Glastonbury Carnival is on the 18th November, 2023
This year, Glastonbury Carnival is on Saturday the 18th Of November.
If you have not experienced a Carnival before then this is the weekend to visit Glastonbury. Over 30,000 people descend on our little town for the Grand Finale of the Somerset Carnival Series. The amazing procession winds its way around the town.
It winds down the Glastonbury High Street past the cafes, restaurants, and pubs which all remain open throughout the procession. The atmosphere is electric, with everyone enjoying the entirely free parade.
Friday Night Carnival in Wells followed by Glastonbury on Saturday night
Sometimes I go for a double dose of Carnival with an evening in Wells on Friday followed again on Saturday. The reason I do this is because I end up socialising a lot in Glastonbury but in Wells I can spend the time watching the floats properly. Just me but I do think seeing it twice means you see different things and enjoy it twice as much.
But here is the big bonus of the Friday and Saturday night carnivals. The floats all park up on the A39 ring road close to us here at Middlewick. It is a spectacle of light as they wind their way back to their resting point on the road. Then they stay there all day on the Saturday waiting for the grand finale. Last minute touches are done to the floats all day while they wait.
All day people walk up and down the closed A39 to get a close look at the floats, the details that you can only see in the daylight when you are up close. I love seeing the floats stationary and when you can get see all the quirky designs.
The Comedy Side of Carnival
This resting place provides the perfect opportunity to view the floats/carts up close. Of course you don’t get the full effect of the thousands of lights that light up the night sky but you can see all the intricate workings of each float.
With the floats standing still you also get a chance to giggle at the comedy entries.
For more information about the Somerset Carnival Series visit their website: Somerset Carnivals
If you plan on driving to the Carnival you can park in the Clarks Village Car park but be prepared to take a while to get away from the town as everyone else leaves. This year there will be parking at Herbies Field a car park at the edge of town off of the A39 bypass road.
From here at Middlewick you can walk down to town so it takes the stress out of trying to drive home. The walk is good fun through our country lanes with a torch.
To Read about the history of the Carnival, have a look at my previous blog about the Bridgwater Carnival
To see what accommodation we have available for Carnival visit our Cottages page. Please note that we do have a 3-night minimum stay for Carnival.
