Notting Hill Carnival, an annual event that takes place every year at Notting Hill in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, is all set to return this year over the bank holiday weekend of August 26 and 27.
The event will include the participation of around 50,000 performers in its famous parade, all dressed in the traditional bright and imaginative costumes. The West Indian community, particularly those with roots in Trinidad and Tobago, usually lead the parade, which on a list of the most popular street festivals across the world, is second only to the Rio Carnival held in Brazil.
The carnival was started in 1946 by the Notting Hill West Indian community, and still brings a totally Caribbean flavour to the streets of West London for one weekend each year. The festival includes bands, decorations and stalls, as well a parade of floats.
The festival will cover around 20 miles of West London streets, and will host a vast array of food stalls with strong Caribbean influences. Around 40,000 volunteers will be organising the show for around one million visitors that are expected this year. While children are welcome on August 26, the events that are planned for August 27 will be strictly for adults.
The authorities request that carnival visitors use public transport to get to Notting Hill and back, and London Buses will be operating additional services during the Carnival. However, the buses will not enter the Carnival area from the morning of August 26, until the morning of August 30.
