Notting Hill Carnival

Notting Hill in the West of London is not that far away from the Caribbean, but during the last weekend of August every year, its streets erupt with the supercharged noise and colour of carnival with crowds in excess of over 1 million.

Second only to Rio in its scope, the Notting Hill Carnival has grown since 1964 from a minor celebration to become the biggest street carnival in Europe. Along the 5km- (3 miles) route, flamboyantly dressed participants dance their way to the music of steel bands, reggae and the many licensed static sound systems along the way playing a mix of jazz, soul, hip-hop, funk and drum and bass music. The carnival is organised into four disciplines: costume masquerade, steel band, calypso and SOCA (Sounds of Caribbean and Africa, a distinctive fusion of musical styles). In recent years, the Carnival has developed beyond merely Caribbean traditions to include those of other countries in the Latin and developing world. The Bank Holiday Sunday is traditionally reserved as Children’s Day with the emphasis on family and young festivalgoers. Bands and performers that appear on this day are all under 21 years old and sites around the Carnival are reserved just for activities aimed at the younger generation.