Notting Hill Carnival 2025: What's it all about?

Notting Hill Carnival is back for another year!

Notting Hill Carnival is back for another year!

The London carnival, which has been running for nearly 60 years, is one of the largest and longest-standing street festivals in the world.

It brings together people from across the UK and beyond to celebrate Caribbean heritage, arts, and culture - with vibrant music, delicious food, and energetic dancing.

Every summer, around two million people attend the festivities.

The carnival takes place every year over the August bank holiday weekend.

In 2025, the event will be held on Saturday 23 August through to Monday 25 August in Notting Hill, West London.

When and why did the Notting Hill Carnival start?

The first Notting Hill Carnival was held in 1966, organised by community activist Rhaune Laslett.

Laslett, who lived in Notting Hill, aimed to bring together the diverse local community by creating a multicultural festival that celebrated unity and inclusion.

That first event drew people from many different backgrounds and was the beginning of what would become a yearly tradition.

Since then, the carnival has continued to grow.

Today, organisers say it is the biggest street carnival in Europe, and one of the largest in the world, second only to Rio de Janeiro's carnival in Brazil.

What happens at Notting Hill Carnival?

The carnival is known for being vibrant

Notting Hill Carnival is a loud, colourful, and vibrant celebration.

There's plenty of dancing, music, singing, and lively processions that move through the streets of West London.

The carnival follows a route of over three miles, and many roads in the area are closed to traffic during the event.

People often spend months creating their elaborate, colourful costumes for the big parade.

There are huge colourful floats at Notting Hill Carnival

The Children's Day Parade takes place on Sunday and features young performers in vibrant costumes, dancing through the streets in a family-themed atmosphere.

On Monday, the Adults' Parade takes centre stage.

There are also huge floats - decorated platforms built on or towed by vehicles.

These floats are often covered in bright, colourful materials and feature dancers, musicians, and sound systems that really stand out in the parade.

There's all kinds of music for the crowds to enjoy - including steel bands, reggae, soca, calypso, and even salsa.

And of course, there's a lot of traditional Caribbean food to choose from.

Around 240 food stalls serve delicious dishes like jerk chicken, curried goat, roti, and more. Yum!

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