Attracting almost two million revellers from all around the world, Notting Hill Carnival is an annual celebration of London’s West Indian community, featuring the best Caribbean food, music and dance with a colourful, uplifting parade at the centre of the revelry. First taking place in 1966 to promote cultural unity following the migration of thousands of people from the West Indies to Britain (with many settling in W11 and its surrounding boroughs), Notting Hill Carnival is now a symbol of the capital’s rich multiculturalism. And while this year’s festival may have been cancelled due to the pandemic, there are still plenty of vintage images of Carnival to put you in a celebratory mood. Below, Vogue looks back at some of the best pictures from Notting Hill Carnival over the past five decades.

Reisig & Taylor Never say never 1998