Bloomsbury has got a formidable reputation for artsy goings on, with bohemian artists and writers making it their stamping ground a century ago. But this neighbourhood's relationship with creativity isn’t just in the past – it’s right here in the present too, as is more than evident with the Bloomsbury Festival, a haven of music, theatre, talks, walks and much more. The festival runs over a long weekend from Friday October 17- Sunday October 19, with 50 events scattered across various locations, many of them platforming artists selected by the Bloomsbury New Wave development programme.
The 2025 programme has been curated with the theme ‘The Paths We Tread’, sparked by research into the stories of the ancient streets of St Giles, Seven Dials and Bloomsbury. It'll open with a free launch event, Songs And Ballads Singing Showcase (16th October), that'll be a musical celebration of the local area's past and present. From there, you'll find an eclectic array of events across four main disciplines. In art, there are exhibitions by artists including New Wave prize-winning artist Beth McAlester, who'll explore life for 'ceasefire' babies in Northern Ireland. In music, you'll find polyponic singing in Tuning Dimensions (18th October) and contemporary jazz from J.A.M. String Collective (19th October). And there are also theatre works including Up In The Mango Trees (17th – 18th October), a play following a young disabled woman competing for the title of Carnival Queen in Saint Lucia. Check out the full programme here.