Notting Hill Carnival

For most Londoners, August bank holiday means one thing - Notting Hill Carnival. People come from all over the world to experience this 2 day street festival so it always shocks me when someone who actually lives in, or around London, admits they haven't been there.

Europe's largest street festival with over one million people coming to experience the sounds and tastes of the Caribbean, it's the kind of event that you just can't imagine unless you've been there. Trucks with hundreds of speakers drive along the roads, followed by processions of brightly costumed dancers of all ages. Having never been to the actual Caribbean, this carnival makes you almost feel like you're there.

The one thing that stands out for me the most are the costumes. Some of them are so intricately designed that they must have taken months to create, whilst some are so large that they get caught up in the trees as they walk along the road. Colours that normally would clash work together in this setting and watching the procession is definitely the highlight of the carnival in my opinion.