Published: Thursday 16 July 2020
For the first time in its 54 year history, Notting Hill Carnival will move entirely online, opening up to a global audience that can share in one of the world’s greatest events. It will be online over the August bank holiday weekend – 29, 30 and 31 August 2020.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organisers announced in May that the Carnival could not take its usual form this year, but there will be an alternative - Notting Hill Carnival: Access All Areas.
Events will be streamed online:
- Saturday 29 August 6pm – midnight
- Sunday 30 August 9am – 11pm
- Monday 31 August 9am – 11pm
This three-day spectacle of music, dancing, food and drink will be brought to you by those that have made Notting Hill Carnival the celebrated occasion we love today. With a fun-filled line up including sound systems, Calypso and soca acts, steelpan performances and Mas costumes, viewers will be able to experience a snapshot of Carnival at home. The Council will Invest £175,000 in the delivery of a digital Notting Hill Carnival as part of its 2020/21 Culture Plan, which will help the borough move forward in its recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic.
Cllr Emma Will, Lead Member for Culture, Leisure and Community Safe said:
“We are as proud as ever to be providing logistical and financial support to this year’s event in its new digital form as Notting Hill Carnival: Access All Areas.
“Carnival is a major event in the cultural calendar, not just for our residents but for people across London, the UK and beyond. It was founded to bring people together during trying times, and that legacy continues. The Carnival community has worked hard to create a huge three-day digital programme which will mean everyone can enjoy the true spirit of Carnival from home, while helping to protect lives and limit the spread of Coronavirus.
This year’s unique Notting Hill Carnival has been filmed over a month-long period. This collaborative process brought together members and bands of the carnival community who make carnival so amazing every year, Notting Hill Carnival Ltd in partnership with Let’s Go Do and with the support of Kensington and Chelsea Council, Westminster Council and the Greater London Authority.
Matthew Phillip, Executive Director of Notting Hill Carnival said:
“This year we faced the ultimate challenge of being unable to gather on the streets to celebrate our Carnival. But, now, more than ever, it’s important to keep the spirit of Notting Hill Carnival alive, giving an outlet to the thousands of people that spend all year creating incredible costumes and music for Europe’s largest event.
“Carnival is such an important part of people's lives and key celebration of the multiculturalism of the UK, and we have a responsibility to our community and pioneers to honour that. We also have a responsibility to protect the black community and our elders by respecting social distancing and taking Carnival away from the streets for this year. So this is a fantastic solution for 2020. We may not be able to celebrate together on the streets as usual, but we can all come together to celebrate one of the UK’s great cultural events online.”
Watch at www.NHCarnival.org