For 60 years, Notting Hill Carnival has been powered by music. From reggae, calypso and soca to jungle, garage and grime, its sound systems have introduced generations of Britons to the ever evolving Caribbean sound, helped shape British music culture and created one of the world’s most iconic Carnival celebrations. As Notting Hill Carnival marks this landmark anniversary, Hennessy is celebrating the sounds, spirit and communities that have defined its extraordinary musical heritage.
Protecting 60 Years of Music Legacy
Launching this August, Hennessy’s 60 Years of Notting Hill Carnival Sounds is a month-long cultural celebration of Carnival’s rich musical legacy. Created in partnership with the Notting Hill Carnival Trust, the archive brings together three influential voices from the Caribbean community – Notting Hill Carnival CEO Matthew Phillip, Rhythm Section and Jumbi founder Bradley Zero, and Mercury Prize nominated artist Nia Archives – to curate a collection of 60 records that have contributed to the sounds of Carnival across the last six decades.
Together, their selection forms a musical journey through Carnival’s evolution, reflecting the genres and subgenres, artists and movements that have soundtracked the streets of Notting Hill for the last 60 years. More than a playlist, Hennessy 60 Years of Notting Hill Carnival Sounds draws on the curators’ personal experiences of Carnival to celebrate the artists, selectors, sound systems, steelbands and communities that carried its musical heritage across generations and continue to preserve it for the next.
Matthew Phillip, CEO, Notting Hill Carnival said: “For sixty years, Carnival has been powered by its music. It’s part of how its story has been told, generation after generation. That sound belongs to a whole community: the sound systems, the steel pan, the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes and everyone who’s carried it forward and kept it alive. Protecting that heritage is one of the most important things we do, and Hennessy Carnival 60 celebrates it in a way that helps these records reach new ears for years to come.”
Nia Archives said: “I grew up around sound system culture and it’s shaped everything I make. Carnival’s always been a big part of that for me. Being part of Hennessy Carnival 60 and selecting records that have shaped my own sound and those of Up Ya Archives is really special to me.”
Hennessy and Notting Hill: A Growing Legacy
Hennessy’s presence at Notting Hill Carnival goes beyond a single celebration, it’s a relationship that has deepened year after year, rooted in supporting the people and places that make Carnival what it is.
Each August, as millions descend on Notting Hill for Europe’s largest street Carnival, many of the area’s independent corner shops are forced to board up and close for the weekend. Over the last few years Hennessy has shown up for Notting Hill’s local corner shops, by partnering with London artists to create bespoke boardings.
This commitment to Carnival’s community sits within a much longer story: for over 250 years, Hennessy has been present at moments of celebration, creativity and coming together around the world. Hennessy Carnival 60 builds on that legacy, deepening the brand’s ties to the artists, selectors and sound systems shaping Carnival’s next 60 years.
Experiencing 60 Sounds of Notting Hill Carnival
Launching at a time when vinyl culture and analogue listening experiences continue to grow in popularity, the archive invites music lovers to revisit the records that have shaped generations of Carnival-goers.
Throughout August, Hennessy is partnering with South London’s cultural hub Jumbi for a month-long takeover celebrating the sounds, stories and communities that have defined 60 years of Notting Hill Carnival. Alongside the Hennessy Carnival 60 vinyl archive, visitors can experience a programme of specially curated music events, listening sessions and community gatherings, while enjoying a bespoke menu of Hennessy Carnival-inspired cocktails, including the Henny Cooler, Henny Ting and Henny Mule.
The month-long programme celebrates the breadth of Carnival’s musical influence, bringing together pioneering artists, DJs and cultural voices across reggae, dancehall, jungle, UK garage and Afro-fusion. Highlights include:
12th August – Heartless Crew Terrace Party: Sound system royalty Heartless Crew celebrate 30 years of UK garage, jungle and dancehall.
15th August – Jumbi Jamboree: A free community gathering on Peckham Rye Common featuring South London DJs, live performances, food and conversation, with a special appearance from British reggae pioneer Dennis Bovell.
15th August – Jumbi Jamboree Afterparty: Continuing the celebrations into the evening at Jumbi.
20th August – Juls ‘Junction’ Listening Party: Grammy-nominated producer Juls and Jamaican artist Projexx celebrate their collaborative album Junction, bringing together Ghanaian rhythms and Jamaican dancehall.
25th August – Linett Kamala: British Caribbean pioneer and one of the first women to DJ at Notting Hill Carnival shares her story and selector skills during an evening of conversation and music.
Together, the residency creates a destination for discovery, conversation and celebration, honouring Carnival’s enduring influence on British music and culture. The accompanying Hennessy Carnival 60 playlist is also available to stream on Spotify, creating a permanent digital home for the archive.
Bradley Zero, co-founder of Jumbi and founder of Rhythm Section said: “Jumbi has always been about music selection and deep listening, so having the archive live here for the month feels really natural. Notting Hill Carnival taught a lot of us that a record isn’t just something you play but it’s something you carry, share and pass on. Digging back through these sixty records was a reminder of how much of London’s sound has been shaped on those streets.”
As a love letter to the Caribbean Islands and a toast to its local communities, Hennessy will also be releasing its limited-edition Spirit of Carnival bottle ahead of this year’s celebrations, available at local convenience stores. Throughout August, visitors at Jumbi will be able to enjoy a menu of bespoke cocktails created using the limited-edition release, bringing together vibrant Caribbean flavours with Hennessy’s signature taste.
The menu will include the Henny & Ting, a refreshing blend of Hennessy VS, fresh lime and pineapple juice topped with grapefruit soda for a bright, tropical serve; the Hennessy Cooler, combining Hennessy VS with lime, strawberry purée and ginger ale for a fruity, refreshing twist; and the Henny Mule, mixing Hennessy VS with lime, vanilla and bitters, topped with ginger beer and finished with fresh mint and lime for a spicy, aromatic serve.
Julie Nolet, Managing Director, UK & Ireland, Moet Hennessy said: “For over 250 years, Hennessy has lived alongside music as a ritual, a reference and a shared creative language and written into the moments that bring people together. For the last 60, it’s been poured on sound system stages, sipped on the streets of Notting Hill and celebrated alongside mas band performances. This year, Hennessy returns to Notting Hill Carnival to mark a momentous six decade milestone, and the musical legacy that it’s amassed. Honouring the sounds that have shaped Carnival over sixty years, Hennessy’s 60 Years of Notting Hill Carnival Sounds celebrates the artists, selectors, sound systems, steelbands and communities who have carried that legacy from the streets of Notting Hill to stages around the world.”
Throughout the residency, Jumbi will host a programme of events bringing the archive to life, from the Heartless Crews terrace party through to the Jumbi Jamboree afterparty, Jul’s Caribbean album session and a celebration of Mas designer Linett Kamala, alongside crate digging sessions and listening experiences designed to encourage discovery and conversation.
