Festival fever is hitting the UK over the August Bank Holiday weekend with the Notting Hill Carnival just one of the key events cementing the UK’s reputation as one of the festival capitals of Europe.
Other big festival events over the bank holiday include Manchester’s Pride Festival, one of the largest Pride events in Europe; and also the Reading and Leeds music festivals, with headliners Guns N’ Roses among the big names set to wow the crowds.
Held each August Bank Holiday since 1966 the Notting Hill Carnival is the largest street festival of its kind in Europe.
Every year the streets of West London come alive, with the sound of reggae, dance hall and calypso music. Twenty miles of vibrant colourful costumes, the stunning parade, over 40 static sound systems, hundreds of Caribbean food stalls and more than one million revellers transform West London into party town.
A full-blooded Caribbean carnival but one welcoming party goers from all over the world, this year is expected to be among the biggest and best attracting millions of visitors from around the globe.
Partygoers can expect steel drum bands, booming beats plus popular food and clothing stalls.
Highlights include the main parade on Bank Holiday Monday travelling from Great Western Road to Ladbroke Grove. The 2010 musical line-up includes everyone from newcomers Poirier to reggae legend David Rodigan.
From down south to up north, now established as one of Europe’s biggest Pride events the Manchester Gay Pride 2010 festival is also expected to be buzzing this year, welcoming Lord of the Rings star, Sir Ian McKellen as the official Grand Marshal for the colourful 20th annual Manchester Pride Parade, held Saturday 28 August.
For ten days and nights of events and partying, Manchester Pride culminates in the Big Weekend over the August Bank Holiday with music stars Heaven 17 and Chicane amongst the massive line up.
But while there are festivals and events lined up all over the country over the August Bank Holiday, the capital, London certainly seems to be leading the way this year with a huge number of crowd pleasers to choose from.
As well as the Bank Holiday Notting Hill Carnival, other festival events lined up in the capital include FrightFest, the leading annual fantasy and horror film festival in Leicester Square, with many star guests this year including Tobe Hooper, director of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre; plus many other music events in and around the city including the popular Clapham Festival at Clapham Common featuring Pete Tong and Fat Boy Slim.
Bank Holiday weekenders have never had so much choice of festivals to choose from.
