The alternative event has been named Notting Hill Carnival: Access All Areas and will take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend, from 29 to 31 August.
Usually taking place in West London, the three-day spectacle of music, dancing, food and drink attracts over one million revellers every year to celebrate Caribbean heritage in London. Forced to cancel for the first time in its 54-year history, the event is set to be streamed over four channels online.
The virtual carnival was filmed over a month-long period, bringing together different arms of the carnival community in a collaborative effort. Guests can expect exclusive performances from the likes of Calypso, Soca, Disya Jeneration, Love TKO and the Rockin Crew, Rev B and Mangrove Steelpan band.
An official partner of the event, Spotify is set to host playlists curated by sound systems organisers, as well as podcasts about Carnival history and issues facing the Black British community, on a new website.
Matthew Phillips, Executive Director of Notting Hill Carnival said: “This year we faced the ultimate challenge of being unable to gather on the streets to celebrate our carnival.
“But, now, more than ever, it’s important to keep the spirit of Notting Hill Carnival alive, giving an outlet to the thousands of people that spend all year creating incredible costumes and music for Europe’s largest event.”
He added: “Carnival is such an important part of people’s lives and key celebration of the multiculturalism of the UK, and we have a responsibility to our community and pioneers to honour that.
“We also have a responsibility to protect the Black community and our elders by respecting social distancing and taking Carnival away from the streets for this year. So this is a fantastic solution for 2020.
“We may not be able to celebrate together on the streets as usual, but we can all come together to celebrate one of the UK’s great cultural events online.”
Details on how to register for the event can be found here.
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