Notting Hill Carnival as a ‘place’ of struggle in 1970s Britain

The ‘riots’ at the Notting Hill Carnival on 30 August 1976 are recognised as a pivotal moment for post-war race relations in Britain, taking place at what Hall et al. identified as a critical conjuncture in the mid-1970s. Nevertheless, the broader contribution of the carnival towards the fight against racism during this period remains overlooked within academia. This article reframes Notting Hill Carnival as a ‘place’ of struggle. Drawing on Massey’s notions of ‘a global sense of place’, the carnival is re-examined as a site where local, national and global processes intersected in the 1970s, shaping the wider struggle against racism. The article is underpinned by in-depth qualitative interviews with participants and organisers of the Notting Hill Carnival, alongside archival research. The analysis highlights how the carnival operated not merely as a cultural event, but as a microcosm of broader conflicts unfolding during a crisis of hegemony for the establishment.