Europe’s largest street festival returns this Bank Holiday weekend with a flash of colour and the banging of drums. Here’s everything you need to know about the Notting Hill Carnival 2015.

Most of the fun is on Sunday (August 30) and Monday (August 31).

It originated in 1964 and this year is the second of three years marking its golden anniversary – the multiple anniversaries marks the transition from the introduction of the steel pans to the formation of the event as we know it today.

For 50 years it has been a way for London’s Caribbean communities to celebrate their culture and traditions.

Crowds of around 700,000 are expected.

What’s On

The carnival festivities kick off on Saturday evening (August 29) with Panorama in Emslie Horniman Pleasance Park. It’s a free open air evening for everyone featuring a steel band competition and other entertainment from 6pm to 10pm. It’s free.

Jouvert, from 6am to 9am on Sunday, marks the opening of the carnival with a musical procession beginning and ending next to Sainsbury’s car park in Canal Way.

Sunday (10am to 8.30pm) is the family day. This encompasses a Children Parade featuring flamboyant costumes and a World Music Stage at Powis Square. Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance will host family workshops and Caribbean food and drink.

Throughout the carnival area, 38 sound systems will play a range of musical styles while performers will put on a show on stages.

The Grand Finale on Monday (10am to 8.30pm) will see lots of magnificent costumes and sounds as 60 bands play. There’s more on the World Music Stage and, again, 38 static sound systems.

Street stalls will be selling all kinds of food and drink, with jerk chicken, rice and peas and rum punch taking centre stage.

Travel

Roads around Notting Hill, Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Park will be closed throughout the weekend. They’re mostly 6am to midnight on Sunday and 6am Monday to 3am Tuesday. To find out exactly where and when, go to tfl.gov.uk/notting-hill

Extra buses will be laid on, especially on Monday.

Cycle hire at 11 docking stations in the carnival area will be suspended from 9pm Saturday to 7am Tuesday.

Rail and tube are the best ways to get to the carnival but they’ll be busy and you should expect disruptions.

Ladbroke Grove station will be closed Sunday and Monday.

Latimer Road will close at 11.30pm on Sunday and Monday.

Notting Hill Gate will be ‘exit only’ from 11am to 7pm. There will be no interchange between circle, central and district lines between 11am and 7pm on Sunday or any time Monday.

Westbourne Park and Royal Oak will be exit only 11am to 6pm both days and closes at 11.30pm.

It may be advisable to use Bayswater and Paddington stations with restrictions/closures at Notting Hill Gate and Royal Oak.