She said she was shocked to discover many people – even those living locally – had no idea of the significance of the event.
The widow of one of the founding members of the Notting Hill Carnival has said “work still needs to be done” to educate the public about its meaning.
The event is an annual Caribbean carnival which launched in 1966 as a cultural celebration of culture and the freedom of slaves after emancipation. The Notting Hill Carnival began after race riots in the area and has since grown to attract around two million people annually.
One of its founders was Vernon Williams who emigrated from Trinidad and Tobago in the 1960s. This year marks 60 years of the event, with his widow Allyson Williams also being involved herself for 45 years.
Speaking to the Press Association ahead of the carnival’s launch, Ms Williams said she was once shocked to discover many people – even those living locally – had no idea of the significance of the event.
Recalling a conversation she once had with a local resident after giving a speech at the launch of the carnival, Ms Williams said she was told at the time by the woman: “I had no idea it meant anything to anybody. I just thought it was a big party or something.”
The woman then told her: “I have lived here for 30 years, and I had no idea. It never dawned on me to ask. It never dawned on me to find out why it was so important. We just thought it was a nuisance two days of the year.”
Years later, Ms Williams says she believes that perception still exists but she is doing her best to break it down.
“We really need to keep educating the public and educating people all the time about the significance of the carnival,” she said. “We still have work to do.”
Calling the carnival a “spectacle”, Ms Williams also said it “celebrated the legacy and heritage” of the Caribbean community and had always been a “very powerful way of uniting the community”.
“It helps the Caribbean people to celebrate their legacy and to pay homage and respect to their ancestors who died and suffered so much on our behalf,” she added.
The Notting Hill Carnival is now Europe’s largest cultural event and the world’s largest carnival, with organisers also calling it a “symbol of unity”.
Gladwin Wright is one of the longest running sound system operators in the UK and the Carnival. Since first attending nearly 40 years ago, Mr Wright said he “looks forward to it every year”.
“I’ve never seen a bad carnival except a couple of times it rained all day,” he said. “Every year is good, and yet every year seems better.”
Describing the importance of Notting Hill Carnival, Mr Wright admitted he even preferred it to Christmas.
“I’ll say that. To me, you’d have to put 10 Christmases together to grab the vibration a carnival gives me.
“And I’ve heard a lot of people said that. There’s a lot of joy and anticipation surrounding the day.”
The 2026 Notting Hill Carnival runs from August 29 to 31.
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