Please note that this event has already occured.
Key information
Date: Sunday 29 October 2023
Time: 1:00pm to 7:00pm
Venue: Trafalgar Square, Westminster, London, WC2N 5DN, GB
Cost: Free
Join us for Diwali on Trafalgar Square, our festival of lights in the heart of London.
Don't miss the Opening Ceremony with two hundred brightly attired dancers dazzling the main square, followed by the public Garba event, open for all to enjoy.
We have an exciting line up of music, dance and performances on the main stage from London's Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities. There's an array of activities on offer from sari and turban tying to yoga. We also have:
- comedy
- cookery theatres
- puppet shows
And of course henna!
Browse a wonderful mix of market stalls and enjoy the aromas of our delicious food offerings, promising a delight of vegan and vegetarian treats.
This year we're delighted to present the Diwali Queen, who is part of Kalasetu, a collaborative project between Subrang Arts and Kinetika, commissioned on behalf of This is Croydon, the London Borough of Culture 2023.
It's a fantastic day out for everyone to enjoy.
We look forward to wishing you a happy Diwali!
Programme
13:00 Opening Dance Sequence
13:25 Live Garba Band and Public Garba
14:10 Opening Ceremony
14:25 Nital Dance
14:35 Dance Shakti Group
14:40 Sonia Sabri - Kathak and Folk Dance North Indian medley
14:50 Children’s Performance
15:00 Ramayana Play by ISKCON
15:25 Monali’s Dance Studio
15:35 Sowmya Krish – song medley
15:40 Ponsita School of Dance
15: 50 Sahaj Dance Group – Adi Shakti dance sequence
16:00 Public Participation
16:10 Dance Medley
16:25 Natyasri Dance Company – Bharathanatyam Dance
16:30 Ksparks Entertainment – Children’s performance
16: 40 Raj – Punjabi singing medley
16:50 Dance to Inspire – Children’s Performance
17.00 AK Bollywood - Mrs Kapoor’s Daughters wedding Sequence
17.20 Aparjita Burjwal Dance – Bollywood fusion
17.28 Maharastra Mandal of London - Tasha Dhol
17.35 Jeng Bihu Dance – fusion of Bengali dance
17.44 Flytoez Dance Company
17.51 The Bhavan
18.00 Aarti, Kirtan
18.25 Sumeet’s Step2Step Bollywood Dance Academy
18.36 Vandana Somaiya - singing medley
18.48 Bollywood Dance School – fusion dance medley
An array of activities will animate Trafalgar Square throughout the day including:
- Annakut Zone
- Children’s area
- Dance workshops
- Diwali Culture Zone
- Diwali Puppet Zone
- Glimpse of Goddesses
- Healthy Living Zone
- IKSCON - Simple Living, High Thinking
- Meditation and Yoga
- Sari stand and tie a turban
- Soho Theatre comedy
- Subrang Arts Bead Workshops
- Unity Zone
This year we are delighted to present the Diwali Queen and a series of dance performances presented by Subrang Arts and Beeja Dance. This is part of Kalasetu, a collaborative project between Subrang Arts and Kinetika commissioned on behalf of This is Croydon, The Mayor's London Borough of Culture 2023.
Caterers and Stallholders
We are delighted to welcome the following caterers and stallholders to this year's festival.
Anicia’s
Dabeli Hut – Indian Street Food
Delhi Chef
Gully
Jamaica Cold-Pressed Juices
Mr. Bombay
Rajbhog Catering
RockIT – Indian Style Street Food
Rukhsanas
Shayona Catering
Spice Shack
Suresh Street Food
Barfi Bites
British Transport Police
Decorasian
Dhyan Foundation
Jain and Hindu Organ Donation Alliance
Mahiz Mehndi
Metropolitan Police Hindu Association
Panistori – Gifting Studio
Sahaja Yoga
Sainamika Henna Hair and Beauty
South Asian Health Action – Awareness Team
Thalassaemia Society
The Bhavan
The National Lottery Community Fund
WaterAid
Yogi Power
Sponsors
Thanks to our sponsors for this years event:
Headline sponsor
Presenting Partner
Supporting sponsors
Media partners
Hospitality partner
Friend
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for future Diwali events, please contact Anna Godsiff, Event Manager, at [email protected] for a sponsorship pack.
Watch highlights from Diwali 2022
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Access and transport
Accessible facilities at Trafalgar Square
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Wheelchair accessible public toilets are available on the lower terrace of Trafalgar Square. This is on the west side of the square to the left of the central staircase. These will be open and free of charge during the event.
Accessible transport
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You can plan your journey with TfL’s Journey Planner.
Bus
- Routes 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 23, 24, 53, 77A, 88, 91, 139, 159, 176 and 453.
- All these routes lead to Trafalgar Square. However, 9 and 15 are heritage buses and do not have a low-floor.
- Visit the TfL website for more information on buses.
Tube
- The nearest Underground station with step-free access from platform to street level is Westminster. This is served by the Jubilee, District and Circle lines. Outside Westminster station buses 12, 24, 88 or 453 have low-floor buses which call at a stop within 150m of Trafalgar Square.
- Charing Cross Underground station is served by the Northern and Bakerloo lines. It is the closest Tube station. However, it does not have step-free access.
- Visit the TfL website for accessible Tube maps.
National Rail
- The nearest railway station is Charing Cross. It is 325 metres away, approximately three minutes’ walk. Charing Cross rail station offers step-free access and a step-free route to Trafalgar Square.
Dial-a-ride
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Find out about registering and pre-booking Dial-a-ride services.
Accessible parking
The nearest Blue Badge parking spaces to Trafalgar Square are:
- St Martin’s Street – five spaces - 321 metres from Trafalgar Square
- Suffolk Street – one space - 644 metres from Trafalgar Square
- Spring Gardens – one space - 321 metres from Trafalgar Square.
To find other blue badge parking bays nearby, please search the City of Westminster’s website using the postcode WC2N 5DN.
To see where the bays are, click the ‘View results on a map’ button on the search results page.
Additional accessible facilities for Diwali
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All staff and stewards will be briefed on disability awareness.
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BSL Interpreters will be present on the main stage. A picture -in-picture will also be displayed in the right hand corner of the 25ft screen which is positioned on the left side of the main stage.
- Event stewards will be available to help wheelchair users travelling between the upper (north terrace) and the lower terrace levels of Trafalgar Square via the accessible lift.
- The accessible viewing area will be at the top of the central staircase. Some seating will be available for companions within the viewing area, and for those less able to stand. An area with hearing loop will be available.
- A Mobiloo wheelchair accessible portable toilet will be provided on the north west corner of Trafalgar Square (on the upper terrace). The mobile toilet has a hoist and changing table. Mobiloo users needing to use the hoist must bring their own sling with them. This is for your own safety and convenience – and to prevent any cross-contamination between different users. Further details can be found on the Mobiloo website.