Notting Hill Carnival is the biggest street party in Europe, a vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture in the heart of London which is held every year during the August Bank Holiday. While there are many different Carnivals around the world, Notting Hill Carnival is particularly unique. A community-led event founded by anti-racism campaigners in the 1950s, it has grown to be one of London’s biggest events, attended by millions each year.

The origins of Notting Hill Carnival can be traced back to the summer of 1958, following a period of increased racial tension and social unrest in Britain, gangs of racist thugs terrorised the West Indian communities of Notting Hill in what became known as the Notting Hill race riots. Less than a year later, a 32-year-old Antiguan carpenter and aspiring lawyer named Kelso Cochrane was walking home one night when he was set upon by a gang of white youths in an unprovoked attack and killed. 

In response to Cochrane’s murder, local activists including Trinidadian journalist Claudia Jones (often regarded as the "mother of the Notting Hill Carnival") and Amy Ashwood Garvey (ex-wife of the late great Marcus Garvey) established the Interracial Friendship Coordinating Council to take action.

They helped raise the money to pay for Cochrane’s funeral which was attended by over 1,200 people, many of whom were there to show their solidarity and defiance against racism. This led to a party to bring the communities together, as later that year, the council led by Claudia Jones organised an indoor Caribbean carnival in St Pancras Town Hall, that was broadcast on the BBC to promote unity and uplift the spirits of the West Indian community. This event was infused with Calypso music, steel bands, and vibrant costumes, elements that remain central to the Carnival today.

By 1966, Notting Hill resident and activist Rhaune Laslett helped to move the celebration outdoors and it evolved into a full-fledged Caribbean carnival, heavily influenced by Trinidad's pre-Lenten Carnival. The festival quickly became a showcase for Caribbean culture, particularly Reggae, Calypso, and Soca music, which filled the air with the sounds of resistance, resilience, and joy.

Notting Hill Carnival is still a proudly community-led event, but it has grown to be so much more than just a street party; it is a powerful symbol of cultural pride and social change. It represents the resilience of the Caribbean diaspora in the face of adversity and their determination to preserve their heritage while contributing to the multicultural fabric of London.

Those of us who go to Carnival regularly will be familiar with the beautifully chaotic sensory overload that it is- bright colours, loud music, intense aromas. Rivers of people bounce ecstatically to Soca rhythms pounding from the Mas Band floats that snake lazily through the narrow streets. Beautiful women dressed like birds of paradise in sequinned leotards and giant feathered headdresses, dance in unison while onlookers cheer, waving the flags of their ancestral island. Dense pockets of revellers accumulate on street corners around Soundsystems playing the finest in Reggae, Dancehall, Hip-Hop, Funk, Soul, Jungle, Grime and more. Clouds of smoke billow from steel drum barbecues and big ganja spliffs in equal measure, and it’s all washed down gallons of rum punch.

In spite of its popularity, the Carnival is not without its controversy and there is an ongoing public discourse about the future of the event. While the vast majority of people attending Carnival will attest to its ethos of community cohesion and celebration of cultural diversity, inevitably with events of this size, there are always a small number of people intent on causing trouble. Every year there are reports of the number of arrests and violent crimes associated with the event and every year these statistics are held up by conservatives and right-wing pundits as reasons to shut down the carnival. 

But these flimsy arguments rarely take context into account, for example, Notting Hill Carnival has an estimated attendance of up to 2 million people across both days, this year the Metropolitan Police reported a crime rate of 0.012% among attendees. Compared to similar data from Glastonbury 2024, where the crime rate was 0.015%, we can see that there’s not a significant difference, especially considering that one is a contained event with tickets costing £360, while the other is a free event that is open to all. And while Glastonbury is considered a “very safe” festival, Notting Hill Carnival continues to be stigmatised as a “violent crime-fest”. 

It’s undeniable that race and class play a factor in this media perception of the world-renowned cultural event, and of course, Daily Mail readers don’t really understand terms like dutty whine and daggering, but if you’ve never been to Notting Hill Carnival before, don’t let the scaremongers put you off. It is a truly unique representation of cultural diversity and a testament to the vibrant, proud and passionate culture of Caribbean people. The fact that the organising committee enforce strict rules around the types of music allowed on the procession demonstrates just how seriously they take the Carnival’s cultural roots.

While it’s clear that there are many questions about the future of the Carnival, it’s undoubtedly an integral part of the London calendar and an important event for Britain as a whole. 

For us here at Reggae Roast, Carnival weekend is a highlight of the year, where Londoners welcome people from around the world to celebrate Caribbean culture, the many music genres it has inspired and the impact it has had on Britain.

If you love Carnival, why don't you try getting involved? Notting Hill Carnival relies on thousands of volunteers to keep it running each year, so if you’re serious about helping out they could really use your help! Check out the official website for more info.

We hope to see you there next year, but until then, check out some of our pics of this year's Soundsystem rigs.