The City Hall Conservative group argues that the Greater London Authority must take over the organisation of the two-million-strong Notting Hill Carnival this Bank Holiday to secure safety, structure and funding. They propose ticketing linked to billing addresses, capacity limits, alternative funding, and even relocation to ensure the future viability of this iconic community celebration.

The Conservative group leader at City Hall, Susan Hall, has urged that the Greater London Authority (GLA) become the official organiser, arguing the festival “could no longer be organised by a small group of well-meaning volunteers” due to safety worries.

Hall emphasised that the recommendations were not aimed at ending the Carnival, but rather intended,

“to give the event security, stability and structure into the future”.

She warned of scenes similar to a,

“Hillsborough-type event” describing crowds where “people are literally like sardines”.

She stressed the scale of the event, pointing out,

“it is one of the biggest events in the country actually, and yet still it goes on in the same way”

And highlighted past warnings from London mayors including Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson, and recently Sadiq Khan. In June, Sir Sadiq admitted that the risk of a crowd crush “made me frightened”.

City Hall already has experience running large-scale public events, like New Year fireworks. Hall argued that only the GLA has the necessary experience and resource base to ensure Carnival is run “safely and professionally”. On costs, almost £1 million in extra funding was pledged this year by City Hall along with Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster councils, after organisers appealed urgently for support. Last year’s Carnival cost roughly £15.3 million, with £13.5 million spent on policing.

The report outlines hopes for “an alternative funding solution” to handle policing and operational costs. Hall has put forward the idea of ticketing all attendees, whether paid or free, with every ticket tied to an individual’s billing address as part of a registration process.

If the safety issues cannot be managed in Notting Hill, the Carnival could be relocated to a venue like Hyde Park. The report also proposes establishing a Notting Hill Carnival Advisory Board composed of Carnival organisers, local community representatives, Metropolitan Police, the Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime, Transport for London, local councils, and the Metropolitan Police Federation.

A spokesperson for the mayor reiterated that the Carnival:

“Belongs to the Caribbean community, who decide where it is held and organise the event”, and confirmed that the mayor “has continued to work with partners to ensure people can enjoy Carnival safely”.

The mayor’s office also highlighted that “following an independent review, the mayor stepped forward with partners to provide additional funding this year” but believes national funding will be required for long-term safety and success.

Notting Hill Carnival Ltd (NHCL) responded by affirming that,

“Many of the points raised in this report have been addressed and actioned by NHCL and its strategic partners. An independent review commissioned by NHCL earlier this year has led to numerous changes this year and beyond”.

They extended an invitation to Susan Hall:

“We would formally like to invite Susan Hall to visit the Event Liaison Team (ELT) headquarters during this year’s Carnival to witness the operation in action.”