Briohny Williams
BBC News
Reporting fromNotting Hill Carnival
Sunday during the Notting Hill Carnival is traditionally families and children’s day
Carefully painted faces and glitter could be seen across the parade
The streets of west London have been filled with colour and sound for the first day of the annual Notting Hill Carnival.
Musicians and dancers in bright costumes took to the tarmac for the children’s parade, as the largest street party in Europe got under way.
The day began with an explosion of colour as revellers met for J’ouvert at 06:00 BST ahead of the children’s parade, with the streets awash with bright paint and powder.
J’ouvert, which means “daybreak” or “opening of the day” in French Creole, marks the start of the Carnival celebrations across the Bank Holiday weekend.
Reuters
Children in brightly coloured feathers paraded down the street
Reuters
Temperatures are expected to reach 23C in Notting Hill on Sunday
Fast-paced drumming could be heard and felt before the first parade arrived, decorating the street with flutes, brass instruments, steel drums, dancers and costumes including giant colourful wings.
A mixture of adults and children adorned in jewels, glittery wings, belts and headdress danced and leapt down the street followed by floats pumping out bass and music.
Along the side streets were rows of food and drink stalls serving fragrant jerk chicken, curry goat, Jamaican beer and rum punch cocktails.
On other roads, towering sound systems and stages, including one for BBC Radio 1 Xtra, were playing reggae, dub and drum and bass, with groups of friends, some in costume and others wearing their country’s flag, dancing around them.
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More than one million people are expected to attend Carnival this year
Reuters
The streets were decorated with dancers and musicians
More than a million people are expected to attend Carnival over the weekend.
Among those enjoying the festivities was EastEnders star Rudolph Walker who told BBC London it was “great to see the youngsters enjoying themselves – they are all fantastic”.
Walker, who plays Patrick Trueman in the BBC soap, said coming to Carnival made him want to live for each future event.
“I come every year, it’s my tradition, I grew up in Trinidad with carnival and I know what it does for my soul, my body, my peace of mind,” he said.
“The most important thing is to see people together, young and old, having fun.”
EPA
The two-day event is a celebration of culture
PA Media
Children’s day saw the streets flooded with colour, costumes, dancing and music
TV chef and personality Big Zuu, who was partying with his friends, said he had been coming to Carnival since he was one, and had previously taken part in the floats.
When asked what he liked about Carnival, he said: “This is the best celebration of multiculturalism in the country.”
PA Media
TV chef Big Zuu (left) said he had been coming to Carnival since he was aged one
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Feathers and jewels are popular additions to the carnival costumes
Claudette Sparen, 61, said she had attended Notting Hill Carnival over the last 25 years and that this year was her eighth.
Originally from Curacao but now living in Holland, the medical worker said she loved everything about the festivities.
“The people are so nice, so polite, so happy – they are the best people I have ever met,” she said. “We love to be here.”
EPA
After the parade, sound systems took over the party
As Carnival began on Sunday morning, the event’s chairman Ian Comfort told the crowd he was pleased it was happening after its future was put in jeopardy because of funding challenges earlier this year.
He welcomed the representatives from other world carnivals including Berlin, Miami and Tenerife who were in attendance.
The mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, Tom Bennett, also welcomed “friends” from across the Caribbean.
“It’s one of the greatest street parties in the world… celebrating today Caribbean culture – from dancing, music, costumes but also everything the Caribbean community has done in this borough and country,” he said.
EPA
The celebrations on Sunday are for all of the family, Carnival organisers say
EPA
People travelled from across Europe to attend the carnival
Following the parade, Sunday’s festivities continued with sound systems and live stages of music in Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park and Powis Square.
All major music and sound systems were then switched off at 15:00 for a 72-second silence to commemorate the 72 lives lost in the Grenfell Tower fire, as well as those who have died at Carnival in recent years and Kelso Cochrane whose murder in 1959 became one of the catalysts for the event.
Carnival continues on Monday with the adults parade, more live stages and sound systems.
The annual celebration has been running for more than 50 years.
Reuters
Children representing different countries joined the performances
