The Guardian
·25 Aug 2026
From ‘old people music’ to owning the streets: 60 years of Notting Hill Carnival and me
Lloyd Bradley recalls initially disliking Notting Hill Carnival as a child because of its traditional Caribbean steelband music, before London sound systems transformed it in the 1970s into an essential celebration for his generation. Reggae, lovers rock, soul and funk made the event feel authentically theirs, while the carnival’s occupation of the streets offered Black Londoners a rare sense of freedom, community and safety amid racism and police harassment. Bradley argues that the 1976 riot ushered in heavier policing, regulation and negative media coverage, replacing some of the event’s spontaneous, self-organised character with outside control. As the carnival reaches its 60th anniversary, he sees signs that younger generations are restoring its size, energy and joyful anarchy.