Publications

Grand Costume Splash ****

 Alexandra Palace, London N22

Saturday 22nd  August  2009 from 3:00 pm until 10:00pm

Sunday 23rd August 2009 from 12:00 noon until 7.00pm

If you enjoy the vibes of  the Notting Hill Carnival such as Steel Pan or Calypso, and are excited by the vibrant costumes that parade around the Carnival route each year, then you shouldn’t miss the  Grand Carnival Splash at the Alexandra Palace, one of various events that preview Europe’s largest festival of cultural arts.

Probably the most high profile preview event is the  Notting Hill Carnival's Grand Carnival Splash taking place at  on Saturday 22nd  and Sunday 23rd August 2009 from 12:00 noon until 10:00pm. The adult's competition on Saturday and the children's on Sunday. The Carnival  Gala is your first opportunity to see each band’s Best Male and Female and their Kings and Queens.

Although you can also see the costumes at Carnival a week later, their weight means that they often can’t be carried all the way around the long route. Only at the Gala are you able to see the individual costumes in their totality. At the Alexandra Palace the bands are competing for the titles of King and Queen and Best Male and Female of Carnival, so the costumes are paraded in their full glory in the hope of securing the honour of being Carnival’s première band.

The Splash begins at 12.00 noon on both days with a spectacular array of  Mas Bands.

Admission Saturday £20/£15 adv

Admission Sunday £15/£12 adv

Concessions/under 5s Free

Steelband Panorama  ****

· Date: Saturday 29th August 2009 (To be Confirmed)
· Event: The Notting Hill Carnival Steelbands Panorama
· Venue: Hyde Park Gate
· Time: 4.00pm onwards , Free

Panorama, now held in Hyde Park for the second year, is where you can see Britain’s leading steelbands compete for the title of The  Notting Hill Carnival Champions of Steel. The evening starts at around 4.00pm at Hyde Park and is a spectacle of light and sound as bands play tunes ranging from classical music to the latest Calypso rhythms.

This year nine bands will be taking part with their Panorama competition as follows

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Date: Sunday 30th August, 2009
· Event:  Notting Hill Carnival - J'ouvert
· Venue: Starts junction Kensal Rd and Ladbroke Grove
· Time: 6.00 am

J’ouvert (pronounced "Jou-vay”) is the official opening of Carnival! It takes place around 6 a.m. on Carnival Sunday morning in Notting Hill and is an opening ritual enacted to the accompaniment of mud, oil, pitchforks and pointed tails in which the first revelers hit the streets jumping, dancing, and shouting – abetted, it must be admitted, by alcohol, but fueled more by the exhilaration of the occasion! In essence it is the celebration of the darker side of human life! This early "Mas" (a contraction of the French "jour ouvert", or "a new day"), is for the true die-hard player! Most revelers usually join sections in which hundreds of people party together!

Children's Carnival

· Date: Sunday 30th August, 2009
· Event:  Notting Hill Carnival - Children’s Day
· Venue: Notting Hill
· Time: 12:00 noon - 7:00pm

Sunday sees a range of beautiful costumes worn by children from 5 years upwards. Children will also form bands playing the latest Calypso rhythms and other musical compositions on the Steel Pans, one of the more traditional sounds of Carnival. Other attractions include Static and ‘on the move’ Sound Systems, two live stages and various food stalls from around the World.

Visitors attending Carnival on the Sunday will find it easier to move between the various aspects of the event due to less crowd congestion. It is also worth getting to the Carnival early to see the costumes in their full glory.

Adults Carnival

· Date: Monday 31st August, 2009
· Event:  Notting Hill Carnival - Adult’s Day
· Venue: Notting Hill
· Time: 12:00 noon - 7:00pm

Carnival Monday sees the largest number of visitors to any European event. Over 1.5 million participants and visitors congregate in a four square mile area of West London.

Visitors are attracted to the vibrancy, colour and sounds of the event. But, many will not be aware of the historic meaning of the costumes on display for example one of London’s Mas bands, South Connections, are this year playing their ‘Canboulay’ Mas - the costume design originates from Trinidad and reflects; out of the fire, come dance of the cloth.
Around the Carnival route, 15 of Britian’s leading Steel bands will be joining the 30 Mas bands. Soca on the Move Sound Systems (a mixture of Soul and Calypso) will also join the parade.