News

UK NATIONAL PANORAMA STEELBAND COMPETITION RETURNS IN 2021

• 17th Aug 2021

Following a hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, Notting Hill Carnival Ltd are delighted to announce the return of the UK National Panorama Steelband Competition to the Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park (W10 3DH) on Saturday 28 August from 6pm – midnight.

The UK National Panorama Steelband Competition is an annual steel pan event and is the most respected and anticipated outside of the Caribbean. Over the years, the best of the best pan players and steel pan bands from all over the world have showcased their skills and this year will see the elite UK based talent from the bands Mangrove(current champions), Ebony, Croydon Steel Orchestra and Metronomes who will go head-to-head to be crowned the Panorama Champions of 2021.

Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketsource.co.uk. Tickets will not be available on the door and must be purchased in advance. Money raised from the sale of tickets will be split equally amongst the performing bands.

With the Notting Hill Carnival sadly but essentially not on the streets this year, the return of Panorama is welcome for the Carnival community and part of a wider series of events from the organisers of Notting Hill Carnival. On 19, 20, 21 August there will be Carnival Culture In The Park, three unique live ticketed shows held at Opera Holland Park. In partnership with Kensington and Chelsea Festival and Carnival Village Trust, traditional Carnival music will be performed within its beautiful open-air setting and will showcase the best in both traditional and contemporary Caribbean musicians, alongside traditional opera. Doors open at 6.30pm with performances from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Tickets are £10 and on sale now from here. 

Each evening’s events are… 19 August – Classic Calypso. An evening that highlights the UK Calypso scene featuring artists such as Giselle Carter, G String, Helena B and Alexander D Great. The performances are set against a 6-piece acoustic live band. 20 August – Pan in the Park. An opportunity to bask in the ambience of steelpan with the UK’s leading Steelbands Mangrove and Ebony. Pan in the Park will be the ultimate musical journey from classical to modern contemporary and will feature newly arranged material performed live with Opera Soprano singing sensation Anne Fridal. 21 August – Pan Jazz. An evening of Caribbean Jazz featuring the Engine Room Collective performing with the finest steelpan musicians, Andre White, Leon ‘Foster’ Thomas, Samuel Dubois, Carlene Etienne and Deborah Eden. 

LIVE STREAM ON THE BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND

Both the Carnival Culture In The Park and UK National Panorama Steelband Competition will be shown on Notting Hill Carnival’s official Youtube channel on Sunday 29 August and Monday 30 August respectively. Both will be interspersed with live exclusive sets from many of the official Notting Hill Carnival Sound Systems and presented by Giselle Carter and Martin Jayaka Big Pappy.

Also, throughout August, The Tabernacle (Powis Square, W11 2AY) will play host to a series of Carnival events… 

Just announced is The Ultimate Soca Showcase featuring some of the leading figures of the UK soca scene – Triniboi Juicy, Ms Desire, Batch and SunDivas. Taking place for one night only on Saturday 21 August from 9pm – 11.30pm, tickets are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk priced from £5 with all proceeds going to the Carnival Trust Fund.

Additionally, The Tabernacle plays host to free events every Friday and Sunday… 

Soca Fridays

Will take place from 6pm – 10pm every Friday from 30 July. With a selection of Carnival’s best loved Soca DJ’s playing each night including Credable, Price Vern, QT 2Hype, Wayne James, DJ Bostman, Nassen, DJ Triple M, DJ Tate, DJ Vern, Flagz Sound, Urban Touch and DJ Fats.

Sound System Sundays

Starting on 1 August and each week from 2pm – 6pm a legendary Sound System of Notting Hill Carnival will play an exclusive set. Confirmed performers include Love TKO, 4 Play, Arts A Light, Rough But Sweet, Disya Jeneration, G.I Roadshow and Lord Gellys.

Supporting the Notting Hill Carnival Recovery Fund is ‘Carnival – A photographic and testimonial history of the Notting Hill Carnival’ edited by Ishmahil Blagrove Jr with a preface by Margaret Busby OBE. This beautifully presented hard-back-coffee-table-book is the second edition of the 2014 book and tells the inspirational story of how this world-renowned event came to be and how it grew, dispelling the myths that have circulated over the years and pieces together the fascinating personal accounts of those who created it. Priced at £25. Order a copy of the book now by contacting office@nhcarnival.org. 

To help get Carnival lovers warmed up for the various physical events, Spotify will continue its support for Notting Hill Carnival as an official partner for the second successive year, following the success of the streaming platform’s Carnival Sounds experience in 2020. As part of the collaboration, Spotify will once again launch a dedicated virtual experience with brand new content showcasing the importance of carnival culture in the UK, including playlists curated by each of the official sound systems and DJ’s of the carnival, podcasts covering a whole host of topics relating to Black culture in the UK, guest takeovers of some of the UK’s biggest dancehall, reggae, soca and afrobeat playlists, including the flagship Who We Be and much more. Carnival Sounds 2021 will launch ahead of the main event The Notting Hill Carnival Experience 2021 on 28 August.

Matthew Phillip – CEO of Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, says, “It’s wonderful to be bringing Panorama back for 2021. For decades, this has been the biggest steel pan competition outside of the Caribbean and the focal event of the year for any steel pan band. Despite the difficulties that COVID posed for Carnival, Panorama’s format can take place this year and it will be a fantastic celebration.

“It’s another great event for this year that will help raise funds for bands and performers to ensure the full, spectacular Notting Hill Carnival is back on the streets for 2022.”

Please donate to the Notting Hill Carnival Recovery Fund at https://platform.nationalfundingscheme.org/NHC2020?charity=NHC2020#.YQlMDtNKjvV