Thousands of revellers bedecked in bright colours and feathers have taken to the streets of West London as the famous Notting Hill Carnival kicked off its 2025 celebrations with the triumphant return of the traditional J’ouvert parade.
The August Bank Holiday tradition began at 6am this morning, transforming the streets of Notting Hill into an explosion of Caribbean culture, with dancers covered in vibrant paint and powder celebrating the “daybreak” opening of Europe’s largest street festival. Dating back to 1966, the annual Caribbean Carnival takes over the famous London borough with food, drink, dancing and music, drawing more than one million visitors over the weekend.
Men covered in paint were spotted dancing on top of bus stops whilst others threw colourful powder into the air during the early morning J’ouvert celebrations, which officially opened at Canal Way Roundabout. The traditional procession, meaning “daybreak” or “opening of the day”, marks the beginning of the event and had been cancelled last year due to insufficient band participation.
Commander Charmain Brenyah, the Met’s spokesperson for Carnival, said: “We expect around one million people to be on the streets of west London for what is one of the most significant weekends in the capital’s cultural calendar.
Today marks Families and Children’s Day, which is free to everyone and encourages increased participation with family-friendly activities. The striking J’ouvert parade peaked by mid-morning, with joyful revellers dancing, drinking and covering each other in vibrant oil, paint and powder, replacing the mud and oil of Caribbean tradition.
Some participants wore horns and dragged chains to recognise the detrimental impact of UK colonialism and the slave trade upon Caribbean nations, maintaining the event’s powerful cultural and historical significance.
The celebration continues with the Children’s Parade and Carnival, where youngsters dress up in elaborate costumes. The official website states: “It’s an undeniable joy to see the next generation carrying the Carnival baton – dancing in the streets wearing their carefully crafted costumes.”
Later comes the ‘Dutty Mas’, where participants “get down and ‘dutty’.” The website explains: “Just like J’Ouvert, this mas is for those that enjoy the mayhem. As a spectator you can expect to be splashed with brightly coloured paints and powder or even melted ‘chocolate’.”
Matthew Phillip, Chief Executive of Notting Hill Carnival, confirmed that the 2025 event is “better resourced than ever” following additional funding secured to enhance safety and infrastructure. The carnival contributes an estimated £400 million annually to London’s economy, according to the Mayor of London.
Commander Brenyah acknowledged concerns about crowd safety, stating: “The Met fully supported the event organisers’ decision to commission an independent review into crowd safety after the number of situations in recent years where crowd density has reached dangerous levels.”
Police have implemented extensive security measures, with around 7,000 officers deployed across the capital this weekend. The Met conducted pre-emptive operations, making 100 arrests and seizing 11 firearms and more than 40 knives ahead of the carnival. Some 266 people now have police bail or probation licence conditions preventing them from attending this year’s event.
Regrettably we know a minority come with less positive intentions and in recent years this has played out in the form of serious violence including three tragic incidents where lives have been taken,” Commander Brenyah said, referencing last year’s deaths of Cher Maximen and chef Mussie Imnetu.
The force will use live facial recognition technology for the first time at the 2025 carnival, positioning cameras on approaches to and from the event to identify individuals who pose public safety risks. Screening arches have been installed at busy entry points, with stop-and-search powers in effect to prevent weapons entering the carnival area.
Additional powers under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act have been authorised, allowing officers to search people for weapons without reasonable suspicion. Officers can also require removal of face coverings used to conceal identity.
The carnival’s rich history dates back to 1959 when Trinidadian journalist and activist Claudia Jones organised a “Caribbean Carnival” in St Pancras Town Hall as a response to the Notting Hill race riots. The street festival officially began in 1966 and has grown to become the world’s second-largest carnival after Rio de Janeiro.
Saturday’s festivities began with the UK National Panorama Steel Band Competition at Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park, featuring the debut of Junior Panorama showcasing young talent. For the first time, the Judging Zone Grandstand opened to the public, with tickets available from £30.
Sound systems operating from midday to 7pm across multiple locations provide the carnival’s signature bass-heavy soundtrack, rooted in Jamaican culture and reggae music but now featuring everything from rare groove to house to samba.
At 3pm on both Sunday and Monday, a 72-second silence will be held to remember the 72 lives lost in the Grenfell Tower fire, as well as those whose lives were recently cut short at Notting Hill Carnival and Kelso Cochrane, whose racially motivated murder in 1959 became one of the catalysts for the event.
Tomorrow’s Adults Day will feature the main parade beginning at 10.30am, with mas bands, steel orchestras and elaborate floats processing along the traditional three-and-a-half-mile route through W10 and W11. The parade starts near Westbourne Park tube station, travels down Chepstow Road to Westbourne Grove, up Ladbroke Grove, and loops down Kensal Road back to Westbourne Park.
Transport for London has advised attendees to use Paddington, High Street Kensington, Bayswater, Queen’s Park or Shepherd’s Bush stations, as several closer stations including Notting Hill Gate, Royal Oak and Westbourne Park will operate as exit-only during peak times. Ladbroke Grove and Holland Park stations remain closed throughout the weekend.
British Transport Police superintendent Dominique Ioannou confirmed enhanced uniformed and plain-clothes officer presence across London’s transport network, working closely with the Met as part of the overall policing operation.
The carnival features approximately 50,000 performers, 30 sound systems, and 15,000 costumes decorated with an estimated 30 million sequins. Food stalls line the route offering traditional Caribbean cuisine including jerk chicken and Trinidadian roti, with most vendors accepting cash only.
Commander Brenyah, who grew up near the carnival area, reflected: “Having grown up not far from where carnival takes place I have many happy memories of the music, costumes, floats and fantastic atmosphere. That is the experience I want everyone coming to carnival this year to have.
The festivities continue regardless of weather conditions, with temperatures expected to reach 22°C today and 23°C tomorrow. Organisers stress that Carnival “will never be ticketed” despite ongoing discussions about crowd management, maintaining its status as a free community celebration.
As paint-covered revellers continue dancing through Notting Hill’s streets this morning, the 2025 carnival promises to deliver what organisers call “the greatest community-led event on the planet”, celebrating Caribbean heritage whilst addressing the safety challenges of hosting Europe’s largest street festival.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
