Piccadilly palance: Notting Hill carnival dancers appear in West End before virtual celebration
A troupe of soca dancers appeared in Piccadilly Circus today ahead of a virtual celebration of the Notting Hill carnival this weekend.
The Caribbean party normally takes place on the streets of Notting Hill over August bank holiday weekend.
This year performances will be streamed online due to the coronavirus pandemic which has put an end to mass gatherings.
Today a troupe of Caribbean soca dancers dressed head to toe in Carnival costume started the live countdown on the big screen in Piccadilly Circus ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend.
Notting Hill Carnival performers Fiona Compton, Andrea Wallace and Donna Cupid-Thuesday paraded across London’s most famous landmark in full carnival dress and regalia.
The weekend’s entertainment will be spread over four channels from Saturday to Monday and will be presented by a selection of hosts.
Matthew Phillip, executive director of Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, said: “Not having Notting Hill Carnival on the street this year was an incredibly sad but vital decision that was unavoidable for the safety of millions that attend. With Notting Hill Carnival 2020: Access All Areas we wanted to ensure that the vibrancy, sounds and culture was still given an opportunity to flourish in 2020.”
Notting Hill Carnival is an annual celebration of London’s Caribbean communities and culture. It normally features a parade, live music, floats and steel bands, as well as a lot of Caribbean cuisine.
Last year around 2m people attended the annual event over the course of the weekend, which showcases London’s multicultural past and present.
The event first took place in 1966, when it was led by resident and social worker Rhaune Laslett – a community activist who had worked to ease inter-cultural tensions in the area.