Now that’s a Worthing parade!

Worthing Parade 2026: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex.

Worthing Rotary Carnival returns for 2026!

I was looking forward to joining Worthing Rotary Carnival procession for the town’s annual carnival parade along the sea front again. It started at the roundabout of Grand Avenue. As the parade started the participants set off, they all danced, sang and drummed to popular rhythms and sounds to the huge crowd gathered all along the sea front into Worthing town. It all finished up at Steyne Gardens about an hour later.

The weather! We had it all, baking sunshine, rain, hail, strong winds and finished up with hot sunshine.

For a while, the town centre looked less like somewhere you’d normally go to buy a pair of socks and more like Hollywood had decided to relocate!

The weather was perfect for the start of the parade. The procession was headed up by Worthing’s very own Town Cryer Bob Smytherman and Cllr Lysanne Skinner,
Mayor of the Borough of Worthing. The displays of dancers and local groups and charities made their way along the promenade after starting at 12.30 sharp. The pavements and any free space was packed with cheering onlookers. All the traffic had been stopped for the morning and so the participants had the run of the place!

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The floats made their way along the seafront to the town centre, with many stops along the way! They created a streaming party of audio and visual delights interacting with the massive crowds and handing out flyers and other goodies!

Along the seafront, running along the footpath, there were many youngsters dressed in their finest outfits or superhero disguises. The centre of town was home to a market fair with stalls offering a wide selection of goods and tasty treats.

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It was a most uplifting experience; I haven’t seen the town so busy in a long while and great to see so many families out enjoying the spectacle and the sunshine (while it lasted)! There really was almost too much to take in!

The many Rotary volunteers mingled with the crowd allowing the public the opportunity to donate and help raise funds for the wide range of important local charities and causes supported by the Worthing branch of the Rotary Club.

The event features everything from hot food to a live music stage. There is a small car show, with the well loved autos, including the parade of American style police cars, shining in the sunshine, there were various children’s activities also available. Little surprise then that this event is so popular.

It started to drizzle, sadly a few drops of water remained on my camera lens and fuzzed out a few pictures. The weather had started to turn as the parade pressed onwards, from a few spots of rain to a full on squall which saw people running for cover under trees or shelters, it threw it down!

Then came the magical contingent from Harry Potter, bringing a little Hogwarts enchantment to proceedings. Witches, wizards and assorted magical characters marched and mingled with the crowds, presumably wondering why nobody had thought to bring a magic wand or broomstick capable of dealing with British weather.

There are certain things you don’t expect to see while wandering through a town centre on an otherwise perfectly ordinary day. A dog chasing a pigeon, perhaps. Someone arguing with a parking meter. A man carrying a suspiciously large houseplant. But a procession featuring characters from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Toy Story, Transformers, Deadpool and Captain Jack Sparrow! Stormtroopers were probably wondering whether their armour came with a waterproof setting or guarantee.

The crowd, meanwhile, demonstrated the true British spirit in the rain as various charity groups, local theatre ensembles, dancing children, steam trains, cars, and lots of young people made their way into Worthing town. Thousands of people suddenly discovering that they had brought precisely the wrong clothes for the occasion.

Umbrellas appeared from nowhere. Coats were hastily pulled over costumes. Children jumped into puddles. Adults made a heroic attempt to protect expensive cameras beneath jackets, bags and anything else vaguely waterproof.

Worthing Parade 2026: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex.

The event features everything from hot food to a live music stage. There is a small car show, with the well-loved autos shining in the return of the sunshine, there were various children’s activities also available. Little surprise then that this event is so popular.

As we headed on the grassy event area we were greeted by a wealth of super hero characters. Characters from Star Wars to Deadpool, to Ghostbusters to Harry Potter and Toy Story to Transformers! Breath-taking!

Hats off to everyone who took part in the parade, hats off – or helmets off to those who stayed in costume for the afternoon! It must have been baking in that heat under that clothing and make up, then a soaking from the heavy rain and then hot sunshine.

This event has been running since 1921! Long may it continue! Thank you to the Worthing branch of Rotary for a wonderful day out for so many people and raising  money for the local charities.

You can visit Rotary on the WWW – The Worthing page here. The group have a FaceBook page here, check out what is coming up in our area or volunteer! There is also a Rotary Carnival page here!

This wonderfully put together and run carnival is a mainstay on Worthing’s event calendar, and hopefully you can see why it has remained a favourite with locals and holiday makers alike. See you in 2027!

Jump to an extra page of photos from the day – click here to go! Go! GO!

The cosplay characters were provided by Cosplay Allstars who were fund raising directly with the Worthing Rotary club. This year saw many characters coming from as far as Wales, Lincolnshire, London, Hertfordshire, Kent and Essex. Thanks to Mr No Stripe, the founder – they have a web site here.

And Finally…

Thanks to the Worthing branch of Rotary.  Also thanks to the brilliant Cosplay Allstars.

Words, Videos and Photos for Scene Sussex by Ian “The Lens” Bourn. No AI or filters used, it’s pure and straight down “the lens”!

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All original pictures / video – copyright to IANB/MEDIA WORKS/ SCENE SUSSEX – Ian “The Lens” Bourn 2026.

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