The Fleet & District Carnival will return to Fleet, Hampshire, on Saturday 4 July 2026 to mark its 70th anniversary. The Carnival Committee has announced the theme for 2026 as “Music Through The Decades,” celebrating songs and styles from the 1950s through to the present.
The committee announced the theme to give local schools, clubs and businesses the six months needed to plan their entries for the Grand Procession. Residents are being encouraged to begin work on costumes and float ideas that represent their favourite musical eras.
The Grand Procession will start at Connaught Road and proceed via Kings Road and Fleet High Street into Calthorpe Park, where the event will include a funfair, stalls and family entertainment. Fleet Town Council is supporting the event and provides logistical assistance and use of Calthorpe Park; historically park events have run from mid-morning into the evening and the procession traditionally sets off around midday.
The modern Fleet Carnival was established in 1956 to raise funds to build a new Civic Centre (including Chernocke Hall and Carnival Hall) and has remained a key part of the town’s community life and fundraising for local charities ever since.
Although 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the carnival’s 1956 founding, the committee notes this will be the 66th time the carnival has been held — several years were missed due to cancellations, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee is hoping for a record turnout as the community comes together to mark the milestone.
