Watch: Creating colourful Carnival costumes

One of the best things about Carnival is the array of bright, colourful costumes - but how are they made?

BBC London went behind the scenes to meet one of the teams working around the clock to get them ready on time.

Kaya is a designer and seamstress at Hotwax band and told us what it is like to create a costume for Notting Hill Carnival.

"It's very difficult. I struggle a lot to keep up with everything but I always end up getting everything done," she said.

Video edited by Fosiya Ismail

Follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].

22 August 2025

Notting Hill

London

Notting Hill Carnival

A close up of light brown cockapoo who is looking directly into a camera, she has a yellow clothing on and a purple lead.

The cockapoo lifting spirits at a London hospital

The therapy cockapoo who brings joy to patients at Croydon Hospital is up for a BBC award.

London

The remains of a brown bricked medieval tower is suspended on wooden slits whilst it surrounds modern skyscrapers. There are white construction pipes below the tower.

London's 700-year-old tower on stilts

A medieval tower is suspended on stilts as work continues around it to build a new skyscraper.

London

A view of people sat at desks at the British Library

Watch: Emergency alert goes off in British Library

Mobile phones connected to 4G and 5G networks emitted a siren and vibrated.

London

Watch: Moment suspected XL Bully attacks cockapoo

CCTV footage from a fishmongers captures the moment a suspected XL Bully dog attacks a smaller dog.

London

Meet the 'Bus Aunty' who's gone viral on TikTok

Bemi Orojuogun was shocked that her videos celebrating London's buses got such a large following.

London

A woman is smiling and looking into the camera. She has short blonde hair, and is wearing a bright red shirt, visible from the chest up. Behind her, the Spanish steps at Wembley Stadium are visible, decorated in a yellow mural, with ascending shades of yellow up the steps. The background of the steps is white, with writing at the bottom reading 'And it was all yellow'. The woman is stood at the bottom left of the steps.

Watch: Wembley steps turn yellow for Coldplay

The installation's creative director said she wants visitors to "immerse themselves in the song".

London

Elena Horcajo holding a dripping beer can in one hand and a black bin bag in another, crowed alongside the canal path shrubbery

Watch: Why I clean up my local canal path every day before I go to work

Elena Horcajo has taken cleaning her local canal path in Hackney into her own hands.

London

Aminata Kamara with BBC Reporter Alice Bhandhukravi standing behind a sitting down lady getting her hair styled by Aminata

'We don't mess around when it comes to our hair for Carnival'

Aminata Kamara takes us behind the scenes to see what it's like creating elaborate hairstyles for Carnival.

London

Three images of a woman with dark brown hair. In the left image, she is walking beside a road wearing a white top, looking away from the camera. In the middle image, she is smiling and looking at the camera, and wearing a pink top. In the right image, she is holding a pastry in her hands, which she is eating and looking down at, and is wearing a pink and orange striped top.

'I'm visiting every country without leaving London'

Sama Ansari Pour is on a mission to experience culture, cuisine and history from around the world.

London

Watch: Filming of new Harry Potter series spotted in London

Actors including Dominic McLaughlin and Nick Frost, who play Harry and Hagrid, are spotted in Southwark.

London

Aerial image from police helicopter shows police car in pursuit of a silver vehicle.

Watch: High-speed police chase in north London

The man admitted dangerous driving and possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

London

A close-up black and white photo of a woman with curly hair wearing a naval cap. She has a cigarette between her fingers and is holding a uniformed sailor below her, kissing him passionately on the lips during the VJ Day celebrations in the middle of a crowded New York City.

Victory marked around the world in 1945

After Japan's surrender in 1945, people across the world celebrated the end of World War Two.

London

A person in waders balances on a white tray placed on top of a Victoria amazonica waterlily leaf which rests on water.

Kew tests giant waterlily with viral challenge

Gardens around the world are testing the weight capacity of giant waterlily leaves this month.

London

Red double decker bus with flames and smoke emerging from the rear

Watch: Bus in flames in central London

All passengers were safely evacuated and there are no reported injuries. The cause of the fire is unknown.

London

Pink celebratory fireworks emanate from a stage in front of the Queen Victoria Memorial at Buckingham Palace . A large crowd can be seen along the stretch of The Mall.

Watch: Lionesses receive hero's welcome at London victory parade

A bird's eye view as England celebrate their Euro 2025 triumph with fans in central London.

London

A large crowd in red and white shirts stands and cheers in celebration at Boxpark in Wembley.

Watch: Boxpark Wembley erupts as England win Euro 2025

The moment fans rejoiced in London after England won Euro 2025.

London

Bond producer brings musical to Hammersmith

Bond producer Barbara Broccoli brings the coming of age musical Sing Street to the Lyric Theatre.

London

Iuliu Kubola in a wine cellar handling stolen goods

Watch: CCTV shows moment thief stole £24,000 of wine

Iuliu Kubola, 61, used a wheelie bin to cart dozens of bottles from the restaurant's cellar into his pedicab outside.

London

The London circular motorways scheme that sparked a backlash

Plans for "urban motorways" in London to ease congestion proved unpopular and were largely shelved.

London

Watch: Hidden London mural only visible from above

The artwork, a pair of vast eyes gazing skywards, sits atop the Blenheim Shopping Centre in Penge.

London