Whitstable Carnival returns Saturday August 2nd 2025 in a tribute to our local hero, the legendary Peter Cushing
Whitstable Carnival Association is pleased to announce that the town’s 128th anniversary Carnival will take place, as it traditionally does, on the first Saturday in August 2025, which this year is August 2nd.
Enter the Whitstable Carnival 2025 Parade here!
Fill in and return the entry forms to be part of our lovely Carnival. You can print, mail, email or just fill in online!
Please get in touch if you have any further questions about entering the Carnival!
Follow us to get the latest updates on the 2025 Carnival!
Join in the fun: Volunteer!
The Carnival needs YOU. Without you we cannot make this happen. Any time you can spare will help and there are so many ways to get involved. We’d love to have you on board!
It’s a small gift of your time that makes a huge difference to our community. We’d love you to be part of it. Interested? Just message us to sign up — and thank you in advance for helping keep Whitstable Carnival wonderful!
Attend one of our events, become a member, volunteer your time to help – your community needs you!
Stewarding the carnival, standing at junctions on route, supervising the parade coming through
Help with setting up/striking down
Wearing a big head or fish in the parade
Join our committees/ plan our events
Have a float in the Carnival
Latest News
Our 2025 Carnival Programme is out now!
A great way to help the Carnival is to buy our gorgeous Souvenir Carnival Programme.
Hundreds of our famous programmes are distributed every year for a donation of £2 (or more!).
You can view the Programme here, but please do remember to donate at least £2: the carnival is funded by the kindess of people like you.
Be a Hero Sponsor
We need your help business persons
The Whitstable Carnival Association is a non-profit and we need some cash to carry on our work in the community.
- Enter a float
- Sponsor a float
- Buy an ad
- We take cash, and cheques too
- Access this link to donate via give a little.
- https://givealittle.co/c/whitstablecarnival OR
- Scan the QR code below to make a donation on the Give a Little platform.
What Happens on the Day
Timings for the Procession
The procession moves off at 5.30, travelling along Tankerton Road, Tower Parade, Harbour Street, High Street, Oxford Street and Canterbury Road to Saddleton Road, where we will disperse. This usually takes around two hours and there will be road closures on all adjoining roads.
For those in the procession, you’ll be allocated a space along Pier Avenue and Northwood Road upon arrival at the check-in.
Please approach via Northwood Road from its junction with Tower Parade/Tankerton Road (where the launderette is) – our check-in is on the junction of Northwood Road and Fitzroy Road where you’ll be greeted and escorted to your spot.
Once you’re settled you will then head to the HQ in Pier Avenue for your numbered lanyard, more details and further instructions. You may arrive from 1pm if you’re a large float but generally from 3:30pm should suffice. Judging by the Mayor will take place from 4:30pm
If you are planning to travel to Whitstable at this time, please note that there will be major road closures in the Parade area.
Be patient, choose another route, travel early or delay your journey till it’s over. Better yet, park up and join in the fun!
Monster workshops for Kids (and big Kids too)
We are excited to announce that the 2025 Whitstable Carnival theme is Peter Cushing.
We will be holding a series of workshops at the Horsebridge to help you design and make a fabulous custom Dalek or Frankenstein in honour of our local hero Peter Cushing’s movies!
Get in touch if you have any questions about this great workshop so that you and your kids can join in the parade as the great Cushing’s monster parade!
Volunteer to be part of the Parade as a Road Marshal
Whitstable Carnival is back — and we need you to help keep it safe, smooth, and full of cheer! We’re on the lookout for friendly volunteers aged 17 and over to be road marshals during our annual parade.
The parade kicks off at 5:30 PM, and we’ll need you from 4:30 PM onwards, for up to 2 to 3 hours (though many marshals are finished within the first hour).
What does a road marshal do? Your job is simple but so important:
- Stand at a junction along the route to help keep things safe
- Make sure no vehicles enter the closed road
- Keep an eye on things & help everyone have a great time.
- There’s a legal road closure in place, and we will handle cones and signage.
We will provide:
- A high-vis vest
- An info sheet and a map
- Support throughout the event.
You’ll also need to attend a short pre-event briefing to go over the route and your role: we’ll let you know details closer to the day.
Volunteer solo or bring a friend! You can sign up alone or pair up with friends or family — marshalling is more fun together, and you’ll have a prime view of the parade.
As a big thank you, you’ll get a free drink and food after the event — our way of showing how much we appreciate your help.
Whitstable Carnival 2025 Ethos
The purpose of Carnival is to bring the community together and to raise funds for various local charities.
Carnival welcomes everyone and makes no distinctions based on class or race or age or sex. All you need to take part is a sense of fun. Carnival is play. It is frivolity. It is fantasy. It is a joyous expression of who we are as a community. It is an opportunity to show your wares, whether as a business or a charity or as a community organisation. It is about showing off.
Show us who you are. Tell us what you are proud of. Make yourselves known. Be as bold as you like. Be as silly as you like. Be funny. Be friendly. Be kind. Be generous. Be a part of your community.
Sam the Giant
Meet the famous Whitstable Giant one of ten original giants created by Strange Cargo years ago. Sam is only one of two left from the original family.
