Kensington and Chelsea council have urged the organisers of Notting Hill Carnival to make some major changes to the iconic two day festival, in order to avoid issues that occurred last year, which they refer to as “near catastrophic”.
Suggested changes including selling tickets to the Carnival (which has always been free for its entire 50 years) to entice paid sponsorship and having paid for stall pitches.
An average of two million people attend the Caribbean culture celebratory weekend and if they start charging for tickets, then Kensington and Chelsea council look to make a bomb.
The council are so keen to make changes this year, after last year’s Carnival saw 450 arrests and four near fatal stabbings. However with the added corporate influence, this would mean a drastic change to the entire vibe of the community-organised weekend that Londoners are used to.
What do you make of the news? It’s not sounding good for the communities who love the festival enriched in culture.