Notting Hill Carnival, Europe’s largest street festival and a major celebration of Caribbean culture, is marking its 60th anniversary this year in west London. The event continues to draw millions of visitors and remains a significant cultural fixture for the local community and diasporic Caribbean population.

Desire, a soca artist and costume designer born Louise Sterling-Jackman, is among those commemorating long-standing involvement with the carnival. She has participated for 30 years, recalling her first experience at around age five or six when she transitioned from spectator to full participant in a masquerade band, donning a costume crafted by her mother. Desire describes the festival as a profound source of pride, particularly highlighted by the pervasive soca music played from the carnival’s numerous sound trucks.

Soca, a music genre originating in Trinidad and Tobago and evolving with diverse generational influences from various Caribbean islands, remains central to the carnival’s identity. Desire, the current UK Groovy Soca Monarch, emphasizes this element, noting the unique experience of hearing the genre’s full spectrum amplified on the streets. This year’s program includes a spotlight on soca styles from smaller islands such as Grenada’s Jab, Dominica’s Bouyon, and St Lucia’s Dennery Segment, reflecting the festival’s wide Caribbean musical range.

The three-day event includes distinct components. Saturday featured the UK National Panorama steel band competition at Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park. Sunday began at dawn with J’ouvert, followed by a children’s parade, “dutty mas” (dirty/fun masquerade), and sound system events. The festival culminates today with the adult children’s parade, known for its elaborate costumes decorated with jewels, feathers, and bright colours.

Desire also oversees her own costume section, Infinite Mas, within the larger mas band Chocolate Nation. This section is notable for incorporating liquid chocolate, sprayed among masqueraders during the festivities—an homage to traditional masquerade’s roots tied to resistance and cultural expression. Many bands preserve historical references to African masquerade traditions, including body paint and powder, originally used to conceal identities during slavery.

While the carnival has grown significantly—from an initial attendance of approximately 500 in 1966 to over two million today—its foundational ties remain rooted in activism and community struggle. The event’s origins are closely linked to the resistance movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s, including the Mangrove Nine trial and the aftermath of the racially motivated murder of Kelso Cochrane in 1959.

Despite the carnival’s celebrated status, it faces opposition from some local residents who arrived after its establishment, as well as from certain political figures, including Reform UK’s Nigel Farage. Critics have called for relocating the event from Notting Hill to Hyde Park, citing concerns about crowd size and local disruption. Organizers and community stakeholders have consistently resisted such proposals, underscoring the festival’s historic and cultural significance in its traditional West London location.

Desire, who serves on the Carnival Village Trust Board, stresses the importance of maintaining the event’s geographical and cultural continuity. She cites the carnival’s evolution from a symbol of struggle to a vibrant community celebration as a core reason to preserve its current site. Looking forward, she is committed to safeguarding the carnival’s future and sharing the experience with the next generation, including her own children.