Festive celebration in the city

A festive celebration is scheduled to take place in Exeter today after the briefly resurrected Carnival was cancelled.

The rise in operation costs forced organisers InExeter, the Business Improvement District (BID), to make the difficult choice to cancel the event which had returned a year earlier.

Mat Jarratt, Chair of Directors at InExeter, said: “To deliver a carnival style event in a city like Exeter is not without substantial difficulties. The scale of road closures, amount of people needed to run an event of this scale, and the costs associated with this, all while ensuring that the essence of the event is not compromised, has meant that we have had to look at what style of event is best for Exeter in this tough financial climate.”

InExeter said they are funded by businesses within the Business Improvement District, and their contributions are essential for the betterment of the city. In a statement they said: “In these challenging economic times, the organisation must deliver value to its businesses. The decision to cancel the carnival has not been made lightly; nonetheless, InExeter are resolute to the commitment to celebrate Christmas in the city of Exeter.”

InExeter said there will be a festive celebration in the city scheduled to take place instead on November 25. This daytime and early evening event will include festive celebrations with pop up performances and beloved characters, throughout the day. 

Mat Jarratt added: “Christmas is such an important part of the city calendar and the yearly celebrations funded by the businesses through InExeter are key to that success, we thank our member businesses for their continued commitment to the city and invite everyone along on the 25th November to join the festivities throughout Exeter and enjoy the very best our vibrant city has to offer.”