Six decades of Carnival history come alive across Outernet’s giant screens in a free immersive showcase of Ian Watts’ legendary photo archive.
Notting Hill Carnival hits a milestone this year—60 years of colour, sound, and pure London energy—and Outernet London is marking the occasion with an immersive photo exhibition that’s as big and bold as Carnival itself. Running from August 27th through September 2nd, Carnival 60: Ian Watts at Outernet transforms one of the most comprehensive Notting Hill Carnival photo archives into a jaw-dropping visual journey across the venue’s immense 16k screens. And yes, it’s completely free.
From Harlesden to History
Photographer Ian Watts didn’t set out to chronicle six decades of Carnival when he bought his first camera in the summer of 1976. He was a teenager fresh out of school, living in a youth hostel in Harlesden and snapping whatever caught his eye. When friends suggested he check out Carnival that year, he turned up with a second-hand camera and unknowingly kicked off a photographic odyssey. Watts has documented every single Notting Hill Carnival since 1976—bar one—building an archive that’s now a vibrant record of community, culture, and a changing London.
A Visual Trip Through Six Decades
The Outernet installation unfolds like a time capsule. It opens with vivid, full-colour shots from recent Carnivals before rewinding to black-and-white images from Watts’ first visits in the 1970s. The narrative moves through the 80s and 90s, then into a 2000–2019 collage showcasing Carnival’s explosive growth—bigger costumes, louder sound systems, more spectacle. The finale brings you back to the Carnival of today, completing a visual trip through one of the world’s most iconic street celebrations. Outernet London, the UK’s most visited cultural attraction, welcomes over 120 million people annually and features some of the largest and most advanced screens in the world—making it the perfect canvas for Watts’ decades-spanning work.
If you’re in London this bank holiday weekend, head to Outernet between August 27th and September 2nd and catch this free celebration of Carnival’s past, present, and future.
Carnival at 60 images via ©Ian Watts
