Greenwich+Docklands International Festival is an annual festival of spectacular free outdoor events. Each year we commission and present performances which set out to inspire, astonish and awaken the senses. This year the festival runs from Saturday 25 June to Saturday 30 July.

Click here for a large print version of the 2005 GDIF programme

Click here for GDIF transport map and access information

The Maritime Mysteries                     
Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 June
9.30pm
Lower Grand Square, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, SE10
DLR: Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich
Rail: Greenwich

FREE

The power of the sea and its awesome creative and destructive potential is evoked in this poetic, newly commissioned spectacle. Audiences will be surrounded by images, sound, music and performances drawn from global waterfront cultures ranging from the Celtic fringes of Europe, to the Bay of Bengal, via South East Asia and Brazil. Featuring aerial theatre, giant puppetry and a sea of voices from local communities in Greenwich, this very special production has been developed to coincide with the 2005 Sea Britain initiative.

Directed by Felix Barrett, The Maritime Mysteries has been created by a team of artists including Akintayo Akinbode, Ali Pretty, Sofie Layton, Bethan Jennings, Yellow Earth Theatre, Korak Ghosh, Mike Pattison and Steve Dobbie.

“Fantastic, really superb, well organised” (audience comment from GDIF’s Encounters at the Old Royal Naval College in 2003)

Dancing City                                       
Saturday 9 July
1.00pm – 5.00pm
Canary Wharf, E14
Underground: Canary Wharf
DLR: Canary Wharf

FREE

Heads up! with this celebration of Canary Wharf’s extraordinary architecture as dance takes to the skies with leading aerialists offering a dizzying response to London’s post-modern business quarter. There will be inspiration from Blue Eyed Soul’s newly commissioned duet for a disabled and non-disabled performer; emotional heat from Franck Laure (France), precision and style from Bencha (Netherlands), circus for grown ups from Company F/Z, fearless symmetry from Viva (as seen on the BBC ident) and a finale tour de force spectacle on a crane from Transe Express (France).

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience an extraordinary range of aerial performance in an incomparable setting.

Click here for the Dancing City map and programme

Renaissance                                 
Saturday 16 July
9.30pm
Three Mills Green, E3
Underground: Bromley by Bow
DLR: Bow Church

FREE

The dynamic energy of East London’s regeneration will be captured in this inspirational spectacle. Audiences will be surrounded by towering architectural imagery, choreographed JCBs, aerial performance and pyrotechnics as a city of dreams takes shape around them. Directed by Kevin Finnan of Motionhouse Dance Theatre with the participation of Catalan “Castells” (human towers) and The World Famous, this will be an extraordinary occasion, building on the success of previous GDIF events at Three Mills Green including “Monsoon Mela” and “The Bridge”. With stunning visual imagery created in local schools and community settings, “Renaissance” will also provide a memorable “thank you” to all those in East London who have taken part in London’s bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

“Truly truly magnificent” (audience comment from GDIF’s Monsoon Mela at Three Mills Green in 2004)

Drako
Saturday 23 July
9.30pm
Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, SE18
Rail: Woolwich Arsenal

FREE

A dragon awakens and sets off on a terrifying journey through the streets of Woolwich accompanied by a foolhardy circus impressario. Following their success at GDIF in 2001 with processional sea-creatures and insects, Sarruga returns with an incredible dragon – as high as a house! Fire, special effects and water are all part of the mayhem as a team of luckless dragon handlers try to restore control….

“Fantastic, really good inventive show” (audience comment from GDIF’s Tattoo at the Royal Arsenal in 2003)

Festival Finale                              
Saturday 30 July
8.30pm
Starts: Roman Road (junction with Usher Road)
Finishes: Mile End Park (Wennington Green)
Underground: Mile End
DLR: Limehouse

FREE

Following the success of Compagnie Off’s Giraffes in 2003 and Plasticiens Volants’ inflatable birds in 2004, this year’s Festival Finale is a fantastic voyage through the streets of Bow with the French outdoor theatre company Malabar. A giant ship of dreams will set sail along Roman Road with a crew of stiltwalkers, musicians and aerialists. Docking at Wennington Green (by Bow Wharf), the show reaches a breathtaking climax with aerial performance, pyrotechnics and an ocean of foam!

“I have never seen anything like this before in my life… and was just mesmerised by the whole event…” (audience comment from GDIF’s Festival Finale at Mile End Park in 2004)

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