Accessibility
Areas of Carnival to enjoy the parade:
Below are some recommended areas of Notting Hill Carnival that have good access points and are a good destination for anyone concerned about mobility during the weekend.
Carnival can get extremely busy so it is recommended arriving from late morning into early afternoon when the crowds are not so dense.
The Judging Zone - Great Western Road - here for location
This is where you will see all of the bands in their absolute glorious pomp. The grand stand has a wheel chair access platform. Space is limited and you can find out more by emailing office@nhcarnival.org.
Portobello Green - here for location
Just off Portobello Road, this is a nice park space that will have views of the parade as it passes by.
The Tabernacle - here for location
Known as a hidden treasure of Portobello. This is a restaurant/bar all year around and offers great facilities. Its courtyard has a great vantage point for taking in the Carnival atmosphere. There is a small charge for entering the venue during the weekend but once you’ve paid you can come and go all day. More details here.
Shrewsbury Park Gardens - LIN KAM ART Wellness Space - here for location
A dedicated Wellness & Learning Zone hosted by LIN KAM ART, is an alcohol-free, smoke-free and food-free area encouraging mindfulness and connection in nature.
Meanwhile Gardens - here for location
Located just north of Westbourne Park tube station, it is a great space which is often vibrant with children's activities and has a great view of the passing parade.
Travelling to and from Notting Hill Carnival:
Getting to Carnival
For the easiest and least crowded journey, use Paddington station to travel to and from Carnival. The following services have step-free access:
- Elizabeth line (level access)
- Hammersmith and City line (mini ramp can be provided)
- Bakerloo line (manual boarding ramp needed)
- Circle and district lines towards
- Edgware Road (mini ramp can be provided)
- TfL buses to and from the Carnival area
- Other rail stations with step-free access near Carnival include Kensal Rise (Mildmay line, manual boarding ramp needed) and Shepherd’s Bush
- Overground (Mildmay line, manual boarding ramp needed).
Please be aware that there will be extensive road closures around the event and buses may stop short of their normal routes.
Plan your journey
Transport for London (TfL) has tools and services available to help you plan an accessible public transport journey.
Use the TfL Go app or Journey Planner tool to plan an accessible route. You can select options to say whether you would like routes using stairs, lifts or escalators, which types of transport you like to use, how far you’re prepared to walk and more.
TfL has a range of accessibility maps and guides, including a step-free Tube guide, a Tube toilet map, and large print, black and white and audio versions of the Tube map.
If you require assistance, you can use TfL’s turn up and go service at all Tube, Elizabeth line and London Underground stations.
For more information, visit TfL’s transport accessibility page.
Accessible Toilets
Most of the toilet locations throughout Notting Hill Carnival have accessible toilets. The list of where these are can be found on this downloadable PDF which can stored on phones or printed out.