Hackney Council have announced that its annual carnival will now be held every two years, with the next event to take place in 2024, due to budget constraints.
In a statement posted on the Hackney Council website, Councillor Chris Kennedy pointed to rising costs as the reason for this decision.
“The budget for carnival has doubled each year due to its increasing scale and popularity. Rising costs and challenging inflationary pressures mean it simply isn’t possible to hold a live carnival event every 12 months,” he said.
He went on to say that while there would be a reduced programme for 2023 the council would strive to “keep Hackney’s carnival traditions alive” by working with carnival groups and local business.
The news has come as a disappointment to many residents, including Lara Heitsch, a 25-year-old chef who has lived in Hackney for seven years.
“I understand why it’s been done but I enjoyed everything about it,” she said.
“I went to the one last year and the one before the pandemic. They’re so much fun and so many people show up for it so it’s weird that they would make it every two years,” she said.
“I suppose if it costs too much, and the council is having to make cuts, then it makes sense but it would be good to see it come back in some form.”
Residents have also questioned how the financial decision was made. Speaking to Hackney Post, Phil, a Hackney resident, said: “What would be helpful is to know how much it costs to run yearly, how much of this is a cost to the council or residences and what, if any, is collected from the participants?”
The Mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, lamented that, while it was not an easy decision, it was made to “safeguard the future of Hackney Carnival”.
The previous festival took place in October 2022 after being pushed back from September due to the 10-day period of national mourning following the death of the Queen.
