Next: 29 to 30 Aug 2027
Notting Hill Carnival
Europe's largest street festival: Caribbean costumes, steel pans, sound systems and jerk chicken in west London.
When is Notting Hill Carnival in 2027?
Notting Hill Carnival 2027 runs from 29 to 30 August 2027. Other years: 2026, 30 to 31 August 2026; 2028, 27 to 28 August 2028.
About Notting Hill Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival is held every year on the August bank holiday weekend in west London. It began in 1966 as a neighbourhood festival and was shaped by the Caribbean communities, especially Trinidadians, who arrived in the area after the Second World War. Sunday is Children's Day, and Monday is the main day, with a procession of masquerade bands in sequins and feathers dancing along the route, floats and calypso, soca and steel bands. Fixed sound systems along the route play reggae, dub, drum and bass and house music through the day. Food stalls sell jerk chicken, rice and peas, curry goat, patties and rum punch. Around a million people attend each year. The carnival is seen as a statement of Black British culture.
Notting Hill Carnival dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Notting Hill Carnival date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 30 to 31 August 2026 |
| 2027 | 29 to 30 August 2027 |
| 2028 | 27 to 28 August 2028 |
What is eaten
- jerk chicken
- rice and peas
- curry goat
- patties
Traditions of Notting Hill Carnival
Also part of it, and being written: Soca music (The dance music of the carnival.), Jerk (The seasoning style.).
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Notting Hill Carnival" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Steelpan: Shanel, CC BY-SA 3.0, source