Revellers are about to enjoy the 56th Notting Hill Carnival as the festival returns for for the August bank holiday.
It will start with a quieter, family friendly set of events on the Sunday, with the biggest celebrations of them all on bank holiday Monday.
The area of London has already been graced by a parade of steel drum bands for the National Panorama Steel Band Competition, before the carnival proper begins.
During the spectacular three mile parade, festival-goers await colourful costumes, calypso, steel bands, food stalls, sound systems and more.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s event, including the route, performers to expect and travel advice.
The Notting Hill Carnival returns for its 56th year tomorrow. Dancers from last year’s main parade are pictured
Notting Hill Carnival is the second largest street festival in the world after the Rio Carnival in Brazil, attracting millions of revellers per year
The area of London has already been graced by a parade of steel drum bands for the National Panorama Steel Band Competition (seen today)
When is Notting Hill Carnival 2024?
The Notting Hill Carnival will take place from Sunday 25 August to Monday 26 August for the bank holiday, starting at 10:00-10:30am on both days.
For the Sunday, the day will begin with the carnival’s official opening ceremony.
Traditionally, Sunday is family day and will be slightly-less crowded, while Monday will be the more hectic with busy crowds and hard-partying.
Saturday saw an array of steel bands descend on the area for this year’s Panorama Steel Band Competition.
What is the Notting Hill Carnival 2024 line-up?
Every year surprise guests appear across the parade as Carnival organisers often leave the final announcements until the last minute.
Sunday
The opening ceremony will see local residents, participants, carnival officials and others close to the event come together at 10am, Sunday, August 25.
The Children’s Parade involves children donning their own homemade carnival costumes and dancing through the streets.
Dutty/Fun Mas is next up, ‘for those that enjoy the mayhem’. Spectators should expect to be coated in all the colours of the carnival by paint and powder.
Monday
Monday brings the festival’s pinnacle with the Adults Parade. Anyone who wants to be close to the action is advised to arrive early as this will be the busiest part of the bank holiday frivolities.
Attendees are encouraged to grab a whistle and horn and bring the atmosphere.
The streets on the route will be graced with mas bands, steel bands, brazilian bands, and soda and calypso bands.
Sunday launches the event with an opening ceremony, followed by the Children’s Parade (seen in 2023)
The high point of the event is Monday’s Adult Parade, which brings mas bands, steel bands, brazilian bands, and soda and calypso bands
As well as the parades, both days will give revellers the opportunity to party at any of an array of stationary sound systems and live stages.
First introduced to the carnival in 1973 there are now over 30 sound systems scattered around the area, catering for plenty of musical tastes from Dub to Rare Groove, House to Jungle, and Samba, Blues or Hip Hop.
The Powis Square Stage and Red Bull Selector, at Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park, will both be open from midday until 7pm on both days.
The streets will also be lined with food and drink stalls, with free drinking water points on Alderson Street, Kensington Park Road and Shrewsbury Road.
On both Sunday and Monday, floats, parades and stalls will all close by 8pm.
Monday is typically the busiest day at the festival, millions of revellers will enjoy the adult parade. Pictured: Festivalgoers in 2023
Notting Hill Carnival 2024 parade route
The Notting Hill Carnival parade route will take place over a three and a half mile loop encompassing most of W10.
The loop passes by Westbourne Park Tube station, along the Great Western Road to Westbourne Grove and then to Ladbroke Grove. It then loops round Westbourne Grove back to Westbourne Park Tube.
A map of the route and nearby tube stations can be seen below.
The Notting Hill Carnival parade route will take place over a three and a half mile loop, beginning and ending at Westbourne Park Tube station
Do I need a ticket for Notting Hill Carnival?
Saturday’s steel drum competition was a ticketed event, but the carnival proper is free for all to enjoy and both parades are free to watch, with no tickets needed.
However, there are a number of after party’s hosted following the event which you would need to purchase tickets for.
Alternatively, if you want to be a part of the parade, you will need to be part of an authorised group – or pay to be part of the procession.
Notting Hill Carnival travel advice
Like most big events in London, dozens of streets will shut to make way for the colourful parade
For the easiest and least crowded journey, TfL advises taking Bakerloo, Hammersmith & City, Circle or Elizabeth line services to Paddington Station and taking a short, signposted walk to the carnival.
Shepherd’s Bush is another large, well-connected station within walking distance of the carnival, but has no step-free access.
These, and all other stations in the area will be very busy when open.
There are various closures planned to manage traffic throughout the weekend.
Westbourne Park will be no entry from 11am.
Ladbroke Grove is all weekend.
Latimer Road at 11.30pm both days.
Notting Hill Gate will be no entry from 11am to 6pm, with the District and Circle lines not stopping there at all.
Holland Park will be no entry from 11am to 3pm, and closed thereafter.
Royal Oak will be no entry from 11am to 6pm, when it will close altogether.
Night Tube and Night Overground will not be running on either night.
