wait to see all the bands, DJs, acts, food and drink that Cowley road has to offer.”

This year carnival comes a week later, to avoid clashing with Ramadan. And, says creative producer Cath Mattos, it is branching out into new areas.

“Carnival brings even more to see and do in 2016 than ever before," she says.

"We have 29 stages and activity areas with hundreds of musicians, dancers and performers. And this is a carnival of firsts. For the first time we have the world stage, which we are really excited by, and the stage for the spoken word – which is powered by bike, and features a packed programme of comedy, improv and poetry slams.”

Sarah Airey from Cowley Road Works, the charity which runs the event, said: "There is so much going on, with 29 different areas. There really is something for everyone. You can take a picnic and enjoy the gentle vibes of the world music stage or the family area, or get into party mode at the Bully stage."

Revellers are being asked to pay £1 to help secure the future of the event, which costs £150,000 to stage.

"We are asking people to pay at least £1 to cover costs," says Sarah. "It is a big event. With 45,000 people celebrating every year, there is a massive clean-up operation at the end, and we have to pay for event management, security and staging. It's like arranging Glastonbury on a shoestring."

She adds: "Although there are other events on over the same day, such as Cornbury we don’t feel that this will affect our audiences at what will be the best carnival yet."

  • Cowley Road Carnival takes place on Sunday from noon to 5pm.
  • Entrance is free but £1 is requested per reveller to help secure the event's future.

Totally tropical: Ran Kan Kan

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