Notting Hill Carnival 2023 LIVE: Latest updates from west London

Notting Hill Carnival 2023 LIVE: Latest updates from west London as thousands celebrate in Europe’s biggest street festival

This is MailOnline’s live coverage of Notting Hill Carnival 2023 as Europe’s biggest street festival gets underway in west London today:

Host commentator

Don’t like the carnival? Go to the seaside, says council

Residents boarding up their houses before ‘millions’ descend on Notting Hill Carnival have been told to ‘enjoy a seaside break’ by the council if they don’t like the ‘hustle and bustle’ of the event.

Older residents of the plush London area are being given a free seaside break in Eastbourne by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea so they can escape the crowds’ crush.

The trip includes a coach ride of more than three and a half hours each way to a hotel where elderly locals can stay from Saturday until Tuesday.

This means that the scheme, which is run in collaboration with Age UK and has been in place for more than 20 years, will see the local elderly gone before celebrations start in earnest and back once Notting Hill has been cleaned up.

The parade route

Perhaps the best known feature of Notting Hill Carnival is the parade, which sees people dress up in colourful outfits and dance their way through the streets of west London. 

You can see the route of this year’s parade below, as the location of street traders and safety zones within the festival.

Some residents of Notting Hill would have woken up to the sound of steel drums this morning. 

This video shows a steel drum band on the back of a lorry making their way through the streets of west London at 7am, with a gaggle of early rising revellers dancing along with them.

7am and the 2023 Notting Hill Carnival day begins! pic.twitter.com/D8jZuESTLJ

The Metropolitan Police says it will have 12,500 officers on shift during the Bank Holiday weekend for the carnival.

It has urged visitors to stay safe, with concerns about the density of the crowd in previous years. 

Last year, police made 209 arrests at the carnival for offences including criminal damage, common assault, drug possession and possession of an offensive weapon.

Drill rapper TKorStretch, real name Takayo Nembhard, 21, was also stabbed to death, while two female cops were sexually assaulted.

Deputy assistant commissioner Dr Alison Heydari said: ‘I’m hugely excited to be working at Notting Hill Carnival again, it’s always such a brilliant weekend with so much to see and enjoy.

‘I’m also looking forward to seeing our officers on duty, taking the time to speak to people we serve, while they work diligently to maintain safety at the event.

‘I hope everyone who attends has a brilliant time. Stay safe, plan your routes to and from the area, look after each other and please remember we are there to help you. If you see something that doesn’t look right, do speak to an officer.’

Although the festival doesn’t officially start until 10am, there was an early start this morning as revellers gathered for ‘J’Ouvert’ – a Caribbean tradition that marks the ‘opening of the day’ and the start of the festival.

Men and women were covered in brightly coloured paint and powder as the sun rose, getting the party started early on a Sunday morning.

Graffiti artists spray on boarded-up shops

A number of shops and local businesses in Notting Hill have boarded up their windows in preparation for the event. 

However, the plywood hasn’t stayed clean for long as graffiti artists, hired by the council, have given them a colourful makeover:

What you need to know about the carnival

The carnival has returned for its 55th year, and since its beginnings in the 1950s it has grown to become the second largest of its type in the world.

Not sure what to expect?

Click below to find out what’s taking place and the timings of Europe’s biggest street party: 

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of Notting Hill Carnival.

Today is the first day of the annual event which sees millions of people congregate in west London to soak up the party atmosphere.

Here we will keep you up to date with the latest pictures, video and goings on from the festival, as well as reaction from politicians, police and residents.

Source: Read Full Article