Notting Hill Carnival returns this weekend! Expect three days packed with Caribbean flavours, live performances, vibrant parades, ruffled feathers and big crowds. Here’s everything you need to know about the event, from the history of the Carnival to the best pop-ups taking place.
The History
What started as an intimate community children’s street fair celebrating Caribbean culture has since transformed into the Notting Hill Carnival we know and love today.
The first Carnival experience took place in 1959 at St Pancras Town Hall in response to the 1958 Race Riots in Notting Hill. It later officially began in 1966, and it’s since grown significantly, increasingly in popularity with over a million visitors celebrating each August Bank Holiday. Nowadays it’s packed with live performances, parades, music and more.
The Dates
Taking place every August Bank Holiday, the Carnival is packed out with brilliant foodie vendors, mega sound systems, live performances, mesmerising floats and an array of fluttering feathers. This year’s Notting Hill Carnival will be taking place Sunday 25th August – Monday 26th August 2024, with other celebrations running throughout the weekend.
The Line-Up
Saturday 24th August
While the main parade takes place on Monday 26th August, there are festivities right through the weekend, starting as they always do on Saturday with Panorama, The UK’s biggest steel pan competition at Emslie Horniman Pleasance Park. This one is friendly for all the family, so get yourself in the spirit early by heading along.
Sunday 25th August
Sunday is the dedicated family day, so expect lots of events geared towards children and the younger generation. J’Ouvert, a traditional festival known as “break day” acts as the unofficial start of Carnival, and kicks off just before sunrise.
This is followed by The Children’s Parade, featuring lots of costumes and street dancing, and the traditional parade featuring mas, soca, calypso and much more.
Monday 26th August
Sunday sees the Adults Day Parade take centre stage. Kicking off at 10:30am from near Westbourne Grove tube station, it will feature lots of dancing, parading and partying
5 things to do during the carnival
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1. Eat your way through the food stalls
Dancing all day is hungry work, and luckily you won’t have to look far for some delicious food stalls – there are hundreds of them.
Expect lots of traditional food including Jamaican Jerk chicken, Trinidadian roti and Guyanese pepper pot. For those looking to explore Caribbean food in the city beyond Carnival, check out our guide here.
Expect lots of traditional food including Jamaican Jerk chicken, Trinidadian roti and Guyanese pepper pot.
2. Sample a Carnival sound system
Throughout Carnival, there are 40 static sound stages and about 70 performing stages. Each soundstage is run by a different crew, many of whom have been doing this since the 70s like Volcano Sound.
At these sound systems, you can find a host of renowned DJ’s playing a wide variety of music, from soca, hip hop, reggae, disco, soca, dub, dance, pop, R&B, samba, calypso and everything in between.
You can find a host of renowned DJ’s playing a wide variety of music, from soca, hip hop, reggae, disco, soca, dub, dance, pop, R&B, samba, calypso and everything in between.
3. Get educated at the British Library
Beyond the Bassline is a map through Black music in Britain, featuring absorbing soundscapes, artworks and films produced by artists and collectives across the UK.
Archival footage leads into spectacular costumes, interactive displays, and of course, music. At the conclusion of the exhibition, Tayo Rapoport and Rohan Ayinde present a new multi-screen film installation in collaboration with Touching Bass, a South London-based musical movement and curatorial platform.
Where: 96 Euston Rd., London NW1 2DB
4. Set sail at Carnival on the Thames
2024 marks the 4th pre-Notting Hill Carnival party on the scenic River Thames – and this year is set to be even bigger and better than ever before.
Those attending will be invited to wear their brightest colours and jump on board for a maritime celebration of Caribbean Culture.
With an array of the best DJs in the UK representing the Caribbean and beyond, spinning across 3 decks of music; from Soca to Garage, Dancehall to Hip Hop, Afro-beats to RnB and everything in between.
Those attending will be invited to wear their brightest colours and jump on board for a maritime celebration of Caribbean Culture.
when: 24 August
where: festival pier, London SE1 8XZ
5. Head to a Carnival after-party
Does 10 straight hours of dancing, celebrating and eating not sound like enough? Keep the party going by heading to one of the many after-parties that will be going on during the weekend.
The Ministry of Sound is the biggest after-party, and runs into the early hours of Tuesday, featuring sets from Martin 2 Smoove, Kenny Allstar, and Andy Purnell.
Keep the party going by heading to one of the many after-parties that will be going on during the weekend.
When: 26 Aug
Where: 103 Gaunt St, London SE1 6DP
