Londoners can no longer afford the Notting Hill Carnival
Around 2m people flock to Notting Hill Carnival each year. But there is no such thing as a free lunch, or free street party, says James Ford.
Every year, around two million people descend on Notting Hill Carnival, one of the world's largest street festivals. However, this free-for-all comes at a steep cost to London taxpayers. The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea spends about £1 million to clean up after the event, while policing costs soared to over £13.5 million in 2024, up from £11.8 million in 2023.
The most significant increase in expense has come from the Greater London Authority (GLA), which increased its contribution from £340,000 in 2016 to £5.6 million this year – more than a 16-fold jump. In total, the carnival now costs London taxpayers around £20 million annually. Proponents argue that the event generates £396 million in economic benefit, but critics question the validity of this figure.
Even if accepted, the benefits disappear into the pockets of vendors, hoteliers, and landlords, leaving taxpayers shortchanged. To address this, the author proposes several solutions. First, attendees should be required to purchase tickets, with each paying around £10 to cover policing costs. Moving the event to avoid a bank holiday weekend could also save money, and better sponsorship deals could reduce the GLA's contribution.
Ultimately, the author argues that spending £20 million on a single event each year is unsustainable and suggests that London could find better uses for its taxpayers' money.
Written by urgent.news from City AM's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
