This year's World Carnival will miss Shanghai because the organizer says it could not find a suitable site.

 

It will be back next year if conditions permit, the organizer said yesterday.

 

The scheduled opening date for this year's carnival was July 1, at Longhua Airport in Xuhui District, but the airport is being prepared as a parking lot for sports events including the Women's Soccer World Cup and the 2007 Special Olympic Summer Games, the organizer, Pudong Culture Development Co Ltd, said.

 

"We started preparing for the carnival at the beginning of May, but we received the notice one month later," said a company official named Hua.

 

She said it was impossible to find a new venue within such a short time.

 

However, Hua declined to say exactly who sent the notice about Longhua.

 

"We had intended to bring 40 amusement facilities to Shanghai, but we didn't think we could find a site to catch the holiday," she said.

 

"The event will be back next year if prospects are promising and we find a suitable partner."

 

The city has had three carnivals organized by different companies since 2003. The event attracted thousands of people with big-thrill rides and fluffy-toy prizes for games.

 

 

(Shanghai Daily July 12, 2007)