Fears Notting Hill Carnival could turn into Hillsborough-style 'mass casualty event'
22 April 2025, 09:51 | Updated: 22 April 2025, 10:47
Notting Hill Carnival could be the site of a tragedy on the scale of Hillsborough unless London authorities review crowd control measures, a report has warned.
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The carnival, a celebration of Caribbean culture that also regularly features stabbings and other outbreaks of violence, brings around a million people to a small network of streets in west London each year.
Although multiple people have been fatally attacked in recent years - including two killed in 2024 - police said their main concern was overcrowding.
Matt Twist, the Met's assistant commissioner for frontline policing, said: "In addition to frequent monitoring of nine locations we know are challenging, we [had] to step in a number of times in order to reduce the crowd density in order to save life."
He said crowd density was "probably the most concerning" part of the carnival.
Read more: Man found guilty of murdering mother in front of her daughter at Notting Hill Carnival
London Assembly's police and crime committee, which commissioned the report, urged Sadiq Khan to review so-called 'pinch points' and investigate crowd safety at the carnival.
The Carnival was first held in 1966 as a grassroots event. It has remained free and unticketed ever since.
Its massive popularity and the fact that it often is the scene of violent crime have led to calls for a more organised event - or for it to be moved to a location that police would find easier to manage, such as Hyde Park.
Supporters have resisted these calls, saying the proposed changes would undermine the community spirit of the carnival.
Susan Hall, the Conservative chairwoman of the committee, said that although the carnival was "an important part of London’s cultural calendar", she had heard of "a number of incredibly worrying incidents with crowd density at the event."
Sir Mark Rowley on policing at Notting Hill Carnival
She added: “Two people tragically lost their lives at last year’s event due to violent crime, and it is absolutely essential that the Met is on hand to carry out its duties, and not fill in for a lack of stewarding from the organisers."
Ms Hall said: "The Met told us during our investigation that there is a real possibility of a mass-casualty event, and we cannot stand by and wait for a tragic incident to happen; action must be taken.”
A spokesperson for Khan said: "An independent review is already under way commissioned by the carnival organising committee, with support from City Hall, the Met, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster city council to ensure carnival is as safe and enjoyable as possible."
The 1989 Hillsborough tragedy saw 97 Liverpool fans die as a result of a crush at the stadium for the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. Over 750 more were injured.
