As Notting Hill Carnival prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary next month, those involved in the event say its legacy is not just about the music, costumes and spectacle but the history it continues to teach.
The 2026 Notting Hill Carnival will take place in west London from 29 to 31 August, with millions expected to attend Europe’s largest street festival.
One of the carnival’s founders was Vernon Williams, who moved to Britain from Trinidad and Tobago in the 1960s.
Sixty years on, his widow Allyson Williams remains at the heart of the event, having been involved for the past 45 years.
For Williams, the carnival is a “teaching tool” that helps younger generations understand the history of Notting Hill and the Windrush generation.
She told London at the carnival’s launch event on Thursday: “We have to continue with the education of the children in terms of acknowledging their ancestors as well.
“As Maya Angelou said, if you don’t know where you’ve come from, you will never understand where you’re going.”
