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Culture Mile BID, London (2026)

30/04/2026

📲 Book Today | 🍃 The | 🌲 Celebrate the

🎤 Community Singing Workshop
📅 Monday 11th May 2026
🕛 12:15 – 13:45
📍 Holy Sepulchre Church, EC1A 2DQ

👣 Walking Tour and Performance
📅 Wednesday 13th May 2026
🕛 12:15 - 13:45
📍 Postman’s Park, King Edward St, London EC1A 7BT

🌳 The invites you to discover, admire and be inspired by the variety of trees that provide shade, habitat, oxygen and beauty in the heart of the city.

🤝 The was conceived by eco artist .coco. Phoebe is collaborating with City guide Sarah Williams-Robbins (aka ) to bring this celebration of nature to the Culture Mile and invites City workers, as well as with visitors and residents, to join them.

🎊 The is an annual community celebration of trees, taking place from the 9th to 17th May 2026. Celebrating the benefits, beauty, majesty, and magic of trees, in cities, towns and all urban environments.

🧠 Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 with the Culture Mile BID, focusing on the theme of action to promote better mental health. Take action and participate in our singing workshop and walking tour and performance as we promote wellbeing, through moving more, connecting with others and taking time for self-care.

📲 CLICK THE LINK IN OUR BIO TO BOOK 🔗

16/04/2026

🏆 The Toast the City Awards Return | 🔊 Nominate TODAY

🔊 The first round of nominations are NOW OPEN.

🎊 ’s Toast the City Awards return for a second year, bigger, better and more ambitious than before. The awards will once again shine a light on the restaurants, bars, green spaces and cultural hotspots that make the Square Mile one of London’s most exciting places to work and play.

🌟 As well as recognising the standouts, the Toast the City Awards will once again create a lasting resource on , telling the stories behind the venues shaping the Square Mile today. Navigate to the Toast the City tab on the website to find out the latest news and read profiles of nominees, judges, past winners and upcoming hopefuls.

🤝 The Culture Mile BID is delighted to sponsor the awards with the four other City Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), who know the Square Mile inside out and continue to champion its food, drink and cultural scene like no-one else.

🔗 Click the link in our bio to nominate today. 📲

The first round of nominations close on Friday 19th June.

26/01/2026

✨ Vibrance Festival arrives in 3 days ✨

London’s newest immersive light and sound experience will take over the city this week and it’s completely FREE.

This Thursday and Friday from 5:30–8:30pm, expect striking light installations, digital artworks and live performances transforming historic buildings, hidden gardens and public spaces in unexpected ways, all created by talented artists.

Explore all five magical locations:

📽 Guildhall Yard: A large-scale projection sequence will illuminate one of the City’s most historic sites
🎧 St Giles’ Cripplegate: An Extended Reality (XR) installation will see the convergence of sound, light and Virtual Reality (VR) technology
🎤 St Alphage London Wall & Garden: Set to transform into a a sensory portal that responds to audience movement.
🌿 Salters’ Garden: A sonic installation will guide audiences along a hidden route of speakers woven through the greenery to create a spatial audio experience
🎇 Milton Court: Will be illuminated by a series of visual lightworks, reflecting on inner-city life and its impact on the human experience

As the finale of the Culture Mile’s Voices and Illuminations winter programme, Vibrance is an invitation to rediscover the Square Mile as a vibrant cultural destination beyond the working day.

Save the date and join us after dark!

 

19/12/2025

With Christmas almost here, let’s explore a curious festive tradition in the Culture Mile which has survived through history into the present day.🎄

You may have heard of the Smithfield Market meat auctions, an annual tradition of surplus meat being sold to the public, but did you know its origins date back to over a century ago? A lack of fridges at the time led to the need to dispose of excess meat.

Turkeys were awarded to the highest bidder, being flung through the crowds of money-waving customers into winner’s hands, and there were often three or four auctions going on at the market at once. If you wandered through the streets of the City, you’d see lines of still-feathered turkeys hanging in bars and shopfronts.

The tradition has been kept alive today at the market by Greg Lawrence, who entertains a crowd of a hundred or so people every year and after all the meat is given away, the auction ends with a ritual coin toss – the butcher tosses a coin, the punter guesses heads or tails and if they win, they take home to meat for free amidst cheers from the crowd.

The tradition is so beloved that it continued even during the pandemic – of course, held safely without the tightly-packed crowds, but instead through a home delivery service.

christmasfacts cityoflondon

Photos: Central Press/Getty Images and Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images

12/12/2025

Celebrate the Festival of Lights in the heart of the City! 🕎

Join us on Wednesday 17th December, 12–2pm or 3–4:30pm in Smithfield as we gather for a special Chanukah candle-making celebration, in partnership with .

At this hands-on event, you can... 🕯Craft your own candles as part of workshops led by renowned artist and maker
🎶 Enjoy traditional music and a festive Chanukah atmosphere
✨ Come together in a warm, creative celebration of the Festival of Lights

The event is part of our ‘Voices and Illuminations’ in the Culture Mile winter programme, championing light, sound and bringing communities together during these colder months.
 Tickets are free but you are required to reserve your spot so go ahead and book via the link in our bio!

05/12/2025

Step into the holiday cheer at the Guildhall Christmas Market! 🦌

Grab your ticket and support by joining us at the stunning Guildhall for the official opening night on Monday 8th December, 5:15–9:00pm, launched by a special celebrity guest.

The festivities continue on Tuesday 9th December, 10:30am–7:00pm, proudly headline-sponsored by Culture Mile BID, as the historic venue fills with festive cheer, artisan gifts, and seasonal treats.

What’s on:
🎁 Handpicked independent stalls offering crafted gifts and festive goodies
🍰 Delicious seasonal food and drinks to keep you cosy
✨ A festive atmosphere set against the historic beauty of the Guildhall
🌟 A special opening-night appearance by a Celebrity Guest

Whether you’re hunting for unique presents or simply soaking up the festive atmosphere, this two-day market is the perfect way to celebrate the joy of Christmas in the heart of the City.

Book your tickets in the link in our bio to come along and enjoy the festivities while supporting a great cause!

Credit: Guildhall Christmas Market

04/12/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the recent live recording of Instant Classics Live with Mary Beard and Charlotte Higgins, which is now available to listen to 🏺

In a city founded on convergence, the event reminded us that London has always been a place where ideas and cultures meet, a creative hub long before the modern skyline rose around it.

Gathered above the remains of the Roman amphitheatre, we explored how the ancient foundations of Londinium continue to shape the City today. Its cultural diversity, visible in its clothing, its people, its names and the 400+ writing tablets discovered, reveals a cultural DNA that connects ancient and modern London. From public entertainment to trade networks to the everyday rhythms of life in the Square Mile, the evidence shows a bustling, multicultural centre already connected to the wider world nearly two millennia ago. 📜

London has always evolved through trade, migration, storytelling and shared experience. Although the amphitheatre no longer echoes with Roman crowds, it still hosts what makes the City extraordinary: a community coming together to understand who we are and what has shaped us across time.

Thank you for being part of our Voices and Illuminations programme, and for helping us celebrate London’s timeless ability to reinvent, inspire and illuminate. We look forward to welcoming you back for even more events that bring the City’s past into vibrant dialogue with its creative present!

02/12/2025

A huge thank you to everyone who attended our joyful community carols yesterday 🎶

It was a fantastic opportunity to get away from desks, gather under the twinkling lights and sing our favourite festive tunes. It was also heartwarming to see all your messages of peace, which are now hanging as part of a collective installation at St Giles Cripplegate.

The festive season has well and truly kicked off and we’re bringing you even more fun and creative events over the next few weeks. Join us later today or on Thursday for our lunchtime wreath making workshops at London Museum Studios! 🎄

19/11/2025

The magic of Winter arrives at Guildhall Yard! 🎄

Join us on Wednesday 26th November, 5–7pm at the historic Guildhall Yard as we switch on the lights of its first-ever Christmas Tree, and launch a brand-new festive tradition in the heart of the City of London’s Culture Mile.

Expect a full festive celebration in one of the City’s most iconic spaces!

What’s on:
🎶 Uplifting gospel singers and vibrant steel pan performances
🤸‍♀️ Dazzling roving acrobats and festive games for all ages
🍷 Seasonal food and drink stalls serving up cosy winter treats
✨ The official lights switch-on will feature a special guest appearance from award-winning guide, , David Harry from The London Spy and led by a City dignitary in full regalia

Free and open to all — no tickets required. Join us and help spread the festive cheer as we kick off a new City tradition!

11/09/2025

As we approach the end of our exhilarating summer events programme, we wanted to share some context on why we decided to put this programme together and focus on celebrating the City’s outdoor spaces...

🏙 While we love the hustle and bustle of working somewhere as dynamic as the City of London, the sensory overload of City life can dull our senses, affecting our wellbeing, productivity and mood – otherwise known as burnout.

🌱 So, what’s the solution? Research has shown the positive effects of nature and green spaces on our productivity and mood, so we wanted to create a summer programme that encourages people to get outdoors, get moving and get in touch with their senses in a mindful way. Most importantly, these activities and events had to be accessible to all.

🌳 We’re blessed with an abundance of great outdoor spaces on our doorstep in the Culture Mile, from leafy Postman’s Park to the historic Guildhall Yard, and we want people to discover these spaces so they visit them all year round, beyond just these events.

🏀 We wanted to celebrate these spaces in a mindful and meaningful way, whether it’s encouraging wellness, fitness and Pride at our ‘Culture Mile on the Street’ day of events as part of , championing the rich history of the area with fun activations such as Morris dancing and archery at our Midsummer Fayre or promoting accessibility in sport through our sports events in partnership with the where we teamed up to offer wheelchair basketball and blind football.

🏛 The events bring culture from inside typical institutions to the great outdoors, making them accessible to all, which is important in the light of ’s research earlier this year which showed a lack of engagement by Londoners with arts and culture.

📣 We’re calling for business leaders to do the same and recognise how valuable these green spaces are. By promoting awareness of and improving access to them, we can empower workers, residents, and visitors to make these spaces part of their everyday lives, ultimately leading to improved mental and physical wellbeing.

01/08/2025

Come and get involved with our interactive sports events taking place at the historic Guildhall Yard this August! 🏆

Part of , these activities are brought to you by ourselves and with support from with , and , and will see the Guildhall Yard transformed into a vibrant sporting ground this summer. Featuring a series of activities led by elite basketball and football coaches, and even opportunities to meet professional sports stars, here’s what to look out for...

Football in the Culture Mile – 7-8th August:

⚽️ Junior coaching for children with former pro footballer
⚽️ A Pan DisAbility match in partnership with
⚽️ Blind football – open to all to try
⚽️ Corporate tournaments with City businesses
⚽️ Bookable slots for the public to get involved and set up their own matches

Basketball in the Culture Mile – 11th-15th August:

🏀 A ‘Women in Sport’ day, featuring meet & greet & play with members of the women’s team including Commonwealth bronze medal winning player, and junior coaching sessions for children with Lions player
🏀 A dunk competition led by star player,
🏀 Wheelchair basketball exhibition game with led by Paralympian .sealy.82
🏀 Wheelchair basketball sessions led by and coaching for children from the charity
🏀Family sessions and bookable slots for the public to get involved and set up their own games
🏀 Cheerleading and dance workshops taught by , for the full basketball experience

These events form part of our wider summer programme, featuring multi-sensorial events and experiences that will encourage people to get outside, engage their senses, try something new and experience the great open-air spaces the City has to offer 🏃‍♀️

For more information and event timings, head to the link in bio!

Culture Mile BID

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