ABOUT

WORTHING ROTARY CARNIVAL history

WORTHING ROTARY CARNIVAL 70S — 70’s WORTHING ROTARY CARNIVAL – PALANTINE PARK. IMAGE COURTESY OF THE WORTHING JOURNAL

over view

The Worthing Rotary Carnival, held annually in Worthing, West Sussex, is a long-standing community event with roots dating back to the early 20th century. Organised by the Rotary Club of Worthing, the carnival began as a small community initiative aimed at bringing the town together while raising funds for Worthing Hospital
Over the decades the event has changed to adapt to local conditions, and is not slowly recovering from the impact of COVID and cost of living crisis.
It has now expanded into Worthing’s largest and most anticipated free family events, drawing local residents and visitors from outside the county.

the evolving face of change

SAME GOAL – DIFFERENT CHALLENGES

EARLY YEARS

The carnival began in the 1920sas a parade through the town, featuring decorated floats, marching bands, and entertainers. Its primary goal was to raise funds for local charities, and this remains a core purpose of the carnival to this day.

WORLD WAR II

Like many events, the Worthing Rotary Carnival was suspended during World War II. Post-war, it resumed with renewed enthusiasm, reflecting the communal spirit of the time and becoming a symbol of recovery and community strength.

50s & 60s

The carnival had grown into a staple event for Worthing, with larger floats, more performers, and an increasingly festive atmosphere. Local businesses, schools, and community groups began to participate more actively, turning it into a true community-wide celebration.

CARNIVAL through the years

Many of us who have grown up in and around Worthing, will have some recollection of visiting the festivities as a child, but for those who are not aware of the long history of the event and the Rotary, we take a look through the archives and share some historical delights.

1922

The Rotary Club of Worthing was first founded by W.E. Wenban Smith

1923

The first reported Bank Holiday Carnival / Fair, where a parade of decorated horse and carts, motor cars, lorries, bicycles, etc, with several hundred entrants. By the bucketful, the money that was collected was locked up in a cell at the Police Station until the banks opened on Tuesday morning. Funds raised were predominantly for the Hospital.

1925

A pageant was held in Homefield Park, with 270 artists that walked in the procession from the old bandstand to the park, where crowds paid to attend.

1933

Grand Carnival Fair, advertised by The Worthing Journal, promoted 50 side shows, baby show, Ladies Beauty Competition (Open to all England) and a Ladies Ankle Competition. A donation of 6d was hoped for from the admission to the park.

1953

Bank Holiday Fair resumes post war with a procession through the town with elaborately dressed floats on flat-backed open lorries, loaned from the likes of Halls & Beaumonts, coal merchants.

1957

Saw the introduction of the Carnival Queen contest.

1958

The Concours d’Elegance for cars was introduced, covering 3 classes of vehicles. It’s reported to have been fashionable for the ladies to dress up in their new dresses, handbags and accessories, as much a show as the vehicles.

1969

The last fair was held at Homefield Park, ironically as the initial concept of the fair was to raise money for Worthing Hospital.

1970

Saw a change of venue from Homefield Park to Palentine Park, mainly due to the expansion of Worthing Hospital. This was fine for helicopter displays, parachute jumping, galloping horses and trick motorcyclists. The event bore a new name, Rotorama!

Late 20th – early 21st century

The three Worthing Rotary clubs (Worthing, Worthing Steyne and West Worthing) came together to organise the event as the “Worthing Rotary Carnival”, turning it explicitly into a flagship charity event for the local Rotary clubs and formalising the parade + funfair + music programme. The carnival by this stage is described as one of the oldest in the UK.

2010’s

By the 2010s the parade customarily leaves Grand Avenue at around midday. It progresses along the seafront to Steyne Gardens, with a packed programme of live music, stalls and a funfair on the seafront, the format widely publicised in local press and event pages.

2020

The first time since World War II, has there been a break in the August Carnival / Fair. Due to the imposed social distancing restrictions, the event was cancelled.

2025 – THE COMEBACK

Our biggest parade for many years saw 24 groups attend, over double that of the previous year. It also saw the largest attendance of cosplay characters from fundraising partner Cosplay Allstars, with 120 characters and 8 movie vehicles, whilst they also created a new side event at Beach House Grounds.
For the first time, ITV Meridian news filmed the event which appeared on the evening news and BBC Sussex Radio, conducted an interview with Carnival Committee members, all offering invaluable media exposure for the event and the town.
Such was the success, the weeks following the event were awash with unanimous positive feedback.