WITH only three more days to go, the countdown to Cowley Road Carnival has well and truly begun.

Organisers are busy putting the finishing touches to Sunday’s free five-hour event, which will welcome thousands into the East Oxford street.

But some carnival performers have been left disappointed after hearing the festivities will finish earlier than usual.

Revellers enjoyed the carnival festivities from noon until 6pm last year and from noon until 7pm in 2013, but this year the celebrations will end at 5pm.

Festival spokeswoman Sarah Airey said plans to end the carnival at 5pm this year came after “police advice”.

She added: “We are encouraging people to get there early to make the most of the event.”

Musician Aidan Larkin, better known as DJ Count Skylarkin, said he was “outraged” the popular carnival would not continue for as long as it had in past years.

The 37-year-old said: “I’m livid. I think a 5pm finish on a carnival is a carnival not fit for purpose.

“The carnival has existed for years now with very little trouble and I think a 5pm finish will create trouble. People are not going to be ready to stop, people are not going to be ready to go home.

”

Carnival procession and production coordinator Anya Fox said it was a “shame” organising team Cowley Road Works had to end the festivities early.

She added: “It means that all the zones have shorter programming and that means fewer people get the opportunity, or they are getting shorter sets.

“We do understand the reasoning behind it. It’s very hard.

“It goes at 100mph and then we have to get the brake on.

“I think it’s still going to be brilliant.”

Students at Oxford Spires Academy have been creating environmentally-friendly costumes with artist Su Frizell, who goes by the name Groovy Su, for their role in the procession.

Pupil Hayleigh Baird, 12, said: “It was really fun and a really great experience to recycle and make things.”

Ms Fox said preparations for the carnival procession will begin at 8am on Sunday morning before more than 700 people parade down Cowley Road from 1.30pm.

She added: “There is a certain amount of hard work to be done.

“We have a window of four hours to go from a normal plain street to a big party zone.”