Dancers, brass bands and floats entertained large crowds in west London on what is known as ‘family day’. Millions of people are expected to attend the festival which celebrates Caribbean heritage. The event runs until Bank Holiday Monday. There was also a significant police presence to prevent disorder. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted: “Biggest street party in Europe! And the vibes are spot on.” He said it had “become one of the biggest street festivals in the world and part of the very fabric of this city”. This year’s event comes amid a cost-of-living crisis, which Mr Khan said had affected the carnival.
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He said: “We’re seeing those who want to have floats, those who want to have sound systems, being pulled out because they can’t afford to pay their bills. It’s really important that the government steps up.” At the first in-person Notting Hill Carnival since 2019, the 72 people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire were remembered five years after the tragedy. Image: Members of the Emancipated Run Crew remember the 72 people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire Dressed in green t-shirts with ‘Remembering Grenfell’ on the back, members of the Emancipated Run Crew took part in the carnival parade down the Great Western Road on Sunday morning in tribute to the victims. Speaking to the crowd at the start of the route, Grenfell survivor Zoe Dydon reflected on the five-year anniversary. He said: “June 14 this year marks five years since the fire. Five years (and) still no justice, still no charges, not much has changed.” There was a 72-second silence before the parade began and Ms Dainton cut the ribbon for the runners, marking the official start of the carnival. Jules Stephenson, 48, co-founder of the Emancipated Run Crew, said: “For the past two years we’ve been running the carnival route to celebrate Notting Hill and it’s just amazing to be part of the launch this year. it marks the 72 lives lost in the Grenfell tragedy. “It’s really important not to forget, to mark those lives and just remember those lives.” The 2020 carnival was canceled due to COVID, although there were live-streamed events, while last year’s carnival did not take place either due to the risk of coronavirus.
