Windrush Day — 22 June — marks the anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush docking in Tilbury in 1948, bringing Afro-Caribbean immigrants to the United Kingdom.
Many of those passengers stayed in the UK, settling in London or further afield, finding jobs, raising families and becoming part of their local communities.
More recently, the Windrush Scandal has hit the headlines, with people who arrived on the Windrush and via other means being wrongly detained or deported, despite having the right to live in the UK. It was the Windrush Scandal which intensified the campaign for Windrush Day to be recognised, and the first official Windrush Day was held in 2018, to recognise the contributions made by migrants to UK society, as well as celebrating their heritage.
Here's where to celebrate Windrush Day 2026 in London.
Windrush 26 @ Brixton House (13-20 June)
Brixton House gets the party started early, kicking off a week of Windrush events on 13 June with Come Mek We Larf, a night of African-Caribbean comedy. That's followed by events including a reading of Derek Walcott's Pantomime, in which the staging of a panto between an English hotel owner and his Black Trinidadian handyman turns out to be very revealing about colonial history; and Bringing the Vibez, a free afternoon of DJs, exercise workshops, clothing vendors and more.
Windrush 26 @ Brixton House, 13-20 June
Hackney Windrush events 2026 (14 June-19 July)
A plethora of Windrush events takes place across Hackney borough, starting a week ahead of the big day itself — and ploughing on well into July. Watch Jah Makin It Happen: A Reggae Musical at Hackney Empire, dig into Caribbean dishes at A Taste of Windrush and attend Windrush Herstory workshops at Dalston CLR James Library. That's just a flavour of what's happening.
Hackney Windrush events, 14 June-19 July
Lewisham Windrush Day events (15-21 June)
Home to many residents from, and descendants of, the Windrush generation, Lewisham borough has a generous helping of events taking place in 2026, including Caribbean dance workshops, community storytelling, carnival headpiece crafting and board games.
Lewisham Windrush Day events, 15-21 June
Lambeth Windrush Day events (18-28 June)
The smattering of Windrush events in Lambeth include a discussion with author Beulah 'Guess' Smith-Coombs, about her memoir They Call Me Guess (charting her early childhood in 1950s rural Jamaica, before her move to swinging 60s Britain), and a reminiscence workshop on the dresses and personal photos of Windrush pioneer Girleyvine.
Celebrations conclude long after the day itself, with the fourth annual Big Caribbean Lunch — a street party-vibe affair in Brixton's Windrush Square.
Lambeth Windrush Day events, 18-28 June
Haringay Windrush Day events (20-26 June)
A couple of great looking Black history walking tours (one in Tottenham, the other along Green Lanes), form part of Haringay's week of Windrush events. The free entry Blockorama steel pan festival — taking place at Lordship Recreational Ground — should get you up on your feet, too.
Haringay Windrush Day events, 20-26 June
Windrush Day 2026 @ National Maritime Museum, Greenwich (20 June)
As ever, Greenwich's National Maritime Museum goes all out for Windrush Day (or in this case a couple of days before, on 20 June) — with an action-packed day of events at the museum, and in the grounds outside the Queen's House and National Maritime Museum. Events include board games with the Caribbean Social Forum, an actor playing Windrush voyager Pearl Morris and a Caribbean cloth printing workshop inspired by Althea McNish.
National Maritime Museum Windrush Day, 20 June, 11am-4pm, free
Windrush Homecoming Celebration, Kentish Town (20 June)
Ska and reggae, African and Caribbean crafts, sports activities for kids, and food and drink galore are on the docket for the Windrush Homecoming Celebration, taking place on Talacre Town Green in Kentish Town West.
Windrush Homecoming Celebration, 20 June, 12pm-6pm, free
Windrush Heritage Community Family Day @ Lloyd Park, Croydon (20 June) and the Windrush Generation Legacy Association @ Whitgift Centre Croydon (ongoing)
The sounds of classic reggae, soca, Afrobeat, soul and calypso ring out over Croydon's Lloyd Park on 20 June, for the Windrush Heritage Community Family Day, which also features Caribbean cuisine, children's activities and community stalls.
In Croydon's Whitgift Centre, meanwhile, you're welcome to call in on Tuesday-Saturday to see 'Gaan a Farin', a recreation of a Windrush era front room, dining room and bedroom. Also check out whatever temporary exhibition is on show, and chat to the friendly volunteers here.
Windrush Heritage Community Family Day, 20 June
The Windrush Generation Legacy Association, Tuesday-Saturday, free
Radiate Windrush Festival @ Mudchute Park (21 June)
A day of live music, DJs, retro and classic cars, and community activities awaits at Mudchute Park for the Radiate Windrush Festival — all helped along with servings of tropical punch. The website also promises "great weather", for which you've got to admire the optimism.
Radiate Windrush Festival, 21 June
Windrush Day 2026 @ QUEERCIRCLE, North Greenwich (21 June)
'Queer cousins of all backgrounds' are invited to an afternoon of dominoes, games, food and conversation at QUEERCIRCLE. It's hosted by Queer(ibbean) Domino Project, a setup centring queer Caribbean histories, legacies and culture. Book your space, and arrive hungry.
Windrush Day 2026, 21 June, free
Carrying the Flame @ World Heart Beat, Nine Elms (22 June)
On Windrush Day itself, World Heart Beat in Nine Elms stages an evening of reggae, ska, calypso and jazz, courtesy of pianist Ayo Vincent and genre-blending vocalist, Ava Joseph.
Carrying the the Flame, 22 June
Windrush: A Journey of Discovery @ Shoe Lane Library, City (22 June)
Patricia Smith arrived in the UK in 1972 and was impacted by the Windrush scandal in 1984. In this free talk (happening in-person and online) she discusses the highs and lows of her experiences as a Windrusher. If you attend in person, you can also enjoy a display of Smith's paintings.
Windrush: A Journey of Discovery, 22 June, free
London, Sugar & Slavery @ London Museum Docklands (ongoing)
The permanent London, Sugar & Slavery exhibition always makes for a sobering visit: through haunting diagrams of slaves ships, the letters of Ignatious Sancho and antique sugar loaves, you'll learn how the capital played a damning role in the torture and deaths of some 15 million men, women and children — many who perished in the Caribbean.
London, Sugar & Slavery, London Museum Docklands, ongoing, free
Brixton's Black Cultural Archives (ongoing)
Aptly located on Windrush Square, the Black Cultural Archives (BCA) is home to a reading room, library and exhibition space, dedicated to collecting and recording the stories of African and Caribbean people in Britain. There are several books about the Windrush generation, and the archives also has copies of the 1948 Nationality Act, which gave all colonial subjects British citizenship, and subsequent Immigration Acts which attempted to remove this right. In 2021, the BCA teamed up with TfL to release a Black history Tube map, with each stop named after an important figure in Black British history.
BCA is open to the public, or you can explore many of its records online, as well as viewing digital exhibitions.
In 2023 we visited ahead of the launch of BCA's special Windrush exhibition, Over A Barrel: Windrush Children Tragedy and Triumph (see video above).
Have a Caribbean party in London
Busspepper events specialise in Caribbean parties in London, including regular Bacchanal Fridays inspired by the pre-carnival parties in Trinidad, with soca music — an offshoot of the Calypso genre — a speciality. Brixton Jamm, Hoxton's Troy Bar and Hootananny Brixton are all ones to watch for regular reggae nights.
And then of course, there's carnival. Over the August bank holiday weekend, the streets of west London will once more shake and jiggle with the sounds of mas, soca and calypso for Notting Hill Carnival.
