The Notting Hill Carnival is a multicultural street festival that features costume parades, live bands, and beautifully decorated floats. It is held every year on the Sunday and Monday of the UK August Bank Holiday. The Notting Hill Carnival emulates the exuberance of the massive and stunning street festivals of South America, bringing millions of visitors each year to the streets of West London.
Fabulous Costumes and Floats at the Notting Hill Carnival
Event Details
This year’s Notting Hill Carnival will be held on Sunday 28th and Monday 29th of August 2011. Carnival Bands usually start parading the streets at around 9am each festival day on Sunday and Monday. This year the procession will end at 7pm.
Sunday, the 28th of August, is considered Children’s Day where costume prizes are awarded. The 29th of August is Bank Holiday Monday and is traditionally Adults Day, where the main parade takes place starting from Great Western Road, on to Chepstow Road, Westbourne Grove, and then to Ladbroke Grove.
Notting Hill Carnival - Europe's largest street party
In the evening, the magnificently designed floats will leave the street in a procession and then people would usually continue partying at the various after parties for the Notting Hill Carnival.
Portobello Market will be open on Saturday (27th of August), but not all shops will be open as some of them will have already board up their windows, especially if they are within the carnival’s parade route. If you are planning to visit a certain shop in Portobello Market, it would be best to call them in advance to make sure that they will still be open.
More details on the Notting Hill Carnival…
How to get to the Notting Hill Carnival
If you live outside the Notting Hill area and plan to attend the carnival, it would be best to plan your travel arrangements in advance. Due to the millions of people that are expected to attend the event this year, a number of road closures and parking restrictions will be implemented.
Notting Hill Carnival attracts millions of visitors!
Most of the local roads will also be for pedestrian use only; therefore, travelling to the festival by public transport would be the best way to get there. Travelling by bus or by tube are the popular means of transport. However, due to the large influx of people going to the carnival, some stations may close temporarily to prevent overcrowding. In this case the best solution is to wait for the station to re-open, rather than to find an alternative station.
Tip: Get there early and leave promptly!
