Notting Hill Carnival
WHY IT'S HERE
Founded in 1966 by Trinidadian-British activist Claudia Jones and Rhaune Laslett, the largest street carnival in Europe and the cultural centerpiece of the Black British and Caribbean diaspora community.
The Notting Hill Carnival was founded in 1966 in the wake of the Notting Hill race riots, building on the indoor carnival that the Trinidadian-British activist Claudia Jones organized at St. Pancras Town Hall in 1959. Held annually over the August bank holiday weekend in West London, the carnival has grown into the largest street carnival in Europe, drawing over two million attendees across three days. Programming includes the children's parade on Sunday, the adult masquerade parade on Monday, dozens of sound systems throughout the neighborhood, traditional Caribbean food vendors, and the J'Ouvert opening at dawn on Sunday. Notting Hill is a fixture for Black British, Caribbean, and African diaspora travelers and a key destination for diaspora cultural travel.
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