Hackney (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Hackney Council has withdrawn £500,000 in funding for Hackney Carnival to cover daily expenses, putting the event’s future at risk amid a major budget deficit.
The borough’s culture chief, Cllr Chris Kennedy, said the decision was unavoidable if the council was to “ensure frontline services and the needs of Hackney’s most vulnerable residents are put first”.
“We know how much carnival means to so many people in Hackney. However, as a fully council-funded event, we sadly cannot commit the significant investment that it requires in our budget for future years at a time when vital services are severely stretched.”
Dubbed as the “last leg of Notting Hill,” the parade has been held in the borough since the 1970s in one form or another, uniting a range of community organizations to honor their rich cultural legacy.
Will Hackney Carnival ever return amid funding cuts?
Due to financial limitations, the council has previously trimmed back the event, deciding in 2023 to hold it every two years rather than every year.
There are now serious questions about whether the event will ever happen in 2026.
The local authority’s daily spending budget now includes the ring-fenced funds that were previously used to pay the carnival from the neighbourhood community interest levy (NCIL).
According to the council, the event’s expansion has made funding more difficult; between 2018 and 2024, its budget increased by about 75%, with infrastructure expenditures accounting for two thirds of the growth.
Council members questioned Cllr. Kennedy about the “confusing” messaging around the decision to stop NCIL funding. Kennedy responded: “Put bluntly, we can’t put aside the money every year for Carnival.
But [saying it like that] takes away all the hope and the enterprise that we want to keep.”
He insisted, however, that the aim of Town Hall was “to help all our carnival groups as far as possible to have a carnival in some fashion in the future,” which included securing £70,000 from NCIL for comparable artistic events in the borough year 2025–2026.
For the different art organizations participating in the march, including Para Carnival, Pantonic, and Tropical Isles, the news has been sobering.
They point to the Town Hall’s own projected £3.24 million that the event brought in gross value to the borough last year to support their claim that stopping funding runs the danger of “far-reaching consequences for multiple sectors, local businesses, and the public.”
Bettina Fernandez of Para Carnival stated that although the parade’s budget had increased to £1 million by 2024, the actual expenditure was £700,000, but “outrageously” just 6% of that amount went to carnival organizations that year.
Future generations will be affected by the decision “if we do not unite now and agree to an alternative cultural program that continues to celebrate Hackney’s diverse communities,” said Marva Antoine of Tropical Isles.
She emphasized that if organizations like hers are unable to claim involvement with Hackney Carnival when applying for grants, they run the danger of not receiving match money.
These stakeholder groups have suggested that the council establish a trust model for the parade, like those employed by Hackney Empire and Notting Hill, and offer a cultural space for seminars, rehearsals, and training to arts organizations.
Ms Antoine said:
“This is about more than just money. With ongoing cuts to youth services, young people already have too few safe spaces in Hackney.
Carnival provides that space. Tropical Isles has helped over 1,000 individuals build careers in the creative industries, and in 2024, [we] engaged more than 2,700 children through our Hackney Museum partnership.”
Stakeholders have asked the council to find a more “structured approach” to recruit corporate sponsors, but the Town Hall says it is looking at options to support the event going forward, like advertising revenue or third-party sponsorship.
The Town Hall is also seeking “productive and collaborative ways to mitigate these impacts within the realms of available financial and other capacities, and it will do this with the correct voices included in the discussion.
There is adaptability and ingenuity built into [it]. We’ll come up with something.”
How can residents show their support for the carnival to potentially secure future funding?
Residents can show their support for carnivals by participating in the community, contributing financially, and highlighting the event’s benefits in ways that may assist secure future funding.
In order to guarantee that the event represents and benefits the community, residents can actively engage in its organization and promotion.
By contributing their time and expertise, locals show their dedication to the carnival’s success. This might include everything from helping with logistics to stewarding.
High attendance figures show how well-liked and beneficial the carnival is to the neighborhood. This message is further reinforced by active participation, such as supporting local vendors or participating in parades.
By promoting local companies during the carnival, you may draw attention to the event’s financial impact and increase its appeal to possible funders.