Exeter Carnival pulled due to rising costs

Locals and visitors alike will be saddened to learn that Exeter Carnival 2023 will not go ahead because of a huge leap in operations costs, organisers have revealed. 

The Business Improvement District, InExeter, made the disappointing announcement that they were “compelled” to cancel the festival this year, despite Exeter Carnival 2022 being a “monumental event”. 

Last year, Exeter witnessed the triumphant comeback of Exeter Carnival which was resurrected after a 24-year hiatus. The original Exeter Carnival ended in 1998 due to the rising costs of organising the event and funding shortages.

The revival of the carnival was organised by InExeter, the Business Improvement District for Exeter. This event was made possible by the member businesses of InExeter, whose collective funding allows incredible events to take place in the city. 

In 2022, over 40 entries took part in Exeter Carnival which included over 600 people from Exeter and beyond.

Mat Jarratt, chair of directors at InExeter, explained that road closures and the scale of people needed to ensure the festival ran at the same standard as last year were reasons why the “difficult” decision to cancel the festival had to be made. 

InExeter is, however, planning a different festive celebration, which will take place on 25th November instead. This event is planned to occur during the daytime and early evening and will include festive celebrations with pop-up performances throughout the day. 

A spokesperson for InExeter said the 2022 carnival would be “eternally cherished as a momentous occasion.”