Biennial festival will return to Newham in autumn 2027 featuring a major collaboration with English National Ballet and more in the works
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Royal Docks Originals is set to return to east London in autumn 2027. The free cultural festival takes place in Newham every two years and is aiming to build on the foundation of its first iteration in 2025.
“It’s made over an 18-month period, with the local community coming together to create it,” said Kate Anderson, head of cultural programme and partnerships at the Royal Docks Team.
“We call that ‘The Movement’ and the festival itself is ‘The Moment’.
“We had our pilot in 2025 and it went really well.
“Now we’re in the process of creating our 2027 festival and it’s very exciting.”
At the heart of next year’s programme will be a central work created in partnership with the English National Ballet based at nearby London City Island.
“It will be a promenade presentation with professional dancers, big-name choreographers and 500 local people,” said Kate.
“Artistic director Jeanefer Jean-Charles will be bringing together all those people for a series of performances.
“These are likely to start at Royal Victoria Square near Excel London then come past the sights of Royal Docks before arriving right outside City Hall.
“It’s still a work in progress at the moment, so the details might change, but this will be the centrepiece of the festival.
“There will be lots of other things in the programme to look forward to – the clue is in the name ‘Royal Docks Originals’.
“It’s all about new work and the vision for this area to be London’s cultural engine – a place that generates creativity.”
commissioning local creatives
The Royal Docks Team, a partnership between the London Borough Of Newham and the Greater London Authority aimed at maximising the opportunities available in the capital’s only enterprise zone, is right at the heart of fostering that future.
In addition to its work with English National Ballet, for example, Kate and her colleagues are offering a series of commissions for creatives to participate in the festival.
“We have three larger-scale commissions for artists at a key moment in their development,” she said.
“These will be our Royal Docks Originals Engineers.
“We also have a series of smaller commissions working with much larger numbers of people – locally based artists – there are about 400 here – organisations and communities.
“These will result in about 20 to 30 pieces of new work that will be presented as part of Royal Docks Originals.
“We’ll be sitting down with a panel to decide on the applications following the deadline for submission on November 23, 2026.
“One commission that will be returning from 2025 is The Docks Factor – a talent show for local people and that will take place in City Hall.
“Alongside that, there will be schools projects and a careers day for young people interested in working in culture and creativity.
“There will also be public art and partner projects, where our partners will put on events.
“Some of these may be ticketed, but everything that’s part of the festival must be at an affordable price.
“All of the work we’re commissioning will be free for visitors to the docks and local people to enjoy.
“This is a festival that is about regeneration and ensuring our communities here benefit from the process.”
putting Royal Docks on the map
Kate has been working with the Royal Docks Team for six years, having previously run Bloomsbury Festival and, before that, a number of theatres.
“What we want with Royal Docks Originals is for locals to take away an absolute sense of pride and excitement in their area,” she said.
“It’s new, it’s diverse and this is something for them to relish and enjoy.
“For visitors coming from elsewhere, it’s about showcasing the Royal Docks – what it was, what it is and what our ambitions for it are for the future.
“We want the festival to help put it on the map.
“The summer we’ve just had was definitely the busiest with numerous major events.
“It’s an area that’s really coming into its own – it’s becoming more and more popular, especially for out door leisure.
“The stretches of open water are huge and there are amazing opportunities for different things to happen on them.
“That’s in addition to extensive plans for Royal Victoria Dock, which are now in the works.”
reaching out to the neighbours
Hand-in-hand with the strong focus on local participation and appeal, there’s also a desire to reach out to other areas such as Greenwich Peninsula and West India Quay.
Art installation The Wake by Khaleb Brooks is set to be unveiled next year on the latter, outside London Museum Docklands, as the capital’s memorial to the victims of transatlantic slavery.
Alongside marking the installation of this important memorial and its links to Royal Docks’ own history, the festival programme will also explore developments within the area itself, as it continues to evolve.
“Newham is one of the youngest, most diverse and creative boroughs in the country, and it’s vital every local person has the opportunity to shape and enjoy the cultural life on our doorstep,” said Forhad Hussain, mayor of Newham.
“Royal Docks Originals is about creating those opportunities, bringing world-class arts and culture to Newham while investing in local people, local artists and future talent.
“This festival provides pathways into creative careers, supports community organisations, and showcases the Royal Docks as a place where culture is made.
“Through partnerships with organisations such as English National Ballet, we are putting local people at the centre of creating something ambitious, inspiring and uniquely Newham.
“As the Royal Docks continues to grow and attract investment, culture has a vital role to play in building pride, connection and opportunity.”
key details: Royal Docks Originals
Royal Docks Originals is set to take place in autumn next year.
Open calls and various live opportunities are available now.
The deadline to apply for grants related to many key aspects of the festival is November 23, 2026.
Full details are available via this link
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