LONDON — Notting Hill Carnival returned to west London this bank holiday weekend, with organisers expecting close to two million visitors over the celebration's course. Sound systems and Caribbean food stalls opened across Ladbroke Grove as the festival marked its 60th year.

Founded in 1966 and rooted in London's Caribbean community, the Carnival is Europe's largest street festival. Saturday's programme centred on preparations, panorama steelband competitions and the setting-up of static sound systems, ahead of the Children's Day parade on Sunday and the main adult parade on Monday.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed a substantial deployment of officers across the weekend, with knife arches and stop-and-search operations in place. Carnival organisers and Kensington and Chelsea Council have in recent years pressed for additional government funding, warning that crowd density on the narrow streets posed safety risks.

Traders reported strong demand for jerk chicken, rum punch and traditional Trinidadian dishes. St John Ambulance and the London Ambulance Service staffed welfare points along the route. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has repeatedly praised the Carnival as a symbol of the city's diversity.

Organisers of Notting Hill Carnival Ltd said the milestone anniversary would be reflected in tributes to founders and pioneers throughout the weekend's masquerade bands.