[1] The Carnival was originated and was run many times in Upper Cuba Street by Martin Wilson through the 1980s and in 1995.
[1] Among the acts to have played at the festival are Fat Freddy's Drop, Trinity Roots, and The Black Seeds.
In 2011, the Creative Capital Arts Trust was established to run both Wellington's Fringe Festival and the Cuba Street Carnival.
In 2012, the trust was approached by the Wellington City Council to formulate an event development plan to run the festival again.
[1] In 2014, the Wellington City Council set aside $250,000 towards a new Cuba St festival in late March or early April 2015, which would cost about $500,000 in total.