Kingston 2025 Cultural Celebration

If you are planning a visit to Kingston upon thames then you couldn’t have chosen a better year. The beginning of May 2025 heralds the start of a 6 month celebration of the historical crowning of Athelstan in 925.

Prepare for dramatic performances, public art installations, a river festival and amazing music. Here are a just some of the events. Vistit kingstonheritage.org.uk for the latest updates.

• Kingston 2025 Launch and Opening Event, Saturday 3rd May, Market Place, Kingston IT1 1JT – Marks the opening of the six month programme – a celebration of people, place and communities. A colourful and fun-filled event, you’ll be able to find out what’s in store, meet some of the people involved and enjoy performances from a range of artists and voices as we shine a light on Kingston’s past, present and future.
• ‘Bridging Kingston’ at the Rose Theatre – is a new music production specially commissioned for schools and young musicians to be staged at the Rose Theatre.  The vision of the work is to invoke time, place, community, and lesser-heard voices through the theme ‘Bridging Kingston’. The theme will  explore more contemporary interpretations of Kingston’s identity and sense of place through the generations.
• Athel’s Town Tournament on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th July, Canbury Gardens – a free two day event for all the family giving everyone the opportunity to immerse themselves in all things Saxon.  There will be a Saxon encampment, battlefield reenactments and Kingston Museum’s Saxon Fayre will be back with its community stalls showcasing the skills and trades of the era! The farm animals will be back by popular demand and the working forge will be turning up the heat!
• 60 Years of Fashion – Kingston School of Art and The Community Brain will be working together to celebrate 60 Years of Fashion in Kingston while exploring future innovation.
• Kingston International Film Festival 6th June to 8th June – KIFF provides a platform for filmmakers from around the world, and in particular up and coming talent, to showcase their projects on the big screens of the Odeon, the Curzon, Rose Theatre, and an outdoor screen in the riverside setting of Canbury Gardens.
• The Children’s International Film Festival, 6th June – Ciné Schools will launch London’s first Children’s International Film Festival, in collaboration with Kingston International Film Festival. This will be the largest of its kind in the UK and will take place at various venues across Kingston. On the big screen will be films made by students from Kingston and all over the world.
• Kingston Glamour: Art, Innovation and the Suburbs, opening May – An exhibition at Kingston Museum exploring the contributions of creative entrepreneurs living and working in the borough from the 1920’s – 1970’s
• River Cultures Festival, Saturday 6th September from 12 noon, Canbury Gardens, Thames Side, Eagle Brewery Wharf – As part of the Totally Thames Festival come along and enjoy a fun-filled family extravaganza. The first River Cultures Festival will see a flotilla of boats of all shapes and sizes, processing from Hampton Court to Raven’s Ait and Canbury Gardens. Boats will represent the communities of Kingston as well as our Saxon heritage. On the riverside, music, dance and family activities will take place throughout the day at Canbury Gardens, Thames Riverside  and Eagle Brewery Wharf. Bring a picnic and take in the sights and sounds on river and land!
• Kingston Carnival, Sunday 7th September, Kingston Market Place and Kingston Town Centre – a colourful programme for all ages, with family activities, live music stages and authentic street food from around the world.
• East South East Asian Festival (ESEA) – The ESEA Culture Festival will be back in 2025 to proudly celebrate the vibrant diversity of East and Southeast Asian heritage in Kingston. Opening with the Autumn Moon Festival, live performances, interactive demonstrations and audience participation will all combine to provide a delightful day of food, culture, music and dance. Organised by the Korean British Cultural Exchange the Festival honours the different Autumn Moon traditions from across East South East Asia with a variety of countries and cultures represented