Notting Hill Carnival Marks 60 Years Amidst Heightened Security
Celebrations in West London See Significant Arrests and Extensive Policing Efforts
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Callum Smith
Notting Hill Carnival celebrated its 60th anniversary this weekend, drawing millions to west London.
By 7:45 PM on Sunday, 169 arrests were made. Organizers implemented meaningful improvements in crowd management and stewarding; a proactive arrest strategy contributed to a reduction in serious violence compared to previous years.
Police arrested more revelers on the second day of the Notting Hill Carnival, identifying 61 suspects through facial recognition technology. Officers also responded to two knife assaults, which resulted in non-life-threatening injuries.
Separately, a van caught fire at Pembridge Villas, requiring four fire engines and approximately 25 firefighters to bring it under control. A 72-second silence was observed at 3 PM to honor the lives lost in the Grenfell fire in 2017.
The main adult's parade was expected to begin at 10:30 AM, with more than 50 sound systems reportedly available for attendees. The policing operation for the Met reportedly cost £15.7 million last year; City Hall provided an additional £4.6 million grant for stewards and CCTV.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea estimates its annual clean-up and staffing bill at £1 million. Seven thousand police officers and 3,000 security stewards were deployed, and metal detectors were reportedly installed on the perimeter of the festival.
A Section 60 order was imposed, allowing officers to stop and search individuals without reasonable suspicion. Transport for London reportedly made some Underground stations 'exit only' to prevent crushes, while 330 people were banned from attending the festival as part of bail conditions.
Prior to the event, 76 zombie knives, 30 flick knives, and a machete were seized; seven people were arrested on suspicion of planning robberies at the festival. Claire Smart noted, "The organisers have stepped forward significantly across the event, including crowd management, and we have seen the positive progress today."
The organisers have stepped forward significantly across the event, including crowd management, and we have seen the positive progress today.
Matthew Phillip, chief executive of Notting Hill Carnival Ltd since 2018, pushed back against criticism of the event's safety record in the days before the carnival opened. He stated that the carnival is a victim of crime rather than a cause of it, arguing that comparisons with other large London events are not fairly applied.