Everything you need to know about Notting Hill Carnival 2024

The legendary Notting Hill Carnival is returning to the streets of London this August Bank Holiday weekend.

The carnival, one of the longest-running street parties in the world, is returning to the capital for its 56th year.

Millions of people, including thousands of tourists, take part in the three-mile parade.

It showcases fantastic masquerade dancing, soca, calypso, steel bands and sound systems as people in stunning and elaborate costumes dance their way through London.

When is Notting Hill Carnival 2024?

This year’s carnival will be held from Saturday, August 24 to Monday, August 26.

Is it free?

Notting Hill Carnival is unticketed and is completely free.

What happens during carnival?

As well as the parade through the city on Sunday, there will be several live music performances held across the weekend.

Highlights include:

Saturday:

• Panorama. The UK’s biggest steel pan competition at Emslie Horniman Pleasance Park, 4-11pm
• 2024’s competing bands: Croydon Steel Orchestra, Ebony Steelband (the defending champions,) Mangrove Steelband, Metronomes Steel Orchestra and Real Steel

Sunday (Families’ and Children’s Day, the family-friendly part of the carnival):

• J’Ouvert, the paint party which kicks off just before sunrise, is not happening this year, reportedly because a lack of bands, but the J’Ouvert bands will play later in the day with paint in the main parade later in the day
• Official opening ceremony: Mas (masquerade) Judging Point, Great Western Road. Traditionally carnival is opened by local residents and participants, accompanied by the organisers and friends at 10am
• Children’s day parade: Expect family-friendly activities and events, with the main event being children’s mas
• ‘Dutty’ fun mas parade: Get down and ‘dutty’. Just like J’Ouvert, this mas is for those who enjoy the mayhem. As a spectator you can expect to be splashed with brightly coloured paints, powder or even melted chocolate
• Sound systems: If you love street dancing but don’t want to be ‘on di road’ then the sound systems are where it’s at. At today’s Carnival you can hear everything from rare groove to house to samba. From 12-7pm
• Red Bull Selector, 12-7pm, Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park
• Powis Square Stage, 12-7pm, Powis Square

Monday (the best day for adults to party):

• Adult’s Parade: This is the carnival climax. It’s the last lap for another year and your best chance to see the brightly hued costumes and eclectic dances and songs
• Sound systems as Saturday, 12-7pm
• Strawberries & Creem Stage, 12-7pm at Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance
• Powis Square Stage, 12-7pm, Powis Square

How many people attend?

Every year more than a million people attend Notting Hill Carnival, a mix of locals and tourists, with attendance of up to two million recorded in previous years.

Is it safe?

The Metropolitan Police use a lot of crowd control techniques which manage how many people enter or leave an area, to try and prevent overcrowding and crushes.

This year the Met is working with charity Safer Spaces to create a safe area specifically for women and girls.

Police advice for the event includes:

• Go with the flow of the crowd and don’t try to walk against it
• Set a meeting place with family and friends in case you get separated
• Keep your belongings with you at all times
• Plan your journey in advance – don’t drive to Notting Hill and know your best routes on public transport
• Make those travel plans before you leave

Who founded Notting Hill Carnival?

The first ever Notting Hill Carnival was held in 1966 and is a stunning spectacle and celebration of British Caribbean culture.

But the first carnival was not just put on to celebrate – it was in response to race riots and the murder of Antiguan-born Kelso Cochrane who was killed aged 32 in 1959.

His death was the result of a racially-motivated attack, and it’s thought there were more than 1,200 people at his funeral.

Protests and activism stepped up amid fears that the murder investigation had stalled, with allegations of a cover-up circulating. To this day, Kelso’s murder remains unsolved.

A children’s street fayre held in the mid-60s, aimed at bringing together people of all races in the Notting Hill locality, would eventually morph into what we know as the carnival today.

This was organised by resident and activist Rhaune Laslett.

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