2026: Create and Celebrate PROGRAMME
bloomsburyfestival.org.uk
Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily BLOOMSBURY FESTIVAL FESTIVAL PATRONS Her Grace, The Duchess of Bedford Dr Michael Spence, President & Provost UCL
FESTIVAL TRUSTEES Maurice Biriotti OBE (Chair)
Stella Bruzzi
Tim Coker
Anna Paschali
Rosalind Raine Kate Anderson Claire Hughes
Nick Potter
FESTIVAL TEAM
Bishop & Sewell Solicitors Proud to support Bloomsbury Festival 2026 Corporate & Commercial Commercial Property Employment Family Law & Divorce Immigration Landlord & Tenant Litigation & Disputes Private Wealth Residential Property
bishopandsewell.co.uk Bishop & Sewell LLP Solicitors | 59-60 Russell Square | London | WC1B 4HP Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (443824)
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0207 631 4141
@BishopandSewell
Festival Director:
Rosemary Richards
Senior Programme Manager :
John-Paul Muir
Design & Communications Manager:
Gillian Allmark
Associate Producer:
Ellie Cooper
Associate Producer:
Jeremy James
Associate Producer:
Tulin Bayramoglu
Exhibition Events Manager:
Victoria Modi-Celda
Festival Press and PR:
Mobius Industries
Social Media Producer & Photography:
Indera Tamara
Box Office Assistant:
Angela Maharjan
Finance: Mark Sands Artistic Associates:
Bill Gee, Orit Azaz, Junna Begum
Welcome
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk
Welcome to Bloomsbury Festival 20th Anniversary 2006-2026 It is now 20 years since the first Bloomsbury Festival was staged and in the intervening years thousands of local people and organisations have taken part in the festival and even more have enjoyed events and exhibitions. This year we host a month-long celebration involving around 150 organisations and artists performing at 40+ venues across Bloomsbury. Our roll call of partners, funders, sponsors and supporters is once again a very impressive list of supportive local institutions, universities, businesses and organisations.
This year is also a time of change. This festival is my last as Director and I look forward to welcoming the new Director who will be announced at the October festival launch. We would also like to extend our great thanks to Her Grace, The Duchess of Bedford, who has been a Patron of the Festival from 20132026. The continued support of The Bedford Estates remains central to the Festival’s future development, and we look forward to working together to sustain Bloomsbury’s role at the cultural heart of London. To celebrate we have invited some of the recent Art Competition winners to exhibit at Holy Cross Church on Cromer Street.
Marking our anniversary, you can also enjoy an exhibition of 20 years of Festival Photography by Stuart Keegan. We look forward to seeing you at events in our packed anniversary programme, which includes a 3 day Discovery Hub at Holborn Library, and a South Asian dance and music Diwali celebration indoors and outdoors at Cromer Street on the final day. Thank you for being part of the festival. Rosemary Richards Festival Director Front Cover: Mad Song play Steve Reich; Photo by Venetia Jollands (pg 19) This page: The Imperial Night Sky (pg 27)
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Information
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk
BOX OFFICE: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk Please note the festival’s online box office system charges a small transaction fee in addition to the ticket price. Booking Enquiries: boxoffice@bloomsbury festival.org.uk General Enquiries: admin@bloomsburyfestival.org.uk Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme, occasionally changes may occur that are beyond our control. The programme is correct at time of printing check bloomsburyfestival.org.uk for updates.
INFORMATION POINTS
RADIO AND PODCAST EVENTS
From mid-September brochures will be available from our festival hub. 32-38 Theobalds Rd Mon–Thurs, 10am-7pm, Fri 10am-5pm, Sat, 11am-5pm (Sun closed)
Bloomsbury Institute’s Bloomsbury Radio broadcasts news, interviews and information about festival events. Listen online at bil.ac.uk/bloomsburyradio. Festival coverage will be broadcast daily 1-31 October from 3pm-9pm.
FREE AND TICKETED EVENTS
You can catch up with interviews and programmes on our podcast site - search for Spotify Bloomsbury Festival.
Some festival events are FREE but invite a voluntary donation.
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
HOLBORN LIBRARY
FREE. Just turn up events do not require tickets, but please arrive in good time, as capacity is limited. These events will be stewarded. Please check website for any final updates on day of event.
CONCESSIONS
Some events are more traditionally ticketed. Concessions usually apply to under 16s, over 65s, full time students, unemployed and people with disabilities.
@bloomsburyfestival
The programme is correct at time of printing check bloomsburyfestival.org.uk for updates.
ACCESS Information is available from venue websites or from admin@bloomsburyfestival.org.uk
PAY AS YOU CAN Many of our events are offering Pay As You Can rates.
bloomsburyfestival.org.uk
admin@bloomsburyfestival.org.uk
THE WEATHER Our outdoor events will continue whatever the weather, unless safety is compromised.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK Look out for feedback forms at Festival events or fill in our online survey afterwards – we’d love to know what you think.
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Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily ● boxoffice@bloomsburyfestival.org.uk
FESTIVAL HUBS
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Our festival hubs feature multiartform events across the festival: 10 CITY LIT
13 36
Hosts recitals, performance events and New Wave theatre.
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14
7 20
19
12 CONWAY HALL
28
Features music, dance, a writing workshop and performance events.
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40
27
42 15
6
43
41
22 HOLBORN LIBRARY
26
9 2
33
24
32
1
39
29
21 31
22
35 30
12
5
34
23 HOLY CROSS CHURCH
FREE festival drop-in exhibition and events Fri-Sun afternoons each weekend – and a packed programme of ticketed and FREE concerts and theatre events. Refreshments available during opening hours. 29 THE MUSIC ROOM
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A selection of music events, some with a local history connection. 40 - 43 UCL
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Has a focus on activities on Wednesday 14 October with talks and walks on campus.
3 8 18
6
38
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3-day Discovery Hub with science, astronomy and planetarium for families. Exhibitions in Library foyer and Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre (2nd floor). Plus Saturday family book focus.
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Map & Locations
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk 1
Birkbeck University of London Malet Street, WC1E 7HX
2 Blooms Café,
Royal National Hotel
(meeting point) 38-51 Bedford Way, WC1H 0DG 3 Bloomsbury Central
Baptist Church
235 Shaftesbury Ave, WC2H 8EP
12 Conway Hall 25 Red Lion Square, WC1R 4RL
23 Holy Cross Church 98 Cromer Street, WC1H 8JU
13 Cromer Street/Bramber Green WC1H 8JU
24 The Imperial Hotel 61-66 Russell Square, WC1B 5BB
14 The Crypt Gallery Euston Road, NW1 2BA (Entrance off Dukes Rd)
25 London Film School 24 Shelton Street, WC2H 9UB (off map)
15 Curzon Bloomsbury/
26 London House,
Bertha DocHouse
Goodenough College
The Brunswick Centre, WC1N 1AW
Mecklenburgh Square, WC1N 2AB 27 London Welsh Centre 157-163 Grays Inn Road, WC1X 8UE
5 The British Museum Great Russell St, WC1B 3DG
16 Dominion Theatre (meeting point) 268-269 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7AQ
6 Brunswick Square Gardens WC1N 1AX
17 Foundling Museum 40 Brunswick Square, WC1N 1AZ
7 Capital City College, Kings
18 French Protestant Church
211 Grays Inn Road, WC1X 8RA
8-9 Soho Square, W1D 3QD
4 The British Library 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB
Cross Campus Theatre
8 Central Saint Giles Piazza (meeting point) 1 St Giles High Street, WC2H 8AG 9 Charles Dickens Museum (meeting point - opposite) 48-49 Doughty Street, WC1N 2LX 10 City Lit 1-10 Keeley Street, WC2B 4BA 11 Cockpit Studios Cockpit Yard, Northington Street, WC1N 2NP
of London
19 Friends House Library
173-177 Euston Road, NW1 2BJ 20 Greater London Properties 65 Judd Street, WC1H 9RF 21 Holborn Community
Association
Holborn House, 35 Emerald Street, WC1N 3QW 22 Holborn Library/
Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre
32-38 Theobalds Road, WC1X 8PA
28 Lumen URC 88 Tavistock Place, WC1H 9RS 29 The Music Room 49 Great Ormond Street, WC1N 3HZ 30 October Gallery 24 Old Gloucester Street, WC1N 3AL 31 Rugby Tavern (meeting point) 19 Great James Street, WC1N 3ES 32 Russell Square Gardens WC1B 5EH 33 SOAS, Brunei Gallery 10 Thornhaugh Street, WC1B 5DQ 34 St George’s Church
Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury Way, WC1A 2SA
35 St George the Martyr Church
(SGTM)
44 Queen Square, WC1N 3AH 36 St Pancras Church 165 Euston Road, NW1 2BA 37 Swedenborg House 20-21 Bloomsbury Way, WC1A 2TH 38 The Lady Ottoline 11A Northington Street, WC1N 2JF 39 The Tower Tavern 21 Clipstone Street, W1W 6BA (off map)
UCL 40 Bloomsbury Theatre & Studio 15 Gordon Street, WC1H 0AH 41 Grant Museum of Zoology 21 University Street, WC1E 6DE 42 Gustav Tuk Lecture Theatre/
North Lodge/UCL Art Museum/Wilkins Building Gower Street, WC1E 6BT
43 Petrie Museum of Egyptian
and Sudanese Archaeology
Malet Place, WC1E 6BT
Pin positions are approximate. Please check exact venue locations on a map.
= Festival Hub
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Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily ● boxoffice@bloomsburyfestival.org.uk BLOOMSBURY FESTIVAL EXHIBITIONS 20 YEARS OF BLOOMSBURY FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Bloomsbury Festival & Stuart Keegan Celebrating the work of local professional photographer and master printer, Stuart Keegan, who has photographed all the Bloomsbury Festivals over two decades.
Brunswick Square Gardens – Railings Greater London Properties, Judd St The Edit Lounge, The Imperial, Russell Square Sat 3-Sat 31 Oct FREE. Just turn up
NEW WAVE: NEXT STEPS
New Wave Art, Bloomsbury Festival The festival has invited recent New Wave Festival Art Prize winners to display artworks, with a special invitation to emerging artist Hito Kanie, a former festival trainee. Featuring Claire-Anne Abi Ola, Ella Jackson, Ema Ogawa Todd, Hito Kanie, and Meghan Salisbury.
Holy Cross Church Fri 2-Sat 31 Oct, Fri, Sat & Sun, 2pm-5pm (closed Mon-Thurs) FREE. Just turn up
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20 Years of Festival Photography; Photo by Stuart Keegan
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk TWO CENTURIES HERE Explore UCL’s past, present and future in Two Centuries Here, a major new exhibition marking 200 years since UCL’s founding as the first university in London. Wilkins Building UCL Ongoing (through to 31 July 2027) 9am-6pm daily FREE. Just turn up
PORTRAIT(S) OF CAMDEN COMMUNITY QUILT
Dr Joana Monteiro & WM College A vibrant community quilt celebrating the people who make Camden unique. Created by over 500 participants of all ages and backgrounds, individual fabric portraits form a striking artwork reflecting the borough’s diversity, creativity, and community spirit.
EM FORSTER’S LEGACY OF CONNECTION: UNSEEN MEMORABILIA
UCL MUSEUMS
An exhibition of memorabilia and memories of EM Forster and paintings by Jim Buckingham, reflecting the novelist’s connection with the Buckinghams’ working-class Bloomsbury family.
UCL’s Grant Museum of Zoology is home to 100,000 specimens from every continent, ocean and animal group. The collection has been used in teaching and research since 1828 and continues to have huge impact on how we understand and learn from the natural world.
Jim Buckingham
Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre at Holborn Library Thurs 1 Oct - Mid Dec Mon/Tue: 10am-6pm. Thu: 10am-7pm Alternate Saturdays: 3, 17 and 31 Oct: 11am-5pm FREE. Just turn up
26 UCL FIRSTS - DIGITAL
Holborn Library
26 UCL Firsts is a creative contribution of writers’ organisation 26 in collaboration with University College London for Bloomsbury Festival 2026.
Thurs 1 Oct-30 Nov; Mon-Thurs: 10am-7pm, Fri: 10am-5pm, Sat: 11am-5pm, Sun: closed FREE. Just turn up
Digital online exhibition via bloomsburyfestival.org.uk
ENRICH ME WITH YOUR DIFFERENCE Jonathan Banks
Exhibition by award-winning photographer Jonathan Banks celebrating diversity and difference as something culturally positive. Jonathan showcases the work of humanitarian organisations he has worked with, inspiring others to look for opportunities to make a difference. St Pancras Church Thurs 1-Tues 13 Oct. Times vary, see website. FREE. Just turn up
Exhibitions
HOME TRUTHS Lynn Dennison
An exhibition of artwork exploring the relationship between housing, home and health inequalities created by award-winning multi-media artist, Lynn Dennison, as part of a UCL and UCLH Arts public commission. Holborn Library Thurs 1 - Sat 31 Oct Mon-Thu: 10am-7pm, Fri: 10am-5pm, Sat: 11am-5pm, Sun: closed FREE. Just turn up
UCL GRANT MUSEUM OF ZOOLOGY
PETRIE MUSEUM OF EGYPTIAN AND SUDANESE ARCHAEOLOGY UCL’s Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology houses one of the world’s largest and most important collections of Egyptian and Sudanese archaeology, telling the stories of people who lived in the Nile Valley in the past.
UCL ART MUSEUM The UCL Art Collection is home to over 10,000 sculptures, paintings, prints and drawings from the 1490s to the present day. Explore the collection through a series of pop-up displays in the Museum’s Prints & Drawings Room. From Concept to Icon during the UCL Art Museum’s Prints & Drawing Room’s opening hours.
For opening times and venue details see www.bloomsburyfestival.org.uk
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Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily ● boxoffice@bloomsburyfestival.org.uk TAKE A SEAT: CONVERSATIONS ON MY MOTHER’S BENCH Dea Birkett
Take a seat and use the QR code to listen to everyday and extraordinary stories of those who’ve sat there before you. Then contribute your own passing tale to the bench’s library. Bench in NE Corner of Russell Square garden near café Fri 2-Sat 31 Oct FREE. Just turn up
MOMENTS OF GRACE On the Record
An immersive oral history installation project distilling a century of nursing into one timebending 24-hour shift. Holy Cross Church Fri 2-Sat 31 Oct. Fri, Sat & Sun, 2pm - 5pm (closed Mon-Thu)
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Where We Grow: Nature, Nurture and Childhood; Photo: Boys in the kitchen garden at the Foundling Hospital, London, early 20th century, courtesy the Foundling Museum
Exhibitions
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk
Elizabeth Dalziel
A photographic exhibition by Elizabeth Dalziel exploring how menopause shapes lives across society. Our experiences differ according to age, culture, ethnicity, social background and circumstance. Presented during World Menopause Awareness Month, the exhibition is proudly sponsored by Menopause Support, connecting visitors with trusted information and resources. Brunswick Square Gardens - Railings Sat 3-Sat 31 Oct FREE. Just turn up
VISIONARY LANDSCAPES Swedenborg House
An exhibition exploring the relationship between landscape, imagination and vision—bringing together historical items with contemporary art. Curated by Museum Director Stephen McNeilly. Swedenborg House Sat 3 Oct - Sat 28 Nov 10am-5pm (Mon to Fri); 12pm-5pm (Sat) FREE. Just turn up
WHERE WE GROW: NATURE, NURTURE AND CHILDHOOD
Re-Tension: The Work of Holding; Artwork by Jo Cooper
PICTURING OUR MENOPAUSE
Foundling Museum
Explore old Bloomsbury’s deep roots in childhood, creativity and nature. This outdoor display brings together historic and contemporary images to reveal its long connections with children and the natural world. Brunswick Square Gardens Railings opposite The Foundling Museum Sat 3-Sat 31 Oct FREE. Just turn up
MAKING IN 3D
WM College Showcase An exhibition of 3D art and craft by WM College students and tutors, featuring ceramics, sculpture, jewellery, glass, wood and mosaic, exploring materials, ideas and making processes. The Crypt Gallery Wed 7-Sat 10 Oct. 12pm-5pm daily FREE. Just turn up
WELCOME TO MY PLACE Mei Lock & No Working Title
A project led by textile artist Mei Lock, this exhibition showcases placemats made by local residents through HCA’s Sunday Social programme and the No Working Title Textile Collective. The works reflect on belonging, place and shared community. Holborn Community Association Mon 19-Fri 30 Oct. Mon-Fri 10am-4pm FREE. Just turn up
RE-TENSION: THE WORK OF HOLDING
No Working Title
An exploration of the power of textile to evoke mood, place and memory. This exhibition asks the questions What holds? What pulls? Like breathing, stitching is often unseen and unthought about. Here the invisible is made visible again. Drop-in Weaving Workshop with Jo Cooper on Fri 23rd Oct at 1-4pm. Drop-in and stitch with Mei Lock on Fri 30th Oct at 1-4pm. Lumen URC Mon 19-Fri 30 Oct. Mon-Fri: 10am-4pm FREE. Just turn up
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The University of London is proud to support the Bloomsbury Festival 2026. Our home, Senate House, is an iconic London venue. Visit BLOOM Café, open Monday to Friday, 8.30am–5pm, or discover our event spaces. london.ac.uk/venues
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk TEXTILE MARATHON:
Threading Organisms Recycling Campaign Bring your unwanted textiles and sewing material. Join in this summer’s textile marathon recycling and making programme. Holborn Library 32-38 Theobalds Road, London, WC1X 8PA From 15 June to 10 August 2026 Mon-Thur 10am-7pm, Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 11am-7pm (drop off at reception)
TEXTILE MARATHON OPEN CALL: THREADING ORGANISMS 3.0 Join a FREE creative residency exploring textile upcycling, performance, science and literature at Holborn Library. Open to artists, performers, musicians, textile makers, researchers and community members. In partnership with Bloomsbury Festival and icandance.
Pre-Festival Events
CAPTURING THE TRANSFORMATION OF BLOOMSBURY
20 Years of Festival Photography– Talk and Exhibition Preview Bloomsbury Festival Director Rosemary Richards in Conversation with Stuart Keegan. Surrounded by photographs from two decades of the Festival, Bloomsbury-based photographer Stuart Keegan discusses his career. Stuart has led the Festival photography since the first event in 2006. The Edit Lounge, Imperial Hotel Wed 16 Sept, 7pm
PUBLAB
Led by Bloomsbury Festival Associates Orit Azaz and Bill Gee
Apply: 15 June - 19 July 2026 Holborn Library, 32-38 Theobalds Rd, WC1X 8PA
Have a spare hour - then take part in PUBLAB devised by academics from University of Westminster, Old Diorama Arts Centre working with local people and artists Adesole Akinleye, Aya Nakamura and Sofie Layton..
See Further information about Open Call and Online project meeting on website
Tower Tavern Tue 29 Sept See website for more details
EM FORSTER, THE BUCKINGHAMS AND BLOOMSBURY EVENT TYPES: ▐ TALKS & LITERATURE ▐ WORKSHOPS
A talk and Q&A to accompany and open the EM Forster exhibition, this presentation includes background of the exhibition from Forster experts with questions and answers. Camden Local Archives and Studies Centre at Holborn Library Tue 29 Sept, 6pm FREE. Just turn up
New Wave: Next Steps; Garden Party Contemplation by Abi Ola
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Thurs 1 - Fri 2 October
Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE
UCL Institute of Healthcare Engineering A medical comedy night that will tickle your funny bone! Join health researchers, doctors and people with lived experience for an evening of medicinal merriment. Hosted by comedian, writer and actor Ria Lina. Bloomsbury Theatre Studio Thurs 1 Oct; 7.30pm Tickets: £12 (£9). Age 16+
THROUGH THE STUDIO DOORS Meet the Makers of Cockpit Bloomsbury. Come behind-the-scenes on a tour of Cockpit, London’s only remaining specialist craft studios. Step through the studio doors to meet makers, discover local history and explore a hidden gem of creativity. Cockpit Studios Fri 2 Oct; 11am Tickets: £10
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Laughter is the Best Medicine, UCL Institute of Healthcare Engineering
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk
Thurs 1 - Fri 2 October
TRAILBLAZERS OF BLOOMSBURY This guided walk with David Lloyd explores some of the squares and locations in Bloomsbury where a series of outstanding individuals lived, worked or are memorialised. Starts at Blooms Cafe Fri 2 Oct; 2pm (+ Sat 31 Oct 11am) Tickets: £10
BETWEEN THE CITY AND ME: A PANEL OF GRASSROOTS VOICES The Avieli Arthouse
Performance poetry, companionship, and grassroots insights from contemporary theatre arts community advocates from underrepresented communities. Inspired by The Bloomsbury Group, we offer a new cultural space to explore the ‘London’ experience. Holy Cross Church Fri 2 Oct; 6.15pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
EVENT TYPES: ▐ TALKS & LITERATURE ▐ WALKS ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM Laugher is the Best Medicine
The Science of Growing Minds, Birkbeck BabyLab & ToddlerLab
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Sat 3 - Sun 4 October
Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily RADICAL BLOOMSBURY: COMMUNITY, CRITIQUE AND CHANGE
Can Yildiz
Explore radical Bloomsbury’s past in a guided walk through streets where you find hidden stories of abolitionism, scientific critique, and social dissent. Starts at British Library Piazza Sat 3 Oct; 11am (+ Sun 11 Oct 11am) Tickets: £10
THE BALLAD WALK OF ST GILES Camden Guides & Vivien Ellis
Discover dramatic stories of historic St Gilesin-the-Fields and Seven Dials, through this walk featuring ballad performances and spoken commentary. Starts at Central St Giles Piazza Sat 3 Oct: 11am (+ Sun 4, Sat 17 & Sun 18 Oct 11am) Tickets: £10
OUR BLOOMSBURY WORKSHOP London Film School
Filmmaking workshop for people aged 8 - 88 on the theme of Our Bloomsbury. Participants will choose from animation, drama and documentary filmmaking skills. London Film School, 24 Shelton St Sat 3 Oct: 11am FREE but places should be pre-booked
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Music for Kankles - Living Baltic Traditions
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk TREASURE HUNT AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM
Sat 3 - Sun 4 October
THE BALLAD WALK OF CHARLES DICKENS
Culture Quest by Daisy de Plume
Camden Guides & Vivien Ellis
Track down up to 25 museum treasures. Snap photo evidence with your team & the artefacts, then earn bonus points! Expect high-stakes fun where learning is lived.
Enter the world of Charles Dickens: follow in his footsteps and experience the sights and sounds of 19th century Bloomsbury, through songs, spoken commentary and selections from his writing.
Starts at The Great Court, British Museum
Meet Opposite Charles Dickens Museum
Sat 3 Oct; 2pm (+ Fri 9 Oct 5.30pm, Fri 23 Oct 5.30pm & Sat 31 Oct 2pm) Tickets: £15 (£8)
Sat 3 Oct: 2.30pm (+ Sun 4, Sat 17 and Sun 18: 2.30pm) Tickets: £10
LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS: STORIES OF JOY
The Avieli Arthouse
A theatre-making workshop, combining vocal coaching, improvisation and a creative producing discussion. A chance to explore and play with our stories of joy. Holy Cross Church Sat 3 Oct; 2-5pm FREE but places should be pre-booked
OUR BLOOMSBURY ARCHIVE SCREENING London Film School
Films from London Film School’s archive exploring the Our Bloomsbury theme. Part of the 70th anniversary celebrations of the UK’s oldest film school. London Film School, 24 Shelton St Sat 3 Oct; 4pm FREE but places should be pre-booked
UPLIFT: STORIES OF JOY The Avieli Arthouse
An evening of multidisciplinary performances, centered on lifting up emerging artists. Join us in celebrating unheard voices and grassroots community empowerment. Holy Cross Church Sat 3 Oct; 7pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
HOLD SPACE GATHERING A poetry ceremony to mark the mid point of the Hold Space free poetry festival. Join us at St Pancras New Church as poets, performers, and music come together to cross the threshold and celebrate spoken word in all its forms. This is not a gig. It is not a reading. It is a ceremony of witness. St Pancras Church Sat 3 Oct; 7.30pm Tickets: Pay what you can - suggested £10
CULTURE PUB QUIZ
by Daisy de Plume, hosted by quizmaster Ed Coke Think you know Bloomsbury? Prove it at Culture Quest’s pub quiz at The Lady Ottoline! From local radicals to tangled romances, test your neighbourhood knowledge. The Lady Ottoline Sun 4 Oct; 4pm (+ Sun 11 Oct 4pm & Thurs 22 Oct 8pm) Tickets: £15
MUSIC FOR KANKLĖS LIVING BALTIC TRADITIONS A live music performance featuring the kanklės, a traditional Lithuanian folk instrument. The programme explores Baltic traditions through a blend of folk, classical and contemporary music. Featuring Emilija Karaliute alongside violinist Natalia Wierzbicka. Holy Cross Church Sun 4 Oct; 7pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
EVENT TYPES: ▐ TALKS & LITERATURE ▐ WALKS ▐ WORKSHOPS ▐ MUSIC ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM
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Mon 5 - Thu 8 October
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User Manual for a Broken Machine, KASSNA
Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk TIME MOVES New Wave Theatre Written and Directed by Kay Lynn Er, Produced by Lauren Roberts-Turner A moving box can hold anything and a body can tell any story. Time Moves is a series of vignettes about the stories our personal archives and everyday objects can tell about us. UCL Bloomsbury Theatre Studio Mon 5 Oct; 7pm, and Tues 6 Oct 7pm Tickets: £7 (£6)
TEXTILE MARATHON FORUM & DISCUSSION Threading Organisms 3.0
Tere Chad and partners in a panel discussion on textile recycling. Part of Threading Organisms 3.0 a socially engaged art initiative. Holborn Library Tues 6 Oct; 5pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
RADICAL POSTER DESIGN Craig Yamey
Join graphic designer Craig Yamey for an intensive two-hour workshop exploring the fundamentals of poster design, visual communication and storytelling, inspired by Conway Hall’s archive. Conway Hall Tues 6 Oct; 6.30pm Tickets: £12 - £25
Mon 5 - Thu 8 October
THE BLOOMSBURY BOOKSHOP CRAWL
FESTIVAL RADIO & PODCASTS
Bookshop Crawl UK CIC
Bloomsbury Institute and Bloomsbury Festival
Explore the wonderful bookshops and a bit of the literary history of Bloomsbury, meet other book lovers and share book recommendations!
A broadcast discussion to celebrate Bloomsbury Institute’s annual coverage of the Festival on Bloomsbury Radio with podcast production.
Starts at British Library
Digital Broadcast on Bloomsbury Radio https://www.bil.ac.uk/about-us/community/radio/
Wed 7 Oct: 1pm (+ Sat 17 Oct, 1pm) Tickets: £15-22
LISTEN
Thurs 8 Oct; 6pm-7.30pm
A FEELING FOR POETRY
The Aphasia New Music Group
Dark Angels
An evening of original songs. This project unites people with aphasia (language and communication difficulties acquired through brain injury), musicians and speech and language therapists.
Dark Angels Poets present their new work with 18 poetry contributors. Family Matters focusses on friendship, the senses, family connections and relationships
UCL Bloomsbury Theatre Wed 7 Oct; 6.30pm Tickets: £20/£10/£5
BLOOMSBURY: HOTBED OF CREATIVITY Richard Cohen
Meet the Pre-Raphaelite Movement and the Bloomsbury Set in a short walk around the streets of Bloomsbury with Richard Cohen, taking in some of the world-famous cultural institutions of the area. Starts at Blooms Cafe
London House, Goodenough College Thu 8 Oct; 6.30pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
MAD SONG PLAY STEVE REICH Join Mad Song’s “expert young players” (The Observer) for a vibrant concert exploring repetition in music. The evening culminates with Steve Reich’s dazzling Double Sextet. Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church Thurs 8 Oct; 7.30pm Tickets: £20 (£10)
Thu 8 Oct; 12 noon (+ Sat 10 Oct 12 noon) Tickets: £10
EVENT TYPES: ▐ TALKS & LITERATURE ▐ WALKS ▐ WORKSHOPS ▐ MUSIC ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM
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Mental
Wealth Festival 7-10 October 2026
Join us at City Lit for a series of talks, workshops, and performances celebrating mental health and connection.
www.citylit.ac.uk/mwf
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk DEEP LONDON: WILLIAM BLAKE AND THE MYSTERIES OF KINGS CROSS Aiden Andrew Dun
In four guided walks through this ancient zone of London, participants will discover the foundations of William Blake’s feminine City of God, Jerusalem. Along the various routes there will be discussion of the work of Yeats, Rimbaud, Hardy and Shelley. Starts outside St Pancras Church, Woburn Place Fri 9 Oct; 11am (+ Sat 10, 2pm; Thu 22, 11am; Sun 25, 11am) Tickets: £20/£12/Pay What You Can
Fri 9 October
RUGBY ESTATE WALKING TOUR Lamb’s Conduit Street WC1
This walking tour will explore and celebrate the rich history of Rugby Estate, its famous residents, and connections with the Bloomsbury Set, focusing on Lamb’s Conduit Street and the surrounding area. Starts at Rugby Tavern Fri 9 Oct; 2pm (+ Sun 11 Oct 11am) FREE. Just turn up
TREASURE HUNT AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM
Culture Quest by Daisy de Plume (See page 17)
THREADS IN COMMON
Textiles as Witness in Wartime A creative embroidery workshop exploring how Bloomsbury’s modernist artists responded to the challenges of the First World War. Try creating simple embroidery inspired by the Omega Studios’ original designs. Friends House Library Fri 9 Oct; 11am & 2pm FREE but places should be pre-booked
Starts at The Great Court, British Museum Fri 9 Oct; 5.30pm (+ Sat 3 Oct 2pm, Fri 23 Oct 5.30pm & Sat 31 Oct 2pm) Tickets: £15 (£8)
USER MANUAL FOR A BROKEN MACHINE Kassna
A darkly comic theatre performance exploring failure, burnout and the body under pressure reflecting Korean industrialisation, capitalism and diaspora. With music performed by Seayool Kim. Holy Cross Church Fri 9 Oct; 7pm (+ Sat 10 Oct 7pm) Tickets: £20/£12 Pay What You Can
EVENT TYPES: ▐ TALKS & LITERATURE ▐ WALKS ▐ WORKSHOPS ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM
African Eye to the Sun; Grand Union Orchestra presents REGEN
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Sat 10 October
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The Portal
Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily
Sat 10 October
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk THE LONDON WELSH AUTUMN MARKET A vibrant market-style takeover of the London Welsh Centre celebrating Welsh culture. A lively, family-friendly event full of food, crafts and community spirit, open and welcoming to all. London Welsh Centre Sat 10 Oct; 10am - 5.30pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
FAMILY ART DAY Families are invited to explore the exhibition of Romauld Hazoume through collaborative artmaking activities across the Gallery. Suitable for families with children of all ages. October Gallery Sat 10 Oct; 10am - 12 noon FREE but places should be pre-booked
BLOOMSBURY: HOTBED OF CREATIVITY (See page 18)
THE DRAGON CAFÉ SINGERS FROM ISOLATION TO CONNECTION The Dragon Café Singers return to the Mental Wealth Festival to perform a moving selection of tracks from their Spotify album, In This Circle Is My Heart, as well as a new song - Isolation - born from the group’s signature collaborative songwriting process. City Lit Sat 10 Oct; 12.30pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
DEEP LONDON: WILLIAM BLAKE AND THE MYSTERIES OF KINGS CROSS
BLOOMSBURY’S BACK YARD: THE HISTORY OF A FORGOTTEN COMMUNITY The Good Companions
This vibrant show by festival regulars The Good Companions blends storytelling with live vintage songs, revealing how a humble yard behind Great Ormond Street helped to shape modern Bloomsbury. Staged in the handsome Music Room at 49 Great Ormond Street, the performances also offer audiences a rare opportunity to view this historic house’s first-floor parlour. The Music Room, 49 Great Ormond St Sat 10 Oct; 3pm & 7.30pm (+ Sun 11 Oct 3pm) Tickets: £12/£10
(See page 19)
USER MANUAL FOR A BROKEN MACHINE
Starts outside St Pancras Church Woburn Place
(See page 21)
Sat 10 Oct; 2pm (+ Fri 9 Oct, 11am; Thurs 22 Oct, 11am; Sun 25 Oct, 11am) Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
Holy Cross Church
Aiden Andrew Dun
Kassna
Sat 10 Oct; 7pm (+ Fri 9 Oct 7pm) Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
Starts at Blooms Cafe Sat 10 Oct; 12 noon (+ Sun 4 Oct 11am) Tickets: £10
THE PORTAL
Zhiyan Cai and Cheslav Singh Step into The Portal - an audiovisual installation blending optical illusion, live 3D projection, and prepared piano into a mysterious journey beyond reality and imagination. Created by Zhiyan Cai and Cheslav Singh, The Portal is bold, experimental, and unforgettable.
EVENT TYPES: ▐ WALKS ▐ WORKSHOPS ▐ MUSIC ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM ▐ FAMILY
City Lit - John Lyons Theatre Sat 10 Oct; 8pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
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Sun 11 October
24
Nuns with Tattoos, The Avieli Arthouse; Photo by Patrick Bayele
Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily
Sun 11 October
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk RADICAL BLOOMSBURY COMMUNITY, CRITIQUE AND CHANGE
BLOOMSBURY’S BACK YARD THE HISTORY OF A FORGOTTEN COMMUNITY
(See page 16)
(See page 23)
Starts at British Library Piazza
The Music Room, 49 Great Ormond St
Sun 11 Oct; 11am (+ Sat 3 Oct 11am) Tickets: £10
Sun 11 Oct; 3pm (+ Sat 10 Oct; 3pm & 7.30pm) Tickets: £12/£10
RUGBY ESTATE WALKING TOUR
SINGING BRAZIL Nossa Voz (Our Voice)
Sun 11 Oct; 5pm Tickets: £20
(See page 21)
Songs and singing from Brazil offering a rich reflection of all Brazilian regions and styles, with a friendly and welcoming Brazilian atmosphere.
PATIENT: SOLDIER
Can Yildiz
Lamb’s Conduit Street WC1 Starts at Rugby Tavern Sun 11 Oct; 11am (+ Fri 9 Oct 2pm) FREE. Just turn up
FROM BURTON TO BEVERIDGE: BLOOMSBURY’S GREAT GROUNDBREAKERS Paul Guest
This walk aims to highlight creative breakthroughs in science, medicine, adult education, social policy, political activism, business and museum collections. It features twelve notable Bloomsbury figures who broke new ground in fields ranging from poetry to molecular biology.
The Good Companions
Holy Cross Church Sun 11 Oct; 3pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome. 50% of the funds raised will go to Hutukara Yanomami, an indigenous-led organization in Brazil
EXPLORING MUSIC PAST AND PRESENT Trio Louise Farrenc
An afternoon of exploring chamber music past and present. With Pamela Pecko Smith (flute), Una Birtchnell (cello) and Gisela Meyer (piano). The programme will include pieces by two women composers, Louise Farrenc and Ya-Jhu Yang. City Lit
by Katherine White & Barra Fitzgibbon The widely critically acclaimed dark comedic play returns to Bloomsbury Festival. After it’s sell out runs in both London’s West End and Ireland, catch this love letter to the NHS, a one off performance in London. City Lit - John Lyons Theatre Sun 11 Oct; 6pm Tickets: £20
CULTURE PUB QUIZ
by Daisy de Plume hosted by quizmaster Ed Coke (See page 17)
Starts at Blooms Cafe
The Lady Ottoline
Sun 11 Oct; 2pm (+ Thurs 15 Oct 2pm) Tickets: £10
Sun 11 Oct; 4pm (+ Sun 4 Oct 4pm & Thurs 22 Oct 8pm) Tickets: £15
Nuns With Tattoos
EVENT TYPES:▐ WALKS ▐ WORKSHOPS ▐ MUSIC ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM
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Celebrating 200 years of imagination, creativity and culture in Bloomsbury Join us for exhibitions, shows, talks and guided tours to celebrate our bicentenary.
Find out more about UCL200 events
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk
Wed 14 - Thu 15 October
STUDENT LONDON UCL200 WALKING TOURS
OPENING THE DOORS TO CANCER RESEARCH
Created for UCL’s Bicentenary in 2026, this guided walking tour provides the opportunity to explore UCL’s past and present throughout the historic Bloomsbury campus. Explore iconic places and powerful stories across 200 years.
Panel discussion about the world of cancer research. Leading scientists, clinicians and emerging researchers explore how creativity, collaboration and persistence drive discovery and treatment.
Starts at North Lodge, UCL
Wed 14 Oct: 6pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
Wed 14 Oct: 1pm & 3pm FREE but places should be pre-booked
200 YEARS OF STUDENT LIFE IN THE CAPITAL Students have formed a significant part of London’s population since the foundation of its first university in 1826. This talk centres their experiences in the city’s history and is based on the book Student London: A New History of Higher Education in the Capital (UCL Press, 2026) UCL Wilkins Building Wed 14 Oct: 1pm FREE but places should be pre-booked; includes light lunch before talk
UCL Wilkins Building
THE IMPERIAL NIGHT SKY
WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD BODY WISDOM
Minh Bui, SHM Foundation A participatory dance/movement therapy workshop: reconnect with the innate wisdom of your body and cultivate a deeper relationship with yourself. Holborn Library Thurs 15 Oct; 5pm FREE but places should be pre-booked
Astronomers from UCL
At Arcus Rooftop Bar and Restaurant above The Imperial, join UCL astronomers for an evening of stargazing above the city. As London’s skyline unfolds below, the focus turns to the night sky and the stories it holds. Entry includes a drink and a donation to support the astronomy team. There will be an AV presentation in case of bad weather. The Imperial, Arcus Rooftop Bar and Restaurant Wed 14 Oct; 7pm (+ Sun 18 & Wed 21 Oct 7pm) Tickets: £20
FROM BURTON TO BEVERIDGE Bloomsbury’s Great Groundbreakers (See page 25) Starts at Blooms Cafe
WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD FILM PREMIERE – HOW COMMUNITIES CARE FOR MENTAL HEALTH SHM Foundation A vibrant documentary film premiere celebrating the diversity and creativity of community-led mental health initiatives in Vietnam, Nigeria, Palestine and Colombia. Hosted by the SHM Foundation and introduced by award-winning film director Reiff Gaskell and Minh Bui, one of the inspiring leaders behind these mental health initiatives. Curzon Cinema Thurs 15 Oct; 6.30pm FREE but places should be pre-booked
Thurs 15 Oct; 2pm (+ Sun 11 Oct 2pm) Tickets: £10
EVENT TYPES: ▐ TALKS & LITERATURE ▐ WALKS ▐ WORKSHOPS ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM
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Thu 15 - Fri 16 October
Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily THE PEACEFUL CRYSTALLOGRAPHER & OTHER SONGS
Electric Voice Theatre & Conway Hall Ethical Society
Join Electric Voice Theatre with UCL scientists and singers, for a performance and conversation celebrating crystallographer Kathleen Lonsdale the first female professor at UCL. Conway Hall Thurs 15 Oct; 6.30pm Tickets: £20/£14/£9
MAKING ART TOGETHER An action-packed day of arts events, including creative workshops exploring Bloomsbury’s unique character and history. Hosted by Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church and organised and run by volunteers from charities which support prisoners and ex-prisoners (London Prisons Mission, 2Makeit, Change for Good and Fine Cell Work). Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church Fri 16 Oct; 10am - 9pm FREE but places should be pre-booked
MINDFUL COLOURING FOR ADULTS Relax and unwind at our mindful colouring session for adults. Enjoy calming patterns, reduce stress, and take time to focus. Materials provided - just drop in. Holborn Library Fri 16 Oct; 12noon FREE. Just turn up.
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We Love and Then We Drown
We Love And Then We Drown
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk THINKERS, MAKERS AND SCRIBBLERS, WALK 1: FROM A GODLESS GROUP TO THE GOD PARTICLE A guided walk led by a team of 3 Camden Tour guides. A series of 3 walks (see pgs 36 and 45), each different (take 1, 2 or all 3!). Walk One explores the characters, stories and events in the West of Bloomsbury. Starts at Blooms Cafe Fri 16 Oct; 1pm Tickets: £10
1. EMPTY SKY
New Wave Theatre Macready Theatre Young Actors’ Company 1. an empty sky; 2. a girl, missing; 3. a community of collectors; 4. a past, forgotten. A brand-new play about memories, tape recordings and the stories we tell to make sense of the impossible. Expect fast-paced, fun-filled ensemble storytelling.
Thu 15 - Fri 16 October
POETRY: A MATTER OF LIFE & DEATH
Evie Prichard & Kit Griffiths Join Evie Prichard, co-author of the upcoming The Poetry Pharmacy Book of Grief and Recovery, to discuss the power of the poem to heal and transform. Evie will be Interviewed by Kit Griffiths, Poet-in-Residence of Margate Pride. Conway Hall Fri 16 Oct; 6pm Tickets: £10 (£5)
WE LOVE AND THEN WE DROWN
by Ruth Gilligan, Directed by Adam Radford To save the world as we know it, how much are we willing to sacrifice? Charting one all-too-possible 21st-century life, Ruth Gilligan’s audacious new play challenges us to think the unthinkable. City Lit
Holy Cross Church
Fri 16 Oct; 6.15pm and 8.15pm (+ Sat 17 Oct 7.30pm; & Sun 18 Oct 4.30pm) Tickets: £6-£20
Fri 16 Oct; 6pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
ABOLITION SONG
Foundling Museum & the ASaiL Collective A six-musician ensemble from the project Abolition Song and its Legacies (ASaiL) will bring to life rarely heard British anti-slavery art songs from 1787-c1830, interwoven with readings from eighteenth-century Black writers.
DOUBLE BILL: SORAYA VERJEE AND NO MORE GIRL FRIDAY
Soraya Verjee & EMPOWER: Women Changing Music
Part 1: Soraya Verjee. Championing undiscovered classical composers of our past, classical pianist Soraya Verjee opens the evening with a spotlight on female and underrepresented musical figures once forgotten. Part 2: No More Girl Friday. EMPOWER: Women Changing Music. Exploring light, space and transformation, showcasing undervalued music and world premieres by Francesca Le Lohé and Emily Pedersen. Conway Hall Fri 16 Oct; 7pm-9pm Tickets: £12 - £20
HER & HIM
Noctis Theatre Company A theatre show exploring the ever-evolving dance between a couple navigating FREEdom and security, unpacking the messiness of relationships with humour, and love. Written and performed by Helen Percival and Harun Ćehović. Conway Hall Fri 16 Oct; 7.30pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
Foundling Museum Fri 16 Oct; 6.30pm Tickets: £25
EVENT TYPES: ▐ TALKS & LITERATURE ▐ WALKS ▐ WORKSHOPS ▐ MUSIC ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM
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Sat 17 October
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk THE BALLAD WALK OF ST GILES Camden Guides & Vivien Ellis (See page 16) Starts at Central St Giles Piazza Sat 17 Oct; 11am (+ Sat 3, Sun 4 & Sun 18 Oct 11am) Tickets: £10
FEMMES DE SOLEIL (WOMEN OF THE SUN)
The Avieli Arthouse
THE BLOOMSBURY BOOKSHOP CRAWL
Bookshop Crawl UK CIC (See page 19) Starts at British Library
Sat 17 Oct; 1pm (+ Wed 7 Oct 1pm) Tickets: £15-£22
LIFELINES: POETRY, DANCE AND MUSIC
HOLBORN COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA Local music lovers of all ages are invited to Holborn Library for a FREE concert packed with classical favourites, including works by Prokofiev, Saint-Saëns, Tchaikovsky and Borodin. Enjoy live music in a relaxed, fun and friendly atmosphere. Holborn Library Sat 17 Oct; 2pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
A body of artwork by British-Jamaican Sierra Leonean fine artist Rhia Elise, celebrating the Black body as art. It explores family, sensuality, dandyism, and the strength and softness in the Black experience.
Sage Dance and Rack Press Poets
Conway Hall
Conway Hall
Meet Opposite Charles Dickens Museum
Sat 17 Oct; 12 - 3pm FREE. Just turn up
Sat 17 Oct; 1.30pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6
Sat 17 Oct; 2.30pm (+ Sat 3, Sun 4 & Sun 18 Oct 2.30pm)
CALLIGRAPHY DEMONSTRATION AND WORKSHOP
26 WORDSTOCK
Calligraphers will demonstrate their work in the historic church of St George’s Bloomsbury and visitors will be invited to learn some calligraphy and contribute to a collaborative artwork.
A celebration of words and writing through talking, listening, and creating together. How is great writing created, and how can exploring the writing process deepen our understanding of our own work? For anyone – from any field – who loves words and writing.
South London Lettering Association
St George’s Church Sat 17 Oct; 12 noon - 3pm FREE. Just turn up
An entertaining and thought-provoking performance of original dance, poetry and live music brought to you by Sage Dance Company, Rack Press Poets and Friends.
THE BALLAD WALK OF CHARLES DICKENS
Camden Guides & Vivien Ellis (See page 17)
Tickets: £10
26 Writers
Conway Hall - Library Sat 17 Oct; 2pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6
EVENT TYPES: ▐ TALKS & LITERATURE ▐ WALKS ▐ WORKSHOPS ▐ MUSIC ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM
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Sat 17 - Sun 18 October
Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily TEXTILE MARATHON
Threading Organisms 3.0 Performance with icandance A collaboration with icandance, an organisation led by Juliet Diener, raising the voices of disabled children and young people through dance. Part of Threading Organisms 3.0 - a socially engaged art initiative. Holborn Library Sat 17 Oct; 3.30pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
SOUNDING THE ARCHIVE THE EMILY PENROSE DIARIES Ilenia Cipollari
A vocal performance exploring historian and academic Emily Penrose’s 1887 diaries. Ilenia Cipollari weaves archival text with medieval and Mediterranean polyphony to investigate memory, erasure, and the living voice. Conway Hall Sat 17 Oct; 7pm (+ Sun 18 Oct 1pm) Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
NUNS WITH TATTOOS The Avieli Arthouse
A cabaret by British-Jamaican queer Christian artist Esther Foga; an intimate voyage of selfdiscovery. Nuns With Tattoos asks: Who are you when no one’s in the room? Conway Hall Sat 17 Oct; 7pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
32
Sound, Spectacle and Invention, KOGG; Photo by Sam Walton
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk FRESHLY PLUCKED Alvaro Ibarra London Composers Forum presents Alvaro Ibarra playing new music for the classical guitar and baroque theorbo. Holy Cross Church Sat 17 Oct; 7.30pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
THE BALLAD WALK OF ST GILES: Camden Guides & Vivien Ellis (See page 16) Starts at Central St Giles Piazza Sun 18 Oct; 11am (+ Sat 3, Sun 4 & Sat 17 Oct 11am) Tickets: £10
THE BALLAD WALK OF CHARLES DICKENS
Camden Guides & Vivien Ellis (See page 17) Meet Opposite Charles Dickens Museum Sun 18 Oct; 2.30pm (+ Sat 3, Sun 4 & Sat 17 Oct 2.30pm) Tickets: £10
ETHICAL MATTERS: CREATING BEYOND THE MAINSTREAM Courttia Newland In this talk, novelist and screenwriter Courttia Newland reflects on what it means to be an artist operating in the margins, creating art beyond the mainstream. He shares his experiences and observations for those facing similar hurdles.
SOUNDING THE ARCHIVE: THE EMILY PENROSE DIARIES
Conway Hall
(See page 32)
WHAT IF?
Ilenia Cipollari Conway Hall
Sun 18 Oct; 1pm (+ Sat 17 Oct 7pm) Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
NOT BLOODY LIKELY by Neil Titley, Helix Productions Set in a theatre dressing room in 1935 as the notorious stage diva and original Eliza Doolittle, Mrs Patrick Campbell looks back on her extraordinary life. Conway Hall - Library Sun 18 Oct; 2pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
Sat 17 - Sun 18 October
Sun 18 Oct; 3pm Tickets: £7 - £15 in advance (under 18’s FREE)
Kieran Rayner (baritone) and Gamal Khamis (piano) A two-man show navigating love, war, politics and brotherhood in 1914, What If? combines a moving and entertaining story with live classical song and a branching plot. City Lit - Recital Room Sun 18 Oct; Times 3.30pm & 6pm Tickets: £20, £12 for one show. Book both shows for £30, £18
SUNDAY CONCERT: IN MUSIC IS SUCH ART Harriet Burns, Mark Padmore and Ian Tindale Three acclaimed song artists perform a programme that travels from Schumann to Shakespeare, including Brahms, Purcell and Vaughan Williams, and contemporary works by Jonathan Dove and Cheryl Frances-Hoad. Conway Hall Sun 18 Oct; 6.30pm Tickets: £9 - £20 in advance (under 18’s FREE)
THE IMPERIAL NIGHT SKY UCL Astronomy team (See page 27) The Imperial, Arcus Rooftop Bar and Restaurant Sun 18 Oct; 7pm (+ Wed 14 & Wed 21 Oct 7pm) Tickets: £20
SOUND, SPECTACLE AND INVENTION Kogg Enter the universe of KOGG for an audiovisual journey beyond convention. KOGG create genre-defying sound worlds fusing experimental electronica, contemporary composition, and creative invention City Lit - John Lyons Theatre Sun 18 Oct; 7.30pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
EVENT TYPES: ▐ TALKS & LITERATURE ▐ WALKS ▐ MUSIC ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM
33
Wed 21 - Thu 22 October
34
What We Were and What We Are, IRSAAN / UCL / UAL
Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk OUR VILLAGE ART TRAIL
Holborn Community Association & Cockpit Studios Explore Holborn’s dynamic public artworks on a Cockpit Studios maker-led walking tour. Learn about local history, how the artworks were made, and see murals, casting and community-made artworks. A self guided walk will also be available from 19-30 Oct. See online event listing for details. Starts at Holborn Library Wed 21 Oct; 11am (+ Wed 28 Oct 11am) FREE but places should be pre-booked
Wed 21 - Thu 22 October
THE IMPERIAL NIGHT SKY: UCL Astronomy team (See page 27) The Imperial, Arcus Rooftop Bar and Restaurant Wed 21 Oct; 7pm (+ Wed 14 & Sun 18 Oct 7pm) Tickets: £20
DEEP LONDON: WILLIAM BLAKE AND THE MYSTERIES OF KINGS CROSS
Aiden Andrew Dun
TEXTILE MARATHON: PERFORMANCE Threading Organisms 3.0 A performance including participants from the Threading Organisms 3.0 summer workshops and residency. Part of Threading Organisms 3.0 - a socially engaged art initiative. Holborn Library Thurs 22 Oct; 5pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
(See page 19)
HUGUENOT MUSIC AND DAVID GARRICK
Starts outside St Pancras Church Woburn Place
Bloomsbury Baroque
An original student-devised performance celebrating multicultural Britain through spoken word, live music, movement and immersive theatre.
Thurs 22 Oct, 11am (+ Fri 9, 11am; Sat 10, 2pm; Sun 25, 11am) Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
A concert of music by Huguenot composers, from the 17th & 18th centuries, with period instruments and letters read by the actor David Garrick..
Capital City College Group Kings Cross Campus Theatre
A CLASSICAL GUITAR VOYAGE: NEW WAVE CONCERT
The French Protestant Church of London, Soho Square
BRITANNIA REWIRED Capital City College Group
Wed 21 Oct; 2pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
WHAT WE WERE AND WHAT WE ARE
Organised by IRSAAN/UCL/UAL First-time directors from the Sahrawi Refugee camps explore how their culture has changed after 50 years of enforced displacement. World Premiere screening of films and a Q&A.
Eva Victoria Schockmel Discover the magic of classical guitar in a concert curated and performed by Bloomsbury resident Eva Victoria Schockmel, spanning three centuries from the UK to Paraguay, and featuring one of her own compositions.
Thurs 22 Oct; 6.30pm Tickets: £30 on the door/£27 for standard tickets in advance/£22 for under-18s, students and those on universal credit
The Music Room, 49 Great Ormond St Thurs 22 Oct; 1pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
Bertha DocHouse at Curzon Bloomsbury Wed 21 Oct; 6.20pm Tickets: £12.50 (£10)
EVENT TYPES: ▐ TALKS & LITERATURE ▐ WALKS ▐ MUSIC ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM
35
Thu 22 - Fri 23 October
36
Am I Losing My Mind or Just my Figure? Untethered + Hinterland
Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk BLACKOUT
Clare Best, Ben Cordell & Ábel MGE
Thu 22 - Fri 23 October
RE-TENSION: THE WORK OF HOLDING WORKSHOP
IN OTHER WORDS
Letters from WWII bomber pilot John to his lover are brought to life in a tale of duty and love. Original music, sound design, and narration come together in this new audio documentary-drama. See also accompanying talk on pg 43.
No Working Title Collective
New Wave Concert Cherry Ge (piano)
A workshop alongside No Working Title art collective’s exhibition Re-tension (see page). Showcasing techniques used by the artists, including print, stitch, weave and fibre manipulation.
A solo piano recital tracing how composers have transformed the music of streets and festivals, In Other Words asks what it means to celebrate a culture through the act of artistic reinvention.
Holy Cross Church
Lumen URC
City Lit - Recital Room
Thurs 22 Oct; 7.30pm Tickets: £25/£14/£7 Pay What You Can
Drop-in weaving workshop with Jo Cooper Fri 23 Oct, 1pm -4pm (+Drop in and stitch with Mei Lock Friday 30th October 1pm-4pm) FREE. Just turn up
Fri 23 Oct; 6pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
CULTURE PUB QUIZ
by Daisy de Plume, hosted by quizmaster Ed Coke (See page 17)
TREASURE HUNT AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM
The Lady Ottoline
Culture Quest by Daisy de Plume
Thurs 22 Oct; 8pm (+ Sun 4 & Sun 11 Oct 4pm) Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
(See page 17)
THINKERS, MAKERS AND SCRIBBLERS, WALK 2: FROM DREAMING POETS TO ART BENEATH OUR FEET
Starts at The Great Court, British Museum Fri 23 Oct; 5.30pm (+ Sat 3 Oct 2pm, Fri 9 Oct 5.30pm & Sat 31 Oct 2pm) Tickets: £15 (£8)
Guided walk led by three Camden Tour guides. A series of 3 walks (see pgs 28 and 45), each different (take 1, 2 or all 3!). Walk Two explores characters, stories and events in the East of Bloomsbury. Holy Cross Church Fri 23 Oct; 1pm Tickets: £10
AM I LOSING MY MIND OR JUST MY FIGURE? Untethered + Hinterland
Inventive, physical and achingly human, this Offie-nominated, solo theatre show comically explores life, pregnancy and parenthood and is a must-see for anyone navigating the complexities of modern womanhood. Written by Sam HollandBunyan and Genevieve Labuschagne. City Lit - John Lyons Theatre Fri 23 Oct; 7.30pm (+ Sun 25 Oct at 5pm) Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
FROM THE LABYRINTH The Beati Consort Premiere of a new work for choir and three soloists reimagining the Greek myth of the Minotaur. Sung by the Beati Consort, an exciting new choral ensemble, conducted by Morgen Michel. Holy Cross Church Fri 23 Oct; 7.30pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
EVENT TYPES: ▐ WALKS ▐ WORKSHOPS ▐ MUSIC ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM
37
DISCOVERY HUB
! REE P
F TURN U
JUS
T
ps – grou ed ir ools Sch ng requ ki o o b
THU 22, FRI 23 & SAT 24 OCTOBER Holborn Library 32-38 Theobalds Rd WC1X 8PA An exciting mix of science and creative activities over three days for schools, families and the general public. The Discovery Hub features interactive exhibitions and workshops relating to the theme of Create and Celebrate. Schools activities are aimed at KS2 & KS3 students.
OPENING TIMES THURSDAY 22/ FRIDAY 23 OCT Schools Visits: 10am-3pm Public Opening: 2.30pm-4pm
SATURDAY 24 OCT Family day: 11am to 4pm (Quiet Hour: 11am-12 noon) 38
Photographs from previous Bloomsbury Festival events by Stuart Keegan
Discovery Hub: Thurs 22 - Sat 24 October CAMERA OBSCURA
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Moorfields Step inside an ‘old school’ Camera Obscura to discover the technology used to understand the human eye for health and research.
EVOLUTION OF OUR EMOTIONAL SYSTEM
COLLECTING JOY
UCL’s Centre for Research in Autism and Education, CRAE’s Repository of Autistic Joy, led by Brian Irvine
Dr Ayse U Akarca, UCL Researcher and Artist Participatory storytelling and art activities show how your thought patterns can transform awareness and healing.
The Repository of Autistic Joy is a growing photo gallery where autistic people can share a photo of something that sparks joy.
THE RADIOTHERAPY STATION
Cancer Research UK City of London Radiation Research Centre Find out through interactive activities how radiation can be used to detect and treat cancer.
SOAS ORIGAMI WORKSHOP THE NIGHT SKY
Astronomers from UCL
Learn how to read the night sky with a mobile planetarium show and practical hands-on activities with astronomical telescopes.
An open origami paper folding workshop themed on space, starts, the planets and the night sky.
TAKE ME DOWN TO ELECTRO-CITY UCL UCell
With a focus on solar power for spacecraft this interactive science stand explores hydrogen fuel cell and battery-powered technology.
FROM ANIMALS TO ROBOTS: CELEBRATING NATURE’S DESIGN Dr Sara Adela Abad G., Bioinspired Adaptable Robotics Lab (BioARL), UCL Mechanical Engineering.
Step into a world where nature inspires technology with cutting-edge robotics. Discover how the alpaca’s foot is inspiring the next generation of adaptive robots. Feel, test, and explore how bioinspired feet help robots move and adapt like living organisms.
39
Sat 24 October
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk 200 YEARS OF GARDEN HISTORY IN BRUNSWICK SQUARE A guided walk with Ricci de Freitas, Susan Jellis and Graham Jellis (Friends of Brunswick Square) revealing the secrets of C18th Brunswick Square with an emphasis on the history of the gardens. Brunswick Square Sat 24 Oct; 10.30am FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
BLOOMSBURY’S HORRORMEISTER This guided walk with Kevin Frank Molloy celebrates the work of Bloomsbury’s urbanGothic folk-horror writer Arthur Machen. Explore the streets of Bloomsbury which were Machen’s stomping grounds in the late 1800s, inspiring his early life and works. Starts outside Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, finishes at Faringdon Stn. Sat 24 Oct; 11am Tickets: £10
DISCOVER YOUR CSI SKILLS AND LEARN ABOUT ELIZA FENNING Show us your CSI skills! Join us for fun family forensic science activities, including talks and a bouncy castle, and find out about Eliza Fenning whose funeral took place at this church in 1815. St George the Martyr Sat 24 Oct; 11.30am FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
ELIZA’S DUMPLINGS
Friends of St George’s Gardens A local miscarriage of justice? Eliza Fenning, a local cook, was hanged in 1815 after a travesty of a trial. Her shocking story is dramatised in the church in Queen Square where her funeral took place. St George the Martyr Sat 24 Oct; 3pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
KILLER FORENSICS - BAD SCIENCE SENDS A COOK TO THE SCAFFOLD Sandra Hempel
A talk by Sandra Hempel, former Times journalist, about the flawed 1815 investigation into the alleged poisoning by 21 year-old Eliza Fenning. St George the Martyr Sat 24 Oct; 4.15pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
AUTUMN BRASS IN RUSSELL SQUARE
Commissioners of Russell Square and Bloomsbury Association Enjoy a vibrant programme of live brass music in Russell Square Gardens Russell Square Gardens Sat 24 Oct; 2pm FREE. Just turn up.
CITY LIT BIG BAND CLOSE-UP City Lit Big Band, directed by Simon Henry, presents a celebration of jazz at London’s leading college for adults. The programme will present a wide range of music from standards to television themes. City Lit - Recital Room Sat 24 Oct; 4.30pm FREE - but advance booking is advised
AFRICAN EYE TO THE SUN Grand Union presents REGEN
A performance of roaring African-Jazz-Fusion from members of Grand Union Orchestra’s REGEN Band. Grand Union Orchestra unites world-class musicians from diverse backgrounds to bring the multicultural soundscape of modern Britain to every stage. Holy Cross Church Sat 24 Oct; 7.30pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
EVENT TYPES: ▐ TALKS & LITERATURE ▐ WALKS ▐ MUSIC ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM ▐ FAMILY
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Sat 24 - Sun 25 October
Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily ALL ABOUT THE BIRDS New Wave Theatre
Embarking on parallel road trips through the UK and Lebanon, Zed and Jad drive until dawn. This new international work is a poetic and poignant exploration of what FREEdom can mean. A new play by Maddie Wakeling and Nassim Al-Banna created with Mehdi Zion, Georgina Wheelhan, Fernando Solis. City Lit - John Lyons Theatre Sat 24 Oct; 7.30pm (& Sun 25 Oct 3pm) Tickets: £15/£10/£5 Pay What You Can
AN EVENING WITH GOODENSEMBLE Goodensemble, the Goodenough College orchestra, brings together talented musicians to perform a programme of classical music in an inspiring and enjoyable concert for all audiences. Goodenough College Sat 24 Oct; 8pm Tickets: £12/£10
DEEP LONDON: WILLIAM BLAKE AND THE MYSTERIES OF KINGS CROSS
Aiden Andrew Dun (See page 19)
Starts outside St Pancras Church Woburn Place Sun 25, 11am + (Thurs 22 Oct, 11am; Fri 9, 11am; Sat 10, 2pm;) Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
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Am I Nearly There Yet? Jayne Port; Photo by Susanne Hakuba
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk REAL-TIME BIOLOGY/ INTENTIONAL LIVING Dr Ayse U Akarca
Sat 24 - Sun 25 October
A JOURNEY THROUGH ‘CIUDADES’ Hyde Quartet New Wave Concert
MAKING AN ART PIECE FROM HISTORICAL LETTERS
A programme of excitement and variety, celebrating cultures across the world through interspersed clarinet, saxophone, string and vocal quartet music.
A talk by the writer and composer of Blackout (see pg 36). Clare Best (writer) and Ábel Esbenshade (composer, producer) who discuss making historical letters into an art piece and talk you through steps for creating your own work of art.
City Lit, Recital Room
City Lit
City Lit
Sun 25 Oct; 3pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
Sun 25 Oct; 4.30pm Tickets: £10/£5/FREE Pay What You Can
Sun 25 Oct; 12 noon Tickets: £10
ALL ABOUT THE BIRDS
AM I LOSING MY MIND OR JUST MY FIGURE?
This talk explores the communication between body, mind and its environment. Consciously recognizing emotional/thought patterns allows us to restructure the biology in real time, opening a new perspective for embracing a new/creative way of healthy living.
ON THE BEAT IN BLOOMSBURY A local guided walk celebrating the rich history of Bloomsbury with a fair smattering of stories and memories from when Guide Chris Foster was a Bobby on the Beat in this area, over fifty years ago. Starts at Holy Cross Church Sun 25 Oct; 2pm Tickets: £10
ARCHITECTURE OF BLOOMSBURY Alec Forshaw An illustrated talk on the architectural development of Bloomsbury over four centuries, with Historian and long-standing local resident, Alec Forshaw. City Lit
New Wave Theatre (See far left)
City Lit - John Lyons Theatre Sun 25 Oct; 3pm (+ Sat 24 Oct 7.30pm) Tickets: £15/£10/£5 Pay What You Can
AM I NEARLY THERE?
Untethered + Hinterland (See page 33) City Lit, John Lyons Theatre
Sun 25 Oct; 5pm (+ Fri 23 Oct at 7.30pm) Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
Jayne Port
IMMERSE
A playful dance transforms a day into a series of absurd adventures where the ordinary become bizarre and vividly humorous. Are we always on the way or can we sometimes be here joyfully in the present?
A transcultural journey with musicians from across world traditions. The audience are invited to move through the musicians as they experience the sound through cutting edge 360° spatial audio.
Third Orchestra
Saint George the Martyr
London House, Goodenough College
Sun 25 Oct; 3pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
Sun 25 Oct; 8pm Tickets: £17.50/£12
Sun 25 Oct; 2.30pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
EVENT TYPES: ▐ TALKS & LITERATURE ▐ WALKS ▐ MUSIC ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM
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Wed 28 - Fri 30 October
Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily OUR VILLAGE ART TRAIL (See page 34) Starts at Holborn Library Wed 28 Oct; 11am (+ Wed 11 Oct 11am) FREE but places should be pre-booked
RED RIVER: SONGS AND STORIES OF REFUGE
SOAS Concert Series with Somnath Batabyal and Friends A newly commissioned performance of Indian and Bangladeshi music and readings which celebrates the UK release of an extraordinary new novel set in Assam, West Bengal and Bangladesh. Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS Wed 28 Oct; 7.30pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
THE SCIENCE OF GROWING MINDS: WHAT RESEARCH CAN TELL US ABOUT CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT Birkbeck BabyLab & ToddlerLab
A fun, FREE family event for ages 2–10! Explore how children grow and learn through hands-on activities at Birkbeck on friendship, language, play, the brain and more. Birkbeck Central (Conservatory), University of London - entrance on Malet Street Thurs 29 Oct 10am-4pm & Fri 30 Oct 10am-3pm FREE. Drop in event
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Sankofa, Acquah&co
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk GRUFFALO GRANNY STORY TIME Holborn Library
We’ve partnered with Macmillan Children’s Books to present the latest title in the Gruffalo series - Gruffalo Granny. Published Sept 10 2026, we’re thrilled that Macmillan have shared this Gruffalo children’s activity pack for families at Living Knowledge Network Libraries to enjoy together. The pack encourages children to revisit The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, to challenge their minds and get creative. Holborn Library
Wed 28 - Fri 30 October
SECHEL AND SENSIBILITY AN EVENING OF JEWISH WIT, WISDOM AND WONDER
Co-hosted by the UCL Institute of Education, Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies, with the Jewish Staff Network and ICPG Sechel: Yiddish for Common Sense. An eclectic revue celebrating Jewish intellectual and creative life. Conway Hall Thurs 29 Oct; 7pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
Thurs 29 Oct; 11.30am FREE. Just turn up.
SANKOFA
LET THERE BE LIGHT
New Wave Theatre Acquah&co
THINKERS, MAKERS AND SCRIBBLERS, WALK 3: FROM THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME TO A TIMELESS LEGACY Guided walk led by three Camden Tour guides. A series of 3 walks (see pgs 28 and 36), each different (take 1, 2 or all 3!). Walk Three explores characters, stories and events in the South of Bloomsbury. Holborn Library Fri 30 Oct; 1pm Tickets: £10
LUCY JOY + THOMAS SLADDEN New Wave Concert
A one-woman play; Nicole Acquah’s journey of cultural reconciliation, across Europe, into Ghana.
Piano/vocal jazz duo, currently studying jazz at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. A combination of sensitively interpreted standards and original material.
Holy Cross Church
City Lit - Recital Room
Thurs 29 Oct and Fri 30 Oct; 7pm Tickets: £15 (£10)
Fri 30 Oct; 1pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
Thurs 29 Oct; 1pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
BRITISH CELLO WORKS
AUTUMN INDOOR GARDENING WORKSHOP
British pianist, Phillip Leslie and Canadian Cellist, Clara Hope Simpson present works by the Holborn born Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Benjamin Britten and Frank Bridge written for cello and piano.
NOSFERATU (1922) WITH LIVE ORGAN IMPROVISATION
New Wave Concert Tilly Coulton & Sophia Lim This flute and piano recital traces the seven days of creation told in the ancient stories of Genesis. The programme is a celebration of the natural world and the beauty it has to offer. The Music Room, 49 Great Ormond Street
Join us for a hands-on indoor planting session where you’ll save and package seeds and plant your own pots to take home. Perfect for beginners and anyone looking to grow indoors this autumn. Holborn Library Thurs 29 Oct; 4pm FREE but places should be pre-booked
Phillip Leslie & Clara Hope
City Lit - Recital Room Thurs 29 Oct; 7pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
Bloomsbury Baptist & Aaron Hawthorne Step into the shadows this Halloween weekend, for a late-night screening with improvised pipe organ accompaniment of the silent horror masterpiece Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922), with award-winning organist Aaron Hawthorne. Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church Fri 30 Oct; 9pm Tickets: £15
EVENT TYPES: ▐ TALKS & LITERATURE ▐ WALKS ▐ WORKSHOPS ▐ MUSIC ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM
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Camber Construction are proud to support Bloombury Festival 2026 camberconstruction.co.uk
Sat 31 October
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk DIWALI FESTIVAL Asian Events Media
An outdoor event celebrating Diwali. With music and food and other stalls through the afternoon. Enjoy the sounds of Bollywood, local performers and the spirit of the light festival. Outdoors at Cromer Street and Bramber Green Sat 31 Oct; From 12 noon FREE. Just turn up.
AKDC DIWALI TAKE OVER Join Arts & Kuchipudi Dance Charity (AKDC) for a vibrant celebration of Diwali and the classical Indian dance form of Kuchipudi, just in time for the festival of lights. All welcome. Holy Cross Church Sat 31 Oct; 2pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
TREASURE HUNT AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM
Culture Quest by Daisy de Plume (See page 17) Starts at The Great Court, British Museum Sat 31 Oct; 2pm (+ Sat 3 Oct 2pm, Fri 9 Oct 5.30pm & Fri 23 Oct 5.30pm) Tickets: £15 (£8)
ORGAN RECITAL Robert Sholl A recital on the wonderful Binns organ at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church. Works by Roger-Ducasse, Healey Willan and Julius Reubke. Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church Sat 31 Oct; 4pm FREE. Just turn up. Donations welcome
LANDS - LOST AND FOUND Robert Finegan (saxophone)
A programme for saxophone and electronics, taking a musical journey through landscapes of place and poetry, from Ireland’s west coast outward into a world of birdsong and verse. City Lit Sat 31 Oct; 7pm Tickets: £20/£12/£6 Pay What You Can
Arts & Kuchipudi Dance Charity (AKDC)
EVENT TYPES: ▐ WORKSHOPS ▐ MUSIC ▐ PERFORMANCE & FILM
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Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily ● boxoffice@bloomsburyfestival.org.uk PRINCIPAL PARTNERS
SILVER TIER SPONSORS
LOCAL BUSINESS SPONSORS
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Sponsors & Funders
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk LOCAL BUSINESS SUPPORTERS
P.A.C.E. BUILDING SERVICES
GRANT FUNDERS
BUSINESS CLUB MEMBERS ECS Systems | Environtec Essex Refurbishments | Olli Group
VENUE PARTNERS FRIENDS OF BRUNSWICK SQUARE GARDENS HOLBORN LIBRARY LUMEN URC
THE MUSIC ROOM
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Festival Diary Pre-Festival Events Textile Marathon
15 Jun - 10 Aug
Radical Bloomsbury: 11am Community, Critique and Change
11am
Thursday 8 October
Trailblazers of Bloomsbury
2pm
Bloomsbury: Hotbed of Creativity 12noon
From Burton to Beveridge: 2pm Bloomsbury’s Great Groundbreakers
Between the City and Me
6.15pm
16 Sep
PubLab
29 Sep
Through the Studio Doors
EM Forster, The Buckinghams and Bloomsbury
29 Sep
The Aphasia New Music Group
Friday 2 October
Saturday 3 October
26 UCL Firsts
Online until 31 Jul 2027
Enrich Me With Your Difference 1 - 13 Oct Jonathan Banks EM Forster’s Legacy of Connection
1 Oct - Mid Dec
Portrait(s) of Camden
1 Oct - 30 Nov
Conversations on My Mother’s Bench
2 - 31 Oct
New Wave: Next Steps
2 - 31 Oct
Moments of Grace
2 - 31 Oct
20 Years of Bloomsbury Festival Photography
3 - 31 Oct
Picturing Our Menopause
3 - 31 Oct
Visionary Landscapes
7.30pm
3 Oct - 28 Nov
When We Grow: 3 - 31 Oct Nature, Nurture and Childhood Making in 3D: WM College Showcase
7 - 10 Oct
Home Truths
1 - 31 Oct
Welcome to My Place: Mei Lock
19 - 30 Oct
Re-Tension: The Work of Holding
19 - 30 Oct
The Bloomsbury Bookshop Crawl
Sunday 11 October
6.30pm
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Capturing the Transformation of Bloomsbury
Two Centuries Here
Wednesday 7 October
Thursday 1 October
Exhibitions
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Listen at Bloomsbury Radio online 3pm-9pm daily
Festival Radio and Podcasts
6pm
A Feeling for Poetry
6.30pm
Mad Song Play Steve Reich
7.30pm
Radical Bloomsbury
11am
The Ballad Walk of St Giles
11am
Friday 9 October
Our Bloomsbury Workshop
11am
Deep London: William Blake
Treasure Hunt at The British Museum 2pm
Threads in Common
Let’s See What Happens
Rugby Estate Walking Tour
2pm
The Ballad Walk of Charles Dickens 2.30pm Our Bloomsbury Archive Screening 4pm Uplift: Stories of Joy
7pm
Hold Space Gathering
7.30pm
Sunday 4 October The Ballad Walk of St Giles
11am
The Ballad Walk of Charles Dickens 2.30pm Culture Pub Quiz
4pm
Music for Kankles
7pm
1pm
11am
11am & 2pm 2pm
Treasure Hunt at the British Museum
5.30pm
User Manual For a Broken Machine 7pm
Saturday 10 October The London Welsh Autumn Market
10am-5.30pm
Family Art Day
10am-12 noon
Bloomsbury: Hotbed of Creativity 12 noon The Dragon Café Singers Deep London: William Blake
12.30pm 2pm
Monday 5 October
Bloomsbury’s Back Yard 3pm & 7.30pm
Time Moves: New Wave Theatre
User Manual for a Broken Machine 7pm
7pm
Tuesday 6 October Textile Marathon: Forum/Discussion 5pm Radical Poster Design Workshop 6.30pm Time Moves: New Wave Theatre
7pm
The Portal
8pm
Rugby Estate Walking Tour
11am
Bloomsbury’s Back Yard: 3pm The History of a Forgotten Community Singing Brazil: Nossa Voz
3pm
Culture Pub Quiz
4pm
Trio Louise Farrenc
5pm
Patient: Soldier
6pm
Wednesday 14 October Student London: 200 Years of Student Life in the Capital
1pm
UCL200 Walking Tours
1pm and 3pm
Opening the Doors to Cancer Research
6pm
The Imperial Night Sky
7pm
Thursday 15 October From Burton to Beveridge: 2pm Bloomsbury’s Great Groundbreakers Dance/Movement Therapy Workshop
5pm
What Makes You Proud Film Premiere
6.30pm
The Peaceful Crystallographer and Other Songs
6.30pm
Festival Diary
Tickets/Info: bloomsburyfestival.org.uk Friday 16 October 10am
The Ballad Walk of St Giles
11am
Thinkers, Makers, Scribblers: Walk 2
1pm
12 noon
Sounding the Archive: The Emily Penrose Diaries
1pm
Re-Tension Workshop
1pm
Not Bloody Likely
2pm
Making Art Together Mindful Colouring for Adults
Thinkers, Makers, Scribblers: Walk 1 1pm 1. Empty Sky: New Wave Theatre
6pm
Poetry: A Matter of Life and Death 6pm We Love And Then We Drown 6.15pm & 8.15pm Abolition Song
Friday 23 October
Sunday 18 October
6.30pm
What If?
We Love And Then We Drown
Her & Him
The Imperial Night Sky
7.30pm
The Ballad Walk of St Giles
11am
Femmes De Soleil (Women of the Sun)
12 noon
Calligraphy Demonstration
12 noon
The Bloomsbury Bookshop Crawl
1pm
Lifelines: Poetry, Dance and Music 1.30pm
11am 7.30pm
From the Labyrinth: The Beati Consort 7.30pm
Red River: Songs and Stories of Refuge
Saturday 24 October
Thursday 29 October
200 Years of Garden History in Brunswick Square
The Science of Growing Minds
10am
7pm
Gruffalo Granny Story Time
11.30am
7.30pm
Bloomsbury’s Horrormeister
4.30pm
Wednesday 21 October Our Village Art Trail
11am
Britannia Rewired
2pm
What We Were and What We Are 6.20pm 7pm
26 Wordstock
2pm
Thursday 22 October
Holborn Community Orchestra
2pm
Deep London: William Blake
11am
The Ballad Walk of Charles Dickens 2.30pm
A Classical Guitar Voyage
1pm
Textile Marathon Performance
Discovery Hub
3.30pm
Sounding the Archive: The Emily Penrose Diaries
7pm
Nuns with Tattoos
7pm
Freshly Plucked
7.30pm
We Love And Then We Drown
7.30pm
Textile Marathon Performance
2.30-4pm 5pm
Huguenot Music & David Garrick 6.30pm Blackout Culture Pub Quiz
8pm
Our Village Art Trail
Sunday Concert: In Music Is Such Art 6.30pm
The Imperial Night Sky
Immerse: Third Orchestra
Wednesday 28 October
3pm
Sound, Spectacle and Invention
Saturday 17 October
Am I Losing My Mind or Just My Figure? 5pm
In Other Words: New Wave Concert
3.30pm & 6pm
Concert Double Bill: 7pm Soraya Verjee & No More Girl Friday
2.30-4pm
4.30pm
Treasure Hunt at the British Museum 5.30pm
The Ballad Walk of Charles Dickens 2.30pm Ethical Matters: Creating Beyond the Mainstream
Discovery Hub
Making an Art Piece from Historical Letters
7.30pm 8pm
6pm
Am I Losing My Mind or Just My Figure? 7.30pm
Discovery Hub
10.30am 11am
Let There Be Light: New Wave Concert 1pm
11am-4pm
Autumn Indoor Gardening Workshop 4pm Sechel and Sensibility
7pm
Autumn Brass in Russell Square
2pm
Sankofa: New Wave Theatre
7pm
Eliza’s Dumplings
3pm
British Cello Works
7pm
Killer Forensics
4.15pm
City Lit Big Band
4.30pm
African Eye to the Sun
7.30pm
All About the Birds
7.30pm
Discover your CSI Skills
An Evening with Goodensemble
11.30am
8pm
Sunday 25 October Deep London: William Blake
11am
Real-Time Biology/Intentional Living 12 noon On the Beat in Bloomsbury
2pm
Architecture of Bloomsbury
2.30pm
‘Ciudades’ Hyde Quartet
3pm
All About the Birds
3pm
Am I Nearly There?
3pm
Friday 30 October The Science of Growing Minds
10am
Thinkers, Makers, Scribblers: Walk 3
1pm
Lucy Joy and Thomas Sladden
1pm
Sankofa: New Wave Theatre
7pm
Nosferatu
9pm
Saturday 31 October Trailblazers of Bloomsbury Diwali Festival AKDC Diwali Take Over
11am 12 noon 2pm
Treasure Hunt at the British Museum 2pm Organ Recital
4pm
Lands - Lost and Found
7pm
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DAILY FESTIVAL COVERAGE FROM BLOOMSBURY INSTITUTE’S BLOOMSBURY RADIO 3pm to 9pm from 1 - 31 October 2026 Behind the scenes access, exclusive live interviews plus live reports from the streets of Bloomsbury. Tune in at:
bil.ac.uk/bloomsburyradio or via bloomsburyfestival.org.uk
BLOOMSBURY RADIO News and coverage of events across the festival Bloomsbury Radio trains students and members of the local community to broadcast this unique festival coverage. Festival podcasts and interviews available year-round on Bloomsbury Festival Spotify site.
BLOOMSBURY FESTIVAL: Senate House, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HU www.bloomsburyfestival.org.uk | admin@bloomsburyfestival.org.uk Registered charity No. 1149001 | Limited Company registered in England & Wales No. 07977987 | VAT Registration No. 1374928 87