Carnival Day Events2026

12noon Fancy Dress Competition Open to all ages. Come dressed as your favourite TV character (adult or children’s) from TV programmes past and present. The competition will be judged and a prize given for the best fancy dress. Entry - FREE HOTCA event 1:30pm – 4pm Stage performances Enjoy a variety of live performances throughout the day, including selections from the White Rock Theatre Summer Youth Project's Shrek the Musical, White Rock Choir, Open Door, Boathouse Theatre, Stables Children’s choir and entertainment from Hause of Gorgeous (Burlesque) plus lots more. The event will culminate in a 4:00 p.m. finale featuring an exciting drum-off between Sambalanco and the Section 5 Drummers. There will also be a range of activities to enjoy throughout the day, including a tombola, second-hand book stall, pottery smash, and a "guess how many pennies are in the bottle" competition. A variety of local charity and community organisations will also be hosting stalls, including Armed Forces Bikers, the British Legion, Dyslexia East Sussex, Demelza, and St Mary in the Castle Community Trust. HOTCA event 4pm – 4:30pm Sambalanco 30th Anniversary Drum-off Sambalanco was founded in 1996, and we are celebrating our 30th anniversary this year. As part of those celebrations, we would like to do a short drumming performance, together with our friends Section 5 Drummers, very much along the same lines as the drum-off in Butler’s Gap which takes place at Jack in the Green.