The annual Notting Hill Carnival is a two-day event each August that originated in 1964 as a celebration of Afro-Caribbean culture. The Carnival boasts twenty miles of vibrant costumes, over 40 static sound systems, hundreds of Caribbean food stalls, and over 40,000 volunteers.
The Carnival attracts up to 1.5 million people, making it one of the largest street festivals in Europe. Highlights include London steelpan band competitions and a 3-mile parade.
Traditionally the Notting Hill Carnival gets under way on Saturday with a steel band competition. Sunday is Kids' Day, when the costume prizes are awarded. On Bank Holiday Monday, the main parade takes place, starting on Great Western Road, and winding its way along Chepstow Road, on to Westbourne Grove, and then Ladbroke Grove. In the evening, the floats leave the streets in procession, and people carry continue to celebrate at after-parties.
The inspiration for the Notting Hill Carnival is in the Caribbean carnivals of the early 19th century which were about celebrating the abolition of slavery and the slave trade. The very first carnival was an attempt to showcase the steel band musicians who played in the Earls Court of London each weekend. When the bands paraded through the streets of Notting Hill, they drew black residents out on to the streets, reminding them of the Caribbean homes they had left behind.
