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The Docklands in E16 might not be a must-visit cultural hotspot right now, but a new open-air venue is hoping to change that. Later this year, the team behind some of London’s best venues and festivals – including Printworks, The Drumsheds and Field Day – will bring us Dockyards, a new space to get our fix of music and culture.
Located by the waterside in Silvertown Quays, the 400,000 square-foot open-air venue will provide a new home for a dynamic range of cultural events, all year round. Inspired by the flow of imported goods and the role the Royal Docks have played in London’s history, Dockyards will be a place where ‘all forms of culture converge at the gateway to the capital’.
So far, the new space has two massive events booked to close out the summer, with more to be announced soon. There’s a two-day Defected London spectacular from the renowned label Defected Records on September 3-4, while leading electronic music group Above & Beyond are putting on their Group Therapy weekender will bring a banging line-up of dance music’s finest to the venue on September 10-11. As more events get locked in, the venue aims to work with both the world’s best artists and promote local, homegrown talent.
The Dockyards team is also committed to having a positive impact on the area it is making its new home. They will work with the Royal Docks to ensure it delivers a good social, economic and cultural impact in Newham, whether that’s guaranteeing inclusion and representation of the borough’s diverse population in its programming or committing to providing jobs and business opportunities for local people.
‘We’re really excited to open Dockyards, creating a new centre of cultural gravity for London in the heart of The Royal Docks,’ Bradley Thomspon, group managing director of the venue’s founders Broadwick Live, said.
‘Dockyards will shape the area through cultural and commercial innovation by bringing a year-round programme of events and activities in partnership with the world’s best. As a Broadwick Live venue, visitors and artists are assured of a world-class experience, while we also deliver meaningful impact for the area and local communities.’
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