Photos: The Notting Hill Carnival returns to the streets of west London after two years

The annual Notting Hill Carnival returned to the streets of London for the first time since 2019, with more than 1 million people expected to take in the music, spectacular parades, dancing and food offerings at Europe's largest street party on Sunday and Monday.

Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in London, Britain.

The carnival, which celebrates Caribbean culture at the end of August every year, had to take place online for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Notting Hill Carnival is a product of the massive influx of immigrants who came to Britain from its former colonies to help rebuild the country after World War II.

Performers pose before the start of the annual Notting Hill Carnival in west London, Monday, Aug. 29, 2022.

The event has grown from a festival drawing several hundred people to a huge annual street party, with tens of thousands of performers in the colorful parade and more than 30 sound systems.

Revellers take part in the Children's Parade at Notting Hill Carnival in London, Britain.

Celebrations began on Saturday night, as more than 1,000 people gathered to watch a steel band competition in west London.

Crowds of young children blowing whistles danced down the streets with their parents on Sunday, traditionally a more family-friendly day than Monday. Some children stood on the doorsteps of their houses waving Jamaican flags.

A performer in costume poses for a selfie ahead of the carnival on the primary Parade day of the Notting Hill Carnival in west London on August 29, 2022. Pope Francis heads the Ebony Steelband Trust, performing at the carnival for decades. "Since the band has started, I'm on my fifth generation of people, and there's been a lot of changes,'' he said. "But our members look forward to the carnival every year and practice regularly .'' "A lot of people have been waiting for it to come back,'' Francis added.