We’ve Partnered With Notting Hill Carnival to Launch The Official Map

Get ready for London’s biggest street party with our digital map.

Following on from the success of Trippin’s Carnival map in 2022, this year we’ve teamed up with Notting Hill Carnival for the first time to launch the official version. The digital map features pin drops for every sound system, stage, cultural site and safer space at Carnival. It uses Google Maps and as signal is often limited at Notting Hill, users can access it in offline mode without their mobile network. There's also a feature allowing users to plan their route and the top five places they want to go to in the area.

There’s 38 static sound systems across the Notting Hill district this year. Each system has its own story and plays a range of genres – whether that’s specifically a reggae sound system or vinyl-only. To help you navigate your way across Carnival and decide where to go, our digital map tells the story behind each system and lists the genres they play.

We’ve highlighted which systems are the largest and most renowned – Rampage, of course, and Channel One – and spotlighted the younger systems and family-run affairs.

Though Notting Hill Carnival is a celebration of Caribbean culture, it was born out of a need to ease racial tensions in the UK. Alongside the sound systems, the digital map features cultural pins that recount the history behind Carnival, from the death of Kelso Cochrane – which became the impetus behind the sprawling event – to the police raids at The Mangrove. Furthermore, the Notting Hill district is steeped in history and the map dives into the significance of specific locations, such as Bob Marley’s home and where the first sound systems were placed.

We’ve also pinpointed Carnival’s two safer spaces. These are tents that will operate as welcoming spaces for those who need to escape to some calmness, receive professional support or report an incident. There will be no police presence at these tents. Specially trained outreach teams and safeguarding detectives will be located at these two areas, and Carnival-goers will be able to use the facilities inside. Although the tents are gender-focused, they are gender inclusive and will not turn anyone needing support away.