Tears of children sparked change of Morecambe Carnival date

The 2017 event will be held on August 19 and 20 instead of the May bank holiday date of the past three years.

Organisers decided to move the carnival after this year’s event was hit by rain.

And the main live music programme at next year’s carnival will take place on the Saturday, not the Sunday.

David Brayshaw, chairman of Morecambe Carnival Committee, said: “After I walked down the parade on the Sunday and saw all the little faces of children in the rain and saw some of them crying, I couldn’t justify putting them through that again.

“We did a feedback survey too and 100% of people wanted us to change the date.

“There is so much going on, on other dates, and people have commitments so it came down to those dates in August.

“Also some of the pubs told us that they do well on bank holidays anyway.”

Despite pouring rain on the Sunday, this year’s two-day Morecambe Carnival on April 30 and May 1 still pulled an estimated 40,000 people to Morecambe.

Highlights included the annual parade of floats and a live music stage run by The Bay radio with music from Scouting for Girls and Alesha Dixon.

“Scouting for Girls and Alesha Dixon was a step up on previous years,” said Mr Brayshaw, who will once again partner with The Bay at the 2017 event.

“We need to at least match that next year if not go one better.”

You can get involved, register to enter a float, volunteer to help out or even become a sponsor by visiting the event’s website www.morecambecarnival.org