'All the world's a stage' at Oxford's biggest party – Cowley Road Carnival

All The World’s a Stage, according to the Bard, and all the men and women merely players.

Wise words indeed, and an appropriate theme, in this the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, for Oxfordshire’s biggest public event of the year – Cowley Road Carnival.

This freewheeling extravaganza, which takes place on Sunday, will see 45,000 dancers, musicians, DJs, revellers and free-spirited people to take to Oxford’s most vibrant road for a celebration of life in this most multi-cultural of communities.

Cowley Road Carnival is unlike any other festival – practically free to join and staged by, and for, local people, it stands in sharp contrast to the money-minded corporate alternatives. Children design costumes, local artists show their talents, performing for the love of it, and everybody has a good time – whether they want to or not.

While retaining the fun stuff that makes carnival such a hit, this year’s event has a few surprises stuffed up its funky sleeves – with a number of firsts.

In keeping with its ‘All The World’s a Stage’ theme, it will feature a World Music stage, at the Asian Cultural Centre, with sets by 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.

More live music is on offer in the large car park behind Tesco – re-branded the Bullingdon Car Park – where local bands will play a mini-festival within a festival, with sets from ZAIA, Chad Valley, Document One, Maiians and George’s Musical Medicine.

In the same area will be house and dance from the Simple Soundsystem, who return for their 10th carnival, and reggae from the Free Range Roots crew.

Lovers of Latin sounds should head to the I Should Coco space between Coco and Kazbar, which hosts Spanish sounds and Flamenco; the Brazilian Dance Party at the junction of Marston Street, or check out salsa and more at Bar Aroma.

There are carnival sounds from 20-strong street band Horns of Plenty, who meld the sounds of South Africa, New Orleans and eastern Europe and play in the procession, and music at Restore, from Danny McGurn, Laura Jones, Lewis Scott, Jack Little and Circes Diner.

As ever, there are also top tunes at Hi-Lo, the Black Swan, City Arms, Cape of Good Hope, Music Box, Cowley Retreat and The Library.

The East Oxford Community hosts another festival within a festival – Cari-fest. The event celebrates the 30th anniversary of Caribbean Focus ‘86 and the first Caribbean carnival procession held in Oxford, by laying on Caribbean food, music, dance and drumming workshops.

The Young Women’s Music Project will be back and the O2 Academy Oxford are hosting their own stage with a secret line-up. Manzil Gardens, meanwhile, hosts an afternoon of dance from Dancin’ Oxford, featuring special guests KAPOW!

Sarah Airey from Cowley Road Works, the charity which runs the event, said: “There is so much going on, with 29 different areas. All The World’s a Stage is being interpreted in lots of different ways, with school children making Shakespearean outfits inspired by The Tempest or A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and with new world music and spoken word stages – not to mention all the world food on offer.

“This is the most multi-cultural area and now, more than ever, it is important to bring everyone together to celebrate as a community.”

Reinforcing the Shakespearean theme will be the Oxford Theatre Guild and the Oxford Shakespeare Company, who, respectively, perform an extract from Twelfth Night and present songs and excerpts from Love’s Labour’s Lost in the churchyard at St Mary & St John.

The churchyard will also host a ballet performance.

Maians: Picture by Marc West

As well as its car park stage, the Bullingdon hosts two official carnival bars. There will also be food and fairground rides. 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 agrees: “There really is something for everyone,” she says. 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.

Chad Valley

Sarah says: “We are asking people to pay at least £1 to cover costs. 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 – but it’s all great fun.”

Shakespeare would be proud.

* Cowley Road Carnival takes place on Sunday from noon to 5pm.