Armed with sequins, steel drums and umbrellas, thousands of spectators braved a bank holiday downpour as the Notting Hill carnival sashayed its way through the streets of west London.
Many onlookers took shelter under trees and bus shelters for a rain-soaked climax to the carnival, which has grown to become one of the biggest street festivals in the world.
Forecasts of a complete washout appeared to be unfounded as the rain temporarily cleared on Monday afternoon, but the early downpours were enough to keep some of the crowds away.
One police officer, taking shelter under a tree, said parts of the carnival route were “like a ghost town”. “Normally you can’t move but our colleagues are saying they’ve never seen it as quiet,” she said, before obliging for a selfie with a feather boa-wearing performer.
Cheering on the procession from her porch on Lansdowne Road, Lizzy, a carnival veteran, said she felt bad for the dancers and organisers who had put so much effort into the event.
“Usually it’s completely fantastic. This year, everyone’s been making costumers for three to five months and it’s been exhilarating [but] it’s the first year I’ve ever known where my house hasn’t shook from top to bottom because it’s quiet – it’s really sad.”
She estimated that there were two-thirds fewer spectators lining her street than usual, thanks to the dismal weather. Across the street, a row of stallholders had decided to pack up and leave by lunchtime. On Saturday, the same street was full to bursting, said Lizzy, who declined to give her surname. “I came out here to pretend to be dancing so they [the procession] had an audience,” she said.
Her neighbour, Laila, hadn’t managed to sell anything from her food and drink stall by early afternoon. “It’s horrific,” she said.
More than a million people were expected to attend the carnival over Sunday and Monday, with up to 60 bands in colourful costumes taking part in the grand finale street parade on Monday.
There was still plenty of flesh on display despite the rain. Samuel Shoesmith, 22, from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, braved the conditions in salmon swimming trunks, flip-flops and a poncho. “I’m not too worried about the rain. I can dry in seconds – quicker than if I was wearing jeans,” he said.
“I made quite an active decision last night [to wear trunks]. I also wanted to go for something quite vibrant to represent my enthusiasm for the festival.”
Dancing under a red umbrella, Alessandro Almeida, 38, said the weather didn’t compare to his native Brazil but that would not dent his festival spirits. “Last year was rainy as well but I don’t care, I love carnival and I really enjoyed it.”
The carnival was patrolled by 7,000 officers on Monday, enforcing a new “dispersal zone”, introduced for the first time this year to allow police to remove revellers thought to be engaging in antisocial behaviour.
The number of serious incidents appeared to be down on last year, although three teenagers were arrested on Monday afternoon after a man in his 20s was taken to hospital suffering life-threatening stab wounds. They were among 292 people arrested over both days at the event by Monday afternoon.
More than £30,000 worth of counterfeit overproof alcohol – including more than 260 bottles of spirits and champagne, 50 cases of beer and cider, and six large containers of rum punch – were seized by officers on Monday morning.
At the Earl of Lonsdale pub on Portobello Road, manager Joanne Stephenson, 37, said she was braced for a 20% drop in sales because of the washout. “It’s really bad. Everyone’s a little bit quiet and there’s not much party spirit.”
A food vendor, whose family business has served up countless burgers to revellers over 30 years at the carnival, said he had sold two ice creams by Monday afternoon – compared with more than 50 at the same time on Sunday.
“It is a setback but not to the point where we won’t come here again. It’s a loss of trade but that’s how it is in this business,” he said.
