I hardly remember what I expected prior to my first Notting Hill Carnival. The event seems to fly somewhat under the radar of those outside London, but is actually one of the world’s biggest street parties headlined by loud floats with DJs and drums, different bands, colourful costumes and videos of cops dancing alongside revellers. So, I had heard bits and pieces, and googled some pictures, but it was not enough to prepare me for the lively party.
Taking place over two days in August, which means you might even be lucky enough to enjoy pseudo-summer weather, Notting Hill Carnival dates back to 1966 when it sprung from the Caribbean community that still leads the celebration today.
It’s true that some violence has been associated with Notting Hill Carnival, and prior to my first experience I had heard that it would be wise to have my wits about me. My experiences were only positive, and I never saw anything to make me doubt that I was completely safe among a sea of happy people whose only aim was to enjoy themselves.
My first Notting Hill Carnival took place on a sunny, perfect day (the second time I was not so lucky as it rained constantly, which did not deter the crowds) when we dressed in our most colourful outfits and made our way toward the parade route that runs through the pastel-housed streets of one of London’s most famous neighbourhoods.
The event officially starts at 9am each day, and I had already been on the phone to friends that had been enjoying the party for hours prior to my arrival – one of whom rather worryingly exclaimed that he was in jail. I later learned that meant he had found himself behind a small temporary fence protecting the entry to a 7-Eleven and couldn’t get out in his beer-fuelled haze.
As soon as we turned off the main road, Holland Park Ave, onto Ladbroke Grove, there was evidence of the party ahead. Food stalls lined the streets, people lined up for pub bathrooms, and the faint sounds of bass and steel drums could be heard.
The Carnival is essentially a parade of floats that make their way slowly through Notting Hill, as people line the streets dancing, while some choose to station themselves near stages with performers. We slowly wandered and danced along, admiring the spectacular costumes and watched the slow-moving floats accompanied by dancers.
No Notting Hill Carnival experience is complete without seeing at least one policeman or woman giving in and dancing along – and there really is little that makes a street party more fun than knowing officers of the law are enjoying it as much as you are. The police officers’ moves are not really comparable to the dancers making their way through the streets with the floats, and their costumes combine with the music to create a day difficult to describe without sounding rather cliché. The party is quite simply all around good vibes, and when you’re in the thick of it, it’s difficult to imagine the rest of London getting on with their dreary day choosing to avoid the fun.
After dancing for hours and indulging in some jerk chicken, we were lucky enough to have a friend living in Notting Hill who we could visit for some recuperation in the shady backyard. The day officially wraps up at 8:30pm, but there are huge after parties, and as we wound down our day and started to dream of greasy noodles for dinner others were only just getting started.
Walking home we saw evidence of a great day – not only the rubbish people always seem to feel fine with simply throwing on the floor at events like this, but also a guy hanging off the back of a police horse transport vehicle apparently unnoticed by the driver, who received many shouts of approval from onlookers, and hordes of people making their way to the Tube.
Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC
