THOUSANDS of revellers bedecked in bright colours and feathers have taken to the streets for the famous Notting Hill Carnival.
Celebrations for the Notting Hill Carnival kicked off bright and early this morning, as the August Bank Holiday tradition turns the streets of West London into an explosion of colour.
ReutersRevellers take part in the ‘J’Ouvert’ celebrations at sunrise during Notting Hill Carnival[/caption]
PAGrinning revellers were spotted covered in paint everywhere[/caption]
PAPeople taking part in J’ouvert this morning for the street party[/caption]
PAPeople taking part in J’ouvert ahead of the Children’s Day Parade, part of the Notting Hill Carnival celebration in west London[/caption]
© Jeff MooreNotting Hill Carnival’s traditional J’Ouvert kicked off just before sunrise in West London this morning with revellers covering themselves in coloured paint, oil, and powder[/caption]
LNPSome protected their clothing from the explosion of paint[/caption]
© Jeff MoorePeople danced on a bus stop covered in paint as revellers watched on[/caption]
Dating back to 1966, the annual Caribbean Carnival takes over the famous London borough with food, drink, dancing and music.
Every year, the streets of Notting Hill in west London are transformed by the world’s second largest street carnival.
Today is the Families and Children’s Day, which is free to everyone.
Celebrations began at 6am, and the streets were quickly splattered with bright paint and powder.
Today includes the striking J’ouvert parade, which typically begins in the early morning, before dawn, and peaks by mid-morning.
J’Ouvert means “daybreak” or “opening of the day”, and marks the beginning of the event.
Men covered in paint were spotted dancing on top of a bus stop and others threw paint into the air.
Joyful revellers came out early in the morning to dance, drink and cover eachother in vibrant oil, paint and powder.
The explosion of colour replaces the mud and oil of Caribbean tradition.
Some wear horns and drag chains to recognise the detrimental impact of UK colonialism and the slave trade upon Caribbean nations.
Next up is the Children’s Parade and Carnival, where kids dress up in elaborate costumes.
The website reads: “This year we will return the Sunday to the children, encouraging increased participation with a range of family-friendly activities and events, with the main event being children’s mas.
“It’s an undeniable joy to see the next generation carrying the Carnival baton – dancing in the streets wearing their carefully crafted costumes.”
Then comes the ‘Dutty Mas’, where participants “get down and ‘dutty’.”
The website says: “Just like J’Ouvert, this mas is for those that enjoy the mayhem.
“As a spectator you can expect to be splashed with brightly coloured paints and powder or even melted ‘chocolate’.
“It’s pure revelry, and you can’t deny the infectious hyped energy of the party-hard participants, ‘chipping’ and ‘wining’ recklessly to the bass-heavy sound of the ‘mile-high’ mobile speakerboxes.”
More than a million people are expected to descend on Notting Hill “for what is one of the most significant weekends in the capital’s cultural calendar”.
J’Ouvert – which was cancelled last year – officially opens at 10am on Sunday.
Commander Charmain Brenyah, the Met’s spokesperson for Carnival, said: “We expect around one million people to be on the streets of west London for what is one of the most significant weekends in the capital’s cultural calendar.
“The vast majority come to have fun and enjoy themselves, to celebrate Caribbean culture, to dance, to eat and to go home with nothing but good memories.
“Regrettably we know a minority come with less positive intentions and in recent years this has played out in the form of serious violence including three tragic incidents where lives have been taken.
“The actions of this minority are totally at odds with the values of those who care passionately about Carnival and we acknowledge those, including the event organisers, who have stood up to condemn violence and serious criminality in the run up to this weekend.
“Our policing plan makes tackling serious violence a priority which is why we’ve carried out intelligence-led interventions against those groups and individuals who we have reason to believe pose the greatest risk to the safety of other Carnival-goers.
“We hope that this police activity will be a significant deterrent for those who otherwise might have been planning to come and engage in violence and other criminality.”
Story Picture AgencyThe official start of Notting Hill Carnival begins as revellers gather in West London to throw paint and coloured powder over one another in celebration[/caption]
ReutersRevellers take part in the ‘J’Ouvert’ celebrations at sunrise during Notting Hill Carnival[/caption]
Joyful scenes in Notting Hill as people throw paint at eachother
PAA grinning reveller covered in paint wore goggles to protect their eyes[/caption]
PAKinetika Bloco rehearsing, ahead of the opening ceremony of the Children’s Day Parade[/caption]
PAKinetika Bloco, ahead of the opening ceremony of the Children’s Day Parade[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
