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We return this summer with Back a Yard, a scaled back series of events celebrating the timely theme of ‘Roots of Resistance’. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Race Relations Act 1965, and to celebrate this momentous act, St Pauls Carnival has dedicated its 2025 programme to honouring the legacy of activists throughout Bristol's history who have fuelled activism in the city.
‘Back A Yard’ is a traditional Jamaican phrase that typically means ‘back home’ or ‘where I’m from’. Through this cultural expression, the Back A Yard programme will take carnival back to its roots of activism, which contributed to shaping the UK’s first Race Relations Act. There will be a program of events focused on celebrating St Pauls Carnival - food, music, carnival arts and community.
5th july
Elders brunch
CIRCOMEDIA
ELDERS BRUNCH 10AM - 12PM
The team's favourite event; our annual tradition of bringing together and celebrating with our community Elders, including food, performances and the traditional sing a long.
5TH JULY
St Pauls Carnival Presents
Back a Yard
with Booty Bass
@ Circomedia
CIRCOMEDIA
8pm - 2am
As part of the Back-A-Yard Programme, St Pauls Carnival is proud to present a high-energy night of bold beats and cultural celebration with the one and only Booty Bass at Circomedia for Carnival Day 2025!
Bringing their signature blend of Afro-diasporic bass, radical joy, and unapologetic self-expression, Booty Bass will take over the space with an electrifying soundscape inspired by sound system culture, activism, and the enduring spirit of resistance.
In the spirit of this year’s Carnival theme, ‘Roots of Resistance’, this event is more than a party it's a fundraiser, a community gathering, and a powerful celebration of queerness, intersectionality, and the cultural power of music.
💥 Featuring:
Booty Bass
Krowned Kollective
Krowned Kollective are a community-driven, all-female collective bringing sisterhood, empowerment, and vibes.
Expect an inclusive, empowering space where basslines meet belonging and the dancefloor becomes a site of celebration and resistance.
💫 All ticket sales support the future of St Pauls Carnival, helping us continue to honour the legacy of the Windrush generation, the Bristol Bus Boycott, and the cultural movements that shaped this city.
5th july
St Pauls Carnival X Lost Horizon: Roots Yard
LOST HORIZON
Join us for a special daytime takeover at Lost Horizon’s vibrant yard, where we welcome a powerful Bristol line-up celebrating the traditional, uplifting, and defiant spirit of Carnival music.
In honour of St Pauls Carnival’s 2025 theme ‘Roots of Resistance’, this session pays tribute to the Windrush generation’s legacy and the activism that shaped movements like the Bristol Bus Boycott, now marking its 60th anniversary.
Expect Roots, Reggae, Soca, Calypso, and more, all resonating as rhythms of resilience, sounds of survival, and music as protest. These genres have long served as cultural tools of resistance, uniting communities and giving voice to the oppressed while keeping joy, heritage, and identity alive.
🔥 LINE-UP 🔥
Ben Badoo (Live)
Kesh (AnExperience + Pangea)
Rubba
Supplya ft Aloka
More tba
🔊 Powered by Firmly Rooted Soundsystem 🔊
Delivering the heartbeat of the yard, a soundsystem steeped in unity, and celebration.
This is more than a day party. It’s a gathering of generations, a musical offering to the ancestors, and a call to remember the power of collective action.
Free the bass. Free the people. Roots of Resistance.
5th july
St Pauls Carnival x Lakota: Day & Night Takeover
LAKOTA
Day event: 2pm-10pm | Night event: 9:30pm-4am
As part of the official St Pauls Carnival 2025 programme, we’re proud to present a powerful day-to-night celebration in collaboration with Bristol’s iconic venue, Lakota.
This year, Carnival centres on the theme ‘Roots of Resistance’, marking 60 years since the Bristol Bus Boycott and honouring the activism of the Windrush generation. In true Carnival spirit, this event celebrates resistance through culture, using music, food, and community gathering to amplify the voices and stories that have shaped our city.
Daytime: Roots & Rhythms in the Yard
From the beating heart of soundsystem culture to vibrant Afrobeats and Dancehall selections, the daytime session features a bold line-up of Bristol’s veteran Sounds and Bristol finest present, and future.
Soundsystem Corner (Powered by Jah Lokko)
Bassi
Dubkasm
Jah Lokko
Negus Melody
QSS Young Lion
Afrobeats 2 Dancehall Yard (Powered by QSS)
Kahn
Chiedza
GF Selecta Watson
Josephine Gyasi
Rea
Yuseemi
Food Stalls: Enjoy a range of Caribbean food, the original cultural curators.
Nighttime: From Roots to Rave
As the sun sets, we keep the Carnival energy going with a high-octane night session celebrating Jungle, UK Bass + more, genres rooted in resistance and sound system legacy.
Line-Up
General Levy
DJ Krust
AÆE
Anything But Becky
Frilla
This is more than a party, it’s a tribute to the sounds, struggles, and spirit of resistance that continue to inspire new generations. From deep basslines to community love, join us in celebrating heritage, resilience, and joy through culture.
Can’t wait to carnival with you!
