Southwark Council’s Bermondsey Carnival pulls biggest crowd ever

2 July 2018

Southwark Council’s free annual Bermondsey Carnival welcomed the biggest crowd it’s ever hosted, with 15,000 people taking up the council’s open invitation to grab a picnic basket, dig out some sun lotion and head on down to Southwark Park, to swing and boogie the night away, on Saturday 30 June.

This year’s party returned with another great line up of music, in partnership with Bermondsey Beat, Plaza Latina, Kinetika Bloco and The Movement Factory. 

The Carnival’s headliners were Salute to Sinatra, a tribute to Ole Blue Eyes himself, featuring all of his classic songs, as crooned by singer Louis Hoover. An Abba Girls Tribute performed all the Swedish band’s hits; Tiny Tina and Kindred Soul joined a host of other performers, including Southwark’s own Kinetica Bloco, to entertain the crowds. 

New to the carnival this year is Plaza Latina, bringing an eclectic and vibrant Latin American, authentic, fiesta vibe, with Nelson Fontalvo’s La Tribu Band, direct from Barranquilla and Cali Swing semi-finalists, from Britain’s Got Talent 2018.

Families enjoyed a Create and Play area with London Bubble, Crafty Beasts, Totally Wild, CGP London and Southwark Libraries. The SE16 Dance tent was full of performances and workshops from The Movement Factory, Bond’s funfair, food and drink stalls and of course, the opportunity to rummage for a bargain in the Rumble in the Jumble. 

Cllr Rebecca Lury, Cabinet Member for culture, leisure, equalities and communities, said: “Bermondsey Carnival is a magical day out for all the family. It was a pleasure to work with excellent local creatives to help bring the carnival to Southwark Park this year and great to see people coming together to sing, dance and have fun on the day.” 

Page last updated: 02 July 2018