Notting Hill Carnival

In collaboration with

In 2020 and 2021, the carnival was cancelled due to the Covid lockdown, but you can still experience the sights and sounds from home

Watch an introduction...

...from the people who make it so special

Carnival is freedom, Carnival is street theatre

Play video

Celebrating food, fashion and music in style

The beat goes on

The different ways you can experience Carnival online

1

The History

How the festival got started

Explore

2

The Photographs

Explore those Carnival moments

Explore

3

The Faces

Meet the people who make it happen

Explore

The origins

of one of the biggest street celebrations in the world

Story

Notting Hill Carnival: Resistance and Protest

Learn how it all began

Story

Notting Hill Carnival: Joy and Celebration

How it has become a place for the expression of Black Joy

Get that Carnival feeling

Explore images of West London's favorite weekend from photographer Misan Harriman's collection 'The Last Dance'

Photography

The Community

The Last Dance Collection by Misan Harriman

Photography

The Joy

The Last Dance Collection by Misan Harriman

Photography

The Freedom

The Last Dance Collection by Misan Harriman

The colors of Carnival

A feast for your eyes with the vibrant costumes across the years

Reds, Pinks, and Greens

Explore the rainbow of Carnival history

View

The faces behind the festival

Learn about the origins of Carnival with the pioneers who help make it happen

Fiona Compton

Historian and ambassador

Allyson Williams MBE

Former nurse and band leader

Dexter Khan

Costumier for over 40 years

"You can be what you want to be in Carnival. It's a time when a beggar can be a king, a prince can dress up as a beggar. You can be whatever you want." - Michael Olton, Soca Massive Founder

How high is your headdress?

Carl Gabriel is the maker behind some of Carnival's most extravagant displays

Carl Gabriel: 47 Years of Costumes

Costume maker and Carnival royalty on what the celebration means to him

The Art of Carnival and Masquerading

Explore black and white photographs from the collection of Lyn and Carl Gabriel

A spotlight on the music

Playing sound systems, steel pans and mas bands through the street of London

Music

The Birth of Soca

Merging African and East Indian rhythms

Music

Stand up for the Sounds Systems

You can't have a street party without a Sound System!

Music

Dawn of the Calypso

Learn about the Afro-Caribbean musical tradition

Meet the Mas bands

A key part of Caribbean culture

Mas Bands

The History of Mas

Exploring the origins of Mas and its significance to Notting Hill Carnival

Mas Bands

Meet the Mas bands

Meet the Mas bands who bring bold and beautiful costumes to Carnival

Arts-A-Light Mas

Celebrating the traditions of Carnival rooted in the Church

Soca Sagaboys

30 years of Soca and Calypso

Vibrance Mas

The famous costumes of Carnival

Elimu Mas Academy

London-based Mas Band who strive to promote the excellence of Mas art

Genesis Mas Band 40 Years On

Celbrating the 40th anniversary of Genesis Mas

Stardust Arts

Mas Band and Steel bands established by Randolph Baptiste

Utopia Mas

A family run mas band based in Bedford

Flamboyan Carnival Arts

A community-based arts charity bringing music to Notting Hill

Sunshine International Arts

An award winning carnival arts organisation

Meet the Steel Bands

Drumming through history with the sound of the steel pans

Steel Pans

The Origins of Steel Pan

Discover the creation of steel pans in Trinidad and Tobago

Steel Pans

Meet the Steel Bands

Explore some of the many iconic Steel Bands of the U.K

RASPO

Meet Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra (RASPO), an award-winning Steel Band based in Reading, Berkshire.

Mangrove

Meet Mangrove Steel Band, one of the largest and most well-travelled professional Steel Bands in Britain.

Fox/UFO

Centred around Children's Mas, Fox Carnival is a unique band which has morphed into Urban Fox Orchestra (U.F.O.) Steelband.

Ebony

Meet Ebony Steel Band Trust, one of Europe's leading Steel Bands and twenty-two time winners of the UK National Panorama Competition.

London All Stars

London All Stars Steel Orchestra is an authentic, multi-award winning Steelband that stems from a diverse musical background.

Metronomes

Meet Metronomes Steel Orchestra, one of Britain's leading Steel Bands that has contributed towards the art form for forty-seven years.

Contrast

Meet Contrast Steel Band, a Leicester-based ensemble with a range of musical talents.

Keep on moving

Have you got a favorite memory from the festival?

Audio story

Listen to the voices of Notting Hill Carnival

The carnival community share their stories

Experience the festival from home

Follow the parade route online with Street View

Take the tour

Dance Along The Route of Notting Hill Carnival

Weave along Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Park in a virtual tour

Download a lesson plan

Discover more about the culture of Notting Hill Carnival

A downloadable lesson plan that can be used in the classroom or given to students to work through at their own pace

Explore more

See all

Stories

See all

Discover the rhythm, Caribbean colors, and history of Europe's largest street festival

See all