Urban Village Fete – London’s Free Festival

London’s Favourite Free Festival is back at Greenwich Peninsula, with a line-up to entice the whole family.

The Urban Village Fete returns to Greenwich Peninsula for its 7th year with a cracking line-up of entertainment, DJs, workshops, and talks – all for free!

Alongside a packed programme of free entertainment throughout the day, there’s a star-studded line-up of DJs keeping the party going, with headline sets from Bradley Zero and other special guests taking over Central Park. After dark, party-goers can head to Canteen for more drinks and dance on a heated indoor terrace.

Kicking off at 11 am, there will be live performances, arts and crafts, food, markets, music and more, with something for everyone to enjoy and get involved with throughout the day. Hosted in the heart of Greenwich Peninsula, a riverside neighbourhood with art and culture embedded in its fabric, the event attracts thousands of people from all over London for a free day out like no other in the capital. 

Design District will once again host Robert Elms in the Talks Tent to lead insightful conversations and spark debate across a range of topics from Sports to Sustainability. For those wanting to fill their bellies and brains, Canteen Food Hall offers an eclectic mix of street food from 6 different vendors, freshly shaken cocktails, cold beer and plenty of fizzes to quench the thirst. The food quarter at the Fete extends beyond Canteen, through the Bureau restaurant, and along the park, where hungry visitors can feast on homemade and locally sourced goodies from the likes of Cakehole and Pasta e Basta.

For those wanting to get their hands dirty, this year’s programme of interactive workshops will not disappoint. From origami to knitting, and even a canine circus, big kids, little kids and furry friends are all invited to get involved and bring the spirit of the Fete alive through participation and collaboration.

Laura Flanagan, Director at Knight Dragon, says: ‘Hosting the Urban Village Fete is one of the highlights of our year, with thousands of people enjoying our unique spaces across the Peninsula from Central Park to Design District. Art, culture and creativity are embedded into the fabric of the place, and the Fete gives us the opportunity to champion the best talent from across London and celebrate with our residents, local community and visitors who travel from all over to experience a free, fun-filled day out like no other.’

“It’s almost a decade since we started to develop the concept of a free multi-arts festival for London’s newest ‘urban village’. We had the simple premise of supersizing the concept of a much-loved village fete and placing all its parts, from creative workshops to the music to the myriad of participatory activities, the bars and street food, all in the hands of the capital’s most creative practitioners. This year’s line-up is as good as you would get at many big ticket-priced events, and it’s FREE and open to everyone. What is there not to like ?” 

Wayne Hemingway, Hemingway Design

Here’s a sneak peek at the line-up, with more to come very soon!

CONFIRMED PROGRAMME TO DATE:

• Live DJ sets throughout the day, including headliners Bradley Zero (in back to back 3 hour set with a very special guest – soon to be announced!), Zakia and our Urban Village Fete Resident DJs
• ‘Future Bubblers Takeover’ of the Design District stage featuring Tadi the Great, Claudia, Sticky Dub, Nouria Bah & Plumm x skttrd
• Cultural conversations hosted by BBC’s Robert Elms: Topical debates bringing together industry-leading names to cover topics such as:
  • ‘Sustainable City Futures’ 
  • ‘Nurturing Culture in a Cost-of-Living Crisis’ 
  • ‘Kicking off Change – Reclaiming the Beautiful Game ‘
  • ‘The Promise & Peril of Artificial Intelligence ‘
• Workshops including:
  • ‘MadebyManos’ beautiful ceramic tile painting
  • Creative botanical sessions with ‘Hackney Herbal’
  • ‘Fold Your City’ origami modelling
  • Colourful collage and ceramic repair workshops with Yodomo
  • Circular-Crafts Workshop with Charlotte Kidger in the NOW Gallery
  • Innovation Workshops with ‘Little Inventors’
  • Kokedama making with ‘Ivy and the Wolf’ (Japan’s answer to a hanging basket)
  • ‘Black Girl Knit Club’ will be hosting knit-your-own-jewellery sessions.
  • Greenwich Peninsula Art Trail – explore the incredible art on show on the Peninsula, from the latest arrival, Damien Hirst, to Studio Weave, Allen Jones and more.
• Festival favourites Charity Shop DJ & Land of 1000 dances with Greenwich Dance will stop you in your tracks and make you want to move with their unique democratic dance vibe and renowned family dance sessions for all.
• Performance and Interactive Play from The Merry Maker, Jon Hicks & The Incredibly Clever Canine Circus (don’t forget to bring your dogs to get involved in this one!)
• Fitness classes & workshops with Outrivals gym
• Design District resident ‘The Photography Foundation’ will provide all free headshots! Walk away with your best-ever family photo or brand-new LinkedIn profile pic.
• Another great Design District resident, Novelic, the app for book clubs, will be hosting a Community Book swap with author drop-ins, giveaways and activities throughout the day.
• Designer-maker market housing everything from sustainable fashion, ethical beauty and independent lifestyle brands, including Edy & Bridge, Heza, Scrump & Orris London
• Artisan food producers and street food catering for all tastebuds with mouth-watering cakes, Asian delights, bountiful burgers and plenty more for the plant-based among us, from the likes of Yorkshire Burrito, Cakehole, Rendang! Thank you, ma’am and Hola Guacamole – best come hungry…
• Cocktail bar housing all your favourite tipples to get you in the party mood 

Urban Village Fete is, without doubt, London’s biggest and best cultural & community-focused free festival, harnessing the essence of a traditional village fete in a unique urban setting. 

Now celebrating its 7th year, Urban Village Fete has helped showcase over 400 small independent businesses, generating a new-found customer base and revenue for these companies in excess of £ 1.5 million. With small businesses struggling in the current climate, this support from the Greenwich Peninsula community is a lifeline for many. 

Easily accessible by tube, bus, boat, car, foot and cable car, you won’t miss this free day out at Greenwich Peninsula.