Curry fans, tikka look at this...
The last Brick Lane Curry Festival took place all the way back in 2016 — but it's finally returning this September, with three days of Bangladeshi activities, plus meaty discounts from participating restaurants.
Taking place in the Brick Lane neighbourhood of east London from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 September 2025, the Brick Lane Curry Festival aims to showcase the best of Brick Lane’s iconic curry scene:
On the Friday and Saturday, there'll be henna painting workshops, classes teaching you how to dance Bangla-style, and 'Dress4thefest' — a personal shopping experience with local experts.
Sunday sees the main day of the festival. There'll be a procession from Buxton Street to the Brick Lane Arch to start the day with themed floats and dancers, then various roaming acts and entertainment — including DJs, stilt walkers and magicians — throughout the afternoon. Street stalls from various restaurants will pitch up outside, offering regional and specialty dishes, and there'll also be pop-up cooking demos, festival-themed street art and live graffiti presentations.
The entire event is free to attend, although those interested are encouraged to register their interest, which will also give you access to a 20% discount for participating restaurants across the weekend. (At time of writing the restaurants are unconfirmed and it's not clear if the discount will apply to dining in, or just the food stalls on the Sunday.)
Bangladeshi immigrants, many hailing from Sylhet, have been calling this part of east London home en masse since the end of the Second World War, with the first curry houses opening not long after. By the 1970s and 1980s Brick Lane had transformed into "Bangla Town", a thriving hub for the Bangladeshi community — and has long been considered one of the best places in Britain to go for a curry.
Says Guljar Khan, from Bangla Town Business Association: "Brick Lane is more than just a street, it's the soul of Bangla Town and a symbol of our community’s resilience, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit. For decades, our businesses have brought people together through the warmth of our hospitality and the richness of our cuisine."
Anyone who enjoys a curry would be Madras to miss it.
Brick Lane Curry Festival, 19-21 September 2025, 12pm-9pm each day, free entry
