Carnival tops bill for Oxford's weekend of sound, writes Tim Hughes

Rio de Janeiro has its samba parades, New Orleans its Mardi Gras and the Spaniards have that strange thing where they chuck tomatoes at each other. Here in Oxford, meanwhile, we have the Cowley Road Carnival! This popular celebration of community has had a rough time of it in recent years, either being consigned to the status of a funked-up fete in South Park, or, as happened last year, failing to happen at all.

So we were delighted to hear that the good people at Cowley Road Works (the charity which organises the event) had not only succeeded in getting the event back in the road, but had secured a vintage line-up of bands, artists and DJs. It all takes place this Sunday afternoon, with a bill covering everything from reggae to rumba and dubstep to dancehall. It revolves around a largely local selection of acts and those all-important sound systems.

Bands include Oxford’s Cuban-inspired 22-piece Ran Kan Kan big band; dubstep, drum & bass and garage collective The Good Vibe Tribe; folk-pop outfit Tramp Aviator; party-rock band The Mighty Redox; the Uniao da Mocidade samba band; City of Oxford Silver Band; singer-songwriters Anna Rice, Rushil and Gemma Moss; and Black Feathers.

The Truck Store hosts a stage showcasing local talent, while the O2 Academy has the Kate Garrett Stage, run by Zahra Tehrani and the Young Women’s Music Collective and featuring 14-21 year old rappers and singer-songwriters.

DJ crews include: Tony Nanton at The Bullingdon; Sensible Dancehall, on the corner of Jeune Street; Field Frequency Sound System at East Oxford Community Centre; The Good Vibe Tribe, in Union Street; house music at Baby Simple; and the Latino Corner at Bar Aroma, where George Martinez will be spinning salsa and zumba.

The music runs from noon to 7pm, and the event is free.

  • Music fans attending this weekend’s Cornbury Festival can leave their cars behind thanks to Stagecoach, which is laying on two special services to connect with trains from Oxford. They will run between Banbury and Charlbury stations and the festival site at Great Tew, from today until Monday. Go to cornburyfestival.com /info/getting-there