Baque de Axé
Notting Hill Carnival 2025
Registration
Percussionists, dancers, brincantes, ala de paz, volunteers, stewards! Please scroll down to register for NHC 2025
Carnival details —
The Notting Hill Carnival 2025 will take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend, and we will parade on Monday, August 25th.
Saturday 23rd August
Individual section rehearsals and planning for NHC participants.
12pm to 6pm (and usually a pint or two after!)
Sunday 24th August
Full rehearsal and final planning.
12pm to 6pm (and we recommend an early night!)
Monday 25th August
The parade day! and after party at Maxilla.
7:30am until approx. 4pm back to Maxilla
Musicians and dancers —
Musicians (percussion and agbê)
If you would like to play with us at carnival, we rehearse every Monday from 7-9pm at Maxilla Social Club. The expectation for all but the most experienced percussionists is we expect attendance at least twice in July and all August rehearsals. Beginners welcome on the understanding you would be expected to attend a minimum of 8 rehearsals in the run up to carnival.
Carnival weekend 2025: £60
Monday Rehearsal: £15 per session (£12 members)
Dancers
Class schedule and expectations information to-be-confirmed.
Carnival weekend 2025: £30
Rehearsal: to-be-confirmed
Visiting performers
We offer a discounted rate for those who have long distance travel and accommodation costs to attend carnival. This is a gesture of good will to support participation in carnival for our extended UK Maracatu familia.
Carnival weekend 2025: £30
Musician registration
Dancers registration
Visiting performers registration
Brincantes and Ala de Paz —
We are looking for extras to perform with and support the Royal Court section of our carnival presentation at Notting Hill Carnival. The characters are dignitaries of our King and Queen, dressed in the elaborate costumes of European royal courts. As a Brincante you are part of are a team that takes turns carrying the banner and standard, our King and Queen Calungas (puppets), Escravo (umbrella), and performing in the Caboclo de Lanca costume roles.
To get involved please fill in the form below:
Professionals —
Registration for the professional performers:
Stewards and volunteers —
We are looking for volunteers to steward at our carnival presentation at Notting Hill Carnival – essential to making our carnival happen. Stewards are a valued and indispensable part of our parade. No previous experience is required, volunteers only need to commit to joining us on Monday 25.08.25 from 7:30am until late afternoon. As a steward you will accompany our parade around the carnival route holding ropes either side of our presentation, setting the pace, and looking out for our performers. All volunteers will receive a t-shirt and a H&S briefing by our head steward on arrival on the morning of carnival.
To get involved please fill in the form below:
Carnival theme —
EXÚ: The Lord of the Paths
Maracatu is a distinct cultural performance from northeastern Brazil, with historical links to Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion that blends the African practice of worshipping multiple Orishas. Orishas are divine spirits that each play a key role in the Yoruba religions of West Africa and Brazilian Candomblé.
This year's carnival is a celebration of the Orisha, Exú. Exú is a powerful Orisha who functions as Messenger and Guardian to the Spirit World. He sits at the Crossroads, offering choice and possibility to humankind. He is the opener of paths and considered a trickster too. Sometimes, it is through chaos that clarity can be found. This is one of the indicators of the presence of Exú. Exú teaches us that no one is an island unto themselves; he humbles us through his trickery to the discovery of absolute truth.
As Baque de Axé continues its growth, we ask for Exú’s blessings for guidance, humility and understanding in our steps. The paths we travel will involve challenges and different perspectives, but it is the knowledge that we gain on these journeys that will ultimately guide us, as a family, on a common path to balance and Axé.
Donations needed —
Support Baque de Axé’s carnival by donating to our carnival presentation!
https://square.link/u/Sp1moeYu
Baque de Axé will be participating in this year’s Notting Hill Carnival with the theme EXÚ: The Lord of the Paths. As we sit on the crossroad of this tumultuous decade, Baque de Axé would like to invite all of its new and old friends to join us at Notting Hill Carnival, the most vibrant carnival in Europe. The continuing cost of loving crisis has impacted many financially and your donations will be used to enable low income and people affected by the cost of living crisis to join Baque de Axé and participate in all activities during carnival. Your donations will go towards enabling low income and people affected by the cost of living crisis to fully participate in our carnival activities which include carnival band and dance rehearsal, acquiring the carnival T-shirt, celebratory meal on carnival day.
