10 Best Sound Systems

CHANNEL ONE

2 Leamington Rd Villas, London W11 1HS

Run by Mikey Dread, Jah T and MC Ras Kayleb, Channel One is one of the world’s greatest sound systems. A Carnival staple.

ABA SHANTI-I

34 E Row, London W10 5AW

Aba Shanti-I has been a resident at Carnival since 1993, so expect powerful dub and roots.

SAXON SOUND

23 Chesterton Rd, London W10

Born in Lewisham and a regular in Notting Hill, Saxon Sound has had the likes of Smiley Culture, Maxi Priest and Tippa Irie pass through the system.

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DIFFERENT STROKES

2 Lancaster Rd, London W11 1QP

You’ll be getting hip hop, d&b and jungle from Different Strokes, led by RiperDon, the eldest son of founder Daddy Noddy

GLADDY WAX'S ROAD SHOW

304 Portobello Rd, London W10 5TA

Run by Gladwin Wright for over four decades, head to the Gladdy Wax sound system to hear tunes from an epic reggae record collection.

LORD GELLY'S

47 Cambridge Gardens, London W10

Lord Gelly’s has roots from Grenada, New York, Jamaica and London, all brought together to play reggae, soca and rare groove.

RAPATTACK

23 All Saints Rd, London W11 1HE

Rapattack has strong roots in the Grenfell community so expect green and a great atmosphere in tribute.

RAMPAGE

Colville Square, London W11 2BQ

Rampage is one of the biggest sound systems at Carnival and they always come through with special guests, like Wiley who graced the system in 2017.

4PLAY

Saga Centre, 326 Kensal Rd, London W10 5BZ

4Play have been getting the party started at Carnival since 1994 with their mix of reggae, dancehall, funky and jungle.

KING TUBBY'S

Clydesdale Rd, London W11 1JS

Consistently one of the best sound systems in the business, crew members past and present will be spinning this year.

As a huge part of Caribbean culture, sound systems have now become an integral part of Notting Hill Carnival. They were first introduced to Carnival in 1973 by Leslie Palmer, who invited sound systems and mas bands to the event, making Notting Hill Carnival 2023 an anniversary year.

There are over 30 official sound systems that play a range of genres, from dub to samba to rare groove, at Carnival, and many of them have been bringing the vibes year after year. From Channel One to Saxon Sound to Rampage, these are the ten sound systems worth checking out at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival.

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