GREENWICH + DOCKLANDS
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2026
WE MOVE

“One of the best free festivals in the UK” (The Guardian), Greenwich+Docklands International Festival returns this summer with an extraordinary programme of theatre, circus and dance.

This year’s theme WE MOVE and extraordinary line-up of performances celebrates London’s spirit of resilience and community in the face of life’s myriad challenges from 21 Aug—6 Sep.

A life-enhancing dance spectacular in 360 opens the festival in Woolwich, immersive theatre meets a live film set at Greenwich Peninsula, a son et lumiere transforms Romford Market and Thamesmead plays host to the voice of nature itself. Plus so much more!

Plan your visits to “London’s most spectacular free festival” (Time Out) now!

WHAT'S ON

4 dancers dressed in white and grey sprinting around a circular metal structure in the middle of a stage. Within the structure 2 dancers hold on to the railings looking out at the audience that surrounds them. 2 other dancers crouch dramatically either side of them.

360

21 August

General Gordon Square, Woolwich,

SE18 6AB

Two figures stand in an industrial space looking up at circular metal structure.

Inertie

22 – 23 August

Greenwich Park, The Avenue,

SE10 8XJ

A performer dressed in blue, hangs upside down at the top of a ladder. Behind them a bright blue sky with white fluffy clouds.

Do Birds Dream Of Flying

22 – 23 August

General Wolfe Piazza, Greenwich Park,

SE10 8XJ

A Place Between Mass & Echoes

22 – 23 August

Greenwich Park, General Wolfe Piazza,

SE10 8XJ

Meet Me By The Fountain

28 – 29 August

Romford Market, Romford,

RM1 3ER

Efectos Especiales

29 – 30 August

Greenwich Peninsula

Four black women pose in colourful traditional Nigerian party outfits. They wear sunglasses and are posing powerfully. In the middle of them stands a young black women in casual clothes, with her arms crossed.

The Aunties: House of Masks

31 August

Beresford Square, Woolwich,

SE18 6AR

Nigel Kobby Taylor, grandson of Afro-beat legend Ebo Taylor, wears a white tshirt and holds a microphone smiling, waving his arm in the air.

The Torch

31 August

General Gordon Square, Woolwich,

SE18 6AB

CHAIR!

3 – 4 September

Queen’s Market Square, Green Street, East Ham,

E13 9JJ

A crowd of people sat on grass staring at an LED screen that glows red. Behind the screen is a forest

Nature Speaks

5 – 6 September

Tump53 Nature Reserve, Water Lily Walk, Thamesmead,

SE28 8AS

Benched

5 September

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford,

E20 2AR

Man Down

6 September

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford,

E20 2AR

A diverse ensemble of 5 performer dressed in casual clothes dance energetically. They are in front of a busy crowd of people in a town centre and are framed by 2 people in high vis vests.

(In)visible Dancing

6 September

General Gordon Square, Woolwich, SE18 6AB

The Guardian

‘GDIF’s contribution to the happiness of the people of London is unrivalled’

Time Out

‘London’s most spectacular free festival’

To Do List

‘The festival that makes it worth living in London’

The Stage

‘London’s annual festival remains accessible, engaging and inspiring’

The Standard

‘Bringing London’s parks, riversides and rooftops to life with extraordinary outdoor performances’

A large, diverse crowd of families and friends sit outdoors at Greenwich Fair, smiling, clapping, and enjoying a live performance. Children sit at the front, joining in the applause.

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GDIF’s varied programme is full of sponsorship opportunities.

Join our sponsors

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Our patron’s help thousands of people in London experience the joy of free arts each year.

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Two volunteers smile at the camera outdoors. They wear matching pink T-shirts and caps. One holds leaflets and a booklet. People and trees appear softly blurred in the background.

Volunteer

Volunteers play a vital role in the fabric of the festival every year.

Join the 2026 cohort

A large audience gathers in front of Greenwich Peninsula to watch Ripple, a circus performance featuring a giant metal spiral. Three performers move across the circular structure on an outdoor stage surrounded by crowds.

Explore our Partners

Our partners make every moment of free and accessible joy possible.

Become a partner today

Access

GDIF was the first UK festival to be awarded the Platinum level for accessibility by Attitude Is Everything’s Live Events Charter.

We are committed to removing barriers between audiences and the arts and creating an unforgettable experience.

We champion deaf and disabled artists, work hard to make event sites accessible and publish detailed access resources to help you plan your visit.

Find out more about access at GDIF

Members of the Citizens of the World Choir sing energetically outdoors in Woolwich. The diverse group, dressed in bright and patterned outfits, perform joyfully together, some smiling and clapping beneath a clear sky.

Four female tightrope walkers balance on a high wire with long poles, performing above a crowd gathered on Greenwich Park Hill. The London skyline stretches behind them under a soft evening sky.

Two dancers perform a duet on an outdoor stage at Greenwich Fair, reaching towards each other as a large crowd of families and spectators watch on a tree-lined avenue.

A performer in a bright traditional costume walks beside a person in a large pink elephant puppet costume, interacting playfully with children in the audience at Greenwich Fair.

Three female performers strain together to lift and balance a huge orange fabric sculpture during a contemporary outdoor theatre piece at Greenwich Fair, while onlookers watch nearby.

A group of children and parents watch a performance at Greenwich Fair. A young child in a red top and denim dungarees stands and claps, surrounded by smiling faces and people enjoying the show.

A large crowd gathers outside a modern building to watch a circus performer suspended horizontally from a metal structure in Walking on the Wall, with the entrance to a food hall and bar visible in the background.

Two performers interact on a curved metal structure during The Scale, one suspended horizontally while the other supports them by the hands. The O2 Arena’s yellow masts rise in the background beneath dramatic clouds.

A large audience gathers in front of Greenwich Peninsula to watch Ripple, a circus performance featuring a giant metal spiral. Three performers move across the circular structure on an outdoor stage surrounded by crowds.

Audience members sit in the sunshine watching an outdoor performance. A young girl covers her ears beside adults who are smiling, clapping, and taking photos.

A person wearing sunglasses and a red jumper reads a colourful GDIF 2025 festival programme outdoors, with modern buildings and trees visible behind them.

Performers in dark suits balance and leap on a large white V-shaped floating structure during a lakeside performance, with one person mid-fall into the water as others maintain their balance.

Two male dancers perform a contemporary duet outdoors, dressed in white. One dancer supports the other, who extends forward holding a glass of water. Behind them, trees and part of London Stadium’s structure are visible.

A group of male dancers in pink suits and white T-shirts perform a powerful, synchronized routine outdoors. The main dancer in the foreground moves energetically, captured mid-motion against a backdrop of trees and tall city buildings.

Three dancers wearing bright flowing skirts in pink, blue, and green lean back in unison, faces lifted joyfully toward the sun, as an outdoor crowd watches behind them.

A male dancer in a red shirt performs in a wheelchair, raising one arm and one leg high in the air against a backdrop of pink Greenwich + Docklands International Festival banners.

A dancer wearing a patterned headscarf and yellow sleeveless shirt aims a brightly colored blue and white toy water gun, pulling back the elastic cord in a focused pose against a cloudy sky background.