Mass Ghoomar Dance
A traditional folk dance of the Bhil tribe performed in worship to Goddess Sarasvati. The dance typically involves female performers twirling in and out of a wide circle. It is traditional for a newly married bride to dance Ghoomar on moving into her marital home. Today the dance is performed on special occasions, like weddings, religious events and festivals. Performed by several London dance schools. 

You can also join in with the Public Garba, a Gujarati folk dance on the main square. 

London Fire Brigade 
London’s finest firefighters will be on hand to talk about fire and safety and how you could join them (try on a uniform too!). You can also join in a fire safety Jenga game. 
 
World of Saris
Take five minutes to learn how to put on a sari. Find out about the different saris from different parts of India, and how they are draped in different ways.  If you volunteer to put on a sari yourself and wear it at the event, we’ll let you keep it!

Dance workshops
Ever wanted to dance like they do in Bollywood films? Let our stage dancers put you through your paces and learn some impressive moves. We’ll also teach the more classical styles like Kathak, Odissi, and Bharatnatyam and maybe even throw in some street, hip-hop, and jazz India-style. 

Children’s activities 
Iskon Temple will give children a taste of life in the Ramayan (the story of Lord Rama & his wife Sita) with interactive short stories and a quiz. Kids can also bend a bow and shoot the 10-headed Ravana; decorate a diva (battery-operated light); and have their photo taken with Lord Rama, Sita, Laxman and Hanuman.  

Save our Oceans 
Sai School's anti-plastic project will give visitors a chance to see the damage being done to marine life through our careless approach to waste. Join them in making marine life art to stick on the wall to ‘grow’ our ocean scene. 

Diwali Culture Zone
Watch a 25-minute giant puppet show telling the story of Sita and Rama. There’ll also be diwa making; talks on Diwali-related celebrations like Lakshmi Pujas; and short videos. Our ‘Ask me about Diwali’ volunteers will be on hand to answer all your questions. 

Soho Theatre Comedy Marquee 
Enjoy a hilarious show with an Asian take on comedy. Daniel Fernandes comperes a stand-up from Mumbai known for his surreal style of comedy that touches on real life issues.

Try the Lebara Batak Pro and ‘Catch the light this Diwali’. Hit flashing lights as fast as you can to win a prize! Don’t forget to grab a Lebara sim card too. 

Glimpse of Goddesses with the Brahma Kumaris
Meet the Goddesses and learn from their virtues in this walk-through experience. Play on the Shakti wheel to reveal what various characteristics say about you! 

Yoga 
Take some time out with our yoga and meditation session. 

L Unity Marquee
Short talks on spirituality and wellbeing form Diwali in London committee members, including a talk about Mahatma Gandhi, 150 years after his birth. There will also be Sikh, Jain and Buddhist representatives on what Diwali means to them and what it celebrates.

World War I: We Remember
The Royal British Legion, Big Ideas and others turn back the clock to learn about the tremendous sacrifice made by Indians of all faiths in WW1. Try on old uniforms, pose with props, make a sari wreath, and get on board the bus to experience life in wartime.  

Toyota’s plug-in Prius hybrid
Hear about Toyota’s greenest car yet, the plug-in Prius hybrid.  Better gas mileage and lower fuel consumption helps to reduce harmful CO2 emissions. Its batteries are made from nickel and can be recycled - unlike lead-acid batteries (a major pollutant). 

Read more about the Mayor’s Clean Air Strategy.