St Pauls Carnival And Gloucestershire Cricket Team Up For T20 Carnival Clash

Hosted at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol, this one-off celebration will bring a Caribbean flavour to the Gloucestershire v Kent Spitfires Vitality Blast fixture.

The game will also mark the start of the fringe series of pre-carnival day events culminating in the return of St Pauls Carnival to Bristol’s streets on 1 July after a three-year hiatus.

The fundraising evening will feature special pre-match performances from Carnival artists including traditional steel pan and a procession troupe. Music will be provided by Carnival DJs blasting Reggae, Soca and Calypso sounds from the islands to cricket fans as they arrive and throughout the evening. Food stalls will also offer flavours from the Caribbean creating a truly authentic experience for fans.

Tickets for the Gloucestershire v Kent Spitfires Carnival Clash start from £15 and are available to buy here. Gates will open at 5pm for a 7pm start as Glos take centre stage under floodlights in a bid to reach the knockout stage of the Vitality Blast tournament.

The theme for this year’s Carnival is ‘Learning from Legends’ and Carnival Clash T20 will bring together cricketing legend and current Gloucestershire President, Syd Lawrence, with St Pauls Carnival’s current chair, Levi Roots.

2023 is a poignant year in the Carnival calendar as it marks 60 years since Bristol’s Bus Boycott as well as the 75^th anniversary of HMT Empire Windrush arriving in Britain on 22 June 1948.

Commenting on the event, Levi Roots said: “I am so excited about this – Carnival, the Caribbean and cricket have a special relationship and we can’t wait to bring our blend of music, food and culture to this unique T20 which will definitely be one to remember.

“We’re busy preparing for our main Carnival day on 1 July and this event will provide some of our artists the chance to showcase their performances and of course help us raise funds so we can keep delivering Carnival for years to come.

Glos President Syd Lawrence added: “This will be an incredible occasion; cricket has a long and colourful history in Caribbean culture and this is a fantastic chance for us to bring the vibrancy of St Pauls Carnival to T20 cricket.

“I’ve got no doubt that together Gloucestershire Cricket and St Pauls Carnival can create a T20 experience to remember and an event that offers something for everyone.”