Reggae and Red Bull at Notting Hill Carnival

Held annually over the last public holiday weekend of August, London's Notting Hill Carnival is forecast by the smell of jerk chicken and the vibrations of sound systems weeks before it even begins. For two days, hundreds of thousands of people line the streets of Notting Hill to celebrate Caribbean culture, and attend Europe's biggest street party.

With pumping music and parades aplenty, deciding on where to park yourself for the day can be hard, but the Red Bull Academy party is hard to beat. Now in its sixth year, the party takes over the space under the Notting Hill flyover with a lineup of reggae, house, garage, and electronica—all the while doling out traditional carnival vibes.

We sipped away all day on unlimited supplies of Red Bull and booze as we listened to sets by the Marley brothers, T.Williams, XXXY, and the undisputed king of the carnival––David "Ram Jam" Rodigan. Disclosure closed the show featuring a surprise guest performance by Eliza Doolittle. After another successful Carnival, we carried our tired bodies home through the mountains of rubbish on the streets of Notting Hill, starting our countdown for next year's festivities. Have a look at our snaps below!

Damian Marley performing (Image courtesy Annabel Staff Photography Prints)

RBA, we're ready for you! Me and fellow OC Londoner, Gerry

Rasta love


T.Williams! (Image courtesy Annabel Staff Photography Prints)

Wayne Marshall (Image courtesy Annabel Staff Photography Prints)

(Image courtesy Annabel Staff Photography Prints)

Disclosure! (Image courtesy Annabel Staff Photography Prints)

Courtesy Annabel Staff Photography Prints

Decked out RBMA-goer

Happy hour, all day, everyday, rhum bar!

(Image courtesy Annabel Staff Photography Prints)