Big news: the lineup for this year’s Greenwich & Docklands International Festival (or ‘GDIF’ to anyone who wants to save precious syllables) has been announced.
If you don’t know it, it’s basically a huge showcase of outdoor theatre & arts featuring one of the highest concentrations of performing talent in the country. And the kicker? Pretty much all of the shows are free.
(Plus, it’s a good excuse to visit Greenwich, and check out the Cutty Sark, the Naval College, the Maritime Museum, grab a bite at one of Greenwich’s best restaurants, and sink a pint at one of Greenwich’s best pubs while you’re there.)
This year we’re getting a full 17 days of arty action, taking place between 23rd August and 8th September, and the lineup’s looking preeeetty impressive. Among the highlights, you’ll find:
THAW – an aerial performance that takes place entirely on a 2.5 tonne block of ice suspended over the Docklands that melts over the course of 8 hours.
Silence! – a mesmerising outdoor performance blending pyrotechnics, percussion, and theatrical elements into one big, sensory overload.
Dancing City – a showcase of dance styles that range from a team of former world class figure skating virtuosos (now on roller skates) to a gravity defying trampoline show from one of the world’s most in-demand choreographers.
Life Lines – if you can imagine five parkour performers who also happen to be able to elegantly dance in time with one another across the faces of buildings from terrifyingly precarious positions, then you get the gist of this show.
Crap At Animals – in which “one man tries heroically and fails epically to do impressions of 48,000 rare animals in under an hour”
And that’s just a taste. Seriously, there’s a ton more, including the Greenwich Fair, which is like a festival within a festival, featuring all manner of acrobatics, street food, music, and performances to boot. And once again, they’re all free.
All you need now is enough time to see it all…
NOTE: The GDIF takes place from 23rd August – 8th September 2024 across the borough of Greenwich. You can find out more, and book tickets (if necessary) at the GDIF website.
While you’re down there… here are a few more of the best things to do in Greenwich