It’s a celebration of community and togetherness at Somerset House this summer as the venue’s gorgeous outdoor courtyard is taken over by This Bright Land. Open now, until August 29, a whole host of activities and events are on offer to stoke hope and optimism among attendees.
This Bright Land offers family-friendly activities for all ages to enjoy, open-air Vogue Balls, and Friday night parties to let your hair down. There’s even a grand 35-metre Observation Wheel dominating the courtyard. Live performances, immersive installations, and pop-up experiences are also dotted throughout This Bright Land’s schedule. Indulge your senses along the floral pathways of the scented Wonder Garden, presented by Jo Malone London. Or check out the futuristic clubhouse from M·A·C Cosmetics. Not enough for you? There will also be rollicking good times at the Sunday Street Parties with performances, live art, games, workshops and more. We’re getting breathless just trying to mention everything.
Night-time celebrations
The Friday night parties find leading art collectives and creative initiatives hitting the stage and running the night. Curated nights of performance, sound, and all out fun highlight London’s diverse cultures and communities. Nights range from Nine Nights‘ celebration of Black creative talent and performance, to ESEA Sisters‘ performance line-up of women, trans, non-binary, and genderqueer people of East and Southeast Asian heritage, and more.
Saturday nights open-air Vogue Balls come courtesy of the iconic Vogue Rites. Weekly themed nights bring some of the most exciting names in the international ballroom scene to Somerset House, competing for trophies and unique prizes. The celebrations of dance, fashion, and music will all culminate in the Finale Ball – set to be largest open-air Vogue Ball in UK history.
And for when you get peckish?
Black Eats LDN will be providing the food, highlighting the best food from Black-owned businesses across London. And a partnership with Bombay Sapphire will ensure plenty of bright and zesty cocktails to sip on. You can even try your own hand at the cocktail game. A masterclass offers you the chance to master the perfect gin cocktails.
Aiming to “encourage empathy between different communities and in doing so make a new space for creativity, conversation and collaboration”, This Bright Land engages with underrepresented communities to promote relationship-building. Everything about the event coheres to promote the work of established and grassroots communities of creatives.
It’s all set to be a bright delight – a wonderland of community, togetherness and care for each other. And let’s be real, who can resist an observation wheel for those unmatched heights and views of the London skyline? Unmatched, except maybe for that one other relatively famous observation wheel that London is sort of famous for.
By the way, almost all of it will be free. Everyday during the week it will be free to enter during the day. They recommend you book your free ticket in advance, but you’re also more than welcome to just turn up. Pay-what-you can events in the evenings ensure that anyone can enjoy the programme of events and workshops. The larger events also have a range of ticket prices to ensure This Bright Land remains as accessible as possible.
This Bright Land runs from August 1 – August 29.
Head to their website to find out more, and to grab your tickets.