The August bank holiday weekend is fast approaching, and each year, over two million people flock to West London to celebrate Notting Hill Carnival.
The festival started in 1966 and has taken place over two days in August ever since, except for 2020 and 2021 because of Covid-19 restrictions. It returned last year with huge success.
What is the Notting Hill Carnival?
Notting Hill Carnival is a free street festival, that celebrates the UK’s Caribbean community. It’s Europe’s biggest street festival, as well as the world’s second-largest carnival, after Rio’s extravaganza.
Each year, the festival brings beats, lashings of jerk chicken, eclectic, colourful and exciting costumes, as well as an utterly fabulous parade.
When is the Notting Hill Carnival 2023?
The carnival takes place each August over two days: the August bank holiday Monday and the preceding Sunday. This year, the event will be held on August 27-28 but there are some festivities on Saturday, August 26 as well.
What are the timings for the Notting Hill Carnival?
On Sunday and Monday, the parades will kick off at 10.00am and 10.30am respectively, with the judging finishing at around 6.30pm.
The Notting Hill Carnival ends at 7pm, when the music stops because of a noise curfew as it takes place in a residential area.
Once the music cuts out at 7pm, you can either head home or go to an afterparty.
Where is the Notting Hill Carnival 2023 and what’s the route?
The carnival takes place in Notting Hill but it also spills into the streets of Ladbroke Grove, Westbourne Park, Westbourne Grove and Bayswater.
The main parade route for Notting Hill Carnival starts near Westbourne Grove tube station at 9.30am, and it travels down Great Western Road before slowly winding its way to Westbourne Grove and then heading up Ladbroke Grove.
The parade is approximately three and a half miles long and it takes over most of W10. If you have a smartphone, you can track the parade on the Notting Hill Carnival app, which is available on Apple and Android.
How do I get to the Notting Hill Carnival 2023?
It’s important to remember that the Tube will be busy and the streets packed. The Central line will be open the whole weekend for Queensway, Notting Hill Gate and Holland Park, and the Circle and Hammersmith and City lines will be serving Westbourne Park, Ladbroke Grove and Latimer Road.
Streets around Notting Hill will all be pedestrianised, so buses will be rerouted and could terminate earlier than usual.
What is the Notting Hill Carnival 2023’s schedule?
This year’s carnival will feature 38 booming sound systems, which play anything from house to calypso, as well as 84 vibrant Mas bands.
Here’s what we know about the lineup so far:
Saturday, August 26
The event starts on Saturday, with Panorama, a family-friendly event in Emslie Horniman Pleasance Park, near Trellick Tower, which will require a ticket.
This event kickstarts the Carnival each year, and you can expect live music and a Caribbean atmosphere as the UK’s largest steel pan competition takes place.
Sunday, August 27
Sunday is family day at the Carnival but it is still often extremely busy. The J’Ouvert Carnival in Ladbroke Grove is likely to start at 6.00am with steel bands and African drummers parading through the streets until 9am.
Notting Hill Carnival 2023 official opening ceremony starts at 10am on Sunday. The children’s parade kicks off at 10.30am with younger performers dancing through the streets. Family workshops take place at Emslie Horniman Pleasance Park accompanied by Caribbean food and drink stalls.
Monday, August 28
On bank holiday Monday, the Adults Day Parade will kick off at 10.30am.
More events will follow from midday, with over 80 bands in spectacular costumes wandering through the streets. The entertainment continues with about 40 sound systems pumping out tunes for the remainder of the day.
Is Notting Hill Carnival free to attend?
Notting Hill Carnival is free for anyone to attend and everyone is welcome.
Can you bring food and drink to Notting Hill Carnival?
You’re welcome to bring your own food and drinks (no glass though). But if you’d rather see what the carnival itself has to offer, you’re in the best place as there are around 250 food stalls to choose from, serving up jerk chicken, patties and more. Notting Hill is also home to an array of restaurants, so you’ll never be stuck for choice.
