Bridgwater Carnival -Spectacular Free To Watch Event
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If you’ve never seen Bridgwater Guy Fawkes carnival then it is certainly a sight to behold. Huge illuminated floats (or carts as we call them) line the streets in a parade that takes over two and a half hours to pass any one point. There are also dance troupes, bands and costumed walking entries that join in along the way. And the best part? It’s completely free.
Bridgwater Carnival – Spectacular Free To Watch Event
You don’t have to pay a penny to watch, although donations to local charities are encouraged by collectors walking the route.
Bridgwater Carnival is always the first and biggest carnival of the Somerset Guy Fawkes carnival circuit. Further Carnivals take place at other locations in the county throughout the month of November. These include Burnham-on-sea, North Petherton, Weston Super-mare, Shepton Mallet and Glastonbury.
Bridgwater Carnival: A Quick History
Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival is usually held on the first Saturday in November.
It is a celebration that dates back to the gun powder plot of 1605. Originally the celebrations consisted of the burning of an old wooden ship and barrels of tar in the centre of the town.
This had to be stopped due to over-enthusiastic revellers burning boats that were still perfectly usable. It eventually evolved into a parade of carts and as time has gone on these have become more and more elaborate.
Today’s floats are illuminated by thousands of light bulbs and have many moving parts, as well as the traditional music and dance you would expect from a carnival. One even took part in this year’s Jubilee celebrations in London!
The procession takes place at night and the beginning of the Carnival parade is usually marked by a cart depicting scenes from the gun powder plot. This is followed by marching bands, dance troupes and other walking performers.
These are then followed by the main carnival carts.
Bridgwater Carnival – Community Spirit
Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival provides a year-round sense of community spirit in the town. The carts are built entirely by volunteers and each carnival club must raise all of its own funds.
Most clubs hold fundraising events in the town and surrounding areas throughout the year.
They also provide services such as face painting and mobile bars to raise additional cash. The carts take a whole year to be built and are often still being worked on right up until the last minute.
The main carnival event is preceded by two weeks of Carnival Concerts in which each carnival club performs a short piece of music and dance which ties in with the theme of that year’s cart.
The concerts are very popular within the town and often sell out weeks in advance.
Below is a video of the 2018 Carnival – the winning carnival cart can be seen at around 38 minutes.
Bridgwater Carnival – What is Squibbing?
After the main carnival parade spectators gather in the town centre to witness a tradition known as ‘squibbing’. A squib is a firework (which is held up in the air by a person known as a ‘Squibber’) on the end of a long wooden pole called a “cosh”.
One hundred of these are lit and held up simultaneously creating an amazing spectacle. It does seem quite dangerous but health and safety regulations are in place and no one has ever been seriously hurt while participating. See the video below for 2018’s Squibbing session.
When Is The Next Bridgwater Carnival?
What Date Is Bridgwater Carnival?
The next Bridgwater carnival will be held on Saturday 5th of November 2022 and will start at 6 pm (pre-procession starts at 5.30 pm)
This will be the first carnival in two years after it was postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
What Time Does Bridgwater Carnival Start?
Bridgwater carnival now starts at 5.30 pm for the pre-procession and 6 pm is when the first carts will begin to leave Parkway and Bath Road.
This time has been made earlier in recent years due to hold-ups which caused delays, meaning lots of children were out much later than anticipated.
How Long Is Bridgwater Carnival?
The Bridgwater Carnival parade usually takes around two hours to pass any one point on the route, although it can take longer if there are delays due to carts breaking down or struggling to traverse corners and roundabouts.
How Early Do I Need To Arrive For Bridgwater Carnival?
This depends on several factors including where you’d like to watch the parade, whether you need to park your car and whether you want a front-row view to all of the action. The main parade route can become very crowded and can be 4-5 people deep in some places.
While this is fine and you can still see well, if you have children this may make it trickier for them to see.
People have been known to start lining the streets as early as 12.00 pm on carnival day and there are usually lots of people waiting, particularly towards where the procession starts, by 4 pm.
Road closures start at around 5pm so it’s worth accounting for this and how far you’re happy to walk.
There are lots of events and activities throughout the day in Bridgwater town centre so you can arrive early and rest assured there is plenty to see and do.
Full procession information, including a route map and expected timings, can be found: Bridgwater Carnival Procession Info.
What Is The Rest Area?
There is a small rest area about halfway along the procession route. This is to give performers a short break and allow them to have a much-needed drink.
Is Bridgwater Carnival Free?
Yes, Bridgwater Carnival is a free event. However, donations are greatly appreciated and can be made to collectors on the night or online after the event.
Money collected at the carnival goes to supporting local charities and community groups in Bridgwater and if everyone attending gave just £1, thousands of people in the local area would benefit.
Is There Seating At Bridgwater Carnival?
While most people stand to watch the carnival, you can bring your own seats if you want to.
Many people come early to find a good spot and get set up with a camping chair or two. It might also be wise to bring a small chair or a buggy for small children who might find standing for a long time tricky.
Being seated also means you can snuggle under a blanket which can help alleviate the November chill!
There are also several grandstands along the parade route, which provide covered seating that can be reserved. They cost around £20 per person and do tend to sell out well in advance of the carnival, so you need to get in there early.
What Happens If It Rains At Bridgwater Carnival?
We get wet! As far as I’m aware, the carnival has never been cancelled due to bad weather, although the crowds may be smaller if continual heavy weather is forecast.
Can I Livestream Bridgwater Carnival?
The Carnival will be live-streamed through the Bridgwater Carnival Website. It is free to watch, however, contributions to the carnival charity are encouraged. So, if you would like to watch and can donate please do!
Where Can I Find The Results For Bridgwater Carnival?
If you’ve visited Bridgwater Carnival, you might have spotted some judges while you were watching the parade.
There are several categories for judging including best local feature cart, best tableaux cart and best juvenile cart.
Results are usually posted on Facebook in the early hours of Sunday morning and can also be found on the Bridgwater Carnival Website.
Where Are The Somerset Guy Fawkes Carnivals?
While Bridgwater Carnival is the first and biggest carnival, there are several others that take place during the month of November.
So, if you can’t make Bridgwater Carnival there are plenty of other opportunities to see the carnival carts in their full glory.
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- Burnham on Sea – Monday 7th November 2022 – 7.30 pm
- Weston Super Mare – Friday 11th November 2022 – 7 pm
- North Petherton – Saturday 12th November 2022 – 7 pm
- Midsomer Norton – Monday 14th November 2022 – 7.30 pm
- Shepton Mallet – Wednesday 16th November 2022 – 7.30 pm
- Wells – Friday 18th November 2022 – 7 pm
- Glastonbury – 19th November 2022 – 7 pm
Would you like to know anything else about Bridgwater Carnival? Please let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer any questions!
