Free Festival14 returns to Canary Wharf this July

Canary Wharf’s highly anticipated music, comedy, dance and theatre event Festival14 returns in under two weeks, happening from Wednesday 26th to Sunday 30th July.

The free-to-attend festival[1] will welcome a host of acts across the Estate’s extensive parks, plazas and open spaces. The musical headliners not to be missed include British collective Soul II Soul, R&B artist Yazmin Lacey, jazz-pop star Laura Misch, DJ Craig Charles and the iconic Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra. Comedy fans looking for a laugh will find acts including Desiree Burch, Shaparak Khorsandi and Paul Chowdhry in the brand new Monty Tent.

With something for everyone, Big Fish Little Fish Family Rave returns for its second year to soundtrack Saturday at the theatre & family stage, keeping little ones tapping their toes. Families can also catch a classical ballet performance of The Princess and the Frog from Let’s All Dance and enjoy Half Moon theatre’s Claytime, a magical world created through dance. Over at Wren Landing, artist Annie Frost Nicolson’s Fandangoe Discoteca will be hosting a series of workshops aimed at helping people tackle grief through movement and dance.

Culture can be found on every corner of the Estate, including Westferry Circus which will be transformed into an intimate outdoor theatre, hosting free to attend performances by This is my Theatre, Public – The Musical and 440 Theatre. In the heart of the Wharf, Jubilee Park will host renowned street performance collective, Busk in London, providing laid back performances throughout the weekend.

Creative collective SXWKS will make a highly anticipated return to the Wharf, with spoken word performances that will amplify underrepresented Black voices including from educator and author Belinda Zhawi, poet Lanaire Aderemi and up-and-coming music act Brother Portrait.

Headline acts are buzzing for the festival to begin, with Canary Wharf providing a unique backdrop for the diverse arts & culture event. Annie Frost Nicholson, the artist behind the Fandangoe Discoteca said “I think Festival14 is a really fantastic offering at a time when we need it most. To be able to access free arts events having emerged from the pandemic into a cost of living crisis, is all the more special and vital, and to celebrate and amplify the vibrancy of the arts scene in London in this way is really powerful. Festival14 has something that appeals to everyone and we are really proud to be a part of it.” You can find the Fandangoe Discoteca Wednesday 26th – Sunday 30th on Wren Landing.

Festival-goers will be able to refuel at Canary Wharf’s street food market, running daily in Montgomery Square, or can book in to one of the Wharf’s 70 bars, restaurants and cafes, some of which will be running special offers over the festival weekend.

Getting to the festival couldn’t be easier with the Elizabeth line, Jubilee line, DLR and Thames Clipper River Bus connecting Canary Wharf to the rest of London and beyond. For those looking to take in more of Festival14 across the weekend, the chic Tribe Hotel offers a place to rest and recuperate after a day of eating, drinking and dancing.

Visitors, residents and workers of the Wharf can view the full line-up for Festival14 online, with the majority of acts free to attend, and a small number of ticketed events available to book in advance.

The full line-up including dates, times and where to find each act can be found here:
https://canarywharf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/canary-wharf-whats-on-festival14.pdf

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[1] The majority of acts are free to attend, however a small number will require a pre-paid ticket for entry.

To find out more about Festival14 at Canary Wharf, visit
https://canarywharf.com/whats-on/festival14/.