Bishop's Stortford Town Council welcomes the Annual Carnival Parade and Fun Day on Saturday 20th June 2026.
The theme for this year is 'Stortford Old and New' - Past meets present - celebrating the town’s history and its future.
The Carnival Parade departs from South Mill Arts (CM23 3JG) at 11.15am, processes through South Street, Potter Street, Market Square, North Street and Northgate End, finishing on Link Road at approximately 12.20pm. Road closures are in place (further details contained in the Official Road Closure Order below).
The Carnival Fun Day on Sworders Field (CM23 2EL) is from 12pm – 5pm; visit over 100 stalls at the Fun Day including a bar as well as delicious food from around the world. Be sure to visit The Carnival Cruise, a special array of decorated working and pleasure boats, moored along the river between the Registry Office (CM23 2DL) and Station Road.
The whole event promises to be a fantastic experience for all the family.
The Carnival Parade and Fun Day is proudly supported by the Bishop's Stortford BID. Bishop’s Stortford Business Improvement District aims to raise the profile of the town centre as a great retail, tourist and business destination and improve the experience of the town centre for those who visit, live and work in the town. Please visit the Discover Stortford website for more information.
Applications are now open!
Please fill out the appropriate form from the list below to apply to have a stall or be involved in the parade.
Catering pitch - Carnival Catering Pitch Application Form 2026 | Bishop's Stortford Town Council and Tourist Information
Standard pitch - Carnival Pitch Application Form 2026 | Bishop's Stortford Town Council and Tourist Information
Parade spot - Carnival Parade Entry Form 2026 | Bishop's Stortford Town Council and Tourist Information
Classic cars - Carnival Parade/Fun Day Display 2026 - Classic Cars Entry Form | Bishop's Stortford Town Council and Tourist Information
Pitch Prices:
Standard pitches = 4m x 4m
Cost of a commercial pitch £54.00 incl. VAT (£45 plus VAT)
Cost of a charity pitch £30.00 incl. VAT (£25 plus VAT)
Catering pitches = 5m x 5m
Cost of a catering pitch is £150.00 incl. VAT (£125.00 plus VAT)
Please contact carnival@bishopsstortfordtc.gov.uk or call 01279 715001 for more information.
The Stortford Carnival Cruise
A special array of working and pleasure boats will be moored in Bishop’s Stortford for the Carnival Cruise. The Mayor of Bishop’s Stortford will be awarding a prize to the skipper & crew of the “Best Decorated Boat” and the runner up. Don’t miss your chance to view them along the river between the Registry Office (CM23 2DL) and Station Road.
Boats wishing to attend should register in advance at stortfordmoorings@gmail.com providing their name, boat name, length, width, arrival date (mooring restriction for Carnival Cruisers from 00.01 on Thursday 18 June till 00.01 on Tuesday 23 June) and mooring preference. All entry applications will be acknowledged and should you have any problems please call George Cutting on 07721-654410.
Carnival Lifeguards
A big thank you to Hertfordshire Boat Rescue and Bishop’s Stortford Life Saving Club who will be our Carnival Fun Day lifeguards on Sworders Field again this year. For more information about Hertfordshire Boat Rescue, please visit their webpage.
Contact carnival@bishopsstortfordtc.gov.uk or call 01279 715000 for more information
Bar Tender Process 2026
For full details on how to bid to run the bar at Carnival 2026, please download the Bar Tender PDF document below. The tender deadline is Friday 27 February 2026.
