Notting Hill carnival: the only reason that us Londoners look forward to the end of summer.

Each August, millions hailing from all over the world line Notting Hill’s picturesque streets, not in homage of the Curtis classic film, but rather to take part in the historic, technicolour explosion that is the Notting Hill Carnival. To some, the festival is synonymous with London’s exuberant party scene, and whilst this stands, the festival actually has a far richer and more meaningful history than merely getting drunk and having a big old boogie. Let’s get into it. 

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Notting Hill Carnival is, at its core, an annual three day street festival that celebrates the culture, arts and heritage of Caribbean people. The festival has its origins in the social and political conditions of the post-1948 migration of peoples from the Caribbean. The development of the Carnival in the Caribbean, particularly on the island of Trinidad can be traced back to period of enslavement when the Caribbean culture was closely tied with “the pre-Lentern festival of Mardi Gras and the masquerade balls held by the French plantation owners” (History of London). During these large scale balls, the landowners and their families were permitted to celebrate lavishly, whilst the enslaved population were forbidden from getting involved. Subsequently, following emancipation and the arrival of the SS Empire Windrush on the 22nd of June 1948 in which over 300,000 people from the Caribbean settled in Britain, the displaced Caribbean population residing in the UK began their own traditions based upon a combination of European masquerade culture and traditional Afro-Caribbean tribal dance and music.

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The carnival was, and continues to be, based in Notting Hill because by the 1950s, Brixton and Notting Hill had the largest population of Caribbean people in Britain. Additionally, Notting Hill was a stronghold for Oswald Mosley’s Union Movement: a far right movement which galvanzied the local white working class population to “Keep Britain White”. 

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In 1958-9, under this banner, the Black communities of Notting Hill began, culminating in the death of Antiguan-born carpenter and aspiring lawyer, Kelso Cochrane from a racially motivated attack on Southam Street. His murder had a huge impact on race relations, as is illustrated by the reported 1,200 people who turned up to his funeral as a show of solidarity and defiance against local racism. In response to these attacks and the increasing racial tensions in the wider London area, Trinidadian-born activist Claudia Jones organised a Caribbean Carnival in the St. Pancras Town Hall. The event was envisioned to be a way of showing solidarity and strength within the Caribbean community, whilst also easing tension. Inspired by this carnival, and in response to the same racial tensions, Trinidadian couple Edric and Pearl Connor continued the carnival tradition, organising a series of similar indoor events in halls around London from 1960 to 64. 

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"If there weren't race riots in Notting Hill I don't believe that we would have had the Notting Hill Carnival. If it wasn't for the murder of Kelso Cochrane, Carnival wouldn't have happened."

‍ (Late political activist and broadcaster Darcus Howe).

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By 1966, the carnival spirit had firmly taken hold. Community activists Rhuane Laslet and Andre Shervington moved the party onto the street with their Notting Hill based festival which aimed to entertain local children and ease local tensions. This became the first official Notting Hill Carnival. The pair convinced well known Trinidadian musician Russell Henderson and his pan band to join the festivities as a ploy to galvanise the local community. It has been said that once people heard the musicians playing the steel drums, they began to dance, and so the carnival as it is known today was born. 

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Although the event was not directly born out of Claudia Jones’ original indoor carnival idea, many of the elements featured in her original event were replicated in the outdoor festivities, including Russell Henderson’s steel band. Thus it is widely regarded that she planted the seeds for carnival in the UK. 

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By 1974, 100,000 people and a dozen bands and costumed revellers participated in the event, and in 1975 static sound systems were introduced which brought Jamaican reggae, dub and ska music to the streets. As the festival grew, so too did the racial tensions in London. The changing demographic of North London brought the Carnival under greater scrutiny so that by 1976 there were racial clashes at the event, and very poor media coverage which unfairly linked the festivities to crime rates and disorder.

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Throughout the years, the festival has grown from these humble beginnings to welcome an average of two million annually. Despite the escalation in size, however, the carnival has remained the same at heart: a celebration of Caribbean culture, dance and music. The event is still proudly a community-led event, despite the fact that it is second only to Rio De Janeiro's Carnival in size, and is the largest street event in Europe. The history of the Notting Hill Carnival represents both the resilience and the cultural diversity of the Afro-Caribbean community in London. Since, despite racial and political pressure, the carnival has continued to grow and thrive. 

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Notting Hill Carnival will take place from Sunday the 27th of August to Monday the 28th.

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We’ll be there, will you?

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