Two stabbed and hundreds arrested as violence mars London’s Notting Hill Carnival festivities

The streets of west London descended into chaos during this year’s Notting Hill Carnival, with two people stabbed and 423 arrests recorded, despite police insisting the overall level of violence was lower than in recent years.

The carnival, renowned as Europe’s biggest street party, returned in spectacular colour over the August Bank Holiday. Hundreds of thousands of revellers paraded in sequins, feathers and Caribbean flags, filling Notting Hill with music, food and dance. But behind the celebrations, police battled to contain outbreaks of disorder.

On Sunday, families enjoyed Children’s Day, where younger performers took centre stage. By Monday, the carnival surged to its peak, with towering floats, pounding sound systems and food stalls lining every corner, selling jerk chicken, curried goat and rum punch.

Yet the event was shadowed by arrests, stabbings and drug-related crime. The Metropolitan Police confirmed two people were stabbed — one in Powis Terrace, the other in Oxford Gardens. Both victims survived with non-life-threatening injuries.

In total, 200 arrests were made on Sunday, followed by 223 on Monday. More than 50 suspects were detained through live facial recognition technology, which scanned faces in the crowds and flagged potential offenders to officers on the ground.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward, the senior officer overseeing the carnival, said the crackdown was deliberate. “This year we have proactively targeted those who attempted to come to carnival to cause harm,” he explained. Knife arches, stop-and-search powers and facial recognition were deployed to identify offenders before violence escalated.

Among the arrests were 32 assaults on police officers and 46 cases involving offensive weapons. Drugs also played a major role, with 70 people caught with cannabis, 32 with Class A substances, and 44 suspected of supplying drugs. Police detained 18 individuals for sexual offences and five for robbery.

Ward praised organisers and community leaders who publicly urged attendees to reject violence. “This joint effort has helped make this year’s carnival a safer event for all,” he said.

Despite the violence, organisers emphasised the cultural and historical significance of the carnival. Performers from across the Caribbean and Latin America — including bands representing Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica and Grenada — joined Brazilian samba groups and UK community troupes to showcase decades of tradition.

The weekend also carried a solemn note. At 3pm on both days, crowds observed a 72-second silence to remember victims of the Grenfell Tower fire and those who lost their lives in recent carnival-related violence.

The memory of last year’s tragedy weighed heavily. In 2024, Cher Maximen, 32, died after being stabbed with a zombie knife at the event. Chef Mussie Imnetu, who had trained under Gordon Ramsay, was also killed following an attack near the carnival route. Both deaths sparked public anger and calls for tougher security.

Safety at this year’s carnival nearly collapsed over funding disputes. A review earlier in 2025 warned that more resources were needed for crowd control. The Government refused to step in, but emergency support from Kensington and Chelsea Council, Westminster City Council and the Greater London Authority saved the event.

By Monday evening, the celebrations gave way to a huge clean-up. 150 tonnes of rubbish were removed overnight, with the final figure expected to reach 300 tonnes by Tuesday morning. More than 180 council staff and 45 vehicles worked through the night to return streets to normal.

Even as the music faded, the clash between carnival’s vibrancy and the spectre of violence remained stark. For some, the festival symbolises cultural pride and resilience. For others, it is now marred by recurring bloodshed and questions over its future safety.

The Metropolitan Police is expected to release a final update on arrests in the coming days