Five reasons why Stratford’s East Village is a perfect spot to watch the Paris Olympics this summer

A massive screen broadcasting the games will be popping up in Victory Park from Friday July 26 until Sunday August 11. With comfy deck chairs for you to slump back in, the grassed area is the perfect place to perch up with drinks and a picnic to cheer on the GB team. Don’t miss the Opening Ceremony, which kicks off at 8pm this Friday. 

The best part? It’s free! Yep, no ticket needed for East Village’s ‘Summer of Sport’. Experience the highs and lows of the Games without paying a penny to get in. The atmosphere at East Village’s ‘Summer of Sport’ will buzz like nowhere else.

Without needing to pay for entry, you’ll have all the more cash to spend on East Village’s excellent local bars and restaurants to make sure you have all the snacks you need to settle in and enjoy the games. You can even enjoy special offers and Olympic-themed products, including Italian eatery Santi’s picnic lunch for two, a free baby cone resembling the Olympic torch when any large cone is purchased from La Gelateria (yes that involves edible glitter), and discounted takeaway sushi rolls from Bamboo Mat. 

What’s more, East Village regular, Urban Food Festival, will be on site during the opening weekend, featuring food and drink vendors with menu items from around the world.

For the sport lovers, you can even join in the action and battle it out on one-of-a-kind ping pong tables by Art of Ping Pong x RÆBURN popping up at East Village this summer. These unique ping pong tables, situated just south of Victory Park in the Olympic Park Outdoor Gym, were created by the design-duo behind Art of Ping Pong and fashion brand RÆBURN, which is based right in the heart of East Village.

There are also loads of other free outdoor activities to make a day out of it with friends and family including Victory Park playground, nature walks around East Village’s biodiversity-boosting ponds and the nearby Queen Elizabeth Olympic park.

The Olympics are at the very heart of East Village: actual Olympians have walked these same paths, and the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park is literally next door. East Village is a part of Olympic and Paralympic history – aside from actually being in Paris, you can’t hope for a more immersive setting. You can even grab a selfie at the famous Olympic Rings or the equally impressive Agitos, the symbol of the Paralympic Games, in the north of the park. Or, take a London Stadium Tour and step out onto the grounds that hosted the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Wherever you, your family or your friends are in London, East Village’s ‘Summer of Sport’ is exceptionally easy to get to. On the doorstep of Stratford International (Southeastern from St Pancras), it’s also a short walk from both Stratford (Jubilee, Elizabeth, and Central lines, DLR, Overground and National Rail) and Leyton (Central line) stations.

Love being the area? You could actually live here. With excellent connections, lots of community events and a plethora of wonderful places to eat, drink, relax and play on your doorstep, Get Living’s east London neighbourhood, East Village really does tick all the boxes. And that’s before you consider that the community includes 24-hour on-site security, bike storage, courtyard gardens and pet-friendly homes. Find out more about the range of apartments you could rent at East Village here and book a viewing today.

East Village’s ‘Summer of Sport’ will take place from Friday July 26 to Sunday August 11. You can find out more on the official website here.