Notting Hill Carnival 2017: Two glorious days in 40 colourful photos

The sounds of steel bands made London feel more exotic for a couple of days. Even the weather this year was tropical.

Hundreds of thousands of revellers packed the streets of west London for Europe's biggest annual street party. The Notting Hill Carnival is a celebration of Caribbean culture, with the sounds of steel bands and calypso music transforming a corner of the British capital into somewhere more exotic for a couple of days. Even the weather this year was tropical – the hottest late August Bank Holiday on record.

At exactly 14:00 on both Sunday and Monday, the entire party came to a complete stop for one minute in tribute to the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire. The two-day festival opened with the release of dozens of white doves to commemorate the more than 80 people who lost their lives in the disaster at the tower block less than half a mile from the route of the processions.

Carnival draws tourists from all over the world with its flamboyant dancers, colourful costumes, rousing steel bands and booming outdoor sound systems. IBTimes UK presents a gallery of photos that capture the unique atmosphere of a Caribbean Carnival in Britain.