The countdown is on – Hackney One Carnival 2016

et set for the Hackney One Carnival on 11 September with spectacular costumes, energetic dance, sound systems and live music from around the world.

The Council-run event will fill the borough with colour as hundreds of performers from carnival and community groups join residents in celebration of Hackney’s diverse cultures and thriving creativity.

The Carnival procession will start at Ridley Road at 2pm, it will then move its way south along Dalston Lane, Richmond Road and along Mare Street towards the Hackney Town Hall before heading up Amhurst Road and finishing back at Ridley Road at 5pm.

The Carnival will feature the borough’s best musicians playing live at Gillett Square, from 12 till 3pm the Hackney Music Service will programme some of the borough’s best young musicians, then between 3 and 6pm there will be a mix of talented young performers and local DJs. There will also be street theatre at the Hackney Town Hall from 1.45 till 3.15pm. A children’s play bus will also be at the Hackney Town Hall from 12 till 4pm.

Local children and families can also enjoy a free all-day play area in Gillett Square from 12 noon.

The finale party at Ridley Road will take place from 5 till 8pm, featuring a mix of Reggae, Soca and Brazilian beats as well as a host of food stalls with tastes from around the world.

Residents and businesses on Ridley Road are also being encouraged to dress the front of their homes and shops in the most vibrant carnival decorations they can find, or create, to be in with a chance of winning a prize.

For further information about carnival and the route that starts at Ridley Road at 2pm, please visit: www.hackney.gov.uk/carnival.