Thornbury Carnival ‘The Main Event’ will take place on Saturday 1st July on the Mundy Playing Fields. Gates will open at 11.00am and the event will run until 11.00pm. Please see What’s On for more information.

Thornbury Carnival’s committee is much smaller now than in the past and, in 2022, the committee took the difficult decision to remove the parade from the event programme for the foreseeable future. Historically, the parade has been a very resource-intensive aspect of the event and, unfortunately, the committee does not have the volunteers needed to organise and deliver a parade. Instead, the committee is now putting all its efforts into the experience on the Mundy Playing Fields, including adding a new event on the Friday evening. Please see What’s On for more information.

You can buy an online ticket in advance or pay at the gate using cash or contactless payment. Further details are available on our Tickets webpage.

 Tickets are non-refundable although you may sell them to a third party if you are no longer able to attend the event.

We work really hard to keep costs and ticket prices to a minimum but the event costs around £50,000 to put on each year. This excludes staffing costs because everyone involved in organising the event donates their time free of charge throughout the year and over the weekend. Although we receive a small amount of funding from Thornbury Town Council, other grants, and some sponsorship, it’s nowhere near enough to cover the cost of delivering the event. Affordability and inclusivity are important to us and to support this, we work with local groups to distribute free tickets to those families identified as being in need. Unfortunately, costs within the events industry have increased so, realistically, this will need to be reflected in the ticket prices this year to ensure the long-term sustainability of the event. That being said, we still believe the event offers great value for money compared with other similar events in the area.

Carers accompanying the adult or child for whom they care will be able to gain free entry to the event by showing their Carers’ Emergency Card, available from either South Gloucestershire Council or the Bristol and South Gloucestershire Carers Support Centre. Please be ready to show your card to the gate staff on arrival.

There is no parking available for ticketholders on the Mundy Playing Fields site with the exception of a small number of accessible parking spaces for Blue Badge holders. All Thornbury car parks will be available throughout both events but are likely to be busy, especially on Saturday. We strongly recommend walking, cycling, or using public transport (please see ‘Buses’ FAQ for further details).

First Bus T1 and 622 and Stagecoach 10 routes link Thornbury with neighbouring areas. Please check the respective websites for latest information.

There is a limited amount of accessible parking for both events which can be accessed via Kington Lane. Accessible parking spaces are allocated on a first come, first served basis:

Swing in the Park on Friday 30th June – Blue Badge holders may purchase an adult ticket that includes one accessible parking space plus entry for the driver only. Any passengers accompanying the driver must purchase separate tickets. Click here to purchase an accessible parking ticket for the Friday event.  

Thornbury Carnival ‘The Main Event’ on Saturday 1st July – Blue badge holders may purchase an adult ticket that includes one accessible parking space plus entry for the driver only. Any passengers accompanying the driver must purchase separate tickets. Alternatively, a family ticket is available which includes entry for the driver, an additional adult aged 17+ plus up to 2 children aged 5-16. Children aged 0-4 are free of charge. Carers (accompanying those for whom they care and on the production of a Carers’ Emergency Card) are free of charge. Click here to purchase an accessible parking ticket for the Saturday event.

Ticketholders will only be able to access the event via the High Street. Unlike in previous years, there will be no access via the Castle Court Car Park. Access via Kington Lane will also be reserved for those involved in the event, e.g. suppliers, performers, etc. The only exception will be Blue Badge holders who have bought a ticket that includes an accessible parking space. Please note, Kington Lane will be supervised by security personnel only, not event staff, so Blue Badge holders will not be able to buy tickets at the gate.

Unfortunately, our insurance policy strictly prohibits ticketholder access to the Mundy Playing Fields for any reason prior to the official event start times on both Friday and Saturday.

No, the ticket price is the same regardless of when you arrive at or leave the event. The costs associated with a segmented ticketing approach (including gate management for daytime, evening, or all-day tickets) mean it isn’t feasible for an event of this size and nature. You can, however, leave the site and return later in the evening if you don’t want to spend the whole day at the event.

Yes, if you leave via the High Street gate we will either stamp your forearm or give you a wristband so you can re-enter later.

The Mundy Playing Fields will be subject to a temporary footpath closure order from 5.00pm on Friday 30th June until 11.00pm on Saturday 1st July 2023. The general public will not be able to access the Mundy Playing Fields for any reason during this time. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause but this closure is necessary to enable the safe set up, delivery, and breakdown of the event.

No, road closures have not been deemed necessary for the 2023 event.

Yes, we don’t anticipate any disruption to bus timetables or routes as a result of the 2023 event.

Yes, you’re very welcome to bring your own food onto the Mundy Playing Fields but, for safety reasons, please do not bring glass or knives onto the site. Thornbury Town Council and the Police require us to search bags on entry and any prohibited items will be confiscated.

No, visitors are not permitted to bring alcohol onto the Mundy Playing Fields site. Thornbury Town Council and the Police require us to search bags on entry and any alcohol will be confiscated.

No, barbeques are not permitted on site as they are a potential fire hazard. Thornbury Town Council and the Police require us to search bags on entry and any barbeques will be confiscated.

Friendly dogs are very welcome but must be kept on a lead and under control at all times. Owners are required to dispose of dog faeces in the usual park bins rather than in the temporary event bins.

On-site medical provision includes a First Aid tent, a fully equipped ambulance, an off-road capable vehicle, and 6-8 HSE First Aid at Work qualified mobile personnel. Please alert a marshall if you need medical attention and cannot make your way to the First Aid post. Any accidents, serious incidents, or minor injuries such as trips, slips, cuts, etc. must be recorded in our Accident Log located at the First Aid post before leaving the site.

Our Lost Child Point is staffed by DBS-checked volunteers

All children will be issued wristbands on arrival at the Mundy Playing Fields and parents/carers will be asked to write their mobile numbers on them. Please talk to your child/children in advance about what to do if they get lost – the best advice is to stay where they are when they realise they are lost so their parents/carers can find them and/or ask for help from another grown-up who has children with them.

What to do if you lose your child:

If you lose your child, please alert a committee member (wearing orange hi-vis) or steward (wearing yellow hi-vis) as soon as possible. You will be asked to provide a detailed description to enable a search to begin. Support from the Police will be requested if deemed necessary. When a child is reunited with his/her parents/carers, the parents/carers will be asked to go to the Lost Child Point to complete a form that records that the child was returned to them.

What to do if you find a lost child:

If you find a lost child, please alert the nearest carnival team member as soon as possible. Under no circumstances should a member of the public ask a lost child to accompany them anywhere, including to the Lost Child Point. Where a child has been found, the carnival team member and the person finding the child will remain at that location for up to five minutes to allow for recovery by parents/carers, after which they will both escort the child to the Lost Child Point. Children under the age of 8 will be kept at the Lost Child Point until collected by the parent/carer or another responsible adult. Children aged over 8 will be free to leave or can remain at the Lost Child Point if they wish. Any parents/carers collecting a child from the Lost Child Point will be required to complete a form and show proof of identity before the child is released.

Thornbury Carnival ‘The Main Event’ will take place on Saturday 1st July on the Mundy Playing Fields. Gates will open at 11.00am and the event will run until 11.00pm. Please see What’s On for more information.

Thornbury Carnival’s committee is much smaller now than in the past and, in 2022, the committee took the difficult decision to remove the parade from the event programme for the foreseeable future. Historically, the parade has been a very resource-intensive aspect of the event and, unfortunately, the committee does not have the volunteers needed to organise and deliver a parade. Instead, the committee is now putting all its efforts into the experience on the Mundy Playing Fields, including adding a new event on the Friday evening. Please see What’s On for more information.

You can buy an online ticket in advance or pay at the gate using cash or contactless payment. Further details are available on our Tickets webpage.

 Tickets are non-refundable although you may sell them to a third party if you are no longer able to attend the event.

We work really hard to keep costs and ticket prices to a minimum but the event costs around £50,000 to put on each year. This excludes staffing costs because everyone involved in organising the event donates their time free of charge throughout the year and over the weekend. Although we receive a small amount of funding from Thornbury Town Council, other grants, and some sponsorship, it’s nowhere near enough to cover the cost of delivering the event. Affordability and inclusivity are important to us and to support this, we work with local groups to distribute free tickets to those families identified as being in need. Unfortunately, costs within the events industry have increased so, realistically, this will need to be reflected in the ticket prices this year to ensure the long-term sustainability of the event. That being said, we still believe the event offers great value for money compared with other similar events in the area.

Carers accompanying the adult or child for whom they care will be able to gain free entry to the event by showing their Carers’ Emergency Card, available from either South Gloucestershire Council or the Bristol and South Gloucestershire Carers Support Centre. Please be ready to show your card to the gate staff on arrival.

There is no parking available for ticketholders on the Mundy Playing Fields site with the exception of a small number of accessible parking spaces for Blue Badge holders. All Thornbury car parks will be available throughout both events but are likely to be busy, especially on Saturday. We strongly recommend walking, cycling, or using public transport (please see ‘Buses’ FAQ for further details).

First Bus T1 and 622 and Stagecoach 10 routes link Thornbury with neighbouring areas. Please check the respective websites for latest information.

There is a limited amount of accessible parking for both events which can be accessed via Kington Lane. Accessible parking spaces are allocated on a first come, first served basis:

Swing in the Park on Friday 30th June – Blue Badge holders may purchase an adult ticket that includes one accessible parking space plus entry for the driver only. Any passengers accompanying the driver must purchase separate tickets. Click here to purchase an accessible parking ticket for the Friday event.  

Thornbury Carnival ‘The Main Event’ on Saturday 1st July – Blue badge holders may purchase an adult ticket that includes one accessible parking space plus entry for the driver only. Any passengers accompanying the driver must purchase separate tickets. Alternatively, a family ticket is available which includes entry for the driver, an additional adult aged 17+ plus up to 2 children aged 5-16. Children aged 0-4 are free of charge. Carers (accompanying those for whom they care and on the production of a Carers’ Emergency Card) are free of charge. Click here to purchase an accessible parking ticket for the Saturday event.

Ticketholders will only be able to access the event via the High Street. Unlike in previous years, there will be no access via the Castle Court Car Park. Access via Kington Lane will also be reserved for those involved in the event, e.g. suppliers, performers, etc. The only exception will be Blue Badge holders who have bought a ticket that includes an accessible parking space. Please note, Kington Lane will be supervised by security personnel only, not event staff, so Blue Badge holders will not be able to buy tickets at the gate.

Unfortunately, our insurance policy strictly prohibits ticketholder access to the Mundy Playing Fields for any reason prior to the official event start times on both Friday and Saturday.

No, the ticket price is the same regardless of when you arrive at or leave the event. The costs associated with a segmented ticketing approach (including gate management for daytime, evening, or all-day tickets) mean it isn’t feasible for an event of this size and nature. You can, however, leave the site and return later in the evening if you don’t want to spend the whole day at the event.

Yes, if you leave via the High Street gate we will either stamp your forearm or give you a wristband so you can re-enter later.

The Mundy Playing Fields will be subject to a temporary footpath closure order from 5.00pm on Friday 30th June until 11.00pm on Saturday 1st July 2023. The general public will not be able to access the Mundy Playing Fields for any reason during this time. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause but this closure is necessary to enable the safe set up, delivery, and breakdown of the event.

No, road closures have not been deemed necessary for the 2023 event.

Yes, we don’t anticipate any disruption to bus timetables or routes as a result of the 2023 event.

Yes, you’re very welcome to bring your own food onto the Mundy Playing Fields but, for safety reasons, please do not bring glass or knives onto the site. Thornbury Town Council and the Police require us to search bags on entry and any prohibited items will be confiscated.

No, visitors are not permitted to bring alcohol onto the Mundy Playing Fields site. Thornbury Town Council and the Police require us to search bags on entry and any alcohol will be confiscated.

No, barbeques are not permitted on site as they are a potential fire hazard. Thornbury Town Council and the Police require us to search bags on entry and any barbeques will be confiscated.

Friendly dogs are very welcome but must be kept on a lead and under control at all times. Owners are required to dispose of dog faeces in the usual park bins rather than in the temporary event bins.

On-site medical provision includes a First Aid tent, a fully equipped ambulance, an off-road capable vehicle, and 6-8 HSE First Aid at Work qualified mobile personnel. Please alert a marshall if you need medical attention and cannot make your way to the First Aid post. Any accidents, serious incidents, or minor injuries such as trips, slips, cuts, etc. must be recorded in our Accident Log located at the First Aid post before leaving the site.

Our Lost Child Point is staffed by DBS-checked volunteers

All children will be issued wristbands on arrival at the Mundy Playing Fields and parents/carers will be asked to write their mobile numbers on them. Please talk to your child/children in advance about what to do if they get lost – the best advice is to stay where they are when they realise they are lost so their parents/carers can find them and/or ask for help from another grown-up who has children with them.

What to do if you lose your child:

If you lose your child, please alert a committee member (wearing orange hi-vis) or steward (wearing yellow hi-vis) as soon as possible. You will be asked to provide a detailed description to enable a search to begin. Support from the Police will be requested if deemed necessary. When a child is reunited with his/her parents/carers, the parents/carers will be asked to go to the Lost Child Point to complete a form that records that the child was returned to them.

What to do if you find a lost child:

If you find a lost child, please alert the nearest carnival team member as soon as possible. Under no circumstances should a member of the public ask a lost child to accompany them anywhere, including to the Lost Child Point. Where a child has been found, the carnival team member and the person finding the child will remain at that location for up to five minutes to allow for recovery by parents/carers, after which they will both escort the child to the Lost Child Point. Children under the age of 8 will be kept at the Lost Child Point until collected by the parent/carer or another responsible adult. Children aged over 8 will be free to leave or can remain at the Lost Child Point if they wish. Any parents/carers collecting a child from the Lost Child Point will be required to complete a form and show proof of identity before the child is released.