Notting Hill Carnival ‘Most Peaceful For Years’ Say Police After 420 Arrests

ByMF Jones

Another year, another Notting Hill Carnival in the bag. According to the Metropolitan Police, 2025 was the most peaceful Carnival in years, with only two stabbings and 420 arrests over the whole weekend! That’s not too bad, is it?

It is actually a very low number when you consider the volume of people who attended (at least one million), so it does indicate a significant policing success in comparison with previous years. Here’s the breakdown of the crimes committed at the Notting Hill Carnival this year:

  • 32 assaults on police
  • 46 possession of offensive weapons
  • 70 possession of cannabis
  • 32 possession of Class A drugs
  • 44 drug supply offences
  • 5 robberies
  • 4 incidents of violence with injury
  • 36 other violent offences
  • 18 sexual offences
  • 136 other offences

Again, doesn’t look great on paper, but it does indicate that progress is being made. Obviously zero stabbings and zero arrests would be ideal, but any time you get a million people together for a street party, there’s always going to be a few undesirables turning up.

Then again, London Pride draws a similar crowd every year and there are consistently no reported stabbings, and very few arrests, most of which are connected to activists and protesters. I guess no Postcode gangs are turning up to Pride each year?

Back to Carnival – neither of the stabbings, which took place in Powis Terrace and Oxford Gardens, resulted in life-threatening injuries, so that’s good. At the 2024 Carnival, there were eight stabbings and two deaths.

Scotland Yard also noted that 52 of this year’s arrests were a result of identifications using live facial recognition.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - AUGUST 25: Police officers detain a reveller on the second day of Notting Hill Carnival in London, United Kingdom on August 25, 2025. Two million revellers are expected to take part in Notting Hill Carnival, Europe's largest street party and a celebration of African-Caribbean traditions and the capital's cultural diversity. (Photo by Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward, the policing commander for Notting Hill Carnival, said: ‘This year we have proactively targeted those who have attempted to come to carnival to cause harm to others.

‘We have used live facial recognition, knife arches and our stop and search powers to identify and arrest more than 400 suspects. These arrests have prevented some of the serious violence we have seen at previous carnivals.’

In a further statement, the Met added: ‘The event is still in its latter stages and we are not being at all complacent, but we have seen far fewer incidents of serious violence than in recent years.’

A young man is handcuffed by a police officer, but after being questioned and search was released, at the Notting Hill Carnival celebration in west London over the Summer Bank Holiday weekend. Picture date: Monday August 25, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Overall, it’s a promising result, especially when you consider the police had very little time to prepare for the Carnival this year. There’s always going to be people who insist the Carnival should be banned, but it really wouldn’t be a British summer without Notting Hill Carnival to wrap it all up each year, would it? Till next time!

For an example of the haul of weapons that get seized at Carnival every year, click HERE.

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