IW Mardi Gras 2026 - Launch event announced
Join us for the Launch of this year's Mardi Gras on Wednesday 28th January at Quay Arts
We’re delighted to invite you to the official launch of this year’s Isle of Wight Mardi Gras, marking the second year of our Folktastic Isle project.
For 2025, we’ll be diving into local stories, myths and legends, perfectly timed with the National Year of Reading. Expect imagination, heritage, and a generous sprinkle of carnival magic.
Event details
Date: Wednesday 28th January
Venue: Quay Arts, Minghella Theatre
Doors open: 5.00pm (light refreshments provided)
Presentation: 5.30pm – 6.30pm
At the launch, you’ll discover:
This year’s theme and creative vision
How to sign up and take part in IOW Mardi Gras 2025
What free support New Carnival can offer, thanks to our Arts Council England NPO funding
Brand-new opportunities for schools, groups and creatives
You’ll also hear about:
Upcoming professional development courses for beginners and those wanting to build on existing skills
One-off workshop options such as Carnival in a Day and Giant Puppet in a Day
Options to book us to deliver regular after-school clubs and in-curriculum sessions in carnival arts, costume making, dance and circus skills
How carnival can link with your curriculum
Support with Art Award and how involvement in IOW Mardi Gras contributes towards Arts Mark Awards
Book your place
Please RSVP to gemma@newcarnival.co.uk letting us know if you can attend and who from your organisation or school will be coming along. If you would like to be involved but cannot make the launch please get in touch and we will make sure you get all the details.
Feel free to share this invitation with colleagues, friends and fellow carnival-curious souls. The more, the merrier. Carnival is for everyone
IW Mardi Gras 2025 - Our Folktastic Isle - The Wheel of the Year
The IW Mardi Gras – Our Folktastic Isle: The Wheel of the Year took place on Saturday 5 July 2025 in Ryde.
This free, family-friendly parade celebrated the rhythms of nature with pageantry, costumes, and performances inspired by the cycle of seasons; from celestial beginnings to harvest, solstice and beyond. Over 25 local schools and community groups brought Ryde’s streets to life in a joyful celebration of folklore, creativity, and community. This year’s event was proudly part of the IW Biosphere Festival, highlighting our island’s unique natural and cultural heritage. As always, New Carnival supported participants with workshops and creative guidance, ensuring a truly spectacular experience for all ages.
To view the full digital programme, where you can find out all about the event – click below.
IW Mardi Gras 2024
The 2024 theme was 'The Story of Carnival'
The 2024 IW Mardi Gras took place in Ryde on Saturday 6th July with 22 school and community groups representing ‘The Story of Carnival’ from its roots in ancient traditions such as Ancient Egypt as well as looking at global carnival traditions today, and imagining what the carnivals of the future might look like!
Gallery of images from the IW Mardi Gras 2024 - The Story of Carnival
Isle of Wight Mardi Gras 2023 - Year of the Coast
The ‘Year of the Coast’ 2023 celebrated the upcoming creation of a coastal footpath around the entirety of the England and the Isle of Wight – set to be the longest way marked section of coastal footpath in the world- at 2800 miles!
Once again, we kicked off the National Children’s Carnival week, 8th to 16th July, themed this year as ‘coast to coast’.
New Carnival partnered with the UK Centre for Carnival Arts, St Pauls Carnival, Nottingham, 18 hours, Hastings, EMCCAN, and Global Grooves. Children up and down the country explored all things coastal!
To view the full event programme click here
What to expect
The Isle of Wight Mardi Gras, is the company’s flagship event and showcases the very best of children and young people’s carnival experience through learning, creating and performance. We work closely with schools and colleges in the development of the event and the processes which contribute to it.
The Mardi Gras parade has an overarching theme which is developed through a pictorial narrative and portrayed on the streets through carnival. The theme is chosen to fit comfortably within the national curriculum and topical areas of study, often in line with National celebrations or anniversaries.
The process and how to get involved
At the beginning of every year New Carnival hosts a launch event which announces the thematic, provides schools and community groups with information about registration, section selection and the resources available to support the process from costume design to performance on the road.
This year’s theme is The Story of Carnival. The narrative will explore the history of carnival traditions around the world, look at global carnival traditions today and imagine what the carnivals of the future will look like.
For detailed information about the topics for representation and the support you can expect from the NCC in running your schools or community carnival club, please contact us directly. We have a Teachers Pack, plenty of workshops, and classes you can take part in, live or online, plus one to one support for designing and prototyping your costume.