account arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right closecontact-us emailFacebookheart instagramjoin linkedin phonepinterestplaysearch twitteryoutube
Back
Lots of narrowboats moored together

IWA Canalway Cavalcade returns to London’s Little Venice for a 40th anniversary event on Saturday 29th April 2023 for the full early May Bank Holiday weekend. Each year we celebrate the best of life on the waterways in London and its community at IWA Canalway Cavalcade.

Boat bookings have closed as we have reached full mooring capacity. Please contact Mike Moore on  [email protected] or 07545 546865 to be added to the waiting list or for any other boat booking enquiries.

Most stallholder spaces have now been filled but please contact [email protected] for trader enquiries.

There’s something for everyone at IWA Canalway Cavalcade; a vibrant canal festival in the heart of London’s waterways. Whether visiting by boat or on foot, it’s a splendid day out for you and your family. Soak up the atmosphere surrounded by colourful craft of all shapes and sizes, alongside a multitude of unique stalls, a real ale bar, and delicious foods for all appetites.

Each year we celebrate the best of life on the waterways and its community. With eclectic live music around the site, special boating activities like the legendary illuminated procession, and kids’ entertainment for all ages. You’ll also find amazing art from local schools on display, and plenty of opportunities to get involved at IWA Canalway Cavalcade. We are currently looking for volunteers for this year’s event – could you be one? Complete our online form here to register your interest.

Please note that the festival site is within London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, details of which can be found on the TFL website.

Follow us on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

View the event leaflet here for more information.

Click here to download a digital copy of this year’s brochure.

Event Dates

29th April - 1st May 2023

Location

Little Venice (W9 2PF and W2 6NE)

IWA

IWA Canalway Cavalcade

IWA Canalway Cavalcade returns to London’s Little Venice for a 40th anniversary event on Saturday 29th April 2023 for the full early May Bank Holiday weekend. Each year we celebrate the best of life on the waterways in London and its community at IWA Canalway Cavalcade.

Boat bookings have closed as we have reached full mooring capacity. Please contact Mike Moore on  [email protected] or 07545 546865 to be added to the waiting list or for any other boat booking enquiries.

Most stallholder spaces have now been filled but please contact [email protected] for trader enquiries.

There’s something for everyone at IWA Canalway Cavalcade; a vibrant canal festival in the heart of London’s waterways. Whether visiting by boat or on foot, it’s a splendid day out for you and your family. Soak up the atmosphere surrounded by colourful craft of all shapes and sizes, alongside a multitude of unique stalls, a real ale bar, and delicious foods for all appetites.

Each year we celebrate the best of life on the waterways and its community. With eclectic live music around the site, special boating activities like the legendary illuminated procession, and kids’ entertainment for all ages. You’ll also find amazing art from local schools on display, and plenty of opportunities to get involved at IWA Canalway Cavalcade. We are currently looking for volunteers for this year’s event – could you be one? Complete our online form here to register your interest.

Please note that the festival site is within London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, details of which can be found on the TFL website.

Follow us on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

View the event leaflet here for more information.

Click here to download a digital copy of this year’s brochure.

Details

General Enquiries

Trader Enquiries

Contact

For all other enquiries please phone: 01494 932730

Getting here

Please check your journey before travelling

View event location

Location

Little Venice (W9 2PF and W2 6NE)

Blomfield Road, London W9 2PF, UK

Find directions to the Event

Directions to IWA Canalway Cavalcade

The postcodes for IWA Canalway Cavalcade are W9 2PF or W2 6NE.

We’ve included some information to help you plan your journey; but works are often scheduled over Bank Holiday weekends. So, please check your route before you travel.

Nearest Tube

Paddington (Hammersmith & City line) station leads directly on to the towpath and Paddington (Bakerloo or Circle line) and Warwick Avenue (Bakerloo line). Both of these stations are approximately 5 minutes’ walk.

Nearest Rail

Paddington Station is less than 5 minutes’ walk. The footbridge over the platforms connects to the canal towpath. Follow the signs for ‘Little Venice’ , ‘Sheldon Square’ or ‘Grand Union Canal’. To find the footbridge from the main concourse, walk along platform 8.

By Bus

Bishops Bridge/Little Venice: routes 18, 46, 332.

Westbourne Terrace: routes 7, 23, 27, 36.

Warwick Avenue Station: routes 187, 414.

By Car

There is limited on-street parking in the area at weekends – be sure to check the signs.

By Boat

Little Venice is the junction of the Regent’s Canal and the Paddington Branch of the Grand Union Canal (GU). It can be approached from the GU main line at Bull’s Bridge (either from the Thames at Brentford or from the Midlands and beyond), or via the Regent’s Canal from the Thames at Limehouse or the Lee Navigation via the Hertford Union Canal.

 

Sustainability & Recycling at IWA Canalway Cavalcade

Vision

Our vision is to have an environmentally sustainable IWA Canalway Cavalcade, which has no negative impact on the local environment in which it is held, and contributes positively to the local economy.

Specific Actions
  • We will decide our specific aims e.g. increase recycling to 75% or reduce power consumption by 10%
  • Nominate one responsible person
  • Embed environmental sustainability into our existing systems and processes
  • We will set dates for achievement of targets with milestones towards achievement
  • Set measures of success
  • Develop an action plan to achieve our targets
  • Communicate progress to our suppliers, contractors and partners

METHOD

By working with our partners, local authorities, local landowners, caterers, suppliers, entertainers and boat owners, we will seek ways to increase recycling rates, reduce ‘single use’ plastics and have a positive impact on air quality.

We Aim To

IMPROVE LEVELS OF RECYCLING BY:

  • Working with our partners to increase recycling points in the IWA Canalway Cavalcade event area
  • Providing attending boaters both with rubbish bags and clear recycling bags to allow them to separate their rubbish
  • Providing information about local recycling points via the Boaters Information Pack and our site PA system

IMPROVE AIR QUALITY BY:

  • Asking visiting boat owners to minimise the use of their heating stoves and use only smokeless fuel
  • Ensuring our on-site fuel supplier does not sell house coal or unseasoned wood to any of our attendees
  • Restricting the running of engines to two periods of two hours per a day to help reduce air pollution
  • Banning BBQ usage in the event area to help ease air pollution and to reduce fire risk

REDUCE THE USAGE OF PLASTICS BY:

  • Working with our bar and catering suppliers to ensure the use of non-recyclable plastics is kept to a minimum. In addition, we will ask that natural or biodegradable cutlery, crockery and liquid receptacles are used to service their customers wherever possible
  • Trialling the usage of display tools and accessories, which are kinder to the environment
  • Banning the sale of Helium balloons throughout the event site
  • No longer giving out plastic bags containing show information and leaflets
  • Encouraging volunteers to bring their own re-fillable water bottles
  • Asking our stall holders to refrain from giving away or providing prizes that are wrapped in single use plastics
  • Asking the catering concessions including the bar to allow the use of brought in liquid receptacles for service
  • Publicising the purchase of re-usable liquid containers for sale within the IWA marquee and Waterspace Office, and asking that they are sold wherever possible
  • Asking local outlets to allow the free use of tap water from their establishments
  • Asking stallholders to refrain from using plastic bags
  • Ensuring that any containers used for the selling of food are recyclable

REDUCE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT BY:

  • Encouraging volunteers to use public transport when attending the event
  • Asking our children’s entertainers and activity providers to use products not deleterious to the environment
  • Restricting our usage of water for entertainment purposes to the children’s activities in Rembrandt Gardens.  This water will be used to water park plants after it has been used.

Volunteer

The Canalway Cavalcade 40th Anniversary will be held over the Mayday Bank Holiday (29th April – 1st May) and we are looking for volunteers.

Could you be one?

Complete our online form here to register your interest.

You can learn more about our current committee vacancies here.

Events

Waterway underfunding

Hundreds of miles of waterways – along with their unique heritage and habitats – are currently starved of funding and rely on constant lobbying by us to safeguard their future.

Sustainable Boating

We want boating on canals and rivers to be more sustainable and – even though the current overall contribution to UK carbon emissions is very small – we want to help reduce emissions on the waterways.

Waterways Heritage at Risk

Britain’s canals and rivers are a unique, living heritage. But that heritage is at risk – from urban development, lack of protection, loss of skills and knowledge and climate change.

You can help Save Waterways Heritage.

Waterway restoration

Restoring the UK’s blue infrastructure – our inherited network of navigable canals and rivers – is good for people and places.