Now in its fifty-first year, each summer the City of London Festival brings the City's exquisite buildings and outdoor spaces to life with an extensive and eclectic programme of mainly classical music, visual arts, film, walks and talks, much of it free to the public.
The events include more than 50 ticketed performances and over 100 free outdoor events. In his final year as curator, Iain Ritchie continues the 'Trading Places' theme, linking the City culturally and commercially with its historic partners overseas. This year's programme honours the 400th anniversary of the relationship between London and Derry-Londonderry in Northern Ireland (UK City of Culture 2013).
Performances range from large-scale orchestral concerts in St Paul's Cathedral to intimate chamber recitals in the City's beautiful but hidden livery halls, and from innovative aerial acrobatics to jazz bands in the Guildhall Yard. The performers feature both emerging artists as well as renowned international performers.