Totally Thames Festival
Further programming for 2026 is announced, spotlighting art, heritage and community on the River Thames.
Totally Thames festival has unveiled its second wave of programming for 2026, presenting a month long celebration of the River Thames as a place of culture, heritage and environmental connection. Throughout September, audiences can discover immersive performances, free family events and community celebrations, in locations ranging from historic ships and riverside landmarks to hidden tunnels and public spaces. The programme invites Londoners and London’s visitors to experience the Thames as a living landscape shaped by the communities, histories and creativity that continue to define the city.
Highlights of this year's festival include Culture Cargo (1–30 September), which transforms the historic sailing barge Raybel into a floating cultural venue, bringing live music, performances and talks to communities along the Thames while celebrating the river's rich maritime heritage. Returning favourites include The Great River Race (12 September), London's largest river marathon, and the St Katharine Docks Classic Boat Festival (12–13 September), where more than 50 beautifully restored historic vessels will be on display alongside live entertainment and family activities. Also returning is Hands on History's Mudlarking Programme, in which three interactive exhibitions uncover remarkable artefacts recovered from the Thames foreshore. Across the Roman Amphitheatre (5th – 6th September), St Paul's Cathedral (19th – 20th September) and London Museum Docklands (26th – 27th September).
New for 2026 Swim London (6 September) invites participants to take on inaugural 5km and 10km open-water swims in the River Thames, while Ganga Aarti on the Thames: A Ceremony of Light (13 September) at the Old Royal Naval College brings a spectacular riverside celebration inspired by centuries-old Hindu traditions.
Performance highlights include Shakespeare's The Tempest (8–22 September), staged aboard the historic Golden Hinde; The Living Thames (18 September), an immersive musical experience from Orchestra for the Earth at Crossness Pumping Station; and Nadī (24 September), a contemporary dance performance inside the atmospheric Thames Tunnel Shaft at the Brunel Museum.
The festival also celebrates creativity and community through Sing for Water (12 September), marking its 25th anniversary with more than 300 singers performing in support of WaterAid, while outdoor exhibitions including River of Hope and Thames Lens showcase inspiring artwork, poetry and photography exploring London's relationship with its iconic river.
The programme concludes in Greenwich with two immersive sound installations that reveal the hidden rhythms and soundscape of the Thames, Intertidal Sounds (26th September) and Barometric Rhythm Machine (27th September).
Totally Thames festival 2026 celebrates the River Thames as one of London’s greatest stages and biggest outdoor museums and events, inviting visitors to experience the river in new, unexpected and exciting ways.
Further Information: Totally Thames festival