London’s Notting Hill Carnival returned in spectacular fashion over the August bank holiday weekend, drawing crowds estimated at over one million for a vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture, unity, and resilience. The streets of west London pulsed with music, dance, and color, as festival-goers of all ages donned dazzling costumes and joined in the festivities, undeterred by heightened security and a visible police presence.
The annual event, renowned as Europe’s largest street party, kicked off early Sunday morning with the traditional J’ouvert. Revelers covered each other in paint, colored powder, and chocolate, setting a playful tone for the day. The Children’s Day Parade followed, filling Great Western Road with a procession of floats, children and adults in glittering wings, headdresses, and costumes, and the infectious rhythms of steel drums, flutes, and brass bands. From Venezuela to Trinidad, flags from across the Caribbean and beyond fluttered proudly on the shoulders of dancers and spectators alike.
Rows of food and drink stalls lined the side streets, offering up the scents and flavors of jerk chicken, curry goat, Red Stripe beers, and rum punch cocktails. The air was alive with the sounds of reggae, dub, and drum and bass, as towering sound systems and stages—one hosted by BBC Radio 1 Xtra—drew crowds of friends, families, and locals, some in costume and others simply waving their country’s flag. Residents leaned out from balconies and windows to soak in the spectacle below, a scene repeated across Notting Hill’s winding streets.
Despite concerns earlier in the year over funding that threatened the event’s future, festival chairman Ian Comfort expressed relief and gratitude that the carnival was able to proceed. “I was pleased the carnival was happening after its future was in jeopardy because of funding challenges earlier this year,” Comfort told the crowd, according to The Standard. The Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, Tom Bennett, echoed this sentiment, welcoming “friends” from across the Caribbean and declaring, “It’s one of the greatest street parties in the world…celebrating today Caribbean culture—from dancing, music, costumes but also everything the Caribbean community has done in this borough and country,” as reported by the PA News Agency.
For many attendees, the carnival is more than just a party; it is a powerful symbol of multiculturalism and community. TV chef and personality Big Zuu, who has attended the event since he was a year old, described it as “a celebration of black culture in England which we need right now.” He told PA News Agency: “We have got these idiots putting up English flags. We’re all British, we are part of Britain, this is a multicultural country. This is the best celebration of multiculturalism in the country.”
Longtime attendee Claudette Sparen, 61, originally from Curacao and now living in Holland, praised the event’s joyful and inclusive spirit. “The people are so nice, so polite, so happy—they are the best people I have ever met. We love to be here. It’s bigger than before and there are a lot of young people. Everybody is having fun and you see different cultures together; I love that. I have never seen anything dangerous,” she told The Standard.
Costume designer Lucky Thomas, 50, from Hackney, has been making carnival costumes for 40 years and organized the Perpetual Beauty float for children and adults. His friend, Sabina Challenger, 47, participated in the float with her child and emphasized the deeper meaning of the event: “Carnival is about unity and about bringing people together, about reminding the community what the West Indian community has brought to the UK. It also helps us to remind us of where we came from. It stems from slavery and oppression but it’s a celebration in terms of how far we have come in not just the UK but the world. There is negative to everything. But the idea is that those are always a small group of people. To allow those small groups of negative individuals to then be the message of what carnival is, I think that’s really unfair. This is something to be celebrated and it should remain in place.”
Notting Hill Carnival’s significance was further underscored by moments of solemn remembrance. On both days, music and sound systems were paused at 3pm for a 72-second silence to honor the 72 lives lost in the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, as well as those who have died at the carnival and Kelso Cochrane, whose racially motivated murder in 1959 became a catalyst for the event’s founding. Grenfell Tower, still clad in scaffolding, loomed over the carnival route—a stark reminder of tragedy amid celebration.
However, the joyous atmosphere was not without its challenges. According to the Metropolitan Police, as of 7:45pm on Sunday, there had been 140 arrests in connection with the carnival—105 at the event itself and 35 nearby. Offences included 15 arrests for assaults on police (with one officer requiring hospital treatment for hand injuries), 21 for possession of offensive weapons, 25 for cannabis possession, six for class A drugs, four for sexual offences, and two for robbery. The force also reported that 13 arrests were made after suspects were identified using live facial recognition technology, which was deployed at the carnival for the first time. This technology, aided by drones capable of identifying individuals from up to 80 meters away, fed images to officers on the ground. Screening arches and stop-and-search powers were also in place at busy entry points to keep weapons out, as reported by the BBC and Evening Standard.
In the days leading up to the event, police arrested 100 people in proactive operations, resulting in 21 individuals being recalled to prison and the seizure of 11 guns and more than 40 knives. About 7,000 officers were deployed across London over the weekend, a testament to the scale and importance of ensuring public safety at such a massive gathering.
Despite the arrests and the heavy police presence, the overwhelming majority of attendees experienced the carnival as a joyful, family-friendly celebration. “For the majority of carnival-goers, Europe’s largest street party will have been a joyful family-friendly experience,” the BBC reported. The event’s organizers and participants alike were keen to stress that the small number of negative incidents should not overshadow the festival’s positive message and enduring legacy.
Adding to the excitement, Olympic legend Usain Bolt made an appearance at King Tubby’s sound system, bringing a taste of Kingston to Notting Hill and delighting fans with his presence. The event’s international appeal was on full display, with people traveling from around the globe to take part in what many describe as the best celebration of multiculturalism in the UK.
Now in its 50th year, Notting Hill Carnival continues to be a testament to London’s diversity, creativity, and spirit. Its ability to unite people from all walks of life, even in the face of adversity, remains its most remarkable achievement. As the music faded and the crowds dispersed, the message was clear: the carnival is here to stay, a living, breathing celebration of culture, community, and hope.
