Totally Thames — London's annual celebration of everything riverine — returns for its 28th year in 2024. Here, we dip our toe into the cultural waters, to bring you our pick of events.
Hosted by the Thames Festival Trust, Totally Thames runs across 20 boroughs (including the City) from 1-30 September 2024. There are exhibitions, performances, art installations, boat trips, walks, talks and more — all designed to help you learn about, and appreciate, the Thames. London's multitude of other rivers, docks, beaches and the like are celebrated too.
Here's a smattering of happenings that've caught our eye:
- One In, One Out (5-7 Sept) Artist Lucy Hayhoe creates a tiny gay bar in Crossrail Place Roof Garden, where you're invited to experience a mini queer night out... in just five minutes.
- Hulked (7 Sept) Spend an hour aboard the sailing barge, Edith May, where you'll listen to stories and folk music about London's barges.
- Kayaking Taster Sessions (7-8 Sept) Take to the Thames in a kayak, with Chelsea Kayak Club (CKC) leading the way. Perhaps a new hobby awaits...
- Theatreship: Totally Tuesdays (10, 17 and 24 Sept) For three Tuesdays in the month, Theatreship, the Docklands' own floating theatre/cinema, screens three different river-themed films, paired with live entertainment.
- Sing For Water (15 Sept) Over 40 choirs join forces to form a 'super choir', singing a repertoire of (we assume) water-themed songs at the Scoop near Tower Bridge (this one's totally free).
- Nadī (18-20 Sept) Nadī is a Marathi word for 'river', and this dance duet performed at Rambert by Aishwarya Raut and Antonello Sangirardi is described as "an exploration of a tale from the Konkan region of India", diving into topics of desire, resilience and identity.
- Great River Race (21 Sept) 250+ boat crews compete in this extraordinary marathon along the Thames from Millwall to Richmond.
- Serene Sounds (21-22 Sept) Lay on a candle-lit stage while being transported to a place of relaxed focus via sound bath vibrations and classical music from Transposed Ensemble.
- Hands on History: Exploring Mudlarking Treasures (28 September) Kate Sumnall, Archaeological Curator at London Museum, discusses mudlarking finds, including iconic Bronze Age swords and Tudor toys — with plenty of stories to tell along the way.
Totally Thames, London-wide, 1-30 September 2024. Find out more on the official website.
