According to the Metropolitan Police, over 100 individuals were taken into custody while participating in the Notting Hill Carnival.
The police reported that among the 140 total arrests related to the annual celebration in west London, 15 were for allegedly assaulting officers, one of whom required hospital care due to hand injuries.
Hundreds of thousands enjoyed the Children’s Day Parade on Sunday, which highlighted the most vibrant aspects of the carnival celebrating Caribbean heritage. The event is expected to attract around two million attendees over the two days.
The streets were alive with dancers clad in dazzling costumes, accompanied by lively music, while various stalls served up delicious jerk chicken, curry goat, and rum punch.
For most participants, this prominent street party in Europe offered a delightful, family-oriented environment.
Out of the total arrests, 105 occurred at the carnival itself, while 35 were made in the surrounding areas.
Police made 52 arrests for drug-related offenses, 21 for suspected possession of weapons, four for sexual crimes, and two for robbery.
According to the Met, 13 arrests were facilitated by identifying suspects through live facial recognition technology, which had not been used at this festival since 2017, following its introduction in 2016.
On Friday, prior to the carnival’s commencement, officers arrested 100 individuals, leading to 21 being brought back to prison.
Additionally, authorities confiscated 11 firearms and over 40 knives.
Approximately 7,000 police officers were assigned throughout the city during the bank holiday weekend to oversee the carnival’s safety.
At 15:00 on Sunday, music was paused for a poignant 72-second silence to honor the 72 lives lost in the Grenfell Tower fire, as well as others who have passed away at the carnival in previous years, and Kelso Cochrane, whose murder in 1959 sparked the event.
Update 25 August:
This article has been revised to clarify details regarding Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology. The previous assertion that 2025 was the first year LFR was utilized at Notting Hill Carnival has been corrected; it was actually first employed in 2016 and 2017.
Additionally, a mention of LFR drones has been removed.
