Community, music and voices come together at Waterloo Festival
From 9 July – 12 July 2026, we will host a four-day weekend of music, contemporary art, storytelling and community events.
Waterloo Festival is an annual celebration of arts, community, and heritage organised by St John’s Waterloo and The Bridge At Waterloo, in collaboration with a wide range of partners. This year’s festival theme is: Now I Make a Leaf of Voices. From free exhibitions to choral music, poetry and jazz, it celebrates the voice as a musical instrument, a tool for change, a means for collectivity and creativity. “These are the voices of our community: artists, volunteers and participants, neighbours and passers-by,” says Euchar Gravina, Artistic Director of Waterloo Festival.
The festival is also part of the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Festival of Britain, in which St John’s Waterloo played a key part. Following its restoration and remodelling by architect Thomas Ford, the church opened its doors to welcome choirs from across the United Kingdom after the Second World War. Today, 75 years later, St John’s Waterloo continues its enduring commitment to social justice and creating opportunities for arts and community engagement in the heart of Waterloo and the South Bank.
"This year's Waterloo Festival forms part of a wider year of activity at St John's Waterloo. Through exhibitions, performances, talks and community events running through to December 2026, we're inviting audiences to reflect on the legacy that the 1951 Festival of Britain came to symbolise, and its enduring themes of culture, inclusion and social renewal.”
Festival Programme Highlights:
Opening night | Thursday 9 July, 6pm, Free
- Kick off the festival at St John’s Waterloo with a complimentary welcome drink, live choral music from the Portuguese-speaking Nossa Voz Choir, a dance performance by Notre Dame RC Secondary School students and a walking literature tour by our Creative Writing Club members in partnership with the London Group and a viewing of the festival exhibitions.
Living Streams Connect | Friday 10 July, 7pm, £5/£3 concessions
- Experience a spellbinding evening of ambient, electronic and world music celebrating the sounds of rivers and migration, featuring award-winning musicians and talented migrants on keyboards, bass, percussion, flute and oud. A musical performance in St John’s main nave in partnership with composer Isa Suarez and the Living Streams Ensemble.
Festival Generations | Saturday 11 July at 7pm, £20+ booking fee/£15 + booking fee concessions
- A special evening of choral music in St John’s main nave by the London Philharmonic Choir, conducted by Madeleine Venner. This is a rare opportunity to hear the choir up close, showcasing the richness and versatility of the choir’s sound beyond its more familiar orchestral performances. Expect music by the forefront composers of 20th-century Britain!
Echoes and Reminders – 75 Years on from the Festival of Britain | Sunday 12 July at 11:30am, £15
A 90-minute expert-guided architectural tour exploring the surviving and lost remnants of the 1951 Festival of Britain along the South Bank.
Jazz in the churchyard | Sunday 12 July at 1pm, Free
Enjoy an afternoon of jazz, blues and grooves from some of London’s finest up-and-coming musicians, presented by the Unity Music Arts Team and held in St John’s award-winning garden.
Festival Evensong + Closing BBQ and Celebration Sunday | Sunday 12 July from 5pm, Free, £5 contribution to food
Inspired by the daily evensong services held at St John’s during the 1951 Festival of Britain, the festival weekend closes with an inclusive service with members of St John’s LGBT+ Open Table community joining the St John’s Choir, followed by a community BBQ.
Festival exhibitions
St John’s Waterloo will host a series of art and sculpture exhibitions, open daily to the public for free:
- Sculpture Exhibition: The London Group | 9th July – 5th Sept | Free
Discover a striking outdoor sculpture trail focused on this year’s festival theme by the London Group, one of Britain’s oldest artist collectives.
- Sculpture Exhibition: Morley College | 9th July – 1st Sept | Free
Explore works made out of a mix of materials such as ceramic, steel and found objects created by Morley College students, tutors and artists.
- Exhibition: Drummond Street Artists | 9th July – 23rd Aug | Free
United by lived experiences of homelessness, Drummond Street Artists meet weekly to create and connect. Their exhibition displays a vibrant selection of works that celebrate their eclectic talents.
- Exhibition: Waterloo’s Arts Groups | 9th July – 12th July | Free
A creative showcase of artwork by local groups and clubs associated with the creative life at St John’s Waterloo – including: Age Exchange, Arts for Dementia, Coin Street, Mental Fight Club and our own Art Club.
- Exhibition: Waterloo’s Artists | 9th July – 12th July | Free
An exhibition celebrating local creativity, bringing together artists who live and work in Waterloo, or have a connection St John’s. Artists include: Franko B, Chris Clarke, Saz Denny, FluxSoup, Sihan Ling, Sue Lynch, Roger Manning, Georgia McKenzie and Walter Fabeck
STAY IN THE LOOP
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