Photographs of Notting Hill Carnival over the years are projected on the exterior of the Royal Festival Hall in celebration of Europe’s largest street festival.

Happening annually on the last weekend of August in the heart of west London, the carnival was born out of a response to racial injustices that many immigrants from the West Indies encountered upon arriving in the UK from the 1950s onward.

The festival was started by local activists including Claudia Jones, Edric Connor and Rhaune Laslett-O’Brien, and has developed into a huge celebration of Caribbean culture.

In Champion Sound: Carnival People, encounter a selection of historic and contemporary photographs of the carnival.

These showcase the sound systems, the parades and, most importantly, the people who make carnival.

The photographs give us a glimpse into the magic of the last weekend of August in Notting Hill, and how artists and photographers have captured this.

Artists taking part in the project include Charlie Phillips, Eddie Otchere, Steve Hammond, Alice Zoo, Adrian Boot, Brian David Stevens and Chris Steele-Perkins.

This event runs from 27 – 30 August 2021.

Book your tickets here

Header Image: Shutterstock