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Notting Hill Carnival Reaches Final Day With Big Crowds and 140 Arrests Reported

A last‑minute cash injection kept this year’s event alive, leaving longer‑term funding unresolved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - AUGUST 24, 2025: on the first day of the Notting Hill Carnival in London, United Kingdom on August 24, 2025. Two million revellers are expected to take part in Notting Hill Carnival, Europe's largest street party and a celebration of African-Caribbean traditions and the capital's cultural diversity. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Monday’s parade is underway in west London, with police and organisers expecting about one million attendees across the event.
  • Around 7,000 Metropolitan Police officers are deployed, with live facial recognition on routes to the area, screening arches at busy entry points, and first‑time drone use overseen by British Transport Police.
  • By 7:45 p.m. Sunday, the Met reported 140 arrests, including 15 for assaults on police, 21 for possession of an offensive weapon, 25 for cannabis, six for class A drugs, four for sexual offences and two for robbery, with additional powers active through early Tuesday.
  • The Equality and Human Rights Commission says the Met’s expanded use of live facial recognition breaches human rights law, highlighting civil liberties concerns over this year’s surveillance tactics.
  • Organisers secured nearly £1 million from City Hall and two councils weeks before the event to implement safety measures, with Kensington and Chelsea officials stating their extra support applies only this year.