Cultural Festival Events in London

Feast of St George in Trafalgar Square 2024

Annual celebration of St George, patron saint of England and slayer of a dragon, legend has it. Crowds will gather in one of London’s biggest squares for a free day of ye olden time fun and …

Vaisakhi Festival 2024

A free celebration of Sikh culture and heritage for Vaisakhi, which marks the birth of the Khalsa.   Indoor and outdoor events will include shabad kirtan (spiritual music), langar (food), cooking …

Chinese New Year 2024

Details of the Chinese New Year festivities for 2023 — the Year of the Rabbit — are yet to be confirmed. If there is a last-minute announcement, we’ll let you know. Meanwhile, …

The Lord Mayor’s Show 2023

An age-old London tradition, the Lord Mayor’s show takes place every year. It was even mentioned by Samuel Pepys, well–known diarist and cheese burier. In 1215, when King John issued a …

London Month Of The Dead

A series of events across London throughout October, looking at our understanding of and relationship to death leading up to Halloween. The programme takes in the gothic, the occult, the creepy …

London Literature Festival 2023

Autumn is the perfect season to hunker down with a good book and if you need inspiration for your reading list, there’s no better place to be than the Southbank Centre. Now in its 15th …

Diwali on the Square 2023

The London Diwali festival at Trafalgar Square attracts approximately 35,000 people each year to celebrate this uplifting and inclusive Hindu, Sikh and Jain festival of light. Following the …

Diwali at Wembley Park

Diwali is coming early to Wembley Park this year, as London’s most exciting new neighbourhood invites visitors and the local community alike to celebrate the victory of light over darkness on …

Japan Matsuri Festival

Alas, as we can’t hang out with our Tokyo Cheapo family. Instead, we’re going to enjoy a little piece of Japan in the middle of London. Japan Matsuri is an annual free celebration of …

Notting Hill Carnival

August bank holiday weekend is time for Notting Hill Carnival, Europe’s biggest street party. It’s a colourful, vibrant celebration of all things multicultural, and especially …

Camden Fringe

If Edinburgh’s a bit of a trek, head to the Camden Fringe instead this August. Featuring over 200 acts across over 20 venues throughout Camden (and edging out into Highgate to Covent …

Hyper Japan Festival 2023

Hyper Japan is a huge cultural festival which features shopping, entertainment, cosplay, fashion and food from Japan. Taking place over three days, tickets are split into half-day, single-day and …

Imagine Children’s Festival

Now in its 21st year, Imagine Children’s Festival returns to inspire young minds and keep kids entertained during the half-term holidays in February. It’s the largest festival of its …

Journeys Through Food, Faith and Culture at the RSA

Black African communities have had a seismic impact across British culture, sports, politics, and more. Immigration from countries like Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe has created many vibrant …

The Japan Week Festival

The UK’s largest celebration of Japanese food, drink and culture, the Japan Week Festival includes a wide range of events such as discounts and limited-edition dishes at some of …

Power & Glory: Black History Month Photography Exhibition

Alternative Arts presents a collection of the most dynamic and diverse contemporary black photographers exploring history and identity with a series of stunning images inspired by courage, …

This Bright Land

Create your own sunshine with This Bright Land, where the courtyard at Somerset House is transformed into a magical playground. Uplifting day-and-night performances, music, dance, talks, …

London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival

Vibrant Eastern culture  comes to east London with a splash this summer. The London Dragon Boat Festival is believed to have originated 2,500 years ago on the banks of the Yangtze. It arrived on …

E17 Arts Trail

Walthamstow’s free biennial arts festival is back this year, bigger than ever. Pick up a trail map from the website and visit artists’ homes and studios, together with displays …

Portobello Winter Weekends

This year Portobello Market is moving to a schedule of winter weekends, with local community groups, retailers, charities and market stall holders. Together, the locals will put on four weekends …

Hackney Christmas Market

Hosted by the good folks behind Hackney Vegan Village and Ethical Emporium, Hackney Christmas Market returns triumphant and bigger than ever, with around 50 independent traders. What to see and …

Crystal Palace Fireworks

Set to be the biggest fireworks event in South London, the aptly named “Fireworks Spectacular” will once again light up the skies around Crystal Palace. Following suit with many other …

Festival of Fire and Light

Wembley Park Fireworks Night returns with a free festival for all the family. The event will celebrate Brent’s cultural diversity in an explosion of music, colours, fire and light to combine the …

Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2018

Put a touch of Kawaii into your festive shopping at the Hyper Japan Christmas market. It’s a festival of colourful Japanese arts and culture, with tonnes of activities for grown ups and …