After a difficult few years which saw the event cancelled for two consecutive years due to covid restrictions, Swanage Carnival is back with a jam packed programme.
There’s new attractions and some old favourites, all based around the fairytale theme of ‘Once Upon a Time’. This major Swanage event takes place from Saturday 30th July to Saturday 6th August 2022.
An aerobatic air display not for the faint hearted!
New flying displays
Back for 2022 are the three firework displays on both the Saturdays and the Wednesday too, with the carnival parade on Sunday 31st July, as well as the beer tent and Pimms bar on Sandpit Field for the whole eight days.
While sadly the Red Arrows won’t be performing this year, the carnival team knows how much flying displays are appreciated, so they’ve lined up two new special events.
The first is at the beginning of the week and it’s an aerobatic air display by Rich Goodwin. This is a bi-plane that loops the loop and defies gravity in a series of stunts that will leave many in the crowd not daring to watch.
The second is an air display by the only Lancaster Bomber still flying in the UK. This Avro Lancaster from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will close the carnival on the final Saturday.
The Lancaster Bomber will fly over Swanage Bay
Dinosaurs to roam the Jurassic coast again!
Other new events over the eight days include a fun dinosaur show, where children (and adults!) can feel what it would have felt like to come face to face with a dinosaur along our Jurassic coastline.
There’s also a display of martial arts and self defence by our Swanage Martial Arts group, as well as an acrobatic display by a troupe from Tanzania, set to lively African music.
A new dinosaur show for 2022
New time for rave night
EHM – electronic house music – at Prince Albert Gardens is back but to help counteract the stress of the last couple of years, it will start at a new time of 3 pm on the Thursday to allow for an afternoon of chilling to an Ibiza vibe. The event will hot up at about 7 pm and end at 10 pm.
Alongside all the events throughout the week, there will be 17 live bands performing in the evenings in the marquee at Sandpit Field including top performers Abba’s Angels, Sway Allstars, The Bournemouth Rat Pack, Jess Upton and the Guilty Pleasures and not forgetting the Swanage band The Reptiles!
Who needs Ibiza when you have Swanage?!
“Eight days of laughter and happiness”
Swanage Carnival secretary Kevin Langdon said:
“I’m excited – very excited about this year’s carnival. I don’t really know what to expect after the last two years that we’ve had. I just hope that we bring back to Swanage, eight days of laughter and happiness.
“After all the waiting and planning it will be great to see all the events actually happening. It’s going to be busy and I think the whole carnival team will need a holiday afterwards. I hope the town enjoys it and we raise lots of money for good causes!”
Swanage Carnival always ends with a bang!
Key dates for the diary 2022
- Saturday 30th July – Carnival kicks off with the beer tent opening at 11 am and the Pimms bar at 12 noon. Black Eagles acrobatic display team in the afternoon and fireworks in the evening
- Sunday 31st July – Carnival procession in the afternoon, along with Rich Goodwin’s aerobatic air display
- Wednesday 3rd August – Dog show in the afternoon and fireworks in the evening
- Thursday 4th August – EHM at Prince Albert Gardens with new start time of 3 pm
- Friday 5th August – The iconic wheelbarrow race!
- Saturday 6th August – Dinosaur show throughout the day with the Lancaster air display in the afternoon and fireworks in the evening to close the event
The Black Eagles acrobatic team delivers an impressive display
Programme available soon
There’s lots of things happening every day and all the details and timings will be in the printed programme, which is currently being printed and will be available to buy soon.
All the events are free to attend, so it’s the proceeds from the programme and donations that enable the carnival to go ahead. On top of covering costs, the aim is to donate as much money as possible to local good causes.
The carnival programme about to hit the streets of Swanage, but may be pre-ordered via the carnival website
“Chosen charity is Swanage Hospital Stanley Purser Ward”
Chair of Swanage Carnival Maria Foot said:
“Carnival costs over £200,000 to put on and this money is all raised by the volunteers who organise and run carnival.
“After the last few years we are very conscious that many of our sponsors and supporters have suffered financially during these difficult times, and yet, I have been heartened by how many in our local community have committed to sponsoring us this year helping to ensure we can go ahead.
“It is always our hope to cover costs and give to our chosen charities from any proceeds that we make. This year my chosen charity is Swanage Hospital Stanley Purser Ward. Our local hospital is a vital resource and any money raised for this cause will go directly to the ward.
“We also continue to give to our annual charities the Swanage Stroke Club and the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, along with 17 other local chosen charities.”
Following the last Swanage Carnival in 2019, the committee was able to donate £28,000 to local charities
Further information
- A Swanage Carnival programme for 2022 can be pre-ordered for £3 on the new Swanage Carnival website
- There’s also more details about events on the website