Notting Hill Carnival: A First-Timer’s Guide + Tips
Looking to go to Notting Hill Carnival? Here’s everything you need to know to celebrate Caribbean culture and Europe’s biggest street festival — like a Londoner!
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Singing, dancing, colourful costumes and enough Rum Punch to make your grandma sing — I’m talking about Notting Hill Carnival.
Every year millions of Londoners and beyond come to West London to celebrate all things Caribbean culture, and trust me. It’s a good time!
But if it’s your first-time at Carnival, you’ll want to do it right.
Here’s everything you need to know about Notting Hill Carnival to have an experience you’ll never forget.
About the Author
Hi! I’m Candace, I moved to London at 18 from the US to study (without ever having visited) and have built my life in the UK ever since.
On this blog, I share the best London, UK and Europe travel tips & itineraries to help you experience destinations to the fullest. Alongside sharing life as a full-time content creator. Happy you’re here 🌏🇬🇧
P.S. – For more London & travel adventures be sure to follow along on Youtube, Instagram or TikTok!
Notting Hill Carnival: First-Timers Guide + Tips
What is Carnival?
Before you go to Notting Hill Carnival, you should probably know what carnival is in the first place.
Traditionally carnival is a festive season celebrated close to Lent as a time of indulgence before doing the opposite when restraining in Lent.
Typically involving a parade, costumes, dancing, food, and alcohol, it’s a chance to let your hair down, set aside your everyday and experience a sense of social unity and fun with your local and not-so-local community.
Notting Hill Carnival History: Why Do People Celebrate Notting Hill Carnival?
Notting Hill Carnival has a sad history, but a happy ending.
In the 1950s, racial tensions were very high in the UK, leading to the racially motivated murder of Antiguan 32-year-old carpenter and aspiring lawyer, Kelso Cochrane — in Notting Hill.
Activism against the murder turned into a call to celebrate Caribbean culture publicly (largely in part to human rights activist and Trinidadian Claudia Jones) and in 1966, the first Notting Hill Carnival was born.
Present-day it still holds many of the same traditions like J’Ouvert or ‘ the dawning of a new day’ symbolising the joy and celebration that came from being free from slavery and is a great place to see all Londoners from every corner of the globe come together for a good time.
What Happens at Notting Hill Carnival and When is Notting Hill Carnival?
Notting Hill Carnival usually takes place the last week of August, including the bank holiday Monday.
While here you’ll be met with a parade of street performers, dancers, DJs and the likes — all representing different Caribbean islands.
The event lasts from J’Ouvert at 6am to 9am, followed by the parade from 10:00am/10:30am to 7pm (I wouldn’t suggest staying past this time and this is when it can get notoriously rowdy).
‘Family Day’ is usually on the Sunday, followed by ‘Adults Day’ on the Monday, both are a great time!
Notting Hill Carnival Map
Given the size of Carnival and the amount of Notting Hill that will be shutoff for the event, it’s important to know where you are and where you’re going – especially to see the parade route.
Luckily the Notting Hill Carnival committee puts together a handy map every year to help you get around easily.
Be sure to download it before you go to Carnival and keep it available offline!
What to Do at Notting Hill Carnival
Although there’s no perfect ‘Notting Hill Carnival Itinerary’ (you just do want you want really!) I would start by seeing the official parade processional either from the start at 10:00am/10:30am or 11:30am/12pm to enjoy the costumes, dancing and music before exploring more of the Notting Hill Carnival area.
From here you can walk inside the neighbourhood and away from the processional route to see smaller stages with DJs, music and more dancing—grab a rum punch, or some Jerk Chicken, and enjoy the vibes!
How to Get to Notting Hill Carnival
Of course, with the Notting Hill Carnival being in Notting Hill – you would think getting to Notting Hill Gate Station would be the best way to go.
Wrong!
Well, not wrong per se. But given the hundreds of thousands of people that will have the same idea, it’s better to do it the local way and take the District or Circle Line to Bayswater, Paddington, or Queensway Station and walk to the parade processional from there (about 10 – 15 minutes). It’ll be way less busy.
What to Wear to Notting Hill Carnival
Now that we’ve got logistics out of the way, let’s get to the important stuff.
“What the heck do I wear to Notting Hill Carnival?”
If you’ve seen any pictures of Carnival online you’ll know that you really can wear anything you want, and in some cases…that means not much at all!
On par with freedom of expression it’s truly a time of body positivity and this will definitely show in the carnival outfits.
With that in mind, you don’t have to dress up at all if you don’t want to (it’s about a 50/50 split of people that do and people that don’t).
And if you’re looking to dress Carny without the ‘full Carny get-up’ simply wear something colourful and perhaps pair it off with something sparkly like a tassel hip scarf, a Carny crown and/or Rhinestone stickers. This is what I did!
Is Notting Hill Carnival Dangerous?
A Note on Safety at Notting Hill Carnival
99% of people (including me) go to Notting Hill Carnival to have a good time and celebrate their culture and the diversity of London. And 1% come to disrupt. Unfortunately, this is what the media focuses on the most.
To celebrate carnival safely and to the fullest, I suggest:
- Sticking in a group and not going off alone into bigger crowds
- Not joining in on ‘daggering‘ which can welcome unwanted physical contact
- Be aware of your surrounding and avoid any big massive crowd gatherings (or watch them from the outside/outskirts of the crowd but don’t go in)
- Walk the other way from any groups of people that seem overly rowdy/badly behaved
Top Tips for Going to Notting Hill Carnival
👟Wear Comfortable Shoes – You’ll be doing a lot of walking (and hopefully dancing!) so leave the heels at home.
💧 Bring a Water Bottle – Between the crowds and August heat, always make sure you’re hydrated.
🤝 Use a Buddy System – Given the amount of people in one place, the signal at Carnival is terrible – make sure to always stick with the group you came with and don’t stray off from each other, you may not be able to text/find them if so!
🎒Bring a SMALL bag – and keep your belongings close; I personally suggest a crossbody bag/fanny pack and/or if you’re just bringing your phone a phone necklace
💷 Cash or Card? – Nearly all the stalls at Carnival accept card, but given the crowds the signal of the card readers can sometimes be uber slow, so I’d bring a bit of cash too if you can!
🚽 Toilets – Luckily there are several free toilet stall areas throughout carnival with about 15 – 20 portable toilets to use (that surprisingly aren’t totally disgusting). You’ll also find some Notting Hill residents selling drinks and a chance to use their toilet too, for anywhere from £2-£5.
🍹 Getting Drunk – Although it’s uber tempting to whine, grind and let loose, the truth is under the guise of too much alcohol, people take advantage (this isn’t just true at Carnival of course).
Final Thoughts on Notting Hill Carnival
Although it’s gotten a few bad apples and bad press over the past few years, from my first-hand experience Notting Hill Carnival truly is a place to celebrate diversity, celebrate Londoners, and have an experience in the city you’ll never forget. So enjoy!
Happy Carny,
Thanks for reading my Notting Hill Carnival Guide. If you enjoyed it, let me know on Instagram!
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