This year Illuminate Rotherhithe and Bermondsey, now a greatly expanded lantern festival, will take place on Friday 4th March 2022.
Two processions, one leaving Bermondsey and one leaving Rotherhithe will meet and enjoy free food provided by local organisations, with music and dancing with the Ceilidh Tree Band.
Until 2019, Illuminate Rotherhithe was a free annual five-day local festival in November.
The overall theme of Illuminate Rotherhithe is Migration, the theme for 2022 specifically is T R E E S.
The festival aims to involve and engage all the diverse communities living and working in Rotherhithe & Bermondsey, and to encourage our hugely talented residents and workers to participate in the events, to delve into the rich and enduring history of the area and to share their own family histories.
Previous festivals included: free lantern-making family and school workshops, free school ceilidh workshops, a free School’s Grand Ceilidh of 500 children, free assemblies with the Museum in Docklands, free school foreshore walks with local mudlark Thames Larker. At the Rotherhithe Picture Research Library a display of foreshore finds by mudlark Thames Larker.
Without the sterling work of Pauline Adenwalla and Jemma Bicknell, this series of events, free to all members of our community, would simply not have been born. Many thanks to Rotherhithe Seagulls for their work on the website.
THANK YOU TO PERFORMERS 2018
The Ceilidh Tree
Citizens of the World Choir
Jane Deakin & Steve Hodges
Jimmy & Sid Folk Duo
Local people
Monica Acosta Sephardic Trio
Musica Antica Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe & Bermondsey Community Choir
Sue Challis Mayflower Hall
Tricity Vogue