London Bridge City has this week announced the return of their summer long spectacular – Summer by the River, which runs from Thursday 30th May toSunday 1st September.
The largest free arts and entertainment festival of its kind in London, Summer by the River, will bring a touch of The Hamptons’ coastal elegance to London Bridge City this year with a new, stylish shoreside theme. With unrivalled views of some of London’s most iconic landmarks, it is the perfect waterside escape to enjoy views of Tower Bridge, The Tower of London and The City skyline.
Launching on Thursday 30th May, Chaps Choir will get Summer by the River off to a flying start with their joy-inducing repertoire of choral pop classics at The Scoop. Following them, retro jazz swing outfit Georgia and the Vintage Youth will keep the party going before folk noir up-and-comers, The Eskies bring proceedings to a close with their unique brand of gipsy jazz in a swaggering stage spectacular.
The wider programme throughout June and July is packed with entertainment for all ages. With open air cinema and theatre, big screen summer sports, live comedy and music performances, fun family days, fitness classes and a host of events to let your hair down on a Friday, Summer by the River will be the ultimate London experience this summer.
During August, London’s Free Open-Air Theatre will return to Summer by the River to celebrate its 16th summer residency at The Scoop. The charitable theatre group has been a key part of summer activity at London Bridge City, with past performances drawing huge crowds.
This year, a new family production of “The Sea Queen” will introduce families to the magic of theatre as they follow the swashbuckling tale of pirate and Irish queen of the seas, Grainne O’Malley. As the sun sets over the Thames, Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy “Twelfth Night” will grace the stage. Each production will be running between 7th August and 1st September, all of which are free to attend.
No festival would be complete without flavourful food and this year Summer by the River is teaming up with popup guru Jimmy Garcia and his dedicated team to fuel the riverside celebrations. Responsible for some of London’s most talked about popup restaurants and concepts, Jimmy’s team will be at The Scoop’s Bar by the River with a unique food offering across the summer months. This will include the hugely popular The BBQ Club which offers visitors the ultimate alfresco dining experience on table top BBQ’s.
Look Mum No Hands will also be returning for their third year in a row to transform The Pier area at London Bridge City. The cycle café pioneers’ bar will offer wholesome food, drinks and its own programme of events including Tour de France screenings.
Continuing its growth, this year Summer by the River will also be activating the London Bridge City table tennis area and a new popup staging area in Hay’s Galleria. This will provide a platform which champions emerging musicians and provides a much-needed performance opportunity in the heart of London.
All festival events will be available to view here and will be updated throughout the festivals duration – https://londonbridgecity.co.uk/events.
London Bridge City’s Summer by the River info:
Dates: Thursday 30th June – Sunday 1st September
Location: London Bridge City, SE1 2DB
Nearest Tube: London Bridge
