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Notting Hill Carnival celebrates 75 years of Windrush

EPA/ANDY RAIN Notting Hill Carnival goersEPA/ANDY RAIN
Millions are expected to attend the two-day event in west London at the end of August

The 75th anniversary of the docking of HMT Empire Windrush will be celebrated and remembered at this year's Notting Hill Carnival.

Known as the Windrush Generation, they were the originators of the carnival, organisers say.

"Despite much adversity [they] wanted to bring communities together and celebrate their culture," they added.

Notting Hill is the world's second-biggest carnival and Europe's largest street event.

The carnival will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the introduction of Mas and Sound Systems.

The sound systems, large static units, first originated in Jamaica in the 1950s. Today there are 39 at the carnival.

'Unwarranted challenges'

Matthew Phillip, CEO of Notting Hill Carnival, said: "2023 is the Windrush 75 anniversary, a momentous occasion that allows us to reflect on the tremendous contributions and enduring legacy of the Windrush generation, while also acknowledging the painful chapter that was the Windrush scandal.

"We must confront the fact that members of this very generation, who dedicated their lives to our country, faced unwarranted challenges and discrimination.

"The mistreatment they endured was a dark stain on our history and we must commit ourselves to ensuring such injustices are never repeated."

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Victoria Jones/PA Wire Crowds at Notting Hill CarnivalVictoria Jones/PA Wire

Notting Hill Carnival

  • The event takes place on the August Bank Holiday in Notting Hill, Westbourne Park and parts of Kensington
  • The spectacle of music, dancing, food and drink is rooted in Caribbean culture
  • The carnival was pioneered by equality campaigner Claudia Jones as a result of the Notting Hill race riots of 1958, following the murder of Kelso Cochrane
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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, said "This year's event is particularly significant, as we mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush and celebrate the contributions of this remarkable generation and their descendants.

"The sheer breadth of events taking place over the course of the weekend embody everything that makes London the greatest city in the world: inclusivity, diversity, and acceptance."

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