Please note that this event has already occured.
Key information
Date: Sunday 03 November 2019
Time: 12:00pm to 7:00pm
Venue: Trafalgar Square, Westminster, London, WC2N 5DN, GB
Cost: Free
Come and celebrate Diwali, a festival of lights in the heart of London. With an exciting line-up of music and dance, plus workshops, food and crafts for the whole family. It’s a fantastic day out for everyone.
Happy Diwali!
Performances include:
- AK Bollywood
- Albans Bollywood
- Anashmita Dance Studio
- Avi Simmons
- Coventry Marathi
- D Style
- Dancing Padaas
- K’z Dance Entertainment UK
- Kasika
- MML – Dhol Beats UK
- Nital’s Dance Group
- Rhythm Arts and Dance Academy
- Saachi Sen
- Sanskruti
- Sarjan Nartan Academy
- Shayonima
- Soni’s School of Dance
- Suhani Dhanki
- Sur Bhati
- Telugu Association of London
Soho Theatre Comedy Marquee
Once again, we are proud to host the Soho Theatre bringing you the best in Asian stand-up comedy. Our very own Nish Kumar will be MC'ing on the day with acts including Sunil Patel, Charlie George and one of India’s most popular comedians – Kanan Gill.
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 along with Zumba and Hip-Hop Indian style.
Sari Stand and Tie a Turban
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.
Sit back and experience the intricacies of having a turban tied around your head and learn all about the tradition of turban wearing.
Children’s Area
Immerse yourself with a taste of life in the Ramayan (the story of Lord Rama & his wife Sita). Decorate a diya (battery-operated light) to present your designs to the deities of Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman and have your photo taken.
Ramayana – An Ancient Indian Epic
Giant puppet show telling the story of Rama and Rama
Yoga and Meditation (timings subject to change)
Take some time out with our yoga and meditation session
Glimpse of Goddesses
Meet the Goddesses and learn from their virtues in this interactive experience. Play on the Shakti wheel to reveal what various characteristics say about you!
- Dabeli Hut
- Desi Indian Street Food
- Ideal Sweets
- Indian Essence
- Mr Bombay
- Paisley Gold
- Pamban Chai and Coffee
- Rajbhog
- Rukhsanas
- Sangeetha Vegetarian Restaurant
- The Cane Press
- The Street Food
- Trendy Taste
- Mahiz Mehndi
- MySareeShop
- PlushLegion
- BAPS Sri Swaminarayan Mandir
- British Heart Foundation
- Dhyan Foundation
- DiL Unity Zone
- Diwali Culture Zone
- Isha Foundation
- Metropolitan Police Hindu Association
- NHS Blood and Transplant
- The British Heart Foundation
- The Royal British Legion
Sponsors
Thank you to our Sponsors!
-
Brooke Bond
-
Dabur
-
ICICI Bank
-
Shan Foods
Access and Transport:
Accessible facilities at Trafalgar Square
- 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
- Trafalgar Square’s cafe is wheelchair accessible and has a low-level counter and induction loop. Free drinking water is available at the east side water drinking fountain
Accessible transport
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 3 minutes’ walk. Charing Cross rail station offers step-free access and a step-free route to Trafalgar Square
Dial-a-ride
- 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
- Outside Canada House – one space - 33 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:
- All staff and stewards will be briefed on disability awareness
- Event stewards will be available to assist wheelchair users travelling between the upper (north terrace) and the lower terrace levels of Trafalgar Square
- The accessible viewing area will be at the top of the central staircase. Some seating will be available for companions 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: https://www.mobiloo.org.uk/