Sarah Olney MP, who is standing to be the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London, has pledged a five-year funding deal for Notting Hill Carnival, saying the event deserves certainty instead of an annual scramble for money.
Carnival’s funding has been settled at the last minute in each of the past two years. In 2025, City Hall stepped in nine weeks before the event; in 2026, the Mayor announced £4.66 million of new funding five months ahead. No multi-year commitment or published funding plan for Carnival 2027 has been identified.
Olney said: “Notting Hill Carnival is sixty years old and still lives hand to mouth. London’s greatest celebration of Caribbean culture deserves a five-year deal, not a last-minute rescue every spring. Organisers can’t book stewards or sign sponsors when they don’t know whether the money will arrive. As Mayor, I will end that uncertainty.”
Her proposed plan would establish a five-year settlement for 2027–2031, confirmed at least 12 months before each Carnival. It would also bring together the boroughs, the Met and organisers, press the Government to pay its share, and help Carnival build its own income.
