![\"notting](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/65740820_2409545129274484_3223741554036310016_n-1-1-696x875.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThis Notting Hill Carnival Guide is everything you need to know about attending Europe\u2019s largest street party without spending a fortune!<\/p>\n
WHEN<\/b>: Bank holiday weekend – August 25 & 26, 2019 (Annually)<\/p>\n
WHERE<\/b>: Notting Hill, London. Yes, like in the movie!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WHO<\/b>: All are welcome!<\/p>\n
I grew up five or so minutes away from one of the entrance points to Notting Hill Carnival. As a child, my mum would take me to the outskirts of the carnival route to watch the parade of stunning costumes and hugely talented steel bands playing calypso. We ate street food and stood amongst the herds of diverse crowds united in music \u2013\u00a0even as a child I felt like I was a part of something very special. Carnival brings the community together and is a beautiful display of unity in a neighbourhood that was not always as multi-cultural as it is now.<\/p>\n
Notting Hill Carnival originated as a celebration and display of emancipation of the Caribbean people. Trinidadian political activist Claudia Jones was pivotal in creating the very first event to unify race relations following the Notting Hill race riots in 1958, and the Carnival took influence from similar events in Trinidad. Community leaders incorporated steel-pan players and static sound systems into the mix and today\u2019s carnival is a vibrant celebration of a diverse city with the event\u2019s Caribbean roots still its core. Starting with around 500 people in the 1960s, Notting Hill Carnival now attracts a whopping 2 million people every year!<\/p>\n
Carnival consists of two separately themed days. Sunday is known as \u2018Family Day\u2019 or \u2018Children\u2019s Day\u2019, and things move at a more relaxed pace with a focus on the event being fun and family-friendly. Sunday is also known among \u2018Masqueraders\u2019\u00a0(people taking part in the Carnival) as \u2018Dutty Mas\u2019 which is the day you will find revellers are not afraid to get messy \u2013 many cover themselves in paint, oil, mud or chocolate. This tradition is an extension of \u201cJ\u2019ouvert\u201d which marks the start of Carnival and begins as early as 4 am.<\/p>\n
Monday, the second day of Carnival, is known as \u2018Adult\u2019s day\u2019 and in contrast has slightly more excitable crowds and is less geared towards families. Monday is also known as \u2018Pretty Mas\u2019 and this is the day for spotting spectacular costumes. It gets hectic so if you\u2019re not a fan of huge crowds consider watching from a safe point such as the judging point at Great Western Road or by the Ladbroke Grove Sainsbury\u2019s (Kensal Road) roundabout.<\/p>\n
Whichever day you decide to join the celebrations, Notting Hill Carnival has an atmosphere that must be experienced to truly grasp its essence. Now you\u2019ve got a little history in your back pocket, I\u2019ll share my top tips in this Notting Hill Carnival Guide.<\/p>\n
![\"Notting](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/carnival-2582330_1920-525x875.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcf7\u00a0Richard Mcall<\/a><\/p>\n Although Carnival takes place at the height of Britain\u2019s summertime, at the end of August, the UK is known for having unpredictable weather and it has notoriously rained heavily at Carnival many times. The parade goes ahead rain or shine so be prepared to bask in the heat or dance in the rain. Take water with you so you don\u2019t get dehydrated in the sun and a raincoat that packs away is a much smarter choice than an umbrella in those crowds.<\/p>\n Expect delays and expect to see revellers en route to the second largest carnival in the world! Locals and tourists come from far and wide for Carnival, and not all local stations will be open. Make sure you check\u00a0 Transport for London (TfL)<\/a> and the Notting Hill Carnival 2019 app for an interactive map and updates on which stations will be serving the Carnival and which entry point is closest. Otherwise, you could waste a significant portion of your day just trying to get in!<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve worked out how to get there, you\u2019ll want to check out the up-to-date Carnival route. Not only will you know which direction to walk in towards the fun but it\u2019s also exciting to plan with friends (or solo if that\u2019s your thing) before your arrival. Things to look out for:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0Kelly Robinson<\/a><\/p>\n You will be spoilt for choice as there is something for everyone. While you can find food from all over the world at Carnival, if you are keen to try West Indian food for an authentic experience I recommend the following:<\/p>\n One of the things I love most about Carnival is that people of all walks of life and all shapes and sizes come wearing what they please with an unapologetic attitude. Sure, they might be back in a suit or apron on Tuesday morning but during Carnival, anything goes! People wear their brightest colours and their hearts on their sleeves. There will be face paint, glitter, jewels, ripped denim shorts and crop tops, neon lycra, slogan tees, summer dresses and tracksuits.\u00a0 Oh, and wear your comfiest shoes but not sandals or your toes will get trampled on. I recommend sneakers that you don\u2019t mind getting scuffed.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re hoping to \u2018play mas\u2019 (join a carnival band\/float) most applications close in April, however some bands have confirmed that registration is still open if you wish to \u2018Do T-shirt?\u2019. I joined Karnival Mania to play \u2018dutty mas\u2019 on Carnival Sunday. This involved attending the Carnival bright and early and dancing to Soca music behind the sound system truck, all the way from the meeting point until the finishing point. As a masquerade expect to get covered in brightly coloured paint and pigmented powder along the way. I paid \u00a335 to be a masquerade and it\u2019s a great way to get really involved in Carnival\u2019s spirit. Prices vary depending on the band and maybe more if food and drink are included. To join, you complete a short online form, pay and collect your T-shirt in advance from mas camp (some bands include a bag, wristband and flask). If you are unable to be there in advance, you can give written permission for someone else to collect it on your behalf.<\/p>\n If you insist on taking a DSLR camera (you are sure to get some amazing shots), you should be aware that it\u2019s a fairly high-risk zone for loss and thefts. I would leave any non-essentials at home particularly if you are planning to get a bit worse for wear after all those Red Stripes. I would strongly recommend a cross-body bag rather than a backpack or purse but do what works best for you (and your outfit of course). DO take cash, tissues, wet wipes\/antibacterial gel, shades, raincoat\/jacket\/sweater. Fun fact: Many West Indians take a rag (all that jumping up and down to soca can get pretty sweaty) and a flag to represent their country of heritage.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7\u00a0Glodi Miessi<\/a><\/p>\n Book your hostel early, as people travel from all over the world for Carnival and don\u2019t be worried about staying in another area of London as there will be a way to get there. You\u2019ll find every available London hostel here<\/a> and see my transport tips above to plan your route.<\/p>\n Take small change (coins)! Portaloos are public toilets in trailers and they are typically free, however when you are desperate and can\u2019t face a huge queue you will happily pay to use a restaurant\u2019s bathroom.\u00a0Some people even open their private home bathrooms to the public for a small fee, which when you think about it, is a nice little side-hustle for locals.<\/p>\n My biggest tip would be to have a meeting point, as it\u2019s very easy to lose friends in a sea of people and phone connection can be patchy. As a last resort, make sure you know how to get back to your hostel.<\/p>\n You should also know that there\u2019s a 72-second silence held at 3 pm on both days to honour the lives lost in the devastating fire at nearby Grenfell Tower. This is a subject still very painful and close to many hearts in the local community and should be observed with the respect it deserves.<\/p>\n That\u2019s it, I\u2019ve come to the end of the Notting Hill Carnival Guide, and you should be fully prepped to join in the fun. It really is an annual London highlight, but don\u2019t just take my word for it, here are some official Carnival reps with a few words about what this time of year means to them:<\/p>\n \u201cI love the vibes! Nothing beats the vibes that carnival brings; the smiles, the togetherness, the music and sheer happiness. It\u2019s incomparable!\u201d – Anthea Hudson, Mas Designer for Ebony Mas<\/p>\n \u201cOutside of the Caribbean, Notting Hill is the most diverse, lively and inclusive carnival in the world. It\u2019s maintained true to its heritage and Caribbean roots by displaying and celebrating all genres of Carnival arts such as steel pan, costumes and Jouvert. Being a world traveller and experiencing numerous Carnivals around the world, I would recommend Notting Hill Carnival for the novice and seasoned Carnivalist.\u201d Tania Moore, Carnivalist<\/p>\n Featuring @sammiecarlette<\/a>, photographer\u00a0Kelly Robinson\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n About the author<\/strong><\/p>\n Syeshia Sweeney – MA Creative Writing student, former food blogger at HerFavFood and MelanMag, Arts & Travel enthusiast. Follow her adventures, here.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This Notting Hill Carnival Guide is everything you need to know about attending Europe\u2019s largest street party without spending a fortune! WHEN: Bank holiday weekend – August 25 & 26, 2019 (Annually) WHERE: Notting Hill, London. Yes, like in the movie! WHO: All are welcome! I grew up five or so minutes away from one…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":136403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9681,9659,9501],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-england","category-inspire-me","category-london","wpbf-post"],"yoast_head":"\nWHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO TO NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Always check the weather<\/strong><\/h2>\n
2. Review your journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n
3. Plan your Carnival route<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
![\"Notting](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/kelly-robinson-ir2jJ1o5ri8-unsplash.jpg\")
<\/p>\n4. What to eat<\/strong> at Carnival<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
5. What to wear<\/strong> at Carnival<\/strong><\/h2>\n
6. How to join a band<\/strong><\/h2>\n
7. What to take with you<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"notting](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/glodi-miessi-Hg8kROPwAIg-unsplash.jpg\")
<\/p>\n8. Where to stay<\/strong><\/h2>\n
9. Tips & tricks<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"notting](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/kelly-robinson-NcKGOUpV37Q-unsplash-584x875.jpg\")
<\/p>\nKeep reading:\u00a0
![\"\u2b07\ufe0f\"](\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/11\/svg\/2b07.svg\")
<\/b><\/h2>\n![\"\ud83c\udf1f\"](\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/11\/svg\/1f31f.svg\")
\u00a0Best hostels in London<\/a><\/h4>\n\u00a0Where to stay in London<\/a><\/h4>\n\u00a0Free things to do in London<\/a><\/h4>\n