LONDON (BN24) — More than 400 people were arrested during this year’s Notting Hill Carnival, police said Tuesday, after two festivalgoers were stabbed and dozens were detained for carrying weapons into Europe’s largest street celebration.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that 423 arrests were made over the two-day festival, which ran from Sunday through the August bank holiday Monday. While the arrests included a range of drug and weapons offenses, officers noted that the overall number of serious violent incidents was lower than in previous years.
Authorities said the first stabbing occurred on Powis Terrace and the second on Oxford Gardens. Neither victim sustained life-threatening injuries, police added.
“This year we have proactively targeted those who have attempted to come to Carnival to cause harm to others,” said Matt Ward, the Met’s policing commander for the event. “We have used live facial recognition, knife arches and our stop and search powers to identify and arrest more than 400 suspects. These arrests have prevented some of the serious violence we have seen at previous Carnivals.”
Police deployed advanced Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology throughout the weekend, which contributed to 52 arrests. On Sunday, 200 people were detained, including 149 at the festival itself and 51 on the way to the event. On Monday, 223 more were arrested, with 177 detained at the Carnival and 46 on approach.
Officers recorded a variety of offenses, including 70 cases of cannabis possession, 32 involving Class A drugs, and 46 for carrying offensive weapons. Police also cited 44 counts of drug supply.
Despite the arrests, officials and community leaders stressed that the event — which drew more than a million attendees — remained a vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture, music, and heritage.
The Notting Hill Carnival is widely recognized as one of the largest street parties in the world, featuring parades, floats, and dancers in elaborate costumes representing Caribbean, African, and Brazilian traditions.
Local leaders praised the festival’s cultural impact. Tom Bennett, mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, called the event one of London’s greatest traditions. “It’s one of the greatest street parties in the world,” Bennett said. “Carnival celebrates not only Caribbean culture through music, dancing, and costumes, but also everything the Caribbean community has contributed to this borough and to the country.”
Festivalgoers expressed enthusiasm for the event’s joyful atmosphere. Maria James, 34, described it as “a piece of the Caribbean right here in London.” James Lewis, 41, who traveled from Birmingham, added: “It’s amazing to see so many cultures coming together.”
Ward said police cooperation with organizers and community members played a key role in reducing violence compared with previous years. “All of this joint effort has helped make this year’s Carnival a safer event for all,” he said.
