Notting Hill carnival takes over the West London streets again this weekend, but with major tube closures and road blocks in place – here’s everything you need to know before commuting
Notting Hill Carnival returns this weekend, bringing a burst of Caribbean culture to the streets of West London – and as always, millions are expected to turn up to enjoying the soca music and food.
But with road closures, station shutdowns and crowds packing out the area, it’s important to plan ahead. Whether you’re jumping on the tube, bus or walking in from nearby, here’s everything you need to know about the Notting Hill Carnival route and which transport options are still running.
There’s also a Notting Hill Carnival map available to help you visualise the road closures and walking routes – you can find this on the official carnival or TfL website.
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Tube
Ladbroke Grove – Closed all day.
Latimer Road – Closes at 11.30pm, but may shut temporarily to manage crowds.
Notting Hill Gate – No entry from 11am to 6pm. District and Circle lines won’t stop, and no interchange with Central line all day. Expect temporary closures throughout.
Westbourne Park – No entry from 11am. Expect serious crowding during peak times.
Holland Park – No entry from 11am to 3pm. Fully shuts at 3pm.
Royal Oak – No entry from 11am to 6pm. Fully shuts at 6pm.
Shepherd’s Bush – Expect it to be extremely busy from the afternoon onwards.
Kensal Green – A queueing system will be in place when heading home.
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Bus
Due to road closures, daytime and night buses will be diverted. Services will start from the Prince of Wales pub on Harrow Road (north) and Notting Hill Gate (south).
The following routes will be affected:
2, 7, 16, 18, 23, 27, 28, 31, 36, 46, 52, 70, 94, 98, 148, 205, 220, 228, 295, 316, 328, 332, 414, 452, N7, N16, N18, N27, N28, N31, N98, N205, N207.
Limited-stop services just for the weekend:
- 148X to Victoria – Runs between Shepherd’s Bush and Victoria (10am–5.30pm), then Notting Hill Gate to Victoria (until 10pm).
Stops: Shepherd’s Bush, Notting Hill Gate, Marble Arch, Victoria.
- 7X to Paddington – Runs between East Acton and Paddington (12pm–9.30pm).
Stops: East Acton to Wood Lane, then Shepherd’s Bush, Notting Hill Gate, Lancaster Gate, Paddington.
Beyond the travel time table, TfL has partnered with Metroline and local community group Phoenix Rising to unveil a specially-wrapped Carnival bus. The bus will feature in the parade, with Metroline staff, TfL employees and live steel pan performances onboard.
“For many years Notting Hill Carnival has represented London’s diverse culture and strong Caribbean links – a community which is an integral part of TfL’s history,” said Emma Strain, TfL’s Customer Director.
“That’s why we’re excited to partner with Phoenix Rising to showcase Caribbean-inspired steel pan music on one of our iconic buses,” she added, “Stations around the Carnival are likely to get extremely busy, so please plan journeys in advance using the free TfL Go app or our dedicated travel advice page.”
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