2 days ago
The full Notting Hill Carnival 2025 parade route with map
London's biggest and boldest street party is almost here: Notting Hill Carnival kicks off this weekend (August 23-25), marking its 57th year celebrating Caribbean culture, heritage and music.
Planning on heading to Carni this weekend? Not sure where to go, who to watch and what soundsystems to head for? To help you navigate it all, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has released the official 2025 Carnival map – and we've pored over it to pull out the must-know tips, from the smartest parade viewing spots to the best food stalls.
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Carnival parade route
The Carnival parade snakes through more than three miles of west London streets with three official float entry points: both ends of Ladbroke Grove, Great Western Road, and North Pole Road. It all kicks off near Westbourne Park station on Great Western Road, before winding its way along Westbourne Park Road and Chepstow Road.
From there the route sweeps onto Westbourne Grove, then powers all the way down Ladbroke Grove, the parade's longest and busiest stretch. The route also takes in Kensal Road and Golborne Road, before finally wrapping up on Elkstone Road.
Map
The best locations to watch the parade
Unless you're lucky enough to have a mate with a balcony flat in Notting Hill (the ultimate Carnival flex), you'll need to stake out your spot on the street. Here are some of the best vantage points for maximum feather-and-sequin action:
The Judges' Area
The parade kicks off on Great Western Road, where the judges are stationed to rate the floats and bands. This year, for the first time, the judging zone is open to the public with ticketed grandstand seating available online. That means you can watch the parade in comfort, with a seat and access to toilets.
Ladbroke Grove
The parade's longest stretch along Ladbroke Grove is a classic viewing spot. Park yourself on the east side of the road, otherwise you risk being stranded from the rest of Carnival (and crucially, the food stalls and toilets) once the parade gets moving.
Westbourne Grove
The same advice stands for Westbourne Grove, the second longest stretch of the Carnival route. But make sure you're on the north side of the road!
Music
If music is your top priority, set up camp by one of the 36 soundsystems around Notting Hill, where they'll be blasting reggae, dancehall, house, garage, and samba on Sunday August 24 and Monday August 25, from midday until 7pm. Find a full guide to all those soundsystems here.
Southern Row hosts a serious cluster of soundsystems from 4Play and Pineappletribe, to Aba Shanti-I and GT Flex Roadshow. Along Portobello Road there's a stretch of sound systems to check out from Gladdy Wax's Jamaican pop music to the afro soul beats of Arts-A-Light. A wander down Talbot Road will have you pass a huge range of sound systems such as Gaz's Rockin' Blues and Solution.
Food
With over 250 street vendors setting up shop at this year's event, you'll find everything from smoky Jamaican jerk chicken and sweet rum punch to Trinidadian roti and rich Guyanese pepper pot. Basically, arrive hungry.
Powis Square will be packed with vendors serving up Carnival classics. You'll also find whole stretches of stalls lining Bosworth Road and a big chunk of Kensington Park Road. Also, Portobello Road transforms into a long line of sizzling grills and fryers, spilling over onto Oxford Gardens.
Toilet locations at Notting Hill Carnival
If you've ever been to Carnival, you'll know that the true test of endurance isn't the dancing, it's holding your need for the loo. With two million people packed into a few square miles, the queue for the throne is all part of the experience. This year, along with four drinking water stations, there'll be 600 toilets spread across 28 sites. Do yourself a favour and check the Carnival map ahead of time so you know exactly where to dash when duty calls.
How to get to Notting Hill Carnival
Westbourne Park tube (Circle and Hammersmith and City lines) is the most popular way to reach Notting Hill Carnival, operating as an exit-only station from 11am. The same exit-only system will also be in place at Notting Hill Gate (Central, Circle and District line), Royal Oak (Circle and Hammersmith and City line), and Holland Park (Central line).
You can avoid the crowds and queues by travelling to Paddington or Shepherd's Bush stations and walking to the Carnival from there.
And remember! If you're out partying in west London after Carni, there is no Night Tube or Overground on Sunday or Monday evening. Make sure you have an exit plan in mind.
