Yes. All participants must be aged 18+ and photo ID will be required.

Pure Carnival is a private section partnered with UCOM Carnival.

A private section is responsible for managing their own costume production, collection of payments and is contractually responsible for delivery of your costume.

UCOM Carnival are responsible for delivering your “carnival experience”. That includes managing the logistics and providing entertainment, trucks, sound systems, food, drinks, stewarding, security staff, etc over the two days of carnival.

Pure Carnival and our partners at UCOM Carnival have teamed up with Playmas to manage your orders effectively. Once you have created your Playmas account and placed your order, you can log in and make payments at any time.

Only use your Playmas account to make payments. Any payments made by any other means will not count towards your remaining balance and may result in you forfeiting your costume and payments made to date.

At the time of ordering, the initial deposit is a specific percentage of the total order value, including add-ons.

To help all masqueraders manage the cost of their orders, there is a payment plan in place:

• 40% deposit until 1st January 2026.
• 50% deposit / order balance by 1st March 2026.
• 75% deposit / order balance by 1st April 2026.
• 100% balance – full payment of order by 1st May 2026.

All payment deadlines must be met to ensure your costume order remains secure. You can log into your Playmas account to check your current balance at any time. Please ensure any additional payments are completed by 11:59pm (UK time) on the deadline day.

Deposits and payments are non-refundable and non- transferrable.

Please note: Individual costumes have a separate payment schedule.

You must ensure the accuracy of all sizes and options submitted at the point of ordering.

All costume options / add-ons ordered are final and cannot be changed / downgraded once you have placed your order.

We will accept amendments to sizes only and any changes must be submitted no later than 1st March 2026.

After this date it will not be possible to make any further modifications to your order.

You can cancel your order at any time, although your deposit / payments to date are non-refundable.

If you wish to resell your package, this can be managed via your Playmas account.

Refunds are not possible on our products. From the point of ordering, garments and materials are ordered. All of our items are custom made to your size and specifications. All payments made against your costume go towards the production process, on the road costs and business overheads.

The resale of costumes is managed via Playmas. If you are not clear about any aspect of resales please do not hesitate to contact us at info@wearepurecarnival.com.

The costume distribution schedule will be emailed to all masqueraders, posted to our website and our social media channels.

Distribution is typically the week leading up to Notting Hill Carnival.

Each section will have designated distribution dates.

You must attend on the designated costume collection day or any collection day thereafter with a valid form of photo ID (driver’s licence or passport only). We are unable to release the costume without a valid form of photo ID.

After the final date for distribution, all uncollected costumes and payments to date will be forfeited and remain the property of Pure Carnival Ltd.

Please ensure you check your email inboxes / junk / spam folders and social media platforms for distribution announcements.

• Please ensure that your package has been paid for in full before attending distribution. We are unable to receive payments during distribution.
• Packages must be collected by the person named in the order or by an authorised collector who must be named in your Playmas account. An authorised collector may only collect on your behalf if your balance is paid in full.
• Check that the status of your order is “Paid” and has a £0.00 balance on Playmas. If this is not the case and you believe you have paid in full please contact us immediately. Do not attempt to collect your costume or package without the paid in full status on your account.
• To ease congestion and waiting times, please only attend on your designated day for collection or any distribution day thereafter. Priority will be given to those collecting on their assigned days.
• Have your original valid photo ID ready when checking in to and checking out from collection. This will help to speed up the process. We are unable to release your package without production of a valid form of photo ID.
• Without the above documentation, we are unable to release any costumes.

The Goodie bag itself and your souvenir cup form core part of your package.

In addition, the goodie bags will have some Pure Carnival branded items, some branded items provided by UCOM Carnival, and samples provided by other brands.

Branded items and samples may differ depending on quantities and variations we are supplied with.

These items are complimentary and do not form part of the experience you are paying for.

The band assembles at the junction of Elgin Crescent and Ladbroke Grove – postcode W11 2JJ.

We aim to leave at approximately 10:30am and masqueraders are advised to arrive by 8.30am.

We will finish once we have made our way around the route and back to our starting point.

The start and end times are subject to the discretion of the organisers of Notting Hill Carnival and are beyond our control.

The band is roped off and has a team of stewards and security, road management, and a police escort.

On Carnival Sunday, refreshments and an afternoon snack are provided while you are on the road. Toilet are not available on Carnival Sunday.

On Carnival Monday there is a hot / continental breakfast available (8:00 am – 11:00 am), light snacks throughout the day, a hot lunch (1:00 pm – 2:30 pm) and refreshments for the duration of your time on the road.

Toilets are available on the road on Carnival Monday only.

You are free to roam the band as you wish and mingle with friends in other sections. The only times we ask you to get into your section is as we move off and at the judging point. For your safety please remain inside the ropes at all times.

In the eventuality that Notting Hill Carnival is postponed or cancelled all costumes will be completed and distributed in August 2026. The value of the band fee (the costs excluding those of the materials and labour for the costume) will be deducted/refunded. The theme due for presentation in the cancelled/postponed year will not be carried over.