MCC’s 6th Annual Community Carnival 8th August!

Celebrating culture, creativity and connection in the heart of Medway

Saturday 8th August 2026 | 12pm to 5pm Royal Engineers Museum, Prince Arthur Rd, Gillingham, ME7 1UR | FREE ENTRY

Something remarkable happens every summer in Gillingham. Strangers become neighbours, drumbeats cut through the air, and a street feels like a whole world.

That is what Medway Culture Club’s Community Carnival has been since 2021, and this August we are doing it bigger, louder, and more joyfully than ever. We cannot wait to welcome you!

What is the Carnival?

Now in its sixth year, the MCC Community Carnival is Kent’s largest, most vibrant community-led, youth-focused events. Rooted in the traditions of Notting Hill Carnival and the legacy of the Windrush generation, it exists to bring people together across generations, backgrounds and cultures through music, dance, food and shared joy.

This year’s theme is “Promoting Social Connection and Well-being”, a response to a very real need. Social isolation is affecting communities across the country, particularly younger people and older residents who can go weeks without meaningful human connection.

The Carnival is our answer: a free, accessible, family-friendly space where that connection happens naturally, loudly, and with a lot of dancing.

“More than a carnival, this is a movement rooted in community pride, inclusion and well-being.”

What’s On

The programme runs from 12pm to 5pm with performances, workshops and activities running across multiple stages and spaces throughout the day. Here is a taste of what to expect:

Live Musicians

Multiple performances and hands-on workshops bringing the sunshine sounds to Gillingham.

Steel Pan Agency | Segun The Violinist

Samba and Carnival Dance

Interactive samba performances you are actively encouraged to join, plus Bhangra, Afrobeats and spoken word. Performers and Dancers Afroflex Dance Academy | USDD Networks | Shaan Bhangra Di | Samba Girls

Intention Studio Sound System

DJ Mikey Ragga and General Dips on the decks all afternoon with Soca, Reggae, Afrobeats and carnival classics.

Carnival Parades

Two spectacular parades open to all, setting off from the DJ tent and winding through the museum grounds.

Art and Crafts

Make carnival headdresses, flags and maracas masterpieces and affirmation and identity colouring. Activities for all ages and abilities.

Cultural Food Corner

A feast of global flavours including African, Caribbean and South Asian street food, ice cream, juices and cakes from Sofbele, African and Fusion Food | 8’s Kitchen, Caribbean Food | Park N Grill, African Food | Bagel Rock | Naty’s Burger & Bubble Waffle Van | Moe’s Ices | M’s Hot Sauces | Felisbella Cakes | ESO Juices | Perfect Patties

Fun & Games

Inflatable games from Beyond Bounce bouncy castle hire Chatham, glitter tattoos, henna, face painters and pocket money toys and books for young ones from Ruby’s Reads Book Stall | Carnival book author Laurina Moody | SG Hair Braiding | Kirsty’s Glitter Tattoos and Pocket Money Toys | JoJo’s Personalised Gifts | Henna Designs | Choy Family Chinese Calligraphy | Face Painters: Like a Magpie, Porgie’s and Blossom Park | Matt The Magician

Community, Health and Well-being Partners Black Mums Kent CIC  | NHS Blood Transplant and Blood Group Testing | Medway Youth | Foster for Medway | Ya Kwanza Financial Education CIC | Child Friendly Medway | Police Engagement and Cadets | Fire Engine | Medi Move Paramedics

Rachel Evans Photography | Segun Emmanuel Akinremi Photography | Prez on Visuals Videography on site throughout the day.

The day closes with speeches from Medway Culture Club Co-founder, Camealia Xavier Chihota, the Worshipful Mayor of Nedway, Cllr Douglas Hamandishe & Leader of Medway Council, Cllr Vince Maple, not forgetting our notoriously regal RAFFLE winners announcements at around 4:45pm.

Raffle tickets will be sold for just £1 and proceeds go towards raising vital funds for our charity.

We are incredibly grateful to the following local and national businesses who have generously donated prizes to our raffle, helping to make this year’s Carnival extra special for our community. Every ticket purchased on the day supports MCC’s ongoing work across Medway.

A heartfelt thank you to the Inn on the Lake, the Central Theatre Chatham, Bigjigs Toys, Avenue Tennis, Chatham Historic Dockyard, Delta Force Paintball, Mamma Mia, Fish at 55, Chuck and Blade, Oliver’s, Chatham Bowl, The Entertainer Chatham, Tesco Strood, Tesco Gillingham, Tesco Maidstone, Bridgewood Manor Hotel, Nando’s Chatham Dockside, Wagamama Chatham Dockside, The Ivy Tree, and Hollywood Bowl Medway Valley Park for their incredible generosity and support of our community. It means the world to us and to every family who will walk away with a smile and a prize on the day.

Our Venue Partner

We are proud to be hosted once again by the Royal Engineers Museum. Medway’s finest heritage venue and one of Kent’s most important military museums. The museum’s beautiful grounds set the perfect stage for a day of carnival colour and community celebration.

This year’s carnival brings together an outstanding lineup of local and regional talent, community organisations, health partners and beloved local businesses. We are incredibly grateful to everyone joining us.

Proudly Supported By

MCC’s 6th Annual Community Carnival is funded in part by the Medway Together Fund Summer Events Scheme and Medway Council. Their support makes it possible to keep delivering this event for our community. We are grateful for their commitment to grassroots culture and community well-being.

Why It Matters

The Carnival has grown from a socially distanced event in 2021, at a moment when communities needed each other most. Six years on, the need for genuine human connection has not gone away. Loneliness and social isolation continue to affect people of all ages across Medway, and events like ours offer something that cannot be replicated online: the physical, felt experience of belonging.

Whether you are a grandparent watching your grandchild try steel pan for the first time, a teenager who has never seen Bhangra performed live, a new arrival to Medway searching for community, or a long-time resident who simply loves a good carnival, this day is made for you.

We are also proud to honour the legacy of local Windrush civil rights campaigner, Asquith Xavier, whose story reminds us of the power one voice has to spark lasting change. We create space for every voice, every culture, every individual, especially those who feel unseen.

Book Your Tickets

Tickets are free, but booking in advance helps us plan a brilliant day for everyone.

www.medwaycultureclub.co.uk/free-events

Charitable donations upon booking and on the day are warmly welcomed and go directly back into MCC’s community programmes.

Saturday 8th August 2026 | 12pm to 5pm | Royal Engineers Museum, Gillingham, ME7 1UR

Check out last years carnival showreel on our YouTube channel - https://youtu.be/bzJWdyMyprE?feature=shared

Follow us: @MedwayCulture on Instagram and Facebook

Contact us if you are interested in volunteering with our charity, let’s make Medway brighter, together! Email: info@medwaycultureclub.co.uk