It’s back! Covid did its worst... but you just can’t stop the carnival
RevelleRs painted the town – and themselves – in vivid colours yesterday as Notting Hill carnival made a triumphant return after three years away.
Making up for the lost time during the Covid pandemic, hundreds of thousands lined the streets of west london for the famous festival.
The festivities began early as people gathered in the area for J’Ouvert celebrations, covering themselves in bright paints, powders and oil for the first day of carnival.
There was plenty of entertainment for the crowds, with music, dancers and brass bands, while floats meandered through the roads in the area.
Hundreds of dancers took part in the parade wearing flamboyant costumes.
And tributes were paid to the victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster on the fifth anniversary, with a 72-second silence to remember the 72 people who died in the blaze in the North Kensington borough.
Members of the emancipated Run Crew were dressed in bright green T-shirts emblazoned with ‘Remembering Grenfell’ in a tribute to the victims. speaking to the crowd at the start of the route, Grenfell survivor Zoe Dainton reflected on the five-year anniversary.
she said: ‘June 14 of this year marked five years since the fire.
Five years and still no justice, still no charges, not much change.’
london Mayor sadiq Khan said the carnival had ‘become one of the world’s biggest street festivals and part of the very fabric of this city’. But he added that the event had been hurt by the cost of living crunch. He said: ‘We are seeing those who want to have floats, those who want to have sound systems, pulling out because they can’t afford to pay their bills.
‘It is really important the Government steps up.’
The family parade, which saw hundreds of children dress up in costumes and face paint, ended at 5.30pm yesterday before the adult’s parade today, which is expected to be busier and will last until 8.30pm.
There was a substantial police presence yesterday and 38 arrests had been made by 7.30pm last night, the Metropolitan Police said.
The alleged offences included drug possession, criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon. There were ten arrests for assault and two for sexual assault.
Notting Hill Carnival is the largest street carnival in europe and an estimated two million people are expected to attend over the weekend.
It started in 1966, when about 1,000 people attended.
‘Part of the fabric of this city’