Another incredible summer of free art, culture and events funded by the council kicks off in Royal Greenwich this June – and it’s set to be better than ever.
From art installations to the spirit of carnival, we’re bringing you over 40 free, diverse, accessible, family friendly events and activities across the whole borough from now until September, supported by the Mayor of London and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. And we’ll be announcing even more exciting events very soon.
Councillor Adel Khaireh, Cabinet Member for Culture, Equalities and Leisure, said: “Royal Greenwich is the place to be for culture this summer. We're supporting a diverse range of events and activities with a strong focus on putting local young people in the driving seat.
“We’re funding 22 unique Royal Greenwich Festivals events and commissioning new Community Arts and Black History 365 (BH365) projects through our Create grants - over the summer and beyond. And as part of Ignite our Cultural Impact Award, our young emerging producers are set to unveil their new culture manifesto in General Gordon Square later this summer.
“We’re working with Greenwich Parks Forum to bring ParksFest to a park near you. Plus, Greenwich+Docklands International Festival returns to the borough for another spectacular year. And it’s all free for residents and visitors to enjoy.
“London was just named top city globally for culture – and Royal Greenwich is showing the world exactly why!”
Our summer of culture forms part of a £2.3million investment into arts and culture in the Royal Borough of Greenwich as part of the council’s Getting Things Done programme.
What’s on
Royal Greenwich Festivals
Sunday 14 June to Saturday 26 September
Arts Trust: Summer in the Park
Two free, family‑friendly festivals at Gallions Park in Thamesmead and Maryon Park in Charlton co‑designed with local families and neighbours. Expect a full day of action: drop‑in football and tennis, dance workshops, open stages, live music and chilled spaces to hang out. Pack a picnic, try new sports, discover amazing local performers and dive into creative games and activities for kids and teens.
Emergency Exit Arts: Youth Club Tour and Youth Fest 2026
A free, one-day summer festival in Woolwich, co-created with young people and celebrating local talent across music, theatre, art and sport. Featuring live performances, creative workshops, a youth marketplace, and sports activities, the festival offers young people opportunities to connect, create and explore future pathways in a vibrant, community-led setting. Plus, touring youth club workshops throughout the summer.
Global Fusion Music and Arts: Climate Action Community Fun Day
A youth-led arts festival featuring live music, dance and theatre from countries most affected by climate change. Expect children’s creative climate action workshops, an interactive community art installation, food and craft stalls and more.
Our Heritage UK: Ise Agbe
An exciting series of celebrations and workshops exploring African culture through folklore storytelling, creative activities including jewellery making and basket weaving, dance, music and youth-led performances.
TARU Arts: Kidbrooke and Woolwich Carnivals
The spirit of carnival will return to Kidbrooke and Woolwich with music, dance, and food and community stalls.
Woolwich Garrison Church Trust: Garrison Church Summer Festival
A multi-day festival extravaganza of music, arts, film and crafts, in collaboration with the local community, including the army and local school children.
Woolwich Works: Brassworks
The courtyard will come to life with musical performances, plus a community brass parade through Woolwich town centre.
FESTIVAL.ORG: Greenwich and Docklands International Festival (GDIF)
Friday 21 August to Sunday 6 September
The globally renowned Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) returns to animate our open spaces this August and September. Through its theme ‘We Move’, this year’s programme supports our Cultural Impact Award, which is putting young people in the driver’s seat and delivering exciting opportunities to young audiences.
From global dance in Woolwich and immersive art in Thamesmead, to the beloved Greenwich Fair overlooking the London skyline, the council proud to once again support GDIF in bringing free, world class performances to our residents and visitors.
ParksFest
Sunday 14 June to Sunday 13 September
ParksFest is a series of free, family events and activities run by Greenwich Parks Forum, with support from the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
- Sunday 14 June - Saunter in Shrewsbury Park
- Sunday 12 July - The Tarn
- Sunday 12 July - Bostall Gardens
- Saturday 22 August - Hornfair Park
- Sunday 23 August - Mycenae House and Gardens
- Saturday 6 September - East Greenwich Pleasaunce
- Sunday 13 September - Southwood Park
- Sunday 13 September - Maryon Wilson Park
The schedule of Create funded events and activities will be announced soon.
See full details of what’s on near you.
We’ll be announcing more details on ‘Ignite’, our Cultural Impact Award programme soon. To be the first to receive updates, sign up to the council’s email newsletter, and follow us on WhatsApp.
Read the Royal Borough of Greenwich Culture Strategy.
Notes to editors
About the Cultural Impact Award
The Royal Borough of Greenwich was awarded a Cultural Impact Award, part of the Mayor of London’s Borough of Culture programme. Ignite! Our Cultural Impact Award programme is co-created with local young people, culminating in three, spectacular, free public events for residents and visitors to enjoy in 2026 and 2027. In line with this theme, this year, our Royal Greenwich Festivals and Create programmes are supporting projects particularly focussed on young people.
For this project, we’re working with Tramshed as our Creative Delivery Partners and Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust as our Heritage Partner.
About Royal Greenwich Festivals
Royal Greenwich Festivals is our flagship grants programme to support delivery of our Culture Strategy. We fund festivals that are free to attend and take place over the summer months in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Events must be high-quality, exciting, accessible festivals that engage with local community groups and showcase local content, performers and suppliers to help celebrate our diverse communities.
About Create
Create offers grants of up to £3,000, to locally based artists and creatives to deliver both new Community Arts projects and/or Black History 365 (BH365) projects, that support the council’s commitment to the themes of its Culture Strategy: Create, Connect and Flourish. The programme is commissioned with the help of two community advisory panels made up of local people.