Notting Hill Carnival: Joyous return for festival after three-year hiatus
‘Everybody is jovial, they are excited after coming out of lockdown after three years’
Revellers returned to the streets of Notting Hill in full technicolour on Sunday to mark the return of the carnival after three years.
Crowds flooded Ladbroke Grove to watch the procession of brass bands and floats and performers in brightly coloured costumes after the pandemic forced a hiatus of the event in 2020 and 2021.
Sunday’s celebrations began with a run led by members of the Emancipated Run Crew, who were dressed in green to honour the 72 victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy – a tribute revisited with a 72-second silence at 3pm.
Co-founder of the club Jules Stephenson said: “It [the atmosphere] is electric – everyone is so excited about carnival being back.”
Speaking at the event, mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he would “never forget” the 2017 fire, and reiterated the community’s call for “justice”.
“What the community wants is two main things,” he said.
“One is for justice to happen and for those responsible be held to account and that still hasn’t happened. And secondly for this to never happen again.”
“Family day”, as the first day of the two-day carnival is traditionally known, drew crowds of young children, who danced through the streets alongside their parents.
Carina Charles, 40, a nurse from Basildon, said: “I like the togetherness of the people and the mixture of the culture. My Caribbean music, the soca music is what I love the most.”
She added: “Everybody is jovial – they are excited after coming out of lockdown after three years.”
West London rang with music from a string of sound systems dotted up and down the streets while revellers danced to the rhythms being played.
Small children standing on the doorsteps of their houses waved Jamaican flags and waved at passers-by.
“The atmosphere has been really uplifting and warming – it is nice to be back,” Shauna Walsh, 38, who lives in Kensal Rise, said.
Mr Khan said he was “really pleased carnival is back”, before later tweeting: “Biggest street party in Europe! And the vibes are immaculate.”
The mayor said the carnival was a celebration of Caribbean culture, heritage, and history and there was a “pent up” demand for festivities this year.
He added: “We think it’s going to be the biggest and best ever.”
But Mr Khan also warned the cost of living crisis had affected the event, drawing attention to those “who want to have floats, those who want to have sound systems, pulling out because they can’t afford to pay their bills”.
The carnival saw merrymakers flock from all over the country and beyond. Farah Mokaddem, 32, who travelled from Geneva to attend the celebrations this year, said: “I always wanted to go here.”
“The atmosphere is very animated: everyone is on their balconies and on the terrace. And people of all ages are watching as people go past.”
The event was lined by a substantial police presence to prevent disorder.
Paul Wright, 36, an account manager from Ealing, said: “There’s a great atmosphere, everyone seems to be having a good time.
“I think there’s more people here for a good time rather than any incidents.”
He added that it was a “nice thing” where everyone came together and had a nice time.
Mr Wright joked: “The weather can always be better.”
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