The UK’s oldest carnival has been postponed until next year after the council withdrew its support for the event.

Hundreds of people were expected to take to the streets on Saturday for Brighton Carnival, the successor to the traditional Kemp Town Carnival.

However, organisers revealed that Brighton and Hove City Council withdrew its licence for the event, forcing its postponement just days before it was due to take place.

More than 400 volunteers had been due to take part in the event, which had been due to mark its 100th anniversary, with rehearsals having already taken place and contractors booked.

In a statement, organisers for Brighton Carnival said: “We respect the decision of the events team at the council, and the team themselves, who have expressed a desire to work with the carnival on a future event.

“It has been an absolute privilege to work with all involved and we could not wish more success for the future of the carnival.

“We truly believed that we were set to buck the sad trend of the closure of our local community, volunteer-run festivals and are side-swiped by this decision.”

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While organisers said the announcement was “very sad news”, they promised that the event would return next year.

The Brighton Carnival, a free community music festival, is believed to be one of the last of its kind along the south coast.

The announcement is the latest in a series of cancellations and postponements for the event over the last few years.

Planned events for 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the pandemic, with another postponement in 2022, promising a “more comprehensive carnival in 2023,” with “greater inclusion, more engagement, higher diversity and exciting new features”.

Brighton and Hove City Council have been approached for comment.