Thousands fill the streets as Swanage Carnival kicks off

Swanage Carnival in Dorset got off to a great start with two days of air displays, fireworks, fun events, live music, plus the Wild West themed procession, and there’s still a whole week of events to come.

Crowds descended on the seaside town at the beginning of eight days of festivities, which began on Saturday 25th July and will continue until Saturday 1st August 2026.

Raising funds for local charities

Over the week there are more than a 100 events planned by volunteers, which will raise money for local charities. In 2025, more than £40,000 was raised for good causes.

The first air display on Saturday 25th July 2026 was the Battle of Britain memorial flight Dakota flypast across Swanage Bay. It was then followed by the Team Raven air display – five aerobatic planes which flew around the bay in a variety of formations.

In the afternoon, there was the Rodeo Stampede and Wild West fancy dress competition, followed by the Fire Engine Pull which is becoming increasingly competitive!

As the sun set on the first day of carnival, the fireworks display over the sea illuminated the bay. Two more firework displays are scheduled for Wednesday 29th July and Saturday 1st August 2026 starting at 9.45 pm.

“Proper exciting!”

Chair of Swanage Carnival Neal Diffey said:

“The carnival theme for 2026 – A Wacky Western in Carnival Canyon – has been utterly fantastic. From the minute it was announced, it has been embraced and everyone has got on board with it.

“The airshow on Saturday was brilliant – two displays of great contrast – the first a World War Two icon and then the modern aerobatics of Team Raven whirling round the bay at 200 knots – proper exciting!

“And of course the amazing fireworks over the sea on Saturday evening, and that’s only the first of three displays this week.

“This morning the road crew were up at 4 am preparing for the carnival procession, putting out the traffic cones and barriers – it’s almost a 24/7 operation over the first weekend of the carnival. And it’s all run by volunteers.

“Our volunteers, all 130 of them, are our biggest asset, and the carnival simply wouldn’t happen without them. Each individual has a skill to contribute and when they are all put together, it creates something exceptional.

“We are very lucky that the uniqueness of the carnival attracts new volunteers all the time.”

“Bumper procession”

On Sunday 26th July 2026 the day started with beach yoga and Carnival Praises, a church service in the marquee.

But the big event was the Carnival Procession in the afternoon made up of colourful floats and marching bands, which made its way slowly through the town.

Neal added:

“The procession has been amazing. We knew it was going to be good as we had the highest number of online entries ever.

“With the warm and dry weather over the last few months it has really encouraged people to take part, making it a bumper procession. And there’s plenty more events to enjoy throughout the week!

“I’d like to thank everyone who got involved in making the carnival so good over the weekend, as well as all the local businesses and members of the community for their sponsorship and support throughout the week.”

Watch the fireworks

Watch the procession

Further information

• Buy a programme for the carnival schedule, download the app or go to the Swanage Carnival website
• More film clips of Swanage Carnival on Swanage.News Instagram, YouTube and Facebook

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