It really was looking like Notting Hill Carnival was going to be cancelled this year, but just weeks before the event on the August Bank Holiday weekend, organisers have been handed an emergency £1 million in funding to ensure the event goes ahead.
The rescue package comes courtesy of City Hall and the councils of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, and is great news for organisers, performers, and the two million revelers who will be attending. Although you can pretty much bank on a small number of those revellers leaving the festival with stab wounds, but that’s just part and parcel of enjoying the largest annual street party in Europe!
In a statement, Carnival organisers said: “Although this support comes just weeks before the event, it is a much-needed and welcome commitment.”
Bit passive aggressive there? Their sentiments were shared by the Met Police’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward, who now have to figure out how to keep everyone safe over the weekend at the end of August.
He said: “We welcome the news that some additional funding has now been secured. However, we must acknowledge that with just six weeks to go a lot of hard work is still required to mitigate all of the risks identified.”
Let’s face it – there’s always going to be a few idiots turning up at Notting Hill Carnival looking to get stabby, so with any luck this extra funding will ensure that there’s enough of a security and police presence to minimise that sort of thing this year.
All in all, Notting Hill Carnival is a great time as long as you avoid any trouble, which the vast majority do. It is quite shocking that they’ve only got a few weeks to organise everything, but that’s because the government refused to fund it (which is why City Hall and the local councils stepped in). I guess they feel that taxpayer’s money can be better spent elsewhere?
It really did have to go ahead in the end though, didn’t it? It just wouldn’t be a British summer with Notting Hill Carnival to wrap it all up. If you’re going, enjoy yourself and stay safe!
For an example of the haul of weapons that get seized at Carnival every year, click HERE.
