When a parade of masquerade dancers and smoky barbecue stalls take over the streets, and performers rustle their proudest feathers to Calypso music, it means one thing: Notting Hill Carnival in West London is back to paint the neighbourhood colourful! The carnival's origin stems from reactions to the shameful era of slave trades and the Notting Hill race riots of the late 1950s. It was in 1966 that the festival first took over the streets of the Kensington area of London as a celebration of British Caribbean culture. Fast-forward to 2023, and now the two-day bonanza is one of the world's largest street events. This year, the iconic street party will mark the 75th anniversary of the docking of HMT Empire Windrush which brought hundreds of Caribbean immigrants to England. Are you ready to party?