My first experience of Notting Hill Carnival nearly twenty years ago was a sensory overload like no other—the pulsating rhythms of soca, the intoxicating aroma of Caribbean food, and a sea of vibrant costumes flooding the streets. As a Caribbean native, I have attended many carnivals, but nothing prepared me for the sheer scale and energy of this London spectacle. With over a million attendees watching the parade of bands, it was a source of pride to see Caribbean culture accepted on such a grand scale.
Amidst the jubilant atmosphere, I couldn’t help but wonder about the journey that led to this phenomenal event. How did a Caribbean carnival grow to become Europe’s largest street festival in the heart of London? After countless hours of research, I realized that Notting Hill Carnival’s history is as colorful and complex as the event itself – a story of resilience, cultural pride, and community spirit triumphing over adversity. Unfortunately, many attendees are unaware of this history. So, to bridge this knowledge gap, I’ve compiled a timeline tracing the evolution and history of Notting Hill Carnival.
Notting Hill Carnival Timeline:
Below is a list of political and cultural events that led to the development of the Notting Hill Carnival. Like many carnivals in the Caribbean, Notting Hill Carnival was born from the seeds of revolution and rebellion. Specifically, it emerged as a powerful response against unprovoked racism and social injustice during the Notting Hill Race Riots.
The main focus of the Notting Hill Carnival timeline below is the first twenty years, which was quite precarious. Thus, while not exhaustive, this timeline aims to provide context and correct misinformation about the origins of what is now Europe’s biggest street festival, contributing nearly £400 million to the London economy.
May 24, 1948: The Empire Windrush departed Jamaica for London, arriving on June 22, 1948. The Caribbean immigrants onboard had answered the call from the British government, which was desperate for workers to help rebuild the country after the end of the Second World War. It should be noted that there were already Caribbean immigrants living in London and other parts of the United Kingdom before the arrival of the Empire Windrush, but this event marked the symbolic start of large-scale Caribbean migration to Britain.
June 22, 1948: The Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks with 1,027 passengers, including over 800 from the Caribbean. Among them was Trinidadian calypsonian Aldwyn Roberts, known as Lord Kitchener. A Pathé News reporter captured the moment on film, asking Kitchener to perform. On the spot, he sang “London is the Place for Me,” a calypso he had composed during the voyage. This impromptu performance, broadcast to millions on that evening’s news, marked a significant cultural introduction of Caribbean music to the British public, effectively laying the groundwork for the UK calypso scene.
July 30, 1948: The British government passed the British Nationality Act, effective January 1, 1949. This law created the new status of “Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies” (CUKC), allowed Commonwealth countries to set their own citizenship rules, and gave married women independent nationality for the first time. This Act marked a significant change in British nationality law after World War II and was intended to maintain Commonwealth ties.
June 30, 1950: Trinidadian Boscoe Holder (born Arthur Aldwyn Holder) formed a group called Boscoe Holder and his Caribbean Dancers and introduced steel drums to the British public on his television show, Bal Creole, which was broadcast on BBC Television. Holder and his wife Sheila Clarke also had a BBC radio series called Caribbean Carnival.
1950s: Black Caribbean people continued to arrive in the United Kingdom, and most settled in the Brixton and Notting Hill areas of London, which also had many work-class Britons, Jews, Irish, Greeks, and Spaniards in cramped tenements.
1951: The Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) performed on the South Bank in London as part of the Festival of Britain. This was the first time that many British people had a chance to see up close the steel pan musical instrument. Originating from Trinidad, steel pans are made from 55-gallon oil drums and are one of the few acoustic musical instruments invented in the 20th century.
1953: Boscoe Holder and his Caribbean Dancers perform at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Representing the Caribbean, they danced on a barge, part of the Royal Flotilla, on the River Thames.
January 1955: During a Cabinet meeting, it is alleged that former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill suggested “Keep England White” could be a good campaign slogan for the upcoming general election. This was recorded in the diary of Harold Macmillan, a Conservative politician who later served as Prime Minister from 1957 to 1963. Macmillan wrote: “The P.M. thinks ‘Keep England White’ a good campaign slogan!” The comment reflected Churchill’s controversial stance on race and immigration during a period of increasing Caribbean migration to the United Kingdom.
1956: London Transport (now TfL) initiated a scheme to recruit workers directly from the Caribbean, particularly Barbados. The program ran from 1956 to 1970 and brought approximately 6,000 employees to London to work as bus conductors, station staff, maintenance workers, and canteen assistants. The success of this recruitment scheme resulted in it being a model for other large public-sector employers, such as British Rail and the National Health Service (NHS).
29 August 1958: Majbritt Morrison, a White Swedish woman, had a public argument with her Black Jamaican husband Raymond Morrison near Latimer Road Tube Station. This led to a scuffle between White bystanders and Raymond’s friends. The next day, a gang of White Teddy Boys, recognizing Majbritt, attacked her with milk bottles and racial slurs, calling her a “Black man’s trollop.” This incident marked the start of the Notting Hill Race Riots, instigated by White working-class youths who were openly hostile to the growing number of Black Caribbean newcomers in Notting Hill. The Teddy Boys were riled up by fascists like Oswald Mosley, who exploited the fears of working-class Whites with anti-immigrant slogans like “Keep Britain White.”
January 30, 1959: An indoor cabaret-style Caribbean Carnival was held at the St Pancras Town Hall in London. The event broadcast by the BBC was organized by Trinidadian Claudia Jones, who was a political activist and editor of the first Black weekly newspaper in Britain, The West Indian Gazette. To raise the spirits of the local community after the race riots, she planned the event to coincide with the pre-lent Trinidad Carnival.
May 17, 1959: 32-year-old Antiguan carpenter and aspiring lawyer Kelso Cochrane was stabbed to death by a gang of White youths on Southam Street, off Golborne Road. No one was ever charged for the racially motivated murder, but his death sparked a series of campaigns for tolerance and to help ease racial tensions in the area.
June 6, 1959: Kelso Cochrane’s funeral was held at St Michael’s Church off Ladbroke Grove. Over 1,200 Black and White people attended as a symbol of defiance and unity against racism.
Early 1960s: Trinidadian husband and wife Edric and Pearl Connor, along with their business partners, including Claudia Jones, began promoting indoor cultural events in venues across London. Their efforts help showcase Caribbean talent and foster community engagement.
1962: The Commonwealth Immigrants Act was passed, marking a significant shift in British immigration policy. By this time, approximately 250,000 Caribbean migrants had settled permanently in the United Kingdom, primarily arriving in the post-war period to address labor shortages. This Act introduced immigration controls for all Commonwealth citizens, effectively ending the era of unrestricted migration from the Caribbean and other Commonwealth countries.
December 24, 1964: Claudia Jones dies from a heart attack at her home in Belsize Park, London, at the age of 49. Born on February 21, 1915, in Port of Spain, Trinidad, she moved to New York in 1924 and became a communist focused on Black liberation, facing imprisonment before being deported to Britain in 1955. In London, she founded the West Indian Gazette, the first black newspaper in Britain, and helped organize the precursor to the Notting Hill Carnival in 1959. Jones was a passionate advocate for racial justice, women’s rights, and workers’ rights. She was buried in Highgate Cemetery next to Karl Marx, reflecting her commitment to social justice.
1965/1966: Rhaune Laslett, a half-Native American / half-Russian White social worker working in collaboration with Guyanese activist Andre Shervington and others at the London Free School (a community action adult education project), planned a week-long Notting Hill Festival. Laslett said in a 1989 interview with The Caribbean Times that the idea for the festival came to her in a vision, a dream. The goal was to have an outdoor multi-cultural event to entertain and uplift the spirit of children and the local community to help ease the continued racial tensions.
September 18, 1966: The first Notting Hill Fayre / Notting Hill Festival is held. It was not meant to strictly be a Caribbean festival, but the participation of Trinidadian musician Russell Henderson and his steel band, which consists of Sterling Betancourt, Vernon “Fellows” Williams, Fitzroy Coleman, and Ralph Cherry changed the course of what might have been otherwise a traditional English fayre for children. During the festival, Henderson’s steel band played and Caribbean people plus other locals began flooding the streets to listen to the distinctive sounds. As the crowd grew to a few hundred, in line with the Trinidad Carnival tradition of “making a rounds,” Henderson and his band led the crowd up Portobello Road towards Notting Hill Gate and back again.
Late 1960s: With the success of the Notting Hill Festival, it soon became a highly anticipated annual event. Initially diverse, it became progressively more Caribbean, specifically Trinidadian, with participation from steel bands such as the Blue Notes, Les Flambeaux, Bay 57, Melody Makers, and others.
April 20, 1968: Conservative MP Enoch Powell gave his controversial “Rivers of Blood” speech at the Midland Hotel in Birmingham. Addressing a Conservative Association meeting, Powell criticizes Commonwealth immigration and anti-discrimination legislation, warning of future racial conflict in the UK. The speech, which takes its name from a phrase referencing Virgil’s Aeneid, sparks intense public debate. Just one day after giving the speech, Conservative leader Edward Heath dismisses Powell from the Shadow Cabinet, calling the speech “racialist in tone and liable to exacerbate racial tensions.” The event becomes a defining moment in discussions about race and immigration in Britain.
1968: Trinidadian civil rights campaigner Frank Crichlow opened the Mangrove Restaurant located at 8 All Saints Road in the Notting Hill area of London. The restaurant quickly evolved into more than just a dining spot – it became a vibrant nucleus of Black culture and resistance. As such, it was continually targeted by the police.
Early 1970: Rhaune Laslett retires from organizing the Notting Hill Festival due to ill health. Her authority was also being challenged due to her influence and control over what was becoming the preeminent Black Caribbean cultural event in Britain.
August 9, 1970: Approximately 150 protesters, organized by the Action Committee for Defence of the Mangrove and supported by the British Black Panthers, marched to local police stations in Notting Hill. The demonstration, accompanied by 700 police officers, was to protest against persistent police harassment and raids on the Mangrove Restaurant. The event ended in clashes between protesters and police, resulting in 19 arrests.
1970/1971: Russ Henderson, along with a group of Trinidadian carnival supporters, form the Carnival Development Committee to manage the Notting Hill Carnival, but their efforts flounder.
October 5, 1971: Nine men and women who became known as the “Mangrove Nine” were put on trial for instigating the 1970 riot. After a long and difficult trial, the nine were acquitted. It was a moment of victory in the fight for racial equality.
1972: The musicians who would normally participate in carnival refuse to play. Then, Merle Major, a young Trinidadian woman, steps in and hires the Pan Am North Stars, a professional Trinidadian steel pan ensemble touring Europe. They were the only band to play at Notting Hill Carnival that year, and Major’s efforts helped bring the carnival back from the brink.
1973: Merle Major becomes pregnant and steps down from leading Notting Hill Carnival. Anthony Perry, Director of the North Kensington Amenity Trust, organizes a public meeting to save the Notting Hill Carnival. He promoted the meeting in Time Out magazine, and one of the dozen attendees was Leslie Palmer, a local teacher from Trinidad who became the new organizer.
1973: Trinidadian Leslie Palmer took over as the carnival’s organizer, working alongside his assistant Robert “Bigger” Hamilton. Operating from an office on Acklam Road, funded by Anthony Perry, they created the template for the modern Notting Hill Carnival by organizing all aspects, including liaising with the police, the route, the food stalls, and stewards. They also implemented several significant changes:
- They expanded the carnival’s scope to include diaspora groups from all Caribbean islands.
- They encouraged participants to wear traditional masks and costumes, enhancing the visual spectacle.
- They introduced Sound Systems, bringing a new dimension to the event’s music.
- They invited vendors to come and sell Caribbean food and drink.
- They arranged for Live Radio Broadcasts, increasing publicity and reach for the carnival.
The theme for the 1973 carnival was “Mas in the Ghetto.” The aim was to emphasize the dreadful housing and slum-like conditions in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
1973: The Sound Systems introduced by Leslie Palmer were an instant hit despite not being a traditional element of Caribbean carnivals. Originating in Jamaica during the 1950s, some of the first Sound Systems to play at Notting Hill Carnival were Betram the Wasp, Zion, Paddington Terror, Papa Weasel, Black Patch, Six-by-Six, and Lord Sam.
1973: Steve Barnard did the first live outside broadcast from Notting Hill Carnival for his BBC radio program Reggae Time. This and subsequent broadcasts, which hundreds of thousands of people listened to, helped turn Notting Hill Carnival into a national event.
1973: Peter Minshall, a Trinidadian artist and costume designer, becomes one of the first to design costumes for the Notting Hill Carnival. For several years, he created innovative and visually striking costumes that helped to shade and elevate the aesthetic of the carnival.
1974: The popularity of Notting Hill Carnival surges, with attendance reaching 100,000 people.
1974: Grenadian broadcaster Alex Pascall conducted a live broadcast from the Notting Hill Carnival for his BBC radio program, Black Londoners. This pioneering show, which began in November 1974, was the first of its kind in Britain, focusing on the Black community and addressing issues relevant to their experiences.
Mid 1970s: With the increased professionalism and organization of Notting Hill Carnival came a diverse range of masquerade bands producing costumes that showcased different parts of African and Caribbean history and culture. Some others took inspiration from historical periods not specifically connected to the Caribbean.
African Mas: Influenced by the Black Power Movement and Rastafarianism, these costumes drew on traditional West African themes. Everything had meaning and was spiritually connected to the African ancestors. One of the key designers for this masquerade genre was Larry Forde, Founder of Sukuya Mas Band, who specialized in costumes based on African mythology. One of his notable creations was “Mansa Musa’s Guest at Regina’s Feast,” which he designed for the 1977 Carnival during the Queen’s Jubilee.
Traditional Caribbean Mas Characters:
- Dame Lorraine parodies the European upper class with exaggerated costumes, critiquing colonial society.
- Moko Jumbie, a tall stilt walker, symbolizes African spirits and protection, believed to ward off evil.
- The Midnight Robber, known for elaborate costumes and boastful speeches, engages audiences with dramatic storytelling that blends African and Western traditions.
- Pierrot Grenade known for his colorful costumes and witty social commentary. His attire often features adornments such as mirrors, which are believed to serve as talismans to ward off evil spirits.
Devil Mas: These costumes featured characters like Bookman, who recorded the horrific sins of slavemasters/plantation owners. Another Jab Jab wears loose-fitting satin trousers and carries a whip. These characters symbolize the horrors of slavery and resistance against oppression. Other notable figures included the mischievous Imps and the fearsome Jab Molassie, who represents the ghost of a slave.
Historical Mas: Mas Bands and their designers would select a historical period to recreate, adding depth and cultural significance to the carnival experience. For example, in 1977, costumes for Renegades Mas Band paid tribute to the life of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata.
June 1975: “The Roots of Mas” exhibition opened at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in Nash House, The Mall, London. This groundbreaking two-week exhibition explored the origins and cultural significance of masquerade in Caribbean carnival traditions. It featured displays of traditional masquerade costumes, historical context about their significance, photographs of past carnivals, cultural artifacts, and highlighted contributions from Caribbean artists and designers. The exhibition played a crucial role in validating the Notting Hill Carnival within the British cultural landscape.
1975: With the growing success of Notting Hill Carnival came the attacks on its existence from the British media, local residents associations, the Metropolitan Police, and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC). For example, one of the resident’s associations threatened a high court injunction to cancel the Notting Hill Carnival. The Black community rallied, and the carnival went on without incident.
1975: Grenadian Greg Edwards did a live broadcast from Notting Hill Carnival for his Capital Radio Soul Spectrum program. Attendance continues to grow, with a quarter of a million people attending. It was featured on the cover of Time Out magazine, solidifying its position as London’s biggest street festival.
1976: Tensions were high in the weeks leading up to Notting Hill Carnival, and police, with their military strategy, assigned 3,000 police to the event. This was ten times the normal amount, and what began as a peaceful celebration escalated into violence when police confronted alleged pickpockets, leading to clashes with carnival-goers. The confrontation resulted in approximately 250 injuries, including around 120 police officers and 60 arrests, marking a turning point in the relationship between the police and the Black community in London.
April 1977: A new organization named the Carnival Development Committee, composed of carnival band leaders, was established to oversee the planning and execution of the Notting Hill Carnival. The committee elected Trinidadian Selwyn Baptiste as Director and Trinidadian Darcus Howe as Chairman.
1977: Despite the riots that marred the previous year’s carnival, Notting Hill Carnival saw a significant increase in attendance with people from all over the country. The police, with sus laws, also adjust their strategies to deal with any civil unrest better.
1977 to 1979: The Home Office formed and funded a rival committee, the Carnival Arts Committee, which undermined unity and divided the Notting Hill Carnival community. This move was seen as a divide-and-conquer tactic. As a result, the Carnival Development Committee was starved of funds and folded in the early 1980s.
1978: There was an attempt to move Notting Hill Carnival to Finsbury Park with the formation of the well-funded Finsbury Park West Indian Carnival, fronted by Pastor Morris. The initiative was unsuccessful, as only a few mas bands took the bait and accepted the funding. There have been other attempts in subsequent years to move Notting Hill Carnival, but all have failed.
1978: The first UK National Panorama Steel Band Competition was held as a precursor to Notting Hill Carnival. A significant milestone in the history of steelpan music in Britain, it showcased the skill and dedication of steel bands from across the country. Paddington Youth Steelband emerged as the winner of this inaugural competition, setting the stage for what would become an annual tradition and a cornerstone of the carnival celebrations.
1979: Live Stages were introduced at Notting Hill Carnival by music promoter Wilf Walker. Some of the first bands that played included Aswad, Merger, Sons of Jah, Misty in Roots, Brimstone, King Sounds, The Raincoats King Sounds, The Raincoats, The Passions, Carol Grimes, and Nick Turner. The Live Stages appealed to the young people who weren’t interested in the masquerade aspect of carnival.
1981-1982: Jamaican-born entrepreneur Val McCalla, while working on a London local paper called the East End News, was inspired to start The Voice, a weekly newspaper to cater to the interests of British-born Back people. The first issue was printed to coincide with the Notting Hill Carnival in August 1982.
1984: Grenadian Alex Pascall became the chairman of the Notting Hill Carnival. As chairman, Pascall worked to revitalize and reimagine the event. His efforts included:
- Developing the children’s carnival
- Establishing links with carnivals across Europe
- Trying to change negative perceptions of the carnival held by police, local authorities, and the media
1984: The London School of Samba made its debut at the Notting Hill Carnival, introducing Brazilian Bands to the event for the first time.
1990s: Elaborate costumes adorned with feathers, sequins, and beads gained popularity. Known as Pretty Mas, this style draws inspiration from Brazilian samba and traditional Caribbean masquerade. Many of the costumes are bikini-style and revealing, marking a shift away from traditional narrative or thematic costumes towards a style that emphasizes visual spectacle and glamour. Pretty Mas represents a fusion of Caribbean carnival traditions with elements of Brazilian carnival culture.
April 28, 2002: Rhaune Laslett, who started the Notting Hill Festival that would eventually become the Notting Hill Carnival, dies.
2017: The organizers of Notting Hill Carnival commemorate the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire with a 72-second silence. This tragic fire occurred on June 14, 2017, in North Kensington, West London, claiming 72 lives.
2020 and 2021: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Notting Hill Carnival was held virtually.
2022: Notting Hill Carnival returns after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
