Notting Hill Carnival - Summer Festivals

This lesson is part of the Summer Festivals Bundle — a collection of lessons that help students explore international festivals, their customs, and cultural significance while developing speaking, reasoning, and functional language skills.
Students learn about the history, traditions, and local impact of the Notting Hill Carnival, one of the world’s most vibrant street festivals, held annually in London. They practise expressing opinions, agreeing and disagreeing, clarifying ideas, and solving problems through interactive, creative activities.

Short overview of the lesson:

• Look at pictures and discuss first impressions of the carnival.
• Watch a video about the Notting Hill Carnival and answer comprehension questions.
• Discuss the carnival’s meaning, traditions, and impact on the local community.
• Do a True or False activity based on the video, working in pairs or groups.
• Practise useful phrases for agreeing, disagreeing, and clarifying opinions.
• Take part in a role-play: interview a carnival character and switch roles.
• Play the “Would You Rather?” game using carnival-themed questions.
• Challenge each other in a Devil’s Advocate debate activity.
• Play a drag-and-drop dress-up game and explain costume choices.
• Complete a creative solo project: design your own carnival and present it.