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We are back for my fourth outing of Notting Hill Carnival after finally going in '22 when the two years prior they were taken online due to COVID.
I did go in '23 but due to not being able to post for a chunk of that year, I didn't make a post for it. Maybe for another time I'll pop into the archive and make a post.
In 2024 I went as part of a three-man crew but didn't cover much ground & 2025 I was riding solo for the first time.
I can happily say after this year's excursion that I have taken photos on pretty much every street that Notting Hill Carnival is housed. I jokingly call NHC "The Walking Simulator" and it has never been more true than the route I took this year.
We begin earlier than I usually pull up for reasons that'll be clear soon, 9:30am to be exact! But whilst I'm waiting for things to kick off, Ladbroke Grove was beginning to rumble…
After waiting for until 11am, the main goal was under way.
Invited by friend of the journey Stefan, I was going to walk with the most vibrant float out of the bunch, pulling out from Blenheim Crescent.
After temporarily getting stuck trying to get on Ladbroke Grove, the float was under way and so was the Mas behind it.
But you surely didn’t think I would just be taking photos of everyone inside the rope!
There is way too much happening at any given moment to not try and shoot! So whilst we take this long walk up W10, let’s meet other people!
Now there are several ways to experience Carnival, of which I have given most of them a try over the past four years. First you decide whether to walk the perimeter where the floats are or stay inside the perimeter where the food & sound systems are.
Then you decide how much you’re trying to move. Are you walking with the float like I am in this case? Or are you jumping from sound system to sound system? Or are you parking yourself somewhere to watch the Carnival move around you.
Regardless of what you do and where you are in the few mile radius, you will be guaranteed to have an experience unique to you. That’s the beauty of Carnival!
Something that I can say now that I’ve done it: when following a float, just know there will be A LOT of stopping and starting. So since I felt obliged to stay with the float of note, I moved around it to catch vibes before it started moving again…
I was in the groove at this point, shooting a ton. I ended up with an edited set of over 500 photos which makes my '22 set look piddly.
The float moved more than an inch in between so I moved up once again…
The float moved another inch! Hooray! Still not even close to turning off Ladbroke Grove yet.
But nevertheless there’s more cooking to do…
And since Stefan invited me to dedicate part of my coverage to his endeavour, here’s him having the time of his life.
We now get to the fire station where we see plenty of people taking a seat on the railing and more people moving through the procession…
We’re very close to the first bridge but before then we cross the road for more people making moves…
Couple of photos I would like to highlight here. Not because they’re the best of the bunch but they’re just notable in the moment I had in this area.
A Lot Going On…
The above photo I really like getting and is hard to get sometimes. There’s only specific places in Notting Hill where you get the space away from the subject and clarity to have everything be covered.
Grills.
I don’t ask many people for a photo but I just knew this guy with a fresh set of grills would make for a great portrait. I was correct as this was a one and done.
After taking that, it was time to cross the bridge…
We finally made the turn! Only took I think two hours but we finally made the right turn to the northern side of the Carnival perimeter!
It was beginning to get a bit stop/start for me as well as the float with some rain starting to spit and the street getting very tight in places. So shooting was a little limited here but I still got some good moments…
There was a moment where people walking were packed in and I went past a woman having a medical emergency in the middle of this tight stretch of road.
I told the nearest authority I could find but that was after 5+ minutes of walking down the road. So I hope she got the help she needed.
It was at this point I saw a detour away from the crowd, so I took it. The adjacent canal was a perfect respite at this point in time…
And if you’re like me and dabble in a bit of architecture, you know exactly where we’re at from the prior set.
We are now posted under Trellick Tower, which I keep mistaking for its older brother Balfron in Tower Hamlets. They’re such fascinating buildings and at this point in life are more interesting as a Photographer than anything that’s being built in contemporary times. How we managed to make Brutalism look more appealing than contemporary works is astounding.
Anyways! Architecture rant aside, we post up to another release point for people from the tight streets beforehand…
Always happy to see Grenfell remembrance in any capacity, and a great touch for Dr. Jason Arday as well.
It was at this point I had a decision to make, dip into the inner circle of Carnival or continue to walk with the float.
Considering that I lost sight of the float I was following because it was STILL waiting to turn past Trellick, I decided to head inside and maybe meet it when I turn for Paddington to go home…
A lot of time passes between this set and the remaining. It had been five hours of non-stop walking and shooting at this point and I was starting to run out of steam.
I was half trying to find a way to Paddington (I should’ve gone to Latimer Road, the same way I came in, but I made the decision at this point.) and half trying to fight the fatigue of overstimulation for several hours straight and keep shooting…
Something I noticed at this point were the stark difference of people that were rinsed and people walking by just starting their own festivities. Around 5-6pm you see these polar opposites wherever you go. I was the prior of course. My legs were screaming at this point…
I continued to head east but frustratingly kept getting led back into busy streets because there are some small streets that are locked off and are entry only. The frustration was really kicking in now.
But your boy kept cooking…
And before we finish with the last set. I also want to note the deluge of AI used by vendors this year. I tried to not include it in this post because it’s jarring but it wasn’t until I broke off @ Trellick Tower that I noticed how bad it is.
It’s so sad to see that in such an authentic space.
But it is what it is I guess.
We finish with a compilation of graffiti that I caught throughout the day.
Thanks for indulging in my coverage of Notting Hill Carnival! On top of NHC being a cultural and political event, it’s also a hotbed for the thing that rhymes with schmontent…
But I guess I’m part of it, as much as I’d like to think I’m doing this storytelling and personal documentation in good faith.
On the 60th celebration of a street festival born out of tragedy, I value my coverage and seek to continue to tell the story of Carnival in this beautiful city.
Until next year…
Charlie Taylor
chillicharlie.taylor@gmail.com
Born in Camden, North London.
Bred in Leigh-On-Sea, Essex.
Screenwriter/Podcaster/Photographer/
Hip-Hop Student.