London’s getting a new park – and it’s launching with a massive free festival

Londoners love green spaces. And we love free stuff. The developers of Greenwich Peninsula know this, so they’re throwing a free music and arts festival to mark the opening of The Tide – London’s new ‘linear park’ – over two July weekends. Its futuristic landscape will be made up of raised walkways lined by sunken tree gardens and decorated with outdoor art from Damien Hirst and Allen Jones. But it won’t all be opening this month, just the first 1km; the completed version of The Tide will be 5km long. The ‘park’ is all located riverside – which means that free festival will be taking place by the water during what’s set to be a scorching summer weekend. The line up is looking pretty smoking too. 

Sink The Pink

Turning Tides festival will kick off during the first weekend in July (July 5-7), with performances from Supergrass leader Gaz Coombes, LGBTQ+ all-stars Sink the PInk, and father of ethio-jazz Mulatu Astatke. Morning Gloryville will be having a bit of a lie-in, throwing one of its sober raves at a very civilised 11am. The riverside space is also making way for some fairly high-profile public art, with giant inflatable raindrops from LA artist Geronimo and an installation of Yoko Ono’s ‘Wish Trees’ (write your wish, and add it to a branch, and bam! you’re part of a Yoko artwork). Film site Mubi will be adding to the esoteric atmosphere with screenings of movies like ‘In Praise of Nothing’ a satirical essay-film voiced by Iggy Pop. 

Looks like they’ve got the grub covered too – if you’re speedy enough to book a place for the Riverside Feasts, a dining experience on a 27-metre picnic bench with a changing line-up of top chefs. That part, sadly, is not free. 

The fest will close on July 14 with a group performance they’re calling ‘The River Knows’, which has Laura Mvula, Beth Orton, Kwabs and a whole bunch of other musicians in the mix. 

New London events can be a bit of a gamble, but other than your track of time before that last tube home – there’s nothing to lose. IT’S FREE. 

Find out more about Turning Tides here. 

Got the ‘I’m not at Glasto’ sads? Start planning a music festival trip of your own