Notting Hill Carnival cancelled for first time in more than 50 years
This year’s Notting Hill Carnival has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The carnival’s board said today that the August bank holiday event on the streets of west London will not take place, but they are working on holding a celebration on the same weekend in an alternative form.
In a statement on Twitter, Notting Hill Carnival said they have ‘no wish to place extra strain on our colleagues St John Ambulance and the NHS.
‘We, of course, work very closely with them for carnival and want to take this opportunity to express our utmost respect, admiration and gratitude for their work.’
They added: ‘We look forward to welcoming you back to the streets of Notting Hill in 2021.’
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Last year more than one million people had been expected to attend the August festival which has been held since 1966.
Organisers said: ‘This has not been an easy decision to make, but the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic and the way in which it has unfolded mean this is the only safe option. Everyone’s health has to come first.’
They said they hoped to bring people some of the ‘spirit’ of carnival from home.
It is the latest in a string of summer calendar events to have been postponed as a result of Covid-19, including the Glastonbury festival and the Tokyo Olympics.
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