Notting Hill Carnival will be moving online this year after the iconic celebration was forced to cancel due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
For the first time in its 54-year history, the west London street party will be streamed over four channels online over the bank holiday weekend next month, between August 29-31.
This year’s music and performances for the carnival were filmed over a month-long period. To coincide with the event, Spotify will be dedicating a microsite highlighting the importance of carnival culture in the UK.
Executive director of Notting Hill Carnival, Matthew Phillip, said: ‘Carnival is such an important part of people’s lives and key celebration of the multiculturalism of the UK, and we have a responsibility to our community and pioneers to honour that.
‘We also have a responsibility to protect the black community and our elders by respecting social distancing and taking carnival away from the streets for this year.’
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Last year more than one million people had been expected to attend Notting Hill Carnival, making it the second largest carnival in the world, behind Brazil’s annual event in Rio.
It originated in 1964 as a way for the West Indian community in the UK to celebrate their traditions and culture.
The first outdoor festival took place on the streets of Notting Hill in 1966 and has been held there every year since.
The three-day spectacle of music, dancing, food and drink is an important event in black British culture and attracts hundreds of thousands of revellers each year.
The carnival’s board announced they would have to cancel the event in May. A statement at the time said they have ‘no wish to place extra strain on our colleagues St John Ambulance and the NHS.’
Organisers said they would work on holding a celebration on the same weekend in an alternative form.
They added: ‘We look forward to welcoming you back to the streets of Notting Hill in 2021.’
Details on how to register for the digital carnival can be found here .
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