Published: Tuesday 1 September 2026
More than two million people joined the 60th anniversary celebrations at Notting Hill Carnival – and as the festivities drew to a close, a major operation began to get the streets of North Kensington back to normal.
An army of around 200 staff, supported by 30 waste vehicles, worked through the night from Sunday into Monday and again from Monday into Tuesday, clearing more than 300 tonnes of waste left across the Carnival footprint.
The overnight operation means roads and pavements can reopen and life can return to normal for residents as quickly as possible. Around 30 per cent of the waste collected is expected to be recycled.
Once the bulk of the waste has been removed, street washing teams swing into action to give affected roads and pavements a thorough clean. Work will continue across the Carnival area throughout the week and is expected to be completed by Saturday 5 September.
Cllr Josh Rendall, Lead Member for Transport, Parks and Clean Streets, said:
“Carnival is an incredible weekend and this year more than two million people came together to celebrate its 60th anniversary.
"But for our residents living on the route, it is also important that their streets are handed back to them quickly and in good condition.
“That is why, while the borough slept, hundreds of our staff were working through the night clearing hundreds of tonnes of waste, washing the streets and getting North Kensington moving again.
“It is a huge operation and I want to thank every member of the team who stayed up late to get the job done.”
Gary O’Hagan, Regional Manager for SUEZ said:
“To get the streets of Notting Hill cleaned and tidied not once but twice in 48 hours is a huge undertaking that takes months of careful planning and preparation.
“It is a credit to our teams that local residents are greeted by a clean, tidy street when they step outside on Tuesday morning, just hours after Europe’s biggest street festival has finished.
“Thank you to all those involved and to residents for their patience.”
Following Carnival, the Council offers a free cleaning service for residential basements and frontages impacted by the event, and a dedicated graffiti removal programme will see crews systematically working through affected streets during the coming month to identify and remove it.