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Croydon – The Mayor’s London Borough of Culture for 2023. This is Croydon. Historic and modern. Diverse and dynamic. Urban and green. And you’re welcome.

Always striking, surprising; youthful and unique. This crucible of creativity, born out of adversity. This edge of the city, that’s at the heart of the action. From main-stage headliners to the sounds of the underground, from famous names to tomorrow’s new voices, this will be a year-long celebration to which everyone, and every Londoner, is invited. The full event programme will be announced in spring 2023.

02/09/2026

The Curiosity Rover has made its way all around Croydon this summer! Embark on the last quest at The Queen's Gardens on:

🚀 Saturday 12 September, 12pm - 4pm
🚀 Sunday 13 September, 12pm - 4pm

This last weekend ties into Build / Play / Shape, our free celebration of imagination, creativity and play for all ages, part of Open House Festival 2026 🗝️

Choose from a series of imaginative and creative missions, designed to help you step off autopilot and discover your surroundings through fresh eyes.

Find out more: https://www.culturecroydon.com/event/the-curiosity-rover/

📸 Photos from Surrey Street, North End and Ruskin Square.

01/09/2026

👀 Curious about the inside of Croydon Town Hall?

Join a free guided tour and gain rare access to this unique Victorian-style, Grade II listed building, as part of Open House Festival 🗝️

🗓️ Saturday 19 September
📍Croydon Town Hall, Katharine St, Croydon CR0 1NX
🕰️ Every hour from 10am – 1pm
Tours last 45 minutes
Step-free tour: 12pm - 12.45pm

FREE, no booking required. Places on all tours will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Please arrive at least 10 minutes prior to the start time.

Find out more: https://www.culturecroydon.com/event/croydon-town-hall-guided-tour/

📸 Photos by Glenn Foster

26/08/2026

📸 A sneak peek at the photos that the Caravan Gallery have been taking around Croydon 👀

🚐 The Caravan Gallery is a brand new photography exhibition of Croydon’s streets, buildings and communities inside a 1960’s vintage caravan.

Over the summer, Jan Williams and Chris Teasdale have been looking at Croydon through their lens, capturing the overlooked, the quirky and the wonderfully ordinary hiding among Croydon’s streets, shopfronts and public spaces.

It’s rolling into town from Friday 11 to Sunday 20 September as part of Open House Festival.

🟡 11 September, launch event, 1-7pm (Katharine Street, outside Croydon Clocktower)
🟡 12 – 13 September, 12-5pm (Build / Play / Shape at The Queen’s Gardens)
🟡 14 – 15 September, 11-5pm (North End)
🟡 16 – 17 September, 11-5pm (College Square)
🟡 18 – 19 September, 11-5pm (Surrey Street Market)
🟡 20 September, 11-5pm (North End)

Find out more: https://www.culturecroydon.com/event/open-house-festival-the-caravan-gallery/

📸 Photos:
1 – Costa del Croydon at Centrale & Whitgift
2 – Croydon Pilgrim
3 – Lunar House
4 – Photo by Dudley People's Archive

25/08/2026

🚀 Our programme for Build / Play / Shape is here 🚨

As part of Open House Festival 2026, we've got a free weekend packed with imagination, creativity and play for all ages at The Queen's Gardens 🏙️

📅 Sat 12 & Sun 13 September
📍 The Queen's Gardens, Croydon
🕰️ 12pm – 5pm
🎟️ Free, no booking required

🏙️ Matt+Fiona: Croydon Skyline
Using large-scale cut-out landmarks, contribute to an evolving installation and shape a growing cardboard skyline inspired by Croydon’s heritage and future possibilities.

🚀 In Situ: Croydon Space Station
Be inspired by Croydon’s space age buildings and aviation history – from Apollo and Lunar House to Croydon Airport. Build your own models of familiar buildings redesigned as spacecraft and transform the town centre into a space station!

📱Max Yasmeen: Hopes and Fears
Exchange anonymous hopes, fears, and reflections via text message in this interactive artwork and see yourself as part of Croydon’s Collective story.

🛝 Pif-Paf Theatre: Right to Play
Build dens, balance, swing and jump into this interactive play zone, and get hands-on in the Long Table Mud Kitchen, filled with play sand and crockery for little hands.

🎨 Creative Quests: The Curiosity Rover
Choose from a series of imaginative and creative missions, designed to help you step off autopilot and discover your surroundings through fresh eyes.

🚐 The Caravan Gallery
A new photography exhibition of Croydon’s streets, building and communities inside a 1960’s vintage caravan – looking beyond the brown signs and interpretation boards to discover Croydon.

📸 Photos by Rachel Adams, Andrew Moore, Chris O’Donovan, Simon D Holmes, and Dudley People’s Archive

19/08/2026

Booking opens today for Open House Festival events in Croydon 🎟

Be the first in the queue to grab your tickets for this year's festival celebrating London's amazing architecture and hidden gems. This year there's more than 30 events taking place across Croydon from 12 - 20 September!

This is your chance to sneak inside private residences, explore iconic buildings, and find undiscovered gems right on your doorstep.

Many of the events are free to drop-in but some have limited spaces available and require booking in advance.

Head over to the website to explore the full programme and secure your spot.

🔑

📸 Croydon buildings by Glenn Foster
1. Number 1 Croydon
2. Lunar and Apollo House
3. Shirley Windmill
4. Croydon Clocktower
5. Whitgift Almshouses

15/08/2026

Today marks the anniversary of the birth of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and one year since Croydon began a borough-wide celebration of one of our most influential cultural figures.

Over the past year, we've honoured his life and legacy through Croydon Gladi Gladi, a major exhibition at Museum of Croydon, new commissions by global majority artists, a takeover of Croydon Clocktower by students from The BRIT School, and a landmark concert at Fairfield Halls with London Mozart Players, featuring Braimah Kanneh-Mason and new music by Tunde Jegede.

Coleridge-Taylor's story continues to inspire how we champion creativity, celebrate diverse voices, and create opportunities for artists and young people in Croydon today.

His music connected cultures, challenged barriers and opened doors. A century later, that spirit still resonates.

As we reflect on an incredible year, swipe through the photos and tell us your favourite moments and memories from the anniversary year!

A huge thanks to all our partners and supporters, including the National Heritage Lottery Fund, The BRIT School, London Mozart Players and Museum of Croydon. Massive thanks also to the many brilliant artists, musicians and performers who made it an unforgettable celebration, and to our audiences and residents who make Croydon a special place to be!

10/08/2026

Spot this sunshine yellow, vintage caravan around Croydon town centre this September and you’re in for a treat. 🌞

It is in fact more than just a charming looking caravan…

Inside is a brand new photography exhibition that presents Croydon as you have never seen it before.

Artists and photographers Jan Williams and Chris Teasdale have been lovingly touring their Caravan Gallery to towns and cities of the UK for more than 20 years.

Over the summer, Jan and Chris will be looking at Croydon through their lens, capturing the overlooked, the quirky and the wonderfully ordinary hiding among Croydon’s streets, shopfronts and public spaces.

It’s rolling into town from Friday 11 to Sunday 20 September.

Visit our website to find out where and when to find them. There’s no need to book – just drop by, hop on board and browse the exhibition! https://www.culturecroydon.com/event/open-house-festival-the-caravan-gallery/

It’s one of the many exciting things popping up in Croydon as part of Open House Festival next month!

📸Dudley People's Archive

07/08/2026

Something big is taking shape in The Queen's Gardens... 🚀🏙️

This September, Build / Play / Shape lands in Croydon as part of Open House Festival 2026!

Expect a free weekend packed with imagination, creativity and play for all ages.

Think giant cardboard skylines, familiar Croydon buildings transformed into spacecraft, den building, mud kitchens, creative quests and more.

We'll be revealing the full programme soon, but for now, save the date:

📅 Sat 12 & Sun 13 September
📍 The Queen's Gardens, Croydon
🎟️ Free, no booking required

📸Andrew Moore, Chris O'Donovan, Vipul Sangoi

04/08/2026

This Saturday you can try SEVEN different artforms in one afternoon, for free!

As part of our Creative Health Takeover this Saturday 8 August, drop into Croydon Clocktower and try free workshops running throughout the afternoon from 1pm - 4pm including….

🎶Thrive Choir Singalong with Music Relief Foundation

✨Clay & Play with Agata Novak

👋Hands on History with Museum of Croydon

🪡Rag Weaving with Sarayu Shah

🎭‘No Drama’ Drama Workshops with Good Wolf People

✏Creative Writing with New Addington Creative Writing Group

🎨Exploring Big Feelings through Art with The Feeling Factory

You can also explore an interactive exhibition at the to discover the evidence behind the remarkable benefits of culture and creativity for our mental and physical health.

All the activities are family friendly and open to all ages, so it's a great afternoon for families looking for free activities during the summer holidays.

Creative Health Takeover Day
📍Croydon Clocktower & Museum of Croydon
📅Sat 8 August
🕑1pm - 4pm

📸Glenn Foster

28/07/2026

Tickets are released today for Barbershop Uncut Stories. 🎭

Coming to The BRIT School on 2 October, this powerful community theatre production brings real stories from cancer survivors to the stage, using storytelling rooted in lived experience to open up conversations about cancer awareness, early diagnosis and health inequalities.

Created by C & Hair CIC and produced by New Duke Films, Barbershop Uncut Stories is set within one of the most trusted spaces in the community, exploring themes of health, family, grief, masculinity and connection through authentic, thought-provoking drama.

Each performance is followed by a conversation with healthcare professionals, creating space for audiences to reflect, ask questions and continue the discussion.

A limited number of free tickets are available from today via the link in our bio.

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