Notting Hill Carnival 2016: The route, weather, transport and what to expect

(Image credit: Matthew Lloyd/Getty)

last updated 26 August 2016

This weekend plays host to Europe's biggest annual street festival, with hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to descend on Notting Hill in London for the party.

Here's everything you need to know about the carnival and the parade:

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The carnival first took place in 1964 as a cultural celebration for the British West Indian communities in the capital. It grown each yea, with people flocking to W10 and its surrounding streets to sample Caribbean food and drink as well as listen to the many live music acts, from calypso and soca to reggae and dub. The carnival aims to foster unity between communities and champion the creativity and diversity of the capital.

Sunday is Children's Day and is usually the quieter of the two main parade days. For those who like their Sunday mornings filled with live action and loud music, proceedings start with the official opening of the parade, featuring dance, drummers and steel bands from 6am until 9am. The Sunday Parade gets under way at 9am and finishes around 7pm. There are also family workshops at Emslie Horniman's Pleasance Park.

Lots of seasoned carnival-goers have their perfect spot planned, but most try to get near the judging area for the main parade, so get down early if you're most interested in the floats and dancers. Carnival king Norman Jay's Good Times sound system has long been one of the most popular events but this year, the veteran DJ is uprooting his party and heading east, with an event at Oval Space in Bethnal Green.

Transport for London (TfL) has provided lots of information on its website to help people travelling to Notting Hill Carnival. Extra buses have been put on to take people from across all parts of London. Tube stations close to the Carnival, such as Ladbroke Grove, Latimer Road and Notting Hill Gate, are often closed or become exit only and there will be no Night Tube on Sunday and Monday nights, so it's worth checking on the TfL site to plan your journey.

Perhaps the most important question is: what the weather will be like? Saturday is likely to be a mixed bag, according to the Met Office, with showers expected between 9am and 2pm. Sunday looks less wet, with just a short burst of rain around 7pm, while Monday is expected to be cloudy but rain-free. Carnival-goers are advised to check the forecasts on the day before they depart, but the carnival will continue regardless of the weather, subject to minor alterations.