This August bank holiday weekend sees the Notting Hill Carnival hit the streets of London once again, and this year is likely to attract up to a million people.

The carnival has been running annually since 1966, and is a marker of the summer for many residents of the capital and beyond.

Led by members of the British West Indian community, it features Caribbean steel bands, Calypso music, flamboyant dress, amazing food and family-friendly entertainment.

We've created a full and complete guide to having the best Carnival experience possible, so read away and have fun!

What is Notting Hill Carnival?

Since 1964, the capital's Caribbean communities have celebrated their culture and traditions at this two-day festival of live music, ranging from reggae and dub to salsa and Calypso.

Celebrations also include soca floats, steel bands and traditional foods like hot jerk chicken and fried plantain.

When is Notting Hill Carnival?

The carnival (parade) takes place on Sunday August 30 until Monday August 31.

Events kick off on Saturday night with Panorama, a free open-air concert with a steel band competition at Emslie Horniman Pleasance Park, from 6pm until 10pm.

Sunday is Family Day, and this year starts with J'Ouvert, with dance, drummers and steel bands from 6am until 9am. The Sunday Parade gets under way at 10am and continues until 8.30pm.

Family day includes family workshops at Emslie Horniman Pleasance Park and costume prize awards, as well as music at the 38 sound systems dotted around the Notting Hill Carnival route.

Bank Holiday Monday is the day of the main parade. From 10am-8.30pm, there will be the finale and Monday parade, as 60 bands and 38 sound-systems rock Notting Hill.

Where is Notting Hill Carnival?

The carnival celebrations take over the streets of Notting Hill in west London

The nearest tube stations are Notting Hill Gate, Holland Park and Ladbroke Grove.

How can I get there?

By Tube/Overground:

Notting Hill Gate will be exit-only between 11am and 7pm on Sunday and all day on Monday (August 31).

Circle and District line trains will not stop here between 11am and 7pm on Monday. There will be no interchange between the District, Circle and Central lines all day on Monday.

Ladbroke Grove will be closed on Sunday (August 30) and Monday.

Queensway will be exit-only between 11am and 7pm on Sunday and Monday.

Royal Oak and Westbourne Park will be exit-only between 11am and 6pm, and closed from 11.30pm on Sunday and Monday.

Bayswater and Paddington will be operating normally.

The nearest London Overground stations to Notting Hill Carnival are Willesden Junction, Kensal Rise, Queen's Park and Shepherd's Bush.

For more information about tubes and Overground services, and how to plan your journey, use TfL's Journey Planning gadget.

By Bus:

While extra services will be in operation, no buses will enter the Carnival area from first thing Sunday morning until the first service on Tuesday morning.

On both Sunday and Monday, bus services begin from Notting Hill Gate in the south and from the Prince of Wales on Harrow Road in the north.

Night buses in the area will also be subject to diversions.

By Bike:

The following Santander docking stations in the carnival area will be suspended between 9pm on Saturday August 29 and from 9pm to 7am on Tuesday September 1:

Lansdowne Walk, Pembridge Villas, Ladbroke Grove Central, Blenheim Crescent, All Saints Road, Westbourne Park Road, All Saints Church Portobello, Turquoise Island, Chepstow Villas, St Marks Road, Westbourne Park Road, Notting Hill Gate Station and Hereford Road.

Road Closures

Roads in Notting Hill, Ladbroke Grove and the surrounding areas will be closed for the duration of the event.

For full and detailed listings and maps of road closures during the Carnival, visit The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea's website.

Event preparation closures: Sunday August 30

Location Road closure Anticipated road re-opening
Elgin Crescent 2am 5am
Westbourne Park Road (between Great Western Road and Ladbroke Grove) 2am 5am
Kensington Park Road (between Westbourne Grove and Elgin Crescent) 2am 5am
Cambridge Gardens (between St Marks Road and Ladbroke Grove) 2am 5am
Lane restrictions on Great Western Road

Event closures: Sunday August 30

Location Road closure Anticipated road re-opening
Harrow Road in the north 7am 11.59pm
Notting Hill Gate in the south 7am 11.59pm
Clarendon Road in the west 7am 11.59pm
Queensway in the east 7am 11.59pm

Event closures: Monday August 31 – Tuesday September 1

Location Road Closure Anticipated road re-opening
Harrow Road in the north 7am (Monday August 31) 5am, or as soon as the area has been cleaned (Tuesday September 1)
Notting Hill Gate in the south 7am, as above 5am, as above
Clarendon Road in the west 7am, as above 5am, as above
Queensway in the east 7am, as above 5am, as above

Information from TfL states that traffic is likely to be "slow-moving" on the following roads during the Carnival: Edgware Road (A5), Harrow Road, Holland Park Avenue, Notting Hill Gate and Bayswater Road.

Route Maps

Below is a map of the Notting Hill Carnival route, including safety zones, toilets, traffic areas and general attractions.

Below is a map of all of the Notting Hill Carnival sound systems and where they'll be stationed. Use this to plan who you want to see and how to get there!

Do I have to pay for Notting Hill Carnival?

No, it's a street festival, so all of the entertainment is entirely free.

You might want to bring some cash for some of the amazing food, though.

What about if I can't get there?

If you can't make it to the Carnival, London Live will be broadcasting live for two hours on both Sunday and bank holiday Monday. The shows will come from the heart of the parade and will bring you all the colour, music, costumes and atmosphere of the day.

Both shows will be going on from 4pm to 6pm.

London Live - Freeview 8, YouView 8, Sky 117 and Virgin 159 or watch online.

Will you be going to this year's Notting Hill Carnival? Send your photos to emily.chudy@trinitymirror.com or Tweet @getwestlondonem.