London's Notting Hill Carnival saw 169 arrests on its first day, with individuals detained for offenses including possession of weapons, drugs, and sexual offenses, according to the Metropolitan Police. As of Sunday evening, the majority of these arrests occurred within the festival's perimeter.
Police reported responding to two knife assaults during the event, one involving a slashing to the leg and another to the hand. Neither assault resulted in life-altering or life-threatening injuries.
This year's carnival marks its 60th anniversary and is expected to draw an estimated two million attendees over the bank holiday weekend. Over 7,000 officers are deployed throughout the event. Dedicated tents have been established in the area to detain individuals arrested for serious offenses before they are transported to police stations. Between 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, eight arrests were made at one such location, with officers noting reasons for detainment included suspected knife possession, sexual assault, and upskirting.
Law enforcement officials expressed concern about the potential for gang-related violence, as rival gang members might encounter each other at the large-scale event. Medics and ambulance personnel were observed attending to individuals within the detention tents.
In comparison, the 2025 Notting Hill Carnival resulted in 528 arrests over its two main days. This included 167 for drug offenses, 50 for possession of an offensive weapon, 21 for sexual offenses, four for violence with injury, and 49 for other violent incidents. In 2024, there were eight stabbings recorded at the carnival, including one fatality, mirroring the number of stabbings in the preceding year and seven, including one murder, in 2022.
Commander Claire Smart, overseeing the policing operation, stated that despite the number of arrests, the overall atmosphere of the carnival has been "overwhelmingly positive and celebratory." She noted that significant progress has been made in collaboration with Notting Hill Carnival Ltd and other partners, particularly in crowd management. Smart attributed the proactive policing approach to a reduction in serious violence compared to previous years.
"Nobody involved in the delivery of the event is complacent," Smart added, emphasizing that officers remain deployed to ensure safe crowd dispersal and to address any individuals who might disrupt the celebration.