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West London prepares to welcome some 50,000 parade performers this weekend as over two million people descend on the technicolour roads of Notting Hill for London’s largest street party.
Notting Hill Carnival is just days away, returning bigger and better than ever for 2025’s exuberant festivities.
The community-led celebration of history and Caribbean culture started in 1966, and the iconic parade champions a procession of dancing to soca and calypso music. Three days of live stages with a lineup of steel and mas bands, elaborate floats and dozens of sound systems greet carnival attendees sparkling in prints, patterns and neon brights.
Sunday’s family day draws crowds of excited children while Monday’s adult parade puts on the ultimate show – both events are free to attend.
Food stalls pepper the route with offerings of fiercely flavoured Jamaican jerk chicken and Trinidadian roti, and pre- and post-carnival parties keep the good vibes going well into the night.
Here’s our guide to the Notting Hill festivities, including where to go, how to get there and where to stay if you’re visiting.
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When is it?
Notting Hill Carnival 2025 spans the August bank holiday weekend from Saturday 23 to Monday 25 August, and most of the celebrations are free for anyone to attend.
Saturday 23 August
Saturday is the Panorama Steel band competition, a national contest to crown the best from a ten-minute pan composition.
From 4-11pm at Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park, W10 3DH, tickets £20pp.
Sunday 24 August
J’Ouvert – the traditional celebration to ring in the carnival with colourful paints and powders before sunrise – is back for 2025, starting at Sainsbury's by Canal Way Roundabout from 6am to 9am.
The carnival opening ceremony officially kicks off at 10am on Sunday at MAS Judging Point on Great Western Road.
New this year, the Judging Zone Grandstand is open to the public with tickets available from £30.
Sunday is “family day” with a children’s parade dancing the streets, Dutty Mas – a mayhem of brightly coloured paints or even melted ‘chocolate’ – and live sound systems of reggae and house music.
At 3pm on both Sunday and Monday, a 72-second silence will be held to remember the 72 lives tragically lost in the Grenfell Tower fire.
Sound systems from 12-7pm at Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park and Powis Square, W11 2AY.
Read more: Notting Hill Carnival belongs in the streets, now more than ever
Monday 25 August
Adults Day is on bank holiday Monday from 10.30am, when the traditional parade and intense carnival party kicks off.
Ticketed after-parties continue the festivities late into the night.
Sound systems from 12-7pm at Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park and Powis Square, W11 2AY.
Where does the route go?
Follow the crowds through Notting Hill and Kensington’s W10 and W11.
The three-and-a-half-mile route across west London starts near Westbourne Park tube station, down Chepstow Road to Westbourne Grove and then up to Ladbroke Grove, looping down Kensal Road back to Westbourne Park.
You can track the parade’s progress on the official map.
Where are the nearest Tube stations?
The closest stations within walking distance of the popular route are:
- Paddington (Elizabeth line from Stratford)
- Shepherd’s Bush (20-minute walk from the carnival)
- Notting Hill Gate (exit only from 11am to 6pm)
- Royal Oak (exit only from 11am to 6pm when station closes)
- Westbourne Park (exit only from 11am)
- Holland Park (exit only 11am to 3pm when station closes)
- Kensal Green (expect queues)
- Kensal Rise (queuing system from 6pm)
TfL has advised that several roads will be closed in Notting Hill, so buses and taxis will not be able to take you to the heart of the action, and there is no Night Tube or Overground on Sunday or Monday evening.
Ladbroke Grove Tube station will be closed on both days.
Where to stay?
Here are the best hotels to stay in for a prime position near the carnival:
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The Pilgrim, Paddington
Located by Paddington station within walking distance of Notting Hill, this hotel is as stylish as it is welcoming, with wood-panelled rooms and a relaxed vibe ideal for winding down after dancing the day away in the carnival’s parade.
The Kensington
This chic hotel in South Kensington is a stone's throw from Hyde Park and an upmarket option for carnival dwellers looking to stay away from the vibrant centre of the lively weekend.
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