Europe’s biggest street party attracts a million as communities step out to build bridges after 2024 riots:
Beautfil hues of blue feathers at the Notting Hill Carnival. Photo NHC
SOUNDS OF STEEL BANDS RING OUT IN LONDON BUT VIOLENCE AND STABBINGS DAMPEN CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL SPIRIT
By SHAMLAL PURI in London
Associate Publisher & Senior Editor – UK
shamlalpuri4@gmail.com
Hundreds of thousands of excited revellers from the United Kingdom’s Caribbean and the African diaspora communities from as far as Europe took to the streets of London last Sunday in a three-day party full of live music and cultural pageantry to celebrate one of the world’s best street parties.
Crowds started arriving in the morning using the Underground trains, eager to share the fun and flavours of the annual event.
There was an action-packed programme for the revellers who could not hide their joy.
The excitement of the 58th edition of the annual Notting Hill Carnival cultural extravaganza that is meant to foster communal amity and build bridges after the July 29 riots in the UK was marred when several revellers were stabbed and hundreds arrested for rowdy behaviour despite the strong presence of 7,000 police officers at the event in West London.
A 32-year-old mother who joined in the fun with her three-year-old daughter was stabbed and was critically ill in a coma at a London hospital at the time of reporting this.
The organisers billed the event as the greatest community-led event on the planet, in which not only the diaspora but also local white Britons joined to celebrate the culture, history, and broader contribution of the Caribbean community to the United Kingdom.
This year, more than a million people attended the event over three days – double the number initially expected – proving the growing popularity of this half-a-century-old event.
Except for patches of disturbances caused by unruly revellers, there was no shortage of fun under the clear, sunny blue London sky, bringing a taste of the tropics in a country usually hit by the vagaries of weather, including the bitter winters.
The colourful event brought out fluorescent dancers adorned with feathers, masquerades, artistic floats and exotic and zingy aromas of Jerk Chicken and other Caribbean delicacies wafting through the air from the Caribbean Street food stalls with a tempting array of spreads to tease the taste buds.
Besides delicacies from Jamaica, the tempting menu also brought treats from the rest of the region – Jamaican jerk chicken, Trinidadian roti and Guyanese pepper pot, among many other culinary delights.
Women were dressed in opulent, daringly low-cut tops colourful Caribbean carnival costumes with feathered head tops.
Crowds watched elaborate floats and costumed performers wind through the streets in the carnival parade, dance to the sound of steel bands and calypso music and visit the tempting food stalls along the route.
The Carnival kicked off on Saturday, August 24, with the UK National Panorama Steel Band competition.
Throughout the year, all over the UK, steel bands rehearsed and fine-tuned their skills for this very prominent fixture on the pan lovers’ calendar, making it one of the largest pan competitions outside the Caribbean.
Panorama competitions are traditionally open-air events, and the Notting Hill Carnival’s Panorama is no exception.
Several bands participated in the UK event, each playing a ten-minute composition from memory without sheet music.
Revellers enjoyed the event as the sun set, tucking in Caribbean food and enjoying the sweet sounds of the pan.
At the same time, the steel bands continued with the serious business of impressing the judges.
Among the bands were Croydon Steel Orchestra, defending champions Ebony Steel Band, Mangrove Steel Band, Metronomes Steel Band and Real Steel. The competition was tough!
Attendees were disappointed to be told that this year’s J’Ouvert was called off because there were no official bands to participate this year.
Every year, people meet at 6 am on the Sunday of the Carnival for the traditional parade, which kicks off the Carnival parties. Revellers follow steel bands and rhythm sections while covering each other in paint and paint powder. But this year, the colourful did not take place.
Hal, one of the attendees, did not hide his feelings, “Man, that was the exciting bit. I have been looking forward to it since the last event, but we have received bad news from the organisers. Let’s hope they have J’Ouvert next year.”
The official opening ceremony took place on Sunday.
Parents and their little ones looked forward to the Children’s Day Parade, where children and parents the main event – children’s mas. Like every year, there was an extensive range of family-friendly activities and events.
It was an undeniable joy to see the next generation carrying the Carnival baton – dancing in the streets, wearing their carefully selected and colourful crafted costumes.
The mayhem continued with the noisy Dutty, which, just like J’Ouvert it is vibrant with brightly coloured paints and powder and even melted chocolate!
It was pure revelry and undeniably with infectious hyped energy of the party participants.
All this cacophony was mixed with the pleasant bass-heavy sounds of the mobile speaker boxes. What else could one ask for?
It was pure entertainment for those around.
Those who loved dancing in the streets were packing away their shyness and dancing to their hearts’ content. Others stood by the road leading to Sound Systems, a well-established and integral part of the Notting Hill Carnival.
The Carnival’s Sound System traditions are deeply rooted in Jamaican culture and Reggae music, where thousands enjoyed the sounds of Rare Groove, House and Samba.
There were live stages – Red Bull Selector in Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park and the Powis Square Stage in Powis Square, west London.
The fun continued until Monday, with an action-packed programme including the Adults Parade. This was the Carnival’s climax – the last lap until next year.
The participants arrived very early to grab a prime position on the route.
The MAS bands had been preparing for this for the past months. It was show time – and the atmosphere was just unique.
The day’s magic was in the colourful band costumes, blowing whistles and horns. They jumped and danced as the richly decorated floats passed by.
Sheer joy among the revellers – making another memorable Carnival.
Many community members were upset about the violence that marred the usual enjoyment of the Notting Hill Carnival.
Despite the presence of 7,000 strong Police, during the event, eight people were stabbed.
The condition of the 32-year-old mother, Cher Maximen, was stabbed in the groin in broad daylight on Sunday as she tried to intervene in a fight between two groups of men at the Carnival. Her condition is getting serious.
She suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital. She is in a coma and is in a life-threatening condition.
Her medical condition remains severe after losing 20 units of blood and her lungs collapsed. Doctors have warned her leg may be amputated.
Shakiel Thibou, aged 20, of Masbro Road, Hammersmith, London, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday, August 28, charged with the attempted murder of Cher Maximen. Shakiel Thibou is also charged with possessing a knife in public and violent disorder.
He appeared alongside his two brothers Shaeim Thibou, 21, of Charleville Road, Fulham, and Sheldon Thibou, 24, of Star Road, Hammersmith, London, who are both charged with violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker.
Additionally, Sheldon Thibou faces a charge of possessing a stain gun.
The three Thibou brothers were remanded into custody. They will appear together for a hearing at the Old Bailey Court on September 25.
In another case, an 18-year-old man was stabbed multiple times at the Carnival on Monday evening, August 26, leaving him in a critical condition. He needed lifesaving medical care. Police found the teenager with several injuries.
He had a serious wound in his stomach. The London Air Ambulance was called to provide lifesaving medical support to the man.
The teenager was then taken to hospital where he is now in a critical, but stable condition. Rumarni Tuitt, also 18, was arrested at the scene and taken into custody for questioning.
Tuitt, of Waltham Forest, east London, was charged on Wednesday, August 28, with attempted murder and possession of a bladed article. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, August 29, and was remanded to appear at the Old Bailey on Thursday, September 26.
Metropolitan Police had a tough time ensuring the safety of the Carnival, but isolated pockets of violence caused serious concern.
The Met Police urged anyone with information to come forward to prevent further violence at the Carnival.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who was in charge of the policing operation, said: “Yesterday we saw the first day of Carnival marred by unacceptable violence. Three people were stabbed, and we only very narrowly avoided a fatality.”
“This was supposed to be ‘family day’ – a celebration suitable for all ages. We are tired of saying the same words every year. We are tired of telling families that their loved ones are seriously injured or worse. We are tired of seeing crime scenes at Carnival.
“Carnival is a community event and the vast majority of people come to celebrate, to dance, to enjoy music and have a fantastic experience.
“It is the responsibility of all who value this event, who want to see it as the celebration it should be, to speak out and speak up about the violence that continues to overshadow it.
Besides the 32-year-old woman who was stabbed, a 29-year-old man was also stabbed and was hospitalised in a non-life-threatening condition. Another man, aged 24, who was stabbed and whose condition was assessed as non-life threatening, discharged himself from hospital.
On Sunday alone, there were 103 arrests at the Carnival. 18 police officers were assaulted.
Left with little choice, the Police imposed stop and search powers, which led to several weapons being taken off the streets. Officers stopped a car in the Harrow suburb, believed to be an route to Carnival, where a firearm was seized and two people arrested.
Later that day, officers searched someone at the entry points of the Carnival, seizing a firearm/
A total of 41 weapons other than firearms were seized. Officers arrested 145 on Monday, bringing the total over three days to 249 arrests.
A survey of the types of offences those arrested had committed was possession of an offensive weapon (knives, firearms), assaulting an emergency worker, sexual offences, violence, vehicle crime, possession and supply of drugs, possession of Class B drugs, theft, violence with injury, harassment, possession of class A drugs, nitrous oxide, theft and public order offences.
The organisers of Notting Hill Carnival have said there is “no excuse” for violence after several people were stabbed, emergency service workers were injured, and others allegedly sexually assaulted during the three-day Festival.
The Festival’s organisers are aware that while violent incidents are “depressingly common throughout society”, “the people of Carnival are part of the solution” and that Carnival is about “dedicating so much time, love and incredible creativity”.
In total, eight people were stabbed, 13 arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, and 61 officers were attacked during this year’s Notting Hill Carnival, according to the Metropolitan Police.
The Police have said: “The assaults mostly involved kicks, punches or pushes. There were four incidents where officers were spat at, two where officers were headbutted and two where officers had glass bottles thrown at them.”
The Festival remains a powerful fixture, earning around £369 million for the economy.
Its planners will try to find better ways to ensure no violence in future events. The 2025 Notting Hill Carnival will be held on 24 and 25 August 2025.
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