About Story of London

A festival celebrating London's past, present and future

A foreword from the Mayor of London

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson

Welcome to the Story of London Festival – a month long celebration of London’s past, present and future. This pan-London jamboree showcases the city’s huge and glorious heritage, highlights many unique facets of its present day cultural offer and takes a sometimes fun, sometimes serious look at its future.

I hope the programme will contain something for everyone; whether you’re a visitor to London from abroad or the UK, a Londoner wanting to discover something new about your city, a family looking for interesting ideas for days in June or a student who wants to participate in one of many debates taking place during the month.

One of my hopes for the festival was that it should showcase some of the capital’s smaller heritage and history organisations. There is a myriad of heritage and history sites, objects and organisations across London waiting to be discovered – that’s why I’m particularly pleased that in its fifteenth year, the Heritage Lottery Fund is contributing so fully to this festival both in terms of sponsorship, exhibitions and events. I’m also very grateful to the London Museums Hub, Museums, Libraries and Archives London and English Heritage for their close collaboration.

What people are saying

Munira Mirza, Director for Cultural Policy: 'We want to help support new types of event that showcase the brilliance of London, its history and society and its creativity. With The Story of London, we are looking at London through many different lenses. Each individual, each community, each organisation contributes to the vast spectacle that is London and this season aims to bring all Londoners together in celebration of this wonderful and important city. There are some excellent events already confirmed, but still plenty of time for other organisations to be a part of the Story of London.'

Dan Snow, historian and broadcaster: 'London's history is overwhelming. Every building, every inch of the Thames, every park or common has millennia of stories, some are well known, others are buried. I am really looking forward to this summer's Story of London as a chance to get beneath the skin of the capital and dig up some of its secrets.'

Jack Lohman, Director, Museum of London: Museum of London is at the heart of the Story of London Festival. We are planning our largest ever programme of events kicking off with a marathon non-stop public performance of London's History for the opening weekend. Other events include the first ever guided tour behind the scenes at the Museum unlocking the mysteries of how the Museum ticks, right through to the most unusual back door in London - opening onto the Roman London wall. Museum of London fully supports the GLA's Story of London Festival initiative, assisting smaller museums in every borough to play their part through the London Museums Hub grants scheme, and hopes it will become a regular landmark in London's cultural calendar.'

Dr Nicholas Penny, Director of the National Gallery: 'We are delighted to be participating in Story of London and look forward to working with the Mayor's Office and cultural partners to help promote London's finest cultural institutions to a national and an international audience. Story of London offers us an opportunity to present the National Gallery's collection and history in a new and inspiring way and, at the same time, introduce our paintings to new audiences.'

Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage: 'We are really pleased that the Mayor is celebrating London's incredible history and heritage. The Story of London endorses what English Heritage has always believed - that our capital's heritage - as complex and diverse as its people - is one of its greatest assets and should be explored, enjoyed, and valued.'

Mr Wesley Kerr, Chairman of the Heritage Lottery Fund, London Region: 'The Heritage Lottery Fund is delighted to be working closely with the Mayor on the Story of London festival. The festival coincides with 15 years of the Heritage Lottery Fund, which has invested £850 million in our great old city, opening the gates of memory, strengthening the common life, and helping to tell countless stories through conserving historic buildings, parks, museums, collections, archives and a myriad of diverse cultures. We have helped to create thousands of jobs, recruit tens of thousands of volunteers and stimulate millions of minds both young and old. During the festival, we will be showcasing the benefits of our funding for education, enjoyment and well-being and look forward to walking with Boris through 2000 years of London's history.'

Michael Day, Chief Executive of Historic Royal Palaces: "We are delighted to be involved with the Story of London festival which coincides with an enormously exciting year for Historic Royal Palaces: the 500th anniversary of King Henry VIII's accession to the throne. At Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London we are dedicating the year to exhibitions, events and activities commemorating the iconic monarch's landmark anniversary, a highlight of which will be an unmissable Tudor river pageant, over the Story of London's living history weekend, a spectacle which we hope many Londoners will turn out to see as King Henry VIII, Queen Katherine of Aragon and their magnificent flotilla sail down the River Thames from the Tower of London to Hampton Court Palace on Saturday 20 June. We believe that the festival will offer something for everyone - the Mayor is offering an amazing opportunity for Londoners and visitors alike to find out something new about the history of our great capital.'

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