Europe’s largest street festival returns to London
Notting Hill Carnival is set against mounting racial tensions that bubbled up in the west London district in the decades after the arrival of the Windrush Generation, a wave of half a million Caribbean immigrants to the United Kingdom. This influx was meant to address labor shortages in the aftermath of World War II. As clashes between groups of new immigrants and aggrieved locals grew more intense, activists and community organizers came together to plan a street festival. This served as an attempt to create space for neighbors to get to know one another and stake some investment in their new community.
First held in 1966, the resulting event, Notting Hill Carnival, has grown to become the largest street festival in all of Europe. It attracts more than 2 million revelers who flood the streets in masquerade. This year’s event, with its well-loved competitions, food carts and costuming, is back for the first time after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.
On Saturday, five of the hottest steelpan bands, Mangrove Steelband (the current reigning champions), Croydon Steel Orchestra, Ebony Steelband, Metronomes Steel Orchestra and Pan Nation will go head-to-head at Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park from 4 p.m. until midnight.
Early on Sunday morning, the traditional celebration of J’Ouvert takes place. Celebrants douse themselves in mud and oil, brightly colored powders and dripping paints, all in fervor of the pure disinhibition and mayhem that seeks to set the stage for the day’s bacchanalia. The following parade and Children’s Day activities begin at 10 a.m. and run throughout the day until 7 p.m. Adult revelers may seek out the streets where Dutty Mas, a more risqué iteration of the parade where scandalous costumes are welcome and enjoyed, is held. Along the parade route, sound systems dedicated to different genres, from house to samba, create stationary destinations for soaking up some rhythm. With the addition of an electrical powered float, one major initiative to incorporate sustainability into the celebration, this year’s carnival will reach new and energetic heights.
This story was originally published August 26, 2022 at 9:00 AM.