Thornton Heath Festival 2023 date announced

Posted on 19 July 2023 by Callton Young

Thornton Heath Festival 2023, aka Thornton Heath Carnival, will take place on Sunday, 10 September. Please make a note in your diary.

Speaking on behalf of the Organising Committee Vice Chairman, Cllr. Callton Young, said “I am pleased to announce Thornton Heath Festival is back after initially being interrupted by Lockdown. Our committee stands ready to deliver the best Festival in our seventeen-year history.

We have always produced an awesome spectacle of sound, colour, dance and food, fit for a diverse community. This year we will deepen and broaden that. We will take the opportunity to celebrate Windrush 75 which is important given the largest Windrush population of any Ward in London lives in Thornton Heath Ward. We will also add colour to Croydon’s year as Borough of Culture.”

Please support this great community day out. There will be something for everyone, as well as a brilliant stage line up, a funfair and a variety of stalls including fantastic food.

As usual, the Festival will take place on Thornton Heath High Street and run from noon to 6.30pm.

The street will be closed to traffic for the day from early morning to allow fairground attractions, the stage and stalls to be set up. It will reopen after 8pm.

Please spread the word about Thornton Heath Festival 2023.

To book a stall please click here for a copy of the 2023 booking application form.

Click here for a copy of the form to apply for a temporary street trading licence.

To apply to perform on stage, click here to contact us.

Thornton Heath Festival 2019 Performers

Posted on 27 August 2019 by Callton Young

Every year Thornton Heath Festival aims to deliver good stage entertainment alongside a funfair, a good mix of stalls and, not least, a great range of food and drink. This year will be no different, indeed, should be even better than previous years.

Soca sensation, One The Band, will headline at Thornton Heath Festival 2019. Due to popular demand Winnie and Freddie, (Freddie having sung with international reggae giant Gregory Issacs), will be back for a second year.

Newcomers to Thornton Heath Festival include Cassandra London, Stxkz, Chelsey Shannon Brown and Stunflower!

Cassandra London is an upcoming local singer/songwriter with an incredible talent who is fast making her mark on the reggae scene. She released her debut EP ‘Too Blessed,’ in August 2014 at Brixton’s Hootananny which includes “Just Cool” a song that was self-penned and has since been covered by other singers. Other hits include Made for Me (Snippet) and Is it Too Late.

And we should not forget her exquisite cover versions of Louisa Marks’ 6th Street and Rolls Royce’s Magic Touch, both of which she made her own and nailed.

Cassandra London’s latest single, Music (My Hero), features reggae megastar Frankie Paul, such is her direction of travel.

It has to be said that the future looks bright for yet another musical talent coming from Thornton Heath. Our Festival is blessed with talent.

Stxkz is a south London based grime artist with links with Thornton Heath. He went down a storm at neighbouring Norbury Park’s Peace and Love Festival on 24 August 2019 with tunes like Play Different, Coma and Lights Off Lights On. Given his local popularity, we are lucky to have Stxkz on the Thornton Heath Festival line up too.

Chelsey Shannon Brown is a 24 year old solo singer/ songwriter who graduated in 2016 from The University Of Kent with a Music-Degree! She currently has three original singles to her name, including the brilliant His Story and Intentions. She absolutely loves to perform and is looking forward to Thornton Heath Festival. Can’t wait.

Stunflower is a Psychedelic Rock Roots Trio from South London. The Band comprises Continue reading →

Thornton Heath Festival 2019 date announced

Posted on 14 July 2019 by Callton Young

Thornton Heath Festival 2019 will take place on Sunday, 8 September 2019. Please put it in your diary to avoid missing this annual sensation.

Festival Vice Chairman, Cllr. Callton Young, said ‘Thornton Heath Festival aka ‘Thornton Heath Carnival‘ is an awesome spectacle of sound, colour, dance and food. It is not to be missed’. The Festival has been safely under good management for over a decade. It has something for everyone regardless of age, gender or ethnic background.’ He is encouraging lovers of festivals, carnival and fun in general, to put 8 September 2019 in their diaries and to spread the word about this premier local event

Flagz Mas Band
Thanus
Chidren take over the Stage
Flagz Mas Band
Callton with reveller
Crowd dancing to Socca
Miss Desire
Tamil Cultural Dancers
Kids take over the stage
One The Band
Triniboi Joocie
Flagz Mas Band
Leah McKenzie
Ms Desire
Skillosophi
Salsa Naturally
Ain High Academy
Taylor-Leigh Sandiford
Chantel
Dan-I
TH Festival Poet’s Point
Tony, Debbie & Pat
Kimberley SK

Festival Chairman Tony Rowland said ‘the Festival will take place on Thornton Heath High Street as usual and run from noon until 6.30pm. The street will be closed off for the full day, starting from early morning to allow fairground attractions, the stage and stalls to set up – and then to allow Festival goers to fully enjoy this big day out uninterrupted’.

To book a stall please click here for a copy of the 2019 booking application form.

Click here for a copy of the form to apply for a temporary street trading licence.

To apply to perform on stage, click here to contact us.

Thornton Heath Festival 2018 Hits the Spot

Posted on 25 September 2018 by Callton Young

Thornton Heath Festival 2018 was spectacular as it was successful, made possible by the hard work of a small team of organising volunteers: Tony Rowland, Cllr. Callton Young, Hon Alderman Adrian Dennis, Cllr. Pat Clouder, Agnes Forbes, Cllr. Karen Jewitt and Neil Athron.

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One The Band played out Thornton Heath Festival 2018 in what turned out to be a live Soca-fest of a-grand-finale featuring international Soca artists, Ms Desire, DJ Frisco and S Rise!

20180909_182632 One The Band

Ms Desire sang hits like ‘Doing Me’ and ‘Do Whu You Want’ – along with champion, DJ Frisco. Thornton Heath was spoilt for talent as S Rise took to the stage to sing hit song ‘I am Winning’.

20180909_183552 As the crowd demanded more, Ms Desire sang ‘ My Team’, another of her Soca sensations, as a parting gift. Working the crowd, she got everyone singing, hands over hearts, that they ‘are the best’; ‘Thornton Heath is the Best’. We all left bursting with pride for our community. What a perfect end to a perfect day!

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Thornton Heath Festival 2018: Date announced

Posted on 8 April 2018 by Callton Young

The date of Thornton Heath Festival 2018 has been announced. It’s Sunday, 9 September 2018. Please put it in your diary.

Speaking today, Festival Chairman Tony Rowland said ‘as usual the event will take place on Thornton Heath High Street and run from noon until 6pm. The road will be closed off for the day to fit in as many attractions as possible and to allow Festival goers to fully enjoy themselves without interruption’.

Vice Chairman, Callton Young, said ‘Thornton Heath Festival has evolved to become an awesome spectacle of sounds, colour, dance and food and is a ‘must go’. There is something for everyone to enjoy regardless of age, gender or ethnic background.’ He is urging Festival regulars to block 9 September 2018 off in their diaries and to spread the word about what is now undoubtedly Croydon’s premier annual street festival.

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Together with other key Management Committee members, Adrian Dennis, Pat Clouder, Agnes Forbes, Karen Jewitt, Tony and Callton are working to make Thornton Heath Festival 2018 the best one in its eleven year history.

Thornton Heath Festival 2016 date announced

Posted on 17 May 2016 by Callton Young

The date of Thornton Heath Festival 2016 has been announced!!

Speaking today Festival Chairman Tony Rowland said ‘the Management Committee is planning another fun-filled day for the whole community to take place on 4 September 2016!

It will be bigger and better than ever said Festival Vice Chairman Councillor Callton Young. ‘Last year was good but we will surpass it this year because of solid community support and growing interest among top quality local performers.’ ‘Our local community has much of which to be proud’ he added.

Triniboi Joocie performing at THF 2o15

Another Festival organiser, Councillor Pat Clouder, was just as upbeat about the event.

She said ‘I am so pleased to help produce such an enjoyable day out for the whole community’ Each year the event gets better and better’.

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Thornton Heath Festival Xmas Lights: “That’s the Christmas spirit”

Posted on 27 November 2015 by Callton Young

Thornton Heath Festival’s Christmas light event took place as planned on Saturday 21 November 2015.

Acts Chritian Church Choir wide cropped imageClip_1448567246147

Acts Christian Church Choir under Thornton Heath’s historic Clock Tower before lights are turned on!

The event was opened by Acts Christian Church Choir! It sang beautifully, applying well practised harmonies to a range of Christmas carol favorites to bring Christmas cheer to Thornton Heath! Locals quickly got into the festive spirit, with some joining in the carol singing as the Choir got into full swing! It’s just not Christmas without a great choir singing well known and loved carols!!! Thornton Heath owes a debt of thanks to the Acts Christian Church.

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Thornton Heath Festival 2015 a Local Success Story

Posted on 15 September 2015 by Callton Young

Thornton Heath Festival 2015 was a huge success because of a mixture of brilliant music, colour, dance – and not least our children says Festival MC, Callton Young OBE.

National soca star, Triniboi Joocie, got Thornton Heath on its feet with a breathtaking performance that epitomised carnival. He first sang Beautiful, Go Down, Mawd and then Las Wuk.

Thornton Heath heard Soca at its very best!

It witnessed a first class performance, from a first class artist.

If any revellers had not heard of Triniboi Joocie before, they had now!! The crowd’s response was unequivocal! It called loudly and in unison for ‘more, more more!’

So they got more, until the Festival had to close – with Triniboi Joocie held to a promise by the throng to return to Thornton Heath next year with more of his Soca genius!

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Thornton Heath Festival 2015

Posted on 23 August 2015 by Callton Young

Thornton Heath Festival 2015 will be an awesome spectacle of rhythmic sounds, splashes of colour, sizzling songs and global dance.

Do not miss out on this fun-filled spectacular starting at noon on 6 September on Thornton Heath’s High Street!

Rhythmic sounds will be provided in the form of thunderous Japanese Taiko Drums played at one end of Thornton Heath High Street at the start of the Festival by Tamashii Taiko, a drumming troupe. At the same time the calypso beats of the Caribbean will ring out on steel drums played at the opposite end of the High Street by Endurance Steel Orchestra. Revellers can take their pick or move between the two to enjoy a bit of both!

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Thornton Heath Festival 2014

Posted on 10 September 2014 by Callton Young

The Thornton Heath Festival 2014 took place on 7 September. It was an fun-filled day, packed with live music, dance and a variety of stalls and activities. There were about 6,000 revellers over the course of the day.

The Festival was formally opened by the Deputy Mayor of Croydon who spoke of the rich ethnic diversity in Thornton Heath and welcomed that the Festival would have something in it for everyone. She toured the stalls and amusements with Tony Rowland, Festival Organising Committee Chairman, staying for several hours to speak to revellers. She received a warm welcome from all.

American Dillon Wyte kicked of the live show with brilliant performances from his new reggae album VisionIrie and blew his audience away with his awesome Hendrixesque guitar solos. At times he played his electric guitar holding it behind the back of his head and even played it with his teeth.

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