Notting Hill carnival has renewed importance since riots, organisers say

Organisers of Notting Hill carnival have said the festivities this year will take on a renewed importance and remind people of the need for diversity and inclusion after the far-right riots that took place this month.

More than a million people are expected to line the streets of west London this weekend for the 56th annual carnival, one of the biggest street festivals in the world.

The three-day event will take place on a three-mile parade showcasing spectacular displays and vibrant masqueraders to the soundtrack of soca beats, calypso and steel bands.

The chief executive of Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, Matthew Phillip, said the timing of the festivities was particularly poignant after violent disorder spread across England and Northern Ireland this month. Mosques were attacked, hotels housing asylum seekers set alight and people shouted racist and Islamophobic abuse.

Phillip said: “It’s good that we were able to bring the carnival so close after that so we can remind people why diversity and inclusion is so important. Carnival was set up because there were tensions in the 1950s in this area and so that people could come together to celebrate what we have in common.

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“Our voices aren’t as loud as some people but carnival’s existence is a celebration of immigration. It highlights the benefits of carnival such as social inclusion.”

More than 1,000 people have been arrested in relation to the riots, after false news spread claiming the perpetrator of a knife attack in Southport was an asylum seeker. The disorder was the worst seen in the UK for more than a decade.

Phillip said that after the riots it was essential for people to recognise the circumstances surrounding the carnival’s inception, including the Notting Hill race riots in 1958 and the racist murder of an Antiguan-born carpenter, Kelso Cochrane, the following year.

Phillip said: “It’s important for younger people to know the history of the event. Older people know the history of carnival. They’ve lived through the struggle over many years to combat racism in all its forms.”

Adrian Joseph, known by his DJ stage name Smokey Joe, said the recent riots would seem familiar to many at the carnival. “We’ve been down this road before in the 70s. It’s something that the carnival people, like myself, are used to and we get on with the show.”

Joseph said it was important the carnival remained a space where people were able to escape and enjoy themselves.

“We get all our messages across simply with our presence,” he said. “People hear all this, all year long. So when they come out on those two days, they come out as a stress reliever … They will release the tension, ease their stress and forget about all their worries.”

Symone Williams, the leader of the masquerade band Genesis, said her group would be promoting a message of unity and anti-racism. “We feel in 2024, we shouldn’t have to worry about stepping out our doors and worrying about being attacked. We just want everyone to be safe, have a fun carnival. We’re not going to tolerate racism or hate at all,” she said.

Williams described feeling the presence of her late father, Vernon “Fellows” Williams, who was a founding member of the carnival, in the lead-up to this year’s event.

“I felt my dad’s presence. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is what my dad went through.’ This is what many people in his generation went through, that they were just being attacked. It’s slightly different but I do think they mirror each other.”

Despite this, Williams said Genesis and others had remained defiant and had committed to be “more bold” in their celebrations this year.

“We’re not going to let that stop us from being on the road and doing what we do, showcasing our work, our art and our culture,” she said. “There’s no stopping us. We’ve gone through blood, sweat, tears, sleepless nights, financial woes to produce our work and we’re going to showcase it no matter what.”