Things have been a bit up and down with Cowley Road Carnival this year – it’s been moved away from the traditional ‘party in the street’ to become ‘Carnival in the Park’, with all of the usual entertainments and diversions taking place in Oxford’s South Park on Sunday 3 July.

It’s free to get in, but these things do cost money to set up and run, which is why ‘Fiesta in the Park’ is happening on Saturday 2 July, from 4.30 pm to 11.00 pm, also in South Park. It’s £10 in advance, £15 on the gate, with concessions and under 12s getting in cheaper or even free. For that, you’ll get hours of music and more including a headline performance by the most excellent Roots Manuva. He’ll be supported by all kinds of good things in international music – Kanda Bongo Man (“king of highly infectious guitar-led soukous music”), Brassroots (eight-piece horn and percussion ensemble), Carnival Collective (a gigantic group of musicians mixing up funk, hip-hop, ska, reggae and drum and bass), Skylarkin’ Soundsystem (Oxford’s dancehall, reggae and soul man extraordinaire) and Kid Fury & Geenee with Wordplay (top-flight local hip-hop DJs and rapper).

You can find out more, get the latest news, and buy tickets, at the Cowley Road Carnival website.