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Cowley Road Carnival will not go ahead in 2022

BBC Women dancing at the Cowley Road CarnivalBBC
Tens of thousands of people usually attend Cowley Road Carnival in Oxford

A popular annual summer carnival will not be held this year as organisers "take time to consider the future".

Oxford's Cowley Road Carnival, run by Cowley Road Works (CRW) for 20 years, said it would "take a break" following virtual carnivals in 2020 and 2021.

It is usually attended by tens of thousands of people along the city's Cowley Road and surrounding areas.

CRW's acting chair of its board of trustees said it had "succeeded amazingly" in uniting communities.

Cowley Road Carnival
Bands and community groups often parade along Cowley Road during the carnival, like the one pictured here in 2017

Cathy King said: "Carnival started as a regeneration project for East Oxford and has succeeded amazingly in bringing our diverse communities together through celebration of this diversity for 20 years.

"We feel that the time is right to take time this year to reflect on past successes and our vision for Carnival. We will be taking the next few months to consider the future."  

People interested in contributing to CRW's review are asked to get in touch with organisers.

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