The world-famous Notting Hill Carnival is a core part of London's summer festival calendar, regularly attracting thousands of revellers from all parts of the world to join in the celebrations of the UK's multicultural capital.

With colourful parades and a multitude of performances, all staged for free, it's no surprise the festival is such a popular event. Notting Hill Carnival has attracted upwards of two million people in past years, making it one of the world's biggest street parties and an unmissable event in South East England.

The first carnival was held in 1966 and was set up by members of the West Indian community who lived in the Notting Hill area. From humble beginnings, the event has since grown substantially into a twenty-mile parade of costumes, food stalls and displays through London's famous streets, made possible by the work of around 40,000 dedicated volunteers and inspired by the Caribbean.

Notting Hill Carnival is held on the August bank holiday at the end of the month with celebrations kicking off the day before. The Carnival bands tend to take to the streets from 9am on the Sunday as well as the bank holiday Monday.

If you're considering heading to the Notting Hill area for the August Bank Holiday to join the festivities yourself, make sure you're fully prepared for the occasion. This not only involves booking your London transport and accommodation well in advance, as the most popular hotels close to the festivities are sure to sell out for the popular occasion, but also remembering which festival items are absolutely essential to ensure you have the best possible experience.

Although the Notting Hill Carnival is an urban event, you may still wish to pack many of the items you would typically take to outdoor festivals - especially products to protect you from the sun.

According to market research from UK online surveys, sun cream is the most popular item taken to the festivals by females, with sunglasses also being considered indispensible by both genders. Britain's famously unpredictable weather will also cause many people to bring along umbrellas too, just in case.

Refreshments are another festival essential, with UK survey results revealing that beverages are deemed the most important item to take to festivals by men . Online surveys found a few other differences between males and females in terms of items they consider essential for festivals - particularly with regard to toiletries. Hand or face wipes and toilet paper, are considered more important by women than men but there are some items deemed equally essential by both sexes, namely including digital cameras and video cameras which are used to capture all the fun.

Clint Starr writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.