‘Far fewer violent incidents’ at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival, police say

This year’s Notting Hill Carnival has seen far fewer incidents of serious violence than in recent years, the Metropolitan Police said.

The force said in an update on Monday there had so far been 423 arrests over the two main days, including 46 for possession of an offensive weapon.

There have been two stabbings, one in Powis Terrace and one in Oxford Gardens, but neither resulted in life-threatening injuries.

Thousands of people lined the route in warm conditions, with temperatures reaching 26C.

Bands and floats representing the Caribbean, African and Brazilian diaspora paraded through west London for the final day of celebrations.

As of 7.45pm, the number of arrests on Monday was 223, with 177 at the carnival itself and 46 on the approaches.

Police made at least 230 arrests on the final day of last year’s event.

Scotland Yard said 52 of this year’s total arrests were as a result of identifications using live facial recognition (LFR).

Cameras were placed on the approach to and from the event in an effort to spot suspects before the streets became crowded.

LFR has faced criticism for being less accurate for women and people of colour in certain settings.

In addition, British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed they had made 13 arrests on Sunday and 17 on Monday in an operation that involved an increase in uniformed officers across the network and a dedicated drone team.

BTP assistant chief constable Sean O’Callaghan said: “The vast majority of people came together to enjoy the celebration and I am pleased to say the weekend passed without any serious incidents on the railway network.”

At last year’s event, Cher Maximen, 32, died after being stabbed in front of her three-year-old daughter on the Sunday.

Mussie Imnetu, 41, a Dubai-based chef, sustained head injuries in an attack after the event.

They both died in hospital and their killers were jailed this year.

A Notting Hill Carnival spokesperson said: “The rise in arrests at Notting Hill Carnival 2025 was the result of a successful, proactive police operation.

“We worked with the Metropolitan Police to free them up to concentrate on crime prevention, by taking more of the crowd management responsibility.

“Arrests still represent a vanishingly small number of those who attended a fantastic event. This community put on a spectacle revered the world over and attended by up to two million people who enjoy the sights, sounds, tastes and smells for themselves.

“Carnival generates incredible community and joy, which we cannot put a price on.”

Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward, the policing commander for Notting Hill Carnival, said: “This year we have proactively targeted those who have attempted to come to carnival to cause harm to others.

“We have used live facial recognition, knife arches and our stop and search powers to identify and arrest more than 400 suspects.

“These arrests have prevented some of the serious violence we have seen at previous carnivals.

“We thank the organisers and others who spoke out in the days and weeks ahead of the event to emphasise what carnival stands for, to reject violence and to urge anyone planning to come for conflict or confrontation to stay at home.

“All of this joint effort has helped to make this this year’s carnival a safer event for all.”

A police statement added: “The event is still in its latter stages and we are not being at all complacent, but we have seen far fewer incidents of serious violence than in recent years.”