The borough that gave us Stormzy, Tracey Emin and David Lean, Croydon flexes its cultural heft this autumn — with the 11th edition of the Croydonites festival.
From 4-21 November 2026, venues in central Croydon and South Norwood will shimmer with a medley of comedy, clowning, theatre, film and more. Here are a handful of happenings that've caught our eye:
📱 Turn Your F*cking Phones Off (The Front Room, 4 November): Hannah Maxwell had us at the title, and perhaps that's for the best, because we're not quite sure what this is. Hannah? "I suppose it's a theatre show. Perhaps it's an interdisciplinary, interactive, mixed-media piece of performance art. A town hall meeting at the end of the world. A karaoke booth in a nuclear bunker." Sounds like a you-need-to-be-there kinda thing. Anyway, the Guardian was, and gave it ★★★★
👄 Primal Bog (Society Room at Stanley Arts, 5 November): "Lip syncs, storytelling, lesbian slime wrestling, live tattooing..." All of these — plus some seriously eye-raising cameos — are promised in Rosa Garland's latest clowning caper, which promises to pull us into our too-often-hidden desires...
🐻 Man or Bear (The Front Room, 11 November): Katie Hurley of You're So F**king Croydon fame stars alongside Sarah Hehir in kitchen-sink-meets-movement-and-music piece, Man or Bear. It's based on the viral question "Would you rather be alone in the woods with a man or a bear?", and explores the stories women share, and the friendships they forge in an increasingly perilous world.
🗡️ Team Viking (Society Room at Stanley Arts, 12 November): For 10 years, James Rowland has been regaling audiences with the epic — and epically heart-warming/funny — story about how he arranged a Viking funeral for his best friend. Here's another chance to catch this comic ode to death, friendship and the beautiful absurdity of life, which has delighted audiences across the UK and beyond.
🎥 Redux: Heads of State (Croydon/David Lean Cinema, 14 November): Film buff Richard Dedomenici leads a tour of 'Crollywood' locations — where scenes from the likes of Batman, The Da Vinci Code and Black Mirror have been shot (there's a recent update too, thanks to the famous Opalite escalator). That's followed by a visit to the David Lean Cinema, which premieres Heads of State: Redux, a 'remake' of the recent Netflix action film shot around Croydon — this time directed by Dedomenici, and using enthusiastic volunteers as actors/extras. (You're also invited to join in the shoot on 11 October).
Croydonites, 4-21 November 2026. Check out the full programme.
