A STREET parade which saw 50,000 revellers descend on Cowley Road this summer is in the running to be named the UK's favourite carnival.

Cowley Road Carnival has been chosen as one of 11 finalists for the UK’s Most Popular Carnival 2018.

It is up against events from across the country, including the famous Notting Hill Carnival in London, which has been going since 1966 and is regularly attended by around two million people.

To win this award, Oxford's own annual explosion of music and colour will need to receive the most votes on award organiser Holiday Letting’s website.

Voting ends at midnight on August 21, with the event receiving the most votes crowned the most popular festival in the UK the following day.

The winning carnival will also receive an official award certificate to commemorate their win. The full list of carnivals can be found at blog.holidaylettings.co.uk/most-popular-carnivals-uk

Last month sharks surfed among the crowds while a giant skeleton waved to thousands of onlookers – and performers from around the world joined a mile-long parade for one of the biggest ever Cowley Road Carnivals.

This year’s parade was themed around ‘icons of art’ and Oxford community groups and schools went all out with everything from Mexican themed dancers inspired by artist Frida Kahlo to a pair of tributes to Headington’s Shark House.

Started in its current incarnation in 2000, the carnival is organised by Cowley Road Works.