"Masquerade" Bands
Mas Bands
Mas Bands create and provide the costumes for NHC. Each registered band has a new theme annually, and the general public are welcome to purchase a costume and join a band to ‘play mas’ on the parade route at Carnival. Each mas band is assessed by official judges at the judging point (south on Great Western Road) across both days. The winning mas bands are announced on social media.
These are the bands that performed at Notting Hill Carnival 2025.
The Origins of Mas
Costume bands are called mas bands which is short for masquerade bands and are considered the
most colourful and elaborate and stunningly visual extravaganza of the whole carnival. There are up
to fifty costume bands in the Notting Hill Carnival today, including children’s and adult bands,
Brazilian and dutty (dirty) mas bands. All costume bands vary in size according to their membership.
Each year costumes are designed around a theme of choice, that represents cultural heritage and
tells a story. A mas camp is a space where costumes are usually made; a space where the band’s
designers and members come together to create the costumes to be worn at the street parade. It
also works as a community space where people meet to hang out, or help with the creation of the
costumes to be used. Thousands of feathers and jewels, wire, fibre glass rods, foam and fabrics are
used to create approximately 15,000 costumes each year. Production usually starts in June up to the
street parade in August.