WEAR COMFY SHOES You'll be standing the whole time while you're at Notting Hill Carnival so wear comfortable shoes, preferably some trainers if you feel like dancing! There will also be a lot of people on the roads celebrating Carnival, so watch your feet don't get trodden on and try and avoid wearing open toe sandals.
What do I need to know before going to Notting Hill Carnival?
Respect the culture. Everyone is welcome at carnival – after all, it's one of the most joyous displays of community and culture we have left in this country. ...
Dress appropriately. Remember, the parade route is 3.5 miles long and begins at 10am. ...
Plan your route using the official Carnival Map from Trippin'
“It's the one time you can be a bit naked — go as far with that as your heart will let you. Wear things that are sheer, with strings, and are short!” She has a few rules: “Do not be an idiot — do not wear high heels to Carnival. Always trainers. You want to be able to run around.
What is the best day to go to Notting Hill Carnival?
In 2023, Notting Hill Carnival will take place from Sunday 27 August – Monday 28 August. Traditionally, Sunday (27 August) is family day and the best time to visit with children, while Monday (28 August) is the most frenetic with the biggest parties. “There's always a hunger for Notting Hill Carnival,” Matthew says.
The number of crimes occurring at Carnival has risen slightly over recent years. Traditionally, the vast majority of offences have been related to theft and drugs. The number of violent incidents, however, is rising. This year there were 15 reports of violent injuries involving a knife or blade.
If you had newly landed on our shores, then heard that there had been eight stabbings and 75 attacks on police officers (including sexual assaults) at a major public festival, you might imagine it would be some kind of national scandal.
Since 1966, carnival has been a celebration of British Caribbean culture and diversity, a festival of music, dance, and food and drink. The floats always dazzle, performers dress emphatically, and sound systems reverberate through mouthfuls of jerk chicken and gulps of Red Stripe.
The official Carnival after party kicks off from 10 pm at Ministry of Sound in Elephant & Castle and goes till 6 am, but there will be a huge range of events at bars and clubs around the area.
Notting Hill Carnival takes place over the August bank holiday weekend, on Sunday, August 27 and Monday, August 28. Festivities officially start at around 10am on Sunday and 10:30am on Monday, with music blaring until around 7pm, and activities on until 8:30pm.
Eight men were hurt in stabbings at the weekend and there were 308 arrests, with 57 for alleged assaults on police. Carnival organisers say those carrying out violence "have nothing to do with Notting Hill Carnival and its values".
The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual street festival that comes around on the final weekend of August to celebrate the culture, arts, and heritage of Caribbean people.
What is the best street food at Notting Hill Carnival?
NHC offers food from around the world. Traditionally the main emphasis is on an array of varied Caribbean foods. 'Jamaican Jerk Chicken' is King , and the smell of a jerk pit is the immediate 'scent of Notting Hill Carnival'. Look out for that, also Trinidadian 'Roti', and Guyanese 'Pepper Pot' are a must try.
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 level of violence at Notting Hill Carnival is “unacceptable and unsustainable” the Metropolitan Police Federation has said, as images emerged of men brandishing machetes on the streets of west London.
It would, however, be harsh to cancel the event altogether. NHC is a culturally significant event and it would be unjust for the event itself to cease to exist due to the unlawful actions of a few troublemakers. It is the nature of large events like NHC that these things are unfortunately inevitable.
Over two million people, including thousands of tourists, attend each year to follow the three-mile parade through W10. Expect an amazing parade showcasing the best of mas dancing, soca, calypso, steel bands and sound systems.
What's the nearest tube station to Notting Hill Carnival in Westbourne Park? The nearest tube station to Notting Hill Carnival in Westbourne Park is Notting Hill Gate. It's a 4 min walk away.
Similarly, Dutty (dirty) or Fun Mas sees participants dancing in brightly coloured paints and powders in a display of mayhem, revelry and pure bacchanal.
Where is Notting Hill? Notting Hill is an affluent area in West London. It falls under the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and is a cosmopolitan and multicultural district. Neighbouring postcodes include Chelsea, Kensington, Ladbroke Grove, Bayswater, Queensway and Westbourne Grove.