Notting Hill Carnival 2024: Line-up, dates and parade route

The festival started in 1966 on the streets of the Notting Hill area of Kensington and has taken place every August bank holiday weekend ever since.

The iconic street party was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic but made a triumphant return in 2022 and 2023.

It’s set to return again this August Bank holiday with crowds of over two million people expected.

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Carnival.

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When is Notting Hill Carnival?

Notting Hill Carnival starts on Sunday, August 25 and the two-day party ends on Monday, August 26.

On Saturday August 24 a ticketed steel band competition will also take place.

Where is the event?

The Carnival takes place throughout the W10 postcode. 

It’s mostly in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, with the parade passing through Notting Hill (of course), plus Ladbroke Grove, Westbourne Park and Kensal Road.

The Notting Hill Carnival route usually remains the same every year. A map of Notting Hill Carnival can be found on the official Notting Hill Carnival website.

What is the Notting Hill Carnival 2024 line-up?

Saturday August 25

Panorama. The UK's biggest steel pan competition at Emslie Horniman Pleasance Park (4pm to 11pm)

2024's competing bands: Croydon Steel Orchestra, Ebony Steelband (the defending champions,) Mangrove Steelband, Metronomes Steel Orchestra and Real Steel.

Sunday August 26

J'Ouvert, the paint party which kicks off just before sunrise, is not happening this year, reportedly because of a lack of bands. However J’Ouvert bands will feature in the main parade.

Official Opening Ceremony: Carnival is traditionally opened by local residents and participants, accompanied by the organisers and friends of Carnival. (10 am to 10.30am) at the MAS Judging Point, Great Western Road

Children’s Day Parade: Expect a range of family-friendly activities and events, with the main event being children’s mas.

Dutty/Fun Mas: Get down and ‘dutty’. 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’.

Sound Systems: If you love to dance in the street but don’t want to be ‘on di road’ then Sound Systems are where it’s at. Sound systems are a well established and integral part of Notting Hill Carnival specifically. Notting Hill Carnival’s Sound System tradition is rooted in Jamaican culture and Reggae music, at Sunday’s Carnival you can hear everything from Rare Groove to House to Samba. (12pm to 7pm)

Lives stages

Red Bull Selector: 12pm to 7pm, Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park

Powis Square Stage: 12pm to 7pm, Powis Square

Monday August 27

Adult's Parade: This is the carnival climax. It’s the last lap for another year and your best chance to see the brightly hued costumes and eclectic dances and songs

Sound Systems: (Same as Saturday) 12pm to 7pm

Live stages

Strawberries & Creem Stage: 12pm to 7pm at Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance

Powis Square Stage: 12pm to 7pm, Powis Square

Delicious food and drink from around the world can often be found across more than 300 stalls, including Jamaican jerk chicken, Trinidadian roti and Guyanese pepper pot throughout the weekend.

How do I get to the Carnival?

As many road closures take place during the festival, public transport is the best way to travel to Notting Hill Carnival in west London.

If you're planning to visit the festival, allow extra time for your journey as a number of local Tube stations close or are subject to disruption. Extra buses are normally put on during the carnival weekend, but these are diverted away from the carnival route.

The nearest Tube stations to Notting Hill Carnival are Bayswater, High Street Kensington, Paddington, Queen’s Park and Shepherd’s Bush, but some are exit-only across the weekend. 

Check the Transport for London (TfL) website before you travel for the latest Notting Hill Carnival transport information.

History of Notting Hill Carnival

By the time of the first Notting Hill Carnival, over 30,000 Caribbean people were living in the UK after the SS Empire Windrush’s arrival.

Trinidadian human rights activist Claudia Jones is credited with the first ideas for the carnival.

The first outdoor festival took place in 1966 and was organised by social worker and activist Rhaune Leslett.

The aim was to create an outdoor space to be enjoyed by children and the local West Indian community.

Today the event attracts over 2.5 million people annually making it one of the world’s biggest street parties.