Thousands of people will line the streets of Burnham-On-Sea this evening (Monday) when dozens of colourful illuminated carts take part in the annual Highbridge and Burnham Carnival.
Tonight’s procession of over 70 entries starts at 7.30pm and is forecast to be overcast with mild temperatures of around 13°C and a low chance of rain during the evening. The carts are on display along Queen’s Drive and Ben Travers Way.
The biggest cheers of the evening from locals tonight are likely to be for Burnham’s Hillview Carnival Club with its colourful cart, Jewels of Arabia, pictured top.
The club – which is the only one to be based in Burnham – has pulled out all the stops to create a super entry again this year and Hillview won at Bridgwater Carnival on Saturday.
Annalee New, Chairman of Highbridge and Burnham Carnival, says: “Excitement is building and it’s shaping up to be a fantastic event! We urge spectators to give generously to the street collectors to help safeguard our event and support the local charities.”
Tonight’s parade will be led by Burnham’s 2025 Carnival Queen Liz Malaiperuman alongside her two carnival Princesses – Phoebe Sue McDonnell and Phoebe Couchman, pictured above – with Carnival Prince Rue Weetman.
Route of Burnham-On-Sea Carnival
The route of tonight’s event is unchanged, starting in Love Lane, near the town’s Tesco supermarket. The carts will then wend their way along Love Lane, into Manor Road and Victoria Street, before travelling along Burnham High Street and finishing in Marine Drive.
Weather for Burnham-On-Sea Carnival
The Burnham-On-Sea weather forecast for tonight shows it should be a great evening for watching the carnival.
It is forecast to be a mild and dry evening with a low chance of rain and a moderate breeze.
Roads closed on Monday
The carnival organisers say that because crowds have started to gather along the route earlier, there will be new 5pm road closures in place on carnival day for spectator safety.
“The earlier road closures times, for the procession route, have been asked for by Police and Somerset Highways, for spectator safety,” says a spokesperson. “Our plan is to have mobile teams out assessing spectators around the route and only closing the roads when absolutely necessary.”
From 5pm:
B3140 Love Lane, B3140 Manor Road, B3140 Berrow Road, Victoria Street, Highstreet, Princess Street, College Street, Cross Street, Adam Street, South Street, Abingdon Street, Pier Street, Old Station Approach, Marine Drive, B3139 Oxford Street, B3139 Highbridge Road.
New this year is the addition of a ‘temporary clearway’ along Burnham Road, and parts of Worston Lane, Killarney Avenue, Rosewood Drive and Archer Drive from 2pm on carnival day. A temporary clearway is a section of road where stopping is prohibited — intended to keep traffic moving.
Parking at Burnham-On-Sea Carnival
The advice from organisers is to arrive early. Best places for parking are the Oxford Street Car park and the Pier Street car park. Official car parking for Monday’s Burnham-On-Sea Carnival is located at:
- Old Station Approach, TA8 1PH
- B&M, TA8 1PT
- Oxford Street, TA8 1EL
Parking suspensions for Burnham-On-Sea Carnival
Parking suspensions will be in place and can be enforced, if necessary, on the following roads:
- Ben Travers Way
- Frank Foley Parkway
- B3140 Queens Drive
- Pepperall Road
- Burnham Road (both sides from junction A38 Church Street to Pepperall Road roundabout)
All areas will be clearly marked with signage & no waiting cones. These restrictions apply from 6:30am on Saturday 1st November until 1:00am on Tuesday 4th November.
Additional roads with suspensions:
- Abingdon Street, Frank Foley Parkway, Church Street, High Street, Victoria Street, Archer Drive, Berrow Road, College Street, Killarney Avenue, Marine Drive (inc. Old Station Approach), Rosewood Avenue and Manor Road
There will also be collection carts throughout the parade, with an appeal being made today for visitors to dig deep and make it a financial success due to the soaring costs of holding the event.
Parking will be available at car parks in Burnham’s Oxford Street, Old Station Approach and at the B&M Pier Street car park. There will also be spaces in some side streets. More details are available here in the official programme, on sale at £2 in the town.
Daylight photos of Burnham Carnival entries
Many residents and carnival enthusiasts have been getting an early daylight glimpse of the entries in Queens Drive and the Frank Foley Parkway, as pictured here, ahead of the procession and the carts are on show through today before tonight’s procession.
