The City of London has announced its revival of the historic Bartholomew Fair which will relaunch at the end of next month. And how have they decided to kick of the festivities, I hear you ask? By chucking some dancers off the top of St Paul’s Cathedral, of course.
The (quite literally) breathtaking performance will be a world-first as the performers have been granted rare access to St Paul’s to create a site-specific piece which will fuse together intricate aerial choreography with rock climbing techniques and original music. The soaring spectacular has been created by US based vertical dance company, BANDALOOP, who are known for their innovation in vertical performance.
Bartholomew Fair was last held in 1855 but before that, it was a vital part of London’s culture and history, dating back to the 12th century and running for over 700 years. The 2023 reimagining of the iconic fair (running from August 31 – September 16) will bring a modern twist to the historic event in a celebration of the City of London’s heritage and contemporary culture.
The three week event will see the historic fair completely reimagined with a series of free performances, cultural events and unique entertainment throughout the Square Mile. The aerial extravaganza will kick things off, but other events include a night-time projection installation creating an extraordinary, illuminated journey through the streets of London and an art-filled, night-time cultural trail throughout the city.
Bartholomew Fair is part of the City Corporation’s Destination City programme, which sets out a vision for the Square Mile to become a world-leading leisure destination for UK and international visitors, workers, and residents to enjoy.
City of London Corporation Policy Chairman, Chris Hayward, said: “we are reimagining the capital’s greatest event and creating something that is truly extraordinary – a new landmark London cultural spectacular. With fantastic free fun for everyone, we are bringing the extraordinary story of the City to life, attracting audiences from across the capital and beyond”.
The full city-wide programme, dates, and locations will be announced in the coming weeks.
Find out more and plan your visit here.