Thames Festival Trust

20/08/2026

The Great River Race is a spectacular boat race covering 21.6 miles from Millwall in the East to Richmond in the West. Almost 300 boats take part, from dedicated athletes who come every year to beat their records to those who simply enjoy laughter, fancy dress and making money for their charity. It’s a great fun day out for both competitors and spectators. Watch from anywhere along the course, or come to Ham riverside for food, bar and a disco.

Catch the race from London's iconic bridges. For the full schedule please visit The Great River Race.

🗓️ Sat 12th Sep
⏰ 10:15am - 2:15pm
📍 Richmond
🌟 Free
https://bit.ly/4xe2UEq

20/08/2026

Turning the Tide @ Totally Thames festival 2026

Turner Prize-nominated artist Catherine Yass’s site-specific film installation, Turning the Tide (17th – 20th September) will be displayed on the iconic disused Blackfriars Railway Bridge columns.

In this video Catherine explains what the project is all about and we have a look behind the scenes of the work being prepared for the event.

More information @ https://bit.ly/4zrnvXF

Turning the Tide Creative Partners & Artists: Catherine Yass | Becky Bailey | Hugo Glendinning | Graeae Theatre Company (Turning the Tide by Catherine Yass, in partnership with Graeae & commissioned by Thames Festival Trust) | Sebastian Buerkner | Ben Glover

Turning the Tide Funded & Supported by:

Arts Council England | Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Art Explora | This initiative is generously supported by the Art Explora – Académie des beaux-arts European Award.

City of London Corporation: City View | Turning the Tide is brought to you in partnership with the City of London Corporation’s Culture Team. It is supported by the City Corporation's Community Infrastructure Levy Neighbourhood Fund.

Festival Supported by: Port of London Authority

19/08/2026

How do we know how poor women lived in the Middle Ages when historians have ignored them? Walk the river with Laura Agustín aka and meet 6 medieval working women.

🗓️ Sat 12th Sep
⏰ 1pm - 4pm
📍 Southwark
🌟 £20 | General Admission
🌟 £17.50 | Concession
https://bit.ly/4coELmr

18/08/2026

River Recital Summer Concert 🎶🌊

SEED FUNDER | The River Recital Summer Concert is back this summer as part of the Totally Thames festival 2026!

Join us for a unique concert aboard the Arts Ark at Tower Bridge Moorings. This summer, River Recital returns with an intimate evening of adventurous live music, featuring Helen Anahita Wilson, Daniel Inzani, Jewel In the Jackdaw, Jessica's Brother, The Pig, and Narotam Horn.

🗓️ Sat 12th Sep
⏰ 4pm - 10pm
📍 Southwark
🌟 Your £12 ticket will be donated in full to the Museum of Homelessness
https://bit.ly/4xkBgWa

📸 Photo by

15/08/2026

Ganga Aarti on the Thames - A Ceremony of Light 🪔

Join Chinmaya Mission UK for a free family day on the Thames, bringing people together through food, music, live entertainment and cultural celebration inspired by Indian traditions at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich. The event culminates with a Ganga Aarti - a traditional ceremony of light offered in gratitude to the river. Shared in the heart of London, this joyful gathering invites everyone to celebrate unity, heritage and reverence for nature.

🗓️ Sun 13th Sep
⏰ 4pm - 8pm
📍Greenwich
🌟 Free
https://bit.ly/4z04LOH

15/08/2026

Green Tide: installation & sketching sessions

Join us for Green Tide, a one-day site-responsive installation by East London artist Valerie Kuzina, co-authored by the River Thames. Celebrating the Thames as a living force, Kuzina’s suspended panels enter into a performance with the river, moving with its tides and embracing its residues.

With support from Thames21, Valerie will host sketching sessions 9:30–1pm, open to all. The installation is open throughout the day; sessions are bookable with limited capacity.

🗓️ Sun 13th Sep 2026
⏰ 9:30am - 8pm
📍 Tower Hamlets
🌟 Free
https://bit.ly/4gbGii6

14/08/2026

Culture Cargo transforms the historic sailing barge SB Raybel into a floating cultural venue as it journeys from the Thames Estuary into central London ⛵️

This travelling programme of performances, conversations and creative encounters onboard will invite us to consider: How might trade and transport work on London's rivers in a carbon-constrained future? How will climate change and sea-level rise reshape the estuary? What can the Thames' history teach us about its future? How can creativity help us imagine new relationships between people, place and environment?

🗓️ Sat 5th - Sun 6th Sep
📍 Gravesend

🗓️Sat 12th - Sun 13th Sep
📍 St Katherine's Docks

🗓️Sat 12th - Sun 13th Sep
📍 Royal Docks

⏰ 7pm - 10pm
🌟 £12 | General Admission

Upcoming events and launches at Totally Thames, Rivers of the World, The Story of Water and other Thames Festival Trust projects.

13/08/2026

Sing for Water 2026

Join 300 singers from 40+ choirs for Sing for Water's 25th anniversary in the Oxo Tower Courtyard. A joyful riverside choral celebration raising funds for WaterAid.

🗓️ Sat 12th Sep
⏰ 2pm - 3pm
📍 Southwark
🌟 Free
https://bit.ly/4fRnFie

12/08/2026

Richmond Architecture Walking Tour with Shuang Karen Hu OpenCity guide

This tour will highlight some extraordinary architecture that form the important fabric on both side of Thames in Richmond, including Marble Hill House, Richmond Riverside, the Poppy Factory and the Richmond Bridge that connects both sides.

🗓️ Tue 1st Sep & 15th Sep
⏰ 10am - 12:30pm
📍 Richmond
🌟 £19.50 | General Admission
🌟 £14.50 | Concession
https://bit.ly/4wCbpcn

11/08/2026

Land and Sea on Six Strings 🎶

Spanish guitar like you've never heard it before - an exploration of the land and see through the lens of the classical guitar and poetry with Luke Tyrrell.

🗓️ Sat 12th Sep
⏰ 6:30pm - 8:30pm
📍 Tower Hamlets
🌟 £7 | General Admission
https://bit.ly/3RTrOKu