Notting Hill Carnival 2022: map, route, parade start time, bus strikes - when is it, what is festival?

Notting Hill Carnival is returning in its full pomp for the first time since 2019.

The street festival kicked off yeserday (27 August) and will continue throughout the August bank holiday weekend.

Notting Hill Carnival has been running since the 1960s but the inperson event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

It usually attracts over 2 million visitors - but a bus strike could cause disruption for people trying to attend it.

Next weekend marks the return of popular event.

If you are thinking on going, here’s all you need to know:

What are the Notting Hill Carnival dates for 2022?

The street festival will take place over the August bank holiday weekend.

Notting Hill Carnival will run from Saturday 27 August through to Monday 29 August.

How many days is Notting Hill Carnival on for?

It will last for three days in 2022.

Including Saturday 27 August, Sunday 28 August and Monday 29 August.

With events, parties and live music running across those days.

What time does Notting Hill Carnival start?

The parades will start at 10am on Sunday and 10.30am on Bank Holiday Monday.

For the first day of the festival, which is known as family day, on Saturday it will start from 6am to 9am.

Where is Notting Hill Carnival?

If you are thinking of attending Notting Hill Carnival you are probably wondering where exactly it will take place.

It is held on the streets of London in W10 and W11.

Notting Hill Carnvial takes place around the areas of Notting Hill, Ladbroke Grove, Westbourne Grove, Westbourne Park and Kensal Road.

Will the carnival be affected by the bus strikes?

Over 1,600 workers at London United are striking over a pay dispute today (28 August) and tomorrow (29 August).

It is feared the strike could cause disruption to people travelling to the carnival.

Unite regional officer Michelle Braveboy explained: “Strike action will inevitably cause considerable disruption and delays across west and south London, including for the carnival, but this dispute is entirely of the company’s own making.”

The bus workers involved operate from depots in Fulwell, Hounslow, Hounslow Heath, Park Royal, Shepherd’s Bush and Tolworth.

The Park Royal, Shepherd’s Bush and Stamford Brook depots all serve routes which are in the vicinity of the carnival.

However, a spokesperson for TFL said: “The carnival won’t be severely disrupted due to only a small number of bus routes being cancelled.

“TfL is doing everything it can to reduce the impact of the strike action and is running as many bus services as possible, however customers are advised to check before they travel and leave extra time for their journeys.”

How can you find the parade routes and is there a map?

Notting Hill Carnival has its own app which includes full list of parade routes for the events on Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday.

It also comes with a map of the festival areas, so you can keep track of where you need to go next weekend.

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea have also issued a map of the carnival.

What is Notting Hill Carnival?

The carnival is a celebration of black culture and communities.

It was started in the 1960s by Claudia Jones, Rhaune Laslett, Duke Vin.

In the years since Notting Hill Carnival began it has grown into one of the largest street festivals in the world.

The carnival is normally attended by around two million people.

The two-day spectacle of music, dancing, food and drink is rooted in Caribbean culture, and has also been influenced by the Windrush generation.

Second only to Brazil’s Rio carnival in size, the vibrant north London event aims to promote unity and bring people of all ages together.

It brings static sound systems, live performances and stages primarily featuring reggae and punk bands to the streets.

Notting Hill has played host to Jay-Z, Lil’ Kim and Busta Rhymes in previous years.

In 2020 it was held online due to the pandemic and was hosted by radio presenters DJ Ace and Remel London.

It was streamed on four channels over the August bank holiday weekend.

What will the weather be like?

The Met Office says the Azores High will move in over the weekend allowing for lengthy spells of dry fine weather for many.

Forecaster Aidan McGivern said “The Azores are a group of islands in the mid-Atlantic. Semi-Permanent high pressure sits here throughout much of the year.

“But what’s been happening through this year so far and especially during the summer, is high pressure from the Azores keeps extending across the UK, hence the warm summer and the very dry summer that we’ve had. And that repeating pattern repeats again this weekend.

“There’s also an area of low pressure which will likely bring some wetter weather for a time, later Saturday into Sunday to the northwest, mainly Northern Ireland, western Scotland, and then clearing from the far north of Scotland during Monday.”