When the dance instructor and body confidence advocate Trina Nicole was asked to describe the decades of vibrant, eclectic and feather-filled memories she has collected from Notting Hill carnival since the tender age of two, one word came to mind: freedom.
“Carnival was a space where I felt like I could be free, feel liberated and feel comfortable in my body,” Nicole, 32, said. “For me, Notting Hill carnival was the first place where I got to experience and see so much diversity.”
Nicole is one of thousands of people participating in the 56th annual carnival in west London this weekend. The three-day event is expected to attract a million visitors, who have gathered to witness bedazzled revellers as they descend on a three-mile parade in a celebration of Caribbean heritage, culture and art.
For Nicole, who is of Caribbean descent, the carnival has symbolised more than just a chance to party and enjoy. Rather, she said the carnival has played an important role in her own personal journey of self-love, acceptance and belonging.
“I grew up seeing women of different sizes, different shapes, wearing their costumes in the streets, dancing so freely. It was the first time that I got the opportunity to really experience body positivity before it was a trend, before it was a hashtag. I had that privilege of seeing that as I grew up,” she said.
Launched last year, the space is a collaboration between Nicole’s plus-size dance class the Curve Catwalk and the masquerade band Caribbean Sessions. This year the space at the carnival will have 18 women, some who have never attended carnival before, dressed in a masquerade outfit or a Caribbean Sessions T-shirt.
“Being in a bigger body, being a plus-size woman, carnival was really a space where I felt like I could be free and feel comfortable in my body and I really wanted members of my community to experience that joy,” she said. “For me, Notting Hill carnival is definitely the place where you can just be you and be free.”
One of the reasons Nicole decided to collaborate with Caribbean Sessions this year was the group’s offer to participants of greater choice with their outfits, such as a “curvy option”, to ensure more people felt comfortable in their costumes.
“I love the fact that Caribbean Sessions had options for different body types and it’s something not to take for granted because not all bands actually offer that,” she said.
Rhianna Julien, the band leader of Caribbean Sessions, said Nicole’s message of body inclusivity was one that “resonates deeply” with them. “We hope that, through this unique collaboration, we can reach and empower wider audiences and not only remind them that everybody is beautiful but to also show them,” Julien said.
The plus-size space was created at carnival last year after Nicole witnessed a growing number of people online discussing the need to restrict their diet and undergo a rigorous gym regime to appear ready for carnival, something she said is at odds with the essence of the festival.
“Now I see women trying to get carnival-ready and sometimes even subscribing to diet culture, where people feel like they have to restrict their eating or go to the gym just to look sexy or just to look good in their costume,” she said. “It has made me question whether carnival is a space for me. I feel like I’m not included, or because I’m not small enough, I can’t then feel good in my costume.”
For Nicole, those online discussions around body image are somewhat reminiscent of the sense of exclusion she experienced as a teenager. “Growing up, I was always the bigger one in my friendship group and so I always really struggled with my overall body image, with my self-esteem and overall confidence. I would shrink myself a lot, I would not put myself forward for things,” she said.
In the face of such conversations surrounding carnival, Nicole said she has had to constantly remind herself of the true message of the festival.
“The carnival I know, everybody is welcome, everybody is celebrated, no matter what your size or shape is and I really want to get back to that,” she said. “That truly was the one place where none of that mattered and where you do have that celebration of everybody no matter your appearance.”
As the festival approaches, Nicole, who is celebrating her 30th year at carnival, said she was looking forward to partying with her community. “This year, I’m excited to be in my costume, for sure,” she said. “It’s very hard to not be happy at carnival – happy music, people having a good time celebrating.”
Two-Tier Policing?
The Notting Hill Carnival is the “ultimate in two-tier policing”, a former Scotland Yard inspector has claimed. This comes as the carnival faces increased security measures in the wake of recent riots in the UK. Some 7,000 Metropolitan Police officers will be on duty over the annual two-day event this weekend, as more than a million people are expected to descend on Notting Hill.
Last year there were 275 arrests for a range of offences over the course of the carnival, with eight people stabbed and around 80 officers assaulted. However, Mike Neville, a retired Scotland Yard detective chief inspector, alleged that officers are hesitant to make arrests for fear of being called racist.
Branding the carnival “the ultimate in two-tier policing”, Mr Neville said: “If the behaviour of the Notting Hill Carnival was replicated at football matches or any other event it would be banned.”
He added: “You see people openly smoking drugs, abuse of police officers, dancing with female officers to the point of sexual assault. I challenge anybody to do the same thing on the way to a Millwall football game.”
Mr Neville claimed that police at the carnival “are told only to arrest in the most extreme circumstances” because of community sensitivities.
Scotland Yard strongly rejects claims it applies two-tier policing to the event, saying its officers will intervene to make arrests whenever necessary. Commander Charmain Brenyah said: “Officers will be maintaining a vigilant presence in and around the carnival in an effort to identify and intervene against anyone intent on committing violence.
“They will use their search powers where there are grounds to do so in order to take weapons off the streets.”
Commander Brenyah has admitted the sheer weight of numbers attending presents a potential danger and is a “serious cause for concern”.
For the second year in a row, the Metropolitan Police is deploying a specialist crowd management cell to monitor the density and flow of the crowd.
Commander Brenyah said: “The location of the carnival is deeply rooted in its history and we recognise the significance it holds for many. But numbers have grown so significantly over the years that the scale of the modern-day event is unrecognisable compared to that which began decades ago.
“Any event of this size that takes place in a constrained residential area, particularly if un-ticketed, will present a potential safety challenge. In recent years we’ve seen a number of occasions where the movement of huge crowds in already tightly packed residential streets has given us serious cause for concern.”
The Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, would not comment on claims of two-tier policing.
But Rick Prior, its chairman, said: “More than 100 of our Metropolitan Police colleagues were assaulted at the Notting Hill Carnival last year... physical assaults as well as being urinated on and spat on. It’s no wonder it’s not an event that many – if any – police officers look forward to working at, year in year out.”
Susan Hall, the former Conservative London mayoral candidate, said the carnival had become too difficult to police effectively.
She said: “We now have millions going there to a venue that in my view isn’t appropriate for that many people to attend. It costs an absolute fortune to police, local residents in general are very, very unhappy.”
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has previously claimed the carnival is statistically as safe as Glastonbury or the Reading festivals, and safer than England football matches at Wembley Stadium.
A Celebration of Unity
Despite the concerns over security, The Notting Hill Carnival remains a powerful symbol of unity and celebration. Matthew Phillip, chief executive of the Notting Hill Carnival, highlighted the event's significance in the face of recent societal unrest.
“Those [riots] highlight why carnival is set up in the first place,” Phillip explained. “Carnival is the biggest celebration of inclusion, and social cohesion that there is in the UK. It was set up to bring communities from diverse backgrounds together and it's still doing that almost 60 years later.”
Around one million people are expected to take part in the annual celebration. The Notting Hill Carnival began in the 1960s as a way to unite London's diverse immigrant communities.
It is one of the longest-running street parties in the UK and celebrates Caribbean culture with vividly costumed performers taking part in a parade through the streets with dancing and music.
Shauna Narine has been playing carnivals since she was 18.
“It shows how Caribbean people were able to come here through the Windrush generation and leave such a big impact on London so much so that the whole city is celebrating,” Ms Narine said as she unwrapped a bright pink costume ahead of Monday's parade. “It means a lot to me, to my family, and to Caribbean people.”
She says the carnival is especially important this year.
“Those protests were just based on so much hatred and so many ugly feelings. And I think this is just the opposite, it's all love, everybody just coming out and I think love will always empower hate so it's going to be very, very powerful.”
The Notting Hill Carnival remains a testament to the vibrant spirit of London and its diverse communities. As the event draws in visitors from across the globe, it serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of celebrating our shared humanity.
