A creative explosion of arts, culture and science for ten days in October.
Bloomsbury Festival will return this October with over 100 shows, exhibitions, events, concerts, family activities and walks and talks, all under the theme ‘Human.Kind’ which will explore AI, global strife, human existence and kindness. The 10-day festival, which began in 2006, takes place across the area’s streets, parks, museums, galleries, laboratories and public and private buildings in an annual celebration of local artists, culture and community. Events are free and ticketed with prices between £3 and £25.
The festival will kick off on Friday 18th October with Bloomsbury Festival’s Big Night Out at Conway Hall, a free showcase of talent from across the festival programme with music, dance, pop-up performances and food and drinks. Following this on Saturday 19th, Bloomsbury Festival’s opening day outdoor event, Cromer Street & Bramber Green Family Day includes performance, activities, and street food.
Highlights from the festival’s programme of performance, exhibitions and literature include:
- Saturday Discovery Day (26 October) at Holborn Library. A family science and creative day with pop-up exhibitions, games and activities.
- Bloomsbury Festival has partnered with Camden New Journal for Open To All, Coerced By None: The Camden New Journal Story (19 – 24 October) celebrating the history and heritage of the local independent community newspaper.
- A festival within the festival, Jamboree King’s Cross will present a week of events (19 – 27 October) with a jam-packed programme of music, dance, life drawing and poetry
A series of theatre productions selected during the festival’s annual competition for emerging writers and theatre-makers will showcase six new works:
- Attempts On A Birch Tree (25 – 26 October) by I AM I AM .
- 3 Couples, 2 Breakups, 1 Barbie And The Berlin Wall – Square Pegs (19 October) by Macready Theatre Young Actors’ Company.
- The Encrypted Forest (19 – 20 October) by Jim Osman
- In the Daisy chain (25 – 26 October) by Princess Bestman
- SOGYA 25 – (26 October) by The Avieli Arthouse
- Radio play Haddock (24 October) by Max Raeburn
The festival will conclude with Encore (27 October) a celebration held at the iconic Bloomsbury Club. With a historic interior and a bar with a contemporary range of cocktails, soft drinks and bites, Bloomsbury Festival invites audience, performers and partners to wind down with music and spoken to celebrate the 2024 festival.
The full programme including theatre, music, literature, art and science events can be seen here.
Listings information
18 – 27 October 2024
Various Venues across Bloomsbury, London
Tickets prices vary, including a number of free tickets. Top price tickets £15