Since Carnival Organiser Claire Holder took over the Notting Hill Carnival in 1973, she's seen it grow into a street party attracting over 2 million people from all over Europe and worldwide very year. What does she enjoy the most about carnival? "SEEING PEOPLE SO DIFFERENT, SO TOGETHER, COMING OUT TO PROVIDE ENTERTAINMENT," She says... 

Portobello Road is the heart of the spectacular Notting Hill Carnival, held each August Bank Holiday since 1966. This holiday always falls on the last weekend of August with Sunday and Monday being the major carnival days. The festivities started as a local affair set up by the West Indian immigrants of the area and has become a full-blooded Caribbean carnival, attracting millions of people from all around the world.

In recent years the Notting Hill Carnival has grown and grown, reflecting the multicultural nature of our society, with groups participating from Russia, Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Bulgaria, Brazil as well as from all parts of the Caribbean, Africa, Central and South America and the United Kingdom. Notting Hill Carnival encourages artists to celebrate their cultural traditions through art, dance and music media with which they feel most comfortable.

 Five disciplines go to make up the carnival as we know it today. Mas' (masquerade), Steelband, Calypso (political, social and satirical commentary, set to music), Soca (the traditional music of Carnival, a fusion of Soul and Calypso) and Static Sound Systems all play their part on the two days of Carnival-on-the-Road. 

There are hundreds of licensed street stalls selling exotic foods from all corners of the globe as well as arts and crafts. Carnival aims to celebrate the cultural heritage of its founders and at the same time be open enough to take on board evolving contemporary culture with its multiracial, multicultural trends.

THE NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL...It's fantastic, it's vibrant, it's full of life, it's for everyone and.... 
It is FREE ! DON'T MISS IT !

What better than to be in an hotel nearby the Carnival route which has easy transport links to Notting Hill, as well as to the rest of central London ? We still have limited availability at: 

Quality Crown Hotel Paddington
Quality Crown Hotel Kensington
Quality Crown Hotel Hyde Park

Book Now
Book Now
Book Now

You can see the Notting Hill Carnival route map  then decide which of our Great Value Hotels is best for your visit - they are all convenient to see the Notting Hill Carnival and close to tube stations to get you around the rest of London too !