The annual Taunton Carnival returns to the town centre this Saturday evening. As part of the historic Somerset illuminated carnival circuit, the event attracts thousands of spectators and features spectacular illuminated carts, local community groups, majorettes and walking entries.

What to Expect

The procession will feature large, elaborately decorated illuminated carts covered in thousands of coloured lights, alongside a variety of local groups and performers. The parade is scheduled to leave Tangier Way at 7:30pm and is expected to take approximately two hours to reach the finish at the bottom of East Reach.

If you are not able to attend in person, you can hear coverage of this year’s Carnival live on Apple FM from 6pm. Listen on 97.3FM in Taunton, online, on your smart-speaker of via the free Apple FM app. Apple FM are also in the carnival procession too, alongside our friends at Grab-A-Cab.

Road Closures

From 2:30pm

To allow the procession to assemble safely, the following roads will close from 2:30pm:

  • Castle Street (between the Castle Street Car Park entrance and Tangier Car Park entrance)
  • Tangier Way (between Riverain Court and Castle Street)

Access to:

  • Tangier Car Park
  • Lidl
  • Tesco

via Wellington Road will remain unaffected.

From 6:30pm

To provide a safe route for participants and spectators, town centre road closures will come into effect from 6:30pm:

  • Wood Street (Tangier Way to Bridge Street)
  • Bridge Street
  • The Bridge
  • North Street
  • Fore Street
  • East Street
  • East Reach
  • Chritchard Way
  • Hammet Street
  • Part of Corporation Street

Parking Restrictions

Parking along the procession route will be suspended from 6:00pm.

Any vehicles remaining on the route after 6:30pm may be removed if they are deemed an obstruction or safety hazard.

Residents should ensure vehicles are moved well before the restrictions come into force.

Access Arrangements

Residents within the Wood Street area will still be able to enter and exit via the road next to Taunton Funeral Service. The usual one-way system will be replaced with Stop/Go traffic controls for the duration of the event.

Please note:

  • There will be no access to Tesco or Wellington Road via this route.
  • Vehicles will not be able to leave Haydon Road or Victoria Gate while the road closures are in operation.

Car Parks

All Somerset Council car parks will remain open as normal, with the exception of:

  • Enfield Car Park
  • The Orchard Multi-Storey Car Park, which will close at its usual time of 7:00pm

Visitors are advised to arrive early and allow extra time due to increased traffic and visitor numbers.

Reopening of Roads

Once the final carnival entries have passed through each section of the route, roads will reopen in stages. This will be done in consultation with the Police and Highway Authority and only when it is safe to do so.

Plan Ahead

Anyone travelling into or through Taunton on Saturday evening should expect delays and consider alternative routes where possible. Spectators are encouraged to use designated viewing areas, follow steward instructions and take care when moving around busy parts of the town centre.

Donations

Please consider making a donation to secure the future of The Taunton Carnival. Coin collection trucks will be in the procession and there are also other methods to donate via a QR code and other digital fundraising methods. Your donations secure the future of the event and also raise money for local charities and community organisations.

For the very latest information, click here for the Taunton Carnival website.