The fate of Notting Hill Carnival 2021 hangs in the balance, as the organiser pulled back from deciding whether to hold the event on the streets of west London over the August bank holiday.
The trustees of Notting Hill Carnival Ltd (NHCL) met on Tuesday 15 June and were due to issue a statement today about the shape the iconic festival would take this year.
However, Soca News has been told that the announcement on whether to go ahead or cancel has been postponed.
Even if there had been positive news from NHCL today it would have been too late to ensure participation by some of the mas bands and other groups. Some mas band leaders have told Soca News privately that they were not expecting to play mas on the road this year and had adjusted their plans accordingly.
Even if NHCL eventually opts – for a second year in succession – to deliver a ‘virtual carnival’ online, a glimmer of hope remains that the national steelband competition, Panorama, can take place in an open space that will allow social distancing.
Soca News has had no word yet on the prospects for the UK Calypso Monarch competition.
