Get into the Carnival spirit - plan your journey

The Notting Hill Carnival returns to the streets of West London this August Bank Holiday weekend.

With the area closed to traffic on Sunday 25 August and Bank Holiday Monday 26 August, motorists are advised to avoid Notting Hill completely.

For Carnival-goers, the easiest way get to the event is to travel by bus, Tube, Overground, bike or foot.

Buses

Extra buses will be serving the Carnival but they will not enter the event area from the first bus on Sunday morning until services start on Tuesday morning.
To the south of the Carnival area, buses will start from Notting Hill Gate and to the north buses will start from the Prince of Wales pub on Harrow Road. Some local buses will be on diversion.

Bus routes serving the Carnival: 2X, 6, 7, 16, 18, 23, 27, 28, 31, 36, 36X, 46, 52, 70, 94, 98, 148, 159, 187, 205, 205X, 220, 228, 295, 316, 328, 332, 390, 414, 436, 436X, 452, N7, N16, N18, N28, N31, N98 and N207.

Underground

Some stations around the Carnival area will close early or be exit-only at certain times to help ease congestion:

  • Ladbroke Grove will be closed on 25 and 26 August
  • Latimer Road will be closed at 23:30on 25 and 26 August
  • Notting Hill Gate will be exit-only between 11:00 and 19:00 and there will be no interchange between Central and Circle or District lines on 25 and 26 August. Circle and District line trains will not stop at this station between 23:00 and 19:00 on 26 August
  • Royal Oak will be exit-only between 11:00 and 18:00 on 25 and 26 August. The station will close on both days at 18:00
  • Westbourne Park will be exit-only between 11:00 and 18:00 on 25 and 26 August, and will close both days at 23:30

Alternative stations

Bayswater: Circle/District line users are advised to use this station between midday and 19:00 on 25 and 26 August.
Paddington: Use this station instead of Notting Hill Gate or Royal Oak as both have restrictions.
Other nearby stations: High Street Kensington, Holland Park, Queen's Park and Shepherd's Bush. All are within easy walking distance of Notting Hill.

London Overground

Nearest stations: Willesden Junction, Kensal Rise, Kensal Green, Queen's Park and Shepherd's Bush.
The following sections of London Overground will not run during the Carnival weekend:
Sunday: No service between Highbury & Islington and Shadwell.
No service between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction.
Monday: A Saturday service will be in operation on all routes.

Barclays Cycle Hire

Seven Barclays Cycle Hire docking stations will be suspended from 21:00 Saturday 24 August until 07:00 Tuesday 27 August: Turquoise Island, Pembridge Villas, Chepstow Villas, Notting Hill Gate station, Hereford Road, Ladbroke Grove Central and Lansdowne Walk.
Although all other docking stations will remain available, road congestion may make it difficult for cycle hire redistribution vehicles to collect and/or replace bicycles at some locations.

Roads

There will be a large number of road closures from Sunday 25 August to Tuesday 27 August within the area bordered by Harrow Road in the north, Notting Hill Gate in the south, Clarendon Road in the west and Queensway in the east. Closures will be in place at all times apart from between 03:00 and 07:00.
Traffic is likely to be slow moving along the A5 (Edgware Road), Harrow Road, Holland Park
Avenue, Notting Hill Gate and Bayswater Road.

TFL