Organisers of the Bath Carnival have announced that Smerins Anti-Social Club will be headlining the free party in Sydney Gardens on Saturday 15th July.
It will be a rare chance to see the 10 piece line-up perform tracks from their new album, Jelly Deals, released earlier this month.
Renowned for their explosive live shows, Smerins Anti-Social Club will use the raw ingredients of ska, funk, dub, drum’n’bass and swing to full effect in their epic, brass-heavy instrumentals.
Main support comes from another festival favourite, Bristol’s energetic funk outfit Mango Factory.
Elsewhere on the lineup The Flamenco Thief will be wowing crowds with his intricate guitar looping skills and the carnival will welcome back Bath ska band The Maitree Express, who got crowds skanking at Bath Carnival 2015 with their second ever live performance.
As well as live music, entertainment and dance and drumming workshops, this year’s Sydney Gardens party will feature a mouthwatering selection of independent food and drink traders hand picked by Ash Bailey from local drinks company Henny & Joes.
With tastes from around the world and some surprise limited edition Carnival recipes you’ll be spoilt for choice.
More community groups and local schools have joined the carnival’s workshop programme than ever before, and they have now started working on their costumes for this year’s Colourful Creatures theme.
Wheels For All joined Action On Hearing Loss on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th May to design and build large peacock structures fitted to the back of a variety of wheelchairs which they will ride in the procession.
Next, organisers will be working with service users of Genesis Trust and Julian House, teaching drumming and dance in preparation for a performance at Bath Carnival.
This year, for the first time, they will also be holding a series of free drop-in workshops the week leading up to the Carnival.
Green Park Station’s Market Square will become a Carnival hub with free costume making workshops throughout the day plus drumming and dance workshops in the evening.
As well as giving members of the public a chance to prepare their own costumes for the final event it will provide a space for artistic collaboration for all the groups involved in this year’s project.
Public Workshops: Monday 10 July – Friday 14 July: 2:30pm – 8:30pm.
The Bath Carnival needs around 80 volunteers on the day of Bath Carnival to help organisers deliver a free, family friendly event for the people of Bath.
Volunteer roles include helping setup the events at Sydney Gardens and Bath Recreation Ground, stewarding the parks, walking alongside a community group in the Carnival procession, and collecting donations.
Those wanting to be part of the community project can apply on the website here.