Thames Festival 2008

Launched in 1997, The Mayor’s Thames Festival has grown to become London’s largest free open-air arts festival, and is now in its eleventh year.

Saturday, 13th and Sunday, 14th September, are the dates set aside for the festival which is open from noon until 10pm between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge. The event features music, as well as art installations, workshops, children's activities, and more.

There are numerous music stages whose line-ups are as follows:

New European Village
Folk music, dance and crafts from Central and Eastern Europe including over the two days Hungarian Zithers, Latvian Folk Dance, Czech Republic gypsy, Bulgarian Folk Dance, Romanian pan pipe, Slovakian, and Latvian Folk Dance.

Green Man Stage
Saturday 13 September: Meta Meta, Hanggai, Genna Ethiopian Arts Theatre, Yoik, Seize the Day, Critical Mass, and 1 Giant Leap.
Sunday 14 September: Rhythms of the City, Lani singers, Sisobia, Love Grocer, Fantazia, and Banco de Gaia.

The Club Dada
Saturday 13 September: Tofowski, Bobby McGhee, Radio Revolution, Las Torres, Carlos and the Banditos, Cut a Shine, Tofu Loves Frogs, and The Zen Hussies.Hosted by Frankie Chalet.
Sunday 14 September: The Cumbia Kid, Las Torres, Brothers Bab, Plaster of Paris, Seckou Keita, Son of Dave, Las Torres, and Le Pico. Hosted by The Splott Brothers.

Swamp Rock
Saturday 13 September: DJ Flying Home and Lil' Queenie, Crane River Cajuns, Dance class with Kay Anderson and Satu Philips, Hackney Ramblers, Dance class with Mary Elms and Phil Underwood, Whiskey River, Dance class with CaroleLateman and Robin Jaensch, and Chris Jagger's Atcha.
Sunday 14 September: DJ Flying Home and Lil' Queenie, Zyderythmics, Dance class with Mary Elms and Phil Underwood, Petit et la Grosse, Dance class with CaroleLateman and Robin Jaensch, Joe le Taxi and the Zydeco band, Dance class with Kay Anderson and Satu Philips, and R Cajun and the Zydeco Brothers.

The Observation Point
Saturday 13 September: DJ Dandan Liu, Rita Ray, DJ Karim Dellali, Yazid Fentazi, DJ Ritu, Kuljit Bhamra, DJs Cal Jader & Señor Priego, John Armstrong and Kleyton Macedo.
Sunday 14 September: Rita Ray, Risenga Makondo, DJ Dandan Liu, DJ Karim Dellali, Yazid Fentazi, DJs Cal Jader & Señor Priego, DJ Ritu and Seema Parmar, Nick Luscombe and Katy Carr, John Armstrong and Kleyton Macedo.

Jive Stage
Saturday 13 September: MC El Nino, DJs Count Sizzle and Lady Kamikaze, London Swing Dance Society, Ray Gelato & his Giants, Kingsize 5, Polly Rae and the Hurly Burly Girlys, Ray Gelato & his Giants, Dave Chameleon, and The Extraordinaries.
Sunday 14 September: MC El Nino, DJs Tim Jump Jive, Lady Kamikaze & Count Sizzle, Jiving Lindyhoppers, Snake Bone, Ooh Bop Sh'Bam, Polly Rae and the Hurly Burly Girlys, Hot Club of Belleville, Polly Rae and the Hurley Burly Girlys, and Snake Bone.

River Tango
Plays host to performances, workshops, live music and dancing into the night on London's riverside, under the shadow of the Tate Modern. There will be workshops by Cesar Valasquez and Carolina Gonzalez, Milonga, and performances by David Benitez and Kim Schwartz, Analia Vega and Marcelo Varela, Buenos Aires Tango Orquesta, Pablo Inza and Maria Mondino, Stazzomayor, Los Macana, Tanghetto, Hernan Atencio, Guillermo Rozenthuler and Rioplatenses, Adrian Aragon and Erica Boaglio, and DJ Hernan Atencio.

The Zen Hussies will perform on Saturday 13 September from 7:30pm–9pm at the Bernie Spain Gardens by the Oxo Tower, as part of the festival.

Activities throughout the weekend include Rivers of the World displays and exhibitions, feast on the bridge, footsteps for children, a thousand-voice adult choir, future cinema, photo competition, riverside market, river tango and more.

For more information (as available), see the official website.

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