Outernet London will showcase one of the most comprehensive Notting Hill Carnival photo archives on its giant screens to mark 60 years of the historic event. Launching on August 27 and running through September 2, Carnival 60: Ian Watts at Outernet is a new immersive visual experience featuring the work of award-winning photographer Ian Watts. The installation is free to the public and will be displayed across the 16k, floor-to-ceiling screens in The Now Building at Outernet London, the UK's most visited cultural attraction.
The visual narrative begins with a montage of vibrant, full-colour imagery from recent Carnivals before transitioning into black-and-white photographs captured during Watts' first visits in the 1970s. The installation then moves through a curated collection spanning the 1980s and 1990s, culminating in a collage of images from 2000 to 2019 that documents the event's rapid expansion, sound system culture, and costume design. The final sequence brings viewers back to present-day celebrations.
Watts purchased his first second-hand camera in the summer of 1976 as a teenager living in Harlesden, North West London. After attending the Notting Hill Carnival that year at the suggestion of friends, he began a lifelong documentary project, attending and photographing every Carnival since 1976, missing only one year.
Watts described the exhibition as the culmination of his photographic journey, noting the significance of seeing early analogue film photographs displayed alongside modern digital images to capture generations of community, culture, and a changing London. Scott Neal, Creative Director of Culture and Lifestyle at Outernet, expressed pride in partnering with Watts to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Notting Hill Carnival and highlight its enduring cultural importance to London.
The Outernet installation will run daily in central London from August 27 to September 2, 2026.
Photo credit: ©Ian Watts @ianwattstv Ian Watts Outernet
