We can’t all afford to get to Mardi Gras in Rio De Janiero, but the next best thing has been available on our doorstep for quite a few years now, in the form of the Sharrow Lantern Festival.
The spectacle of hundreds of lanterns slowly processing through the streets of Sharrow has become an annual fixture in that part of town, and word seems to be spreading across the city, as the crowds seem to be larger every year.
As usual, the spectacularly pink Sheffield Samba Band led the procession, and as well as their infectious take on samba, they excelled themselves this year with some stunning costumes. The rhythms did not end there though, and this year the procession featured two more Brazilian-inspired groups, the University of Sheffield Samba Band and the Sheffield Youth Samba Band. How much samba can one city take?
Of course, the lanterns were the star of the show, as ever, and featured an incredible array of characters and animals. This year the party procession started as usual in Mount Pleasant Park but ended for the first time in Lowfields Park. There, the lineup was joined by fire spinners and everyone had the chance to dance and admire the lanterns as they made one final lap of the park. A great night, not just for local residents, who love to hang out of windows, or sit in their gardens and celebrate, but also for the wider city who bring their families every year to dance and party.
