# St. Pauls Carnival | Sat 7th July Cancelled



## ska invita (May 5, 2012)

This news story says its canceled
http://www.bristol247.com/2012/04/25/st-pauls-carnival-2012-cancelled-amidst-safety-concerns-98360/

I was all set to visit this year... if anyone hears of anything else going on anyway, please post (or PM if its sensitive) thank you


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## ska invita (May 5, 2012)

Whats the real story here?


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## smmudge (May 5, 2012)

I imagine many events/safety services have jacked up their prices over the summer because of the Olympics and so they can't afford it. Probably not anything too sinister.


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## ska invita (May 9, 2012)

Just saw this posted elsewhere - comes recommended but not had a chance to watch myself yet


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## Gerry1time (May 9, 2012)

Safety concerns sounds like a convenient line to take in the face of bigger problems to be honest. Its the St Paul's carnival, the whole thing's been a bit bonkers right since the start, but was always tolerated. I always figured it was a community relations hang over from the riots in the 1980's, and the police were more times than not well on top of any real trouble there anyway.

A few months ago they seemed to have one of their usual 'we can't afford it' moments, which have been happening on and off for a few years now. Story was they took £3000 in donations from 100,000 visitors over the weekend last year, which seems like a mad ratio if true, but then St Paul's has always been a pretty low budget and informal community thing anyway, loads of residents out selling stuff and so on. There was a benefit night at Lakota a few weeks back with Roni Size which was raising money for this year's carnival, with the implication being that enough money wasn't yet arranged to pay all the bills for this year's event.

So, for 'safety concerns' to be cited after a massive fund raising drive just seems a little implausible, or at least not the entire picture. The council says it's still investing the money it was going to into the carnival this year anyway, so I hope its just a year to get the thing back in shape like has happened a couple of times now.

Might well be seeing quite a different sort of carnival afterwards though. After all, the Ashton Court festival is effectively back on again this year, just on a different date and with a different set of organisers, ones who are taking the difficult decision the old organisers felt they never could, of charging £20 a head or whatever to get in. I do wonder if something similar will start to happen with St Pauls.


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## BlackArab (May 10, 2012)

The festival had a shortfall so were unable to put on the full shebang. They suggested a smaller scale festival with no sound systems but the community were in uproar as they felt that they should have been told earlier and a chance to raise the money. Due to justified fears that people would just would turn up and set up rigs illegally causing confrontation with the police the festival was cancelled. That's the short version anyway.


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## BlackArab (May 10, 2012)

The benefit gig was not raising money for this year but to help out with finances as there was no way the money needed for a full festival this year could be raised in time for this year. The fundraising drive has not been 'massive' just a few people doing what they can.


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## ska invita (May 10, 2012)

Hopeful for next year then?


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## Gerry1time (May 10, 2012)

BlackArab said:


> The benefit gig was not raising money for this year but to help out with finances as there was no way the money needed for a full festival this year could be raised in time for this year. The fundraising drive has not been 'massive' just a few people doing what they can.


 
It was certainly being spun as raising money for this year in many quarters before the cancellation, as the Evening Post puts it;



> Stokes Croft nightclub Lakota has pledged to raise £20,000 to help towards this year's St Paul's Carnival.


 
The Lakota also pops up in the comments there to say there will be more fundraising events, and they don't seem to correct the impression the article's giving.


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## BlackArab (May 11, 2012)

I'm aware of that but can assure as someone who has had some involvement that there was no realistic hope of raising the money for this year. People doing fundraisers are aware of this.


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## sim667 (May 15, 2012)

I really wanted to go to that too


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## Yetman (May 15, 2012)

Bastard


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