LONDON’s unofficial annual festival of music takes place again this weekend.


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Led by the Notting Hill Carnival on Sunday (Childrens’ Day) and Monday (Main Day), the capital plays host to a string of top-drawer events each August Bank Holiday during the whole long weekend.

On Saturday there’s a bizarre start to the proceedings as a Thriller Dance Flash Mob event takes place in Trafalgar Square at 1pm. Organisers are hoping for the largest event of its type.

Ravers south of the river can head for Clapham Common’s SW4 where some of the best DJs in the country take to the decks on Saturday. For rock and pop fans it’s back to Clapham for Get Loaded In The Park on Sunday, where Orbital headline.

On Monday though, these more recent arrivals to the London music calendar go quiet and make way for the main day of Europe’s largest street party; the Notting Hill Carnival. Featuring parades, floats and the world’s finest sound systems, it takes place on the streets of west London around Notting Hill, Ladbroke Grove and North Kensington, attracting up to two million revellers over the course of the two days.

“The essence of the Notting Hill Carnival is embodied by the five Artistic Arenas – Calypso, Mas (masquerade), Pan (steel bands) and the Mobile and Static Sound Systems, all combining to make this event unlike any other in the world” say organisers London Notting Hill Carnival Limited.

Normal proceedings stop at around 7pm on both Sunday and Monday, but full-on Carnival goers can head to one of the many After-Parties to keep the groove moving.

LondonNet’s pick of the best sound systems include Norman Jay’s Good Times (West Row) and Sancho Panza (Middle Row).

For more details and a good Carnival Map see the official Notting Hill Carnival site.