Carnival brings musical flavours from around the world to Portsmouth's Guildhall

Children from eight of the city’s schools came dressed in carnival costumes with masks, flags, drums, streamers and whistles for a cultural celebration of music and dance.

The carnival atmosphere was buzzing with the Pompey Pluckers ukulele band, a pianist and maypole dancers entertaining the children as they arrived. The children started the carnival with a rousing performance of the The Carnival Song which had been composed especially for the event by one of Portsmouth Music Hub’s composers.

Sue Beckett, chief executive of Portsmouth Music Hub, which organised Wednesday’s event: ‘It was a fantastic carnival with so many children celebrating cultural diversity in our city.

‘The enthusiastic smiles, colourful costumes and fantastic singing and dancing made this an event to be remembered.’

Proud parents and enthusiastic passers-by were treated to singing, African drumming and Japanese Taiko drumming.

The carnival procession took the children around the Guildhall Square and into Victoria Park. There was plenty of enthusiastic dancing, chanting, singing and flag waving as the children paraded around the park and back into Guildhall Square for a surprise massed dance led by carnival queen Becki Short from Portsmouth Music Hub.

Heidi Smith, aged seven, from Cottage Grove Primary School, said: ‘It was great fun and I really loved the carnival. We drummed all round the park and all the way back to school.’

The event was put on to celebrate the cultural diversity and creativity in the city.