Draped in flags and adorned in jewels,
the sun shone on Notting Hill this bank
holiday as more than a million carnival
goers gathered to celebrate Caribbean
culture. Great food, loud music, and
dancing mandatory. For one weekend out
of the year, it's the people and the
sound systems that own these streets.
>> That is at the heart of it. I've I play
a lot of reggae um here on Jamaica
Corner and all the derivatives that have
come out of reggae. The food is Jamaican
along here and in essence is always
Jamaican flags and it's just to promote
Jamaica as an island because it's a a
very special island to me.
>> Running for nearly 60 years, Notting
Hill Carnival has only grown in
popularity and is now considered
Europe's biggest street party. And of
course, with an event this size, there
has to be a huge police presence with
around 7,000 officers on duty over the
course of the bank holiday weekend. And
by Sunday evening, the Met Police
confirm they've made around 140 arrests.
But organizers highlight that with more
than a million thought to be in
attendance, crime is relatively low and
shouldn't overshadow the vibrant
spectacle which is bursting with color
and sound and a celebration born out of
resistance to racism.
>> Well, carnival is about a struggle. It's
not just about the fun side, but
obviously the fun side comes from having
to live through struggle. So, I think
carnival is a coming together of people.
It's a celebration, I think, of the Wind
Rush and all that that's done to help
this country. Um, and sometimes that
gets forgotten about,
>> but it's an event that almost never
happened. Despite generating millions of
pounds each year, it still faces
challenges for funding and concerns over
security. So, when the streets empty and
the music stops, the struggle to secure
the carnival's future may well continue.
Shiman Freeman Powell, Sky News.