Douglas Carnival is set to take place along a shorter route this July following a three-year break due to the regeneration of Douglas Promenade.

It will see the carnival’s floats and performers travel along Loch Promenade from the Bottleneck car park to the new cultural area on Harris Promenade, rather than the entire seafront.

Councillors voted to spend £20,000 on it.

The theme of the carnival is queens, in celebration of Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee.

Entrants are being invited to explore the theme as widely as they choose, whether opting for the traditional royal route, the rock band, dancing queens or drag queens.

All carnival entrants will automatically be entered into a competition and judged via 11 categories, which include a special Mayor’s Prize, ‘the people’s choice’, ‘most creative’, ‘most musical’ and ‘best collaboration’, with a £100 cash prize up for grabs in each category.

Councillor Andrew Bentley, chair of the regeneration and community committee, said: ‘Douglas Borough Council is delighted to announce the return of the Douglas Carnival this July.

‘The carnival is a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together, celebrate the Queen’s jubilee and have a fun filled day out!

‘Along with the procession, there will be plenty of entertainment on offer including fun fair rides and a variety of local performances.

‘We expect the carnival to attract thousands of locals and visitors to the capital and anticipate the event will have a positive impact on businesses situated along the promenade and surrounding areas.

‘This is a real opportunity for local performers and community groups to showcase their talent and creativity on a local stage, and we would love to see as many sectors enter as possible.’

He added: ‘The jubilee theme is open to interpretation and entrants are welcome to delve into it as much or as little as they like. While encouraged, this is not a requirement and all applications are welcomed.

‘We’re excited to see what entrants come up with as we’re always blown away with the level of creativity presented at the carnival.’

Entrants can register their interest by completing the application form on the Douglas Council website. The deadline is the end of May.