Royal Greenwich Festivals

Royal Greenwich Festivals reach every corner of the borough, with free, inclusive, world-class events happening on our residents' doorsteps.

July

Wednesday 3 July | 3 to 6pm | Kidbrooke Community Hub, 8 Pegler Square, London, SE3 9GR

TARU Arts: Carnival workshop

Join carnival-making sessions with TARU Arts to reuse and recycle materials into decorations and props to be used in Kidbrooke Carnival.

Saturday 6 July 12noon to 6pm | Cator Park and Pegler Square, Kidbrooke

TARU Arts: Kidbrooke Carnival

TARU Arts returns to the home of their first ever carnival 20 years on. To celebrate the anniversary, they’ll bring the community together for music, dance, performance, workshops and a carnival parade.

Saturday 6 July | Shows at 2 and 4pm, DJ from 1 to 5.30pm | Artillery Square, The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, SE18 4DX

Tramshed: Union Festival Day Three

Reach Theatre, a company of adults with SEND, present a free outdoor cabaret and musical theatre performance in partnership with Berkeley Homes. With additional events celebrating gender diversity and the LGBTQIA+ community, plus a DJ all afternoon.

Sunday 7 July | Shows at 2 and 4pm, DJ from 1 to 5.30pm | Pegler Square, Kidbrooke Village

Tramshed: Union Festival Day Four

Tuesday 9 July | 6 to 9pm | The Hub at the Valley, Charlton, London, SE7 8AN

Royal Museums Greenwich: Knowlege and Networks

Sign up for a free evening of networking, skills development activities and speed mentoring to develop your knowledge of starting work in the Creative Industries. You will hear from emerging creative professionals about routes in and have the chance to grow your Greenwich network. For ages 18 to 25 years with refreshments included.

Saturday 13 July | 10am to 4pm | Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre, Nelson Mandela Rd, London, SE3 9QS

Royal Museums Greenwich: Community day

Bring the whole family to explore the Royal Museums Greenwich Collections in Kidbrooke through activities, talks, store tours and more.

Saturday 27 July | 3 to 7pm | Thamesmead Moorings Sociable Club, London, SE28 8BG

Our Heritage UK: African Music Pavillion

Live performances, African fashion shows, traditional instruments, art gallery and display with afrobeat.

August

Thursday 8 August | 12 noon to 4pm | Thamesmere Leisure Centre, London, SE28 8RE

Our Heritage UK: Storytelling and Literature Corner:

Storytelling sessions, rich African folklore and poetry readings.

Saturday 17 August | 12 noon to 4pm | Birchmere Community Hub, Thamesmead, London, SE28 8AP

Our Heritage UK: Culinary experience zone and food competition

Jollof rice and grilled chicken cooking competition, traditional African cuisine and cooking demonstrations.

Thursday 22 August | 2 to 6pm | Woolwich Library, 35 Wellington St, London, SE18 6HQ

TARU Arts: Carnival workshop

Join carnival-making sessions with TARU Arts to reuse and recycle materials into decorations and props to be used in Woolwich Carnival.

Friday 23 August | 8:30pm | Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, SE18 4BH

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival: Silence!

A wildly joyful celebration opens Greenwich+Docklands International Festival 2024 with stunning visuals and soul-stirring live percussion. Evoking Woolwich’s industrial and manufacturing past, this spectacular fusion of percussion and pyrotechnics will open this year’s festival with an invigorating wave of energy.

Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 August | 3 and 7pm | Tramshed Theatre, 51 to 53 Woolwich New Rd, London SE18 6ES

Tramshed: Union Festival 'N-Abled'

A brand-new dance and theatre performance, directed and performed by disabled members of the community, delivered in partnership with METROGAD.

Saturday 24 August | 12 noon to 4pm | Birchmere Community Hub, Thamesmead, London, SE28 8AP

Our Heritage UK: Children and family zone

Kids’ cultural play, language and heritage workshops, plus a cultural fashion showcase.

Saturday 24 August | 1 pm and 3:30 pm| Cutty Sark Gardens, King William Walk, SE10 9HT

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival: Patois

British-Caribbean choreographer Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE (Eurovision 2023, London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant) reawakens the unwritten language of Patois, telling a story of culture, lost languages, longing and belonging. Blending captivating traditional Caribbean choreography with exhilarating contemporary dance and an original Caribbean-folk score, Patois reawakens cultures, stories and generations of the past.

Tuesday 27 August to Saturday 31 August | The AHOY Centre, Borthwick St, Deptford, London SE8 3JY

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival: Bodies of Water
Experienced on the banks of the Thames as the tide comes in, Actors Touring Company’s Bodies of Water is based on Warsan Shire’s poem Home, co-created with local refugees in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and directed by Olivier-nominated director Matthew Xia.

Thursday 29 August | 1pm and 3:30 pm | General Gordon Square, Woolwich SE18 6FH

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival: Patois

Thursday 29 August | 2 to 6pm | Tramshed, 51 to 53 Woolwich New Road, Woolwich, London, SE18 6ES

TARU Arts: Carnival workshop

Join carnival-making sessions with TARU Arts to reuse and recycle materials into decorations and props to be used in Woolwich Carnival.

Saturday 31 August to Sunday 1 September | 1pm and 5:30pm | Well Hall Pleasance, Eltham, SE9 6SZ

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival: Crap at Animals

Come and explore the diversity and beauty of life in this wildly playful theatrical trip through the animal kingdom, with performance artist Tom Bailey. Using projection, VR and playful physical theatre Tom will take you on a rollercoaster ride into the world of extinct and endangered species

Saturday 31 August to Sunday 1 September | 4pm | NOW Gallery, Greenwich Peninsula, SE10 0SQ

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival: Life Lines

Five parkour performers take an unforgettable journey through Greenwich Peninsula’s stunning architectural landscapes. Featuring a jaw-dropping integration of movement and climbing skills, this breathtaking performance receives its UK premiere at GDIF in a celebration of creativity, mutual support and limitless possibility.

September

Sunday 1 September | 1pm and 3:30 pm | Abbey Wood Park Playground, Abbey Wood, SE2 9PG

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival: Patois

Saturday 7 September | 12 noon to 4pm | Birchmere Community Hub, Thamesmead, London, SE28 8AP

Our Heritage UK: Ori drama, literature and play workshop

Kids’ cultural music and drama are explored through African fashion and kids play.

Thursday 5 September | 2 to 6pm | Woolwich Library, 35 Wellington St, London, SE18 6HQ

TARU Arts: Carnival workshop

Join carnival-making sessions with TARU Arts to reuse and recycle materials into decorations and props to be used in Woolwich Carnival.

6 and 7 September 2024 | 8:30pm | Thamesmead Clocktower, 26 Meadowford Cl, London SE28 8GG

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival: A Ballad of Thamesmead

Created by award-winning site-specific theatre company Dante or Die, A Ballad of Thamesmead gently peeks into how the world around us impacts how we feel about our home. Live folk songs by Abbey Wood native Marie Bashiru alongside Thamesmead Community Choir interweave with a soaring sound design that includes local peoples’ voices, culminating in the clocktower illuminated like never before.

Thursday 12 September | 2 to 6pm | Tramshed, 51 to 53 Woolwich New Road, Woolwich, London, SE18 6ES

TARU Arts: Carnival workshop

Join carnival-making sessions with TARU Arts to reuse and recycle materials into decorations and props to be used in Woolwich Carnival.

Saturday 14 September 12 noon to 7pm | General Gordon Square and Woolwich Arsenal

TARU Arts: Woolwich Carnival

Woolwich Carnival is an annual celebration of community and culture, where residents come to celebrate the borough's diversity. Expect music, dance, workshops and a parade in General Gordon Square and Woolwich town centre!

Saturday 14 September | 12 noon to 3pm | General Gordon Square, Woolwich

Our Heritage UK: Ise Logun Ise carnival and parade day

As part of Woolwich Carnival, a parade of African culture including street dance, drumming, trumpet.