What’s on
Holding Form: A Solo Exhibition by Ben Wakeling
A new solo exhibition by local Hackney-based artist Ben Wakeling.
Reggae Revival: The Exhibition
Celebrating forty years of the British Reggae Artist Famine Appeal.
Baroque Chamber Opera Auto da Catingueira
Experience the UK premiere of Auto da Catingueira (1969), a Brazilian baroque chamber opera.
The White Cage: A photography exhibition
The White Cage documents an iconic astro pitch in the heart of Suffolk Estate, just seconds away from the gentrification of Broadway Market.
Exhibition: Traditional Shortknee Mas Characters
Celebrate sixty years of Notting Hill Carnival at Hackney Archives.
Hackney Writers’ Festival: Stamford Hill Library with Jonathan Fortgang
Join this special taster session including a workshop and readings from group members
Windrush Herstory
Interactive workshops exploring the overlooked experiences of women from the Windrush Generation through Caribbean and Black British literature.
Reggae Revival: The Harder They Come & Remembering BRAFA
A film that needs no introduction to anyone with so much as the slightest interest in reggae or Jamaican culture, The Harder They Come celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Rhythm of Resilience: Celebrating our Elders
Celebrate the sounds and strength of Windrush elders with a day of live music, history talks, storytelling and a free Caribbean meal. A photographer will be capturing the day with free resilience family portraits for people to cherish.
Life Lift Dance workshops
Life Lift Dance for over 55s.
Free, welcoming and fun, low-intensity dance/movement workshops for everyone over 55 years. Suitable for beginners and adapted for all levels with chair-based options. Supported by the Marathon Foundation fund.
South Asian Heritage Month Family Celebrations
Join us for a fun family session celebrating South Asian heritage and culture!
De Beauvoir Jazz Festival 2026
De Beauvoir Jazz Festival is a 2 day jazz festival taking place across De Beauvoir Town, Hackney on 10-11th July 2026.
Dementia: The Island Journey – A Caribbean Dementia-Friendly Screening
Join this heartwarming Caribbean film screening celebrating dementia-friendly stories and community vibes!
How to Get On with Everybody
The screening of documentary film How to Get On with Everybody followed by a Q&A with Rabbi Herschel Gluck, Winstan Whitter and Elin Moe.
Life Lift Dance workshops
Life Lift Dance for over 55s.
Free, welcoming and fun, low-intensity dance/movement workshops for everyone over 55 years. Suitable for beginners and adapted for all levels with chair-based options. Supported by the Marathon Foundation fund.
Languages of Belonging
A poetry workshop centring trans and queer South Asian poets with Gayathiri Kamalakanthan.
The Great Hackney Libraries Quest
The Great Hackney Libraries Quest is back! Join in at your local library this summer.
Celebratory Cultural Cuisine Collaboration
Ewart's Jerk (Chicken) of Gillett Square is collaborating with Chinneal Collins to create a celebratory menu fusing British classics with a Caribbean twist to mark Windrush 2026.
Life Lift Dance workshops
Life Lift Dance for over 55s.
Free, welcoming and fun, low-intensity dance/movement workshops for everyone over 55 years. Suitable for beginners and adapted for all levels with chair-based options. Supported by the Marathon Foundation fund.
Dance Creation Project: ‘Site & Self’ with Avant Garde Dance Company
Site & Self is a creative development programme for dancers and young creatives aged 15-26 exploring site-specific performance, movement, theatre, storytelling and pathways into the creative industries.
South Asian Heritage Month: Kite Making Craft
Create your own beautiful kite and test whether it can defy the laws of gravity!
Life Lift Dance workshops
Life Lift Dance for over 55s.
Free, welcoming and fun, low-intensity dance/movement workshops for everyone over 55 years. Suitable for beginners and adapted for all levels with chair-based options. Supported by the Marathon Foundation fund.
Cabaret Creation Project: ‘Collective Cabaret’ with Hackney Shed
Hackney Shed and Hoxton Hall invite you to create a brand-new cabaret.
Music Video & Content Creation Academy with Rising Tide
Are you aged 13–25 and interested in film, music or content creation? Join this exciting 5-week creative programme and turn your ideas into a real short film or music video.
Theatre-Making Project: ‘Exposure’ with Immediate Theatre
Looking for something creative, exciting, and meaningful this summer? Summer Exposure is a two-week opportunity for young people to create and perform a fully supported theatre production.
Actor Training Programme: ‘Elevate’ with Arcola Theatre
Aged 18 – 25, based in Hackney, with a passion for acting? Spend a week developing your skills and exploring theatre as a career path.
Songwriting & Performance Programme: ‘Frequency’ with EartH
Join the Frequency collective and explore the craft of songwriting and perform in our live show in Earth Kitchen.
Theatre-Making Workshop with MULCH x National Trust
A 5-day Theatre-Making workshop led by theatre company MULCH.
Book Launch: Big Man by Dean Atta
Hackney Libraries are proud to host the official book launch of Big Man, the highly anticipated adult literary debut by award-winning author and poet Dean Atta.
Hackney Writers’ Festival: Shoreditch Library Black Women Writers with Lisa Ogun’
Join this special taster session including a workshop and readings from group members
Life Lift Dance workshops
Life Lift Dance for over 55s.
Free, welcoming and fun, low-intensity dance/movement workshops for everyone over 55 years. Suitable for beginners and adapted for all levels with chair-based options. Supported by the Marathon Foundation fund.
Hackney Writers’ Festival: Homerton Library with Ngoma Bishop
Join this special taster session including a workshop and readings from group members
Hackney Pride Fayre: The Cabaret at the End of the Fayre.
The Cabaret at the end of the Fayre. Curated by Pretzel Cage & hosted by Azara. Featuring: Azara | Cazeleon | Co Kendrah | Major Dom | Posey Metha | Pretzel Cage
Hackney Pride Fayre: 'Bona to vada!' POLARI workshop
In the decades before decriminalisation, gay and queer men spoke ‘Polari’ - a secret gay slang . Come learn all about it with your pitiful host Dan de la Motte. Free with a ticket.
Hackney Pride Fayre: Self Defence Workshop | Gender Defenders
Check out our Artists & Makers market at the gorgeously historic Chats Palace featuring 20+ sellers!
Pantonic Windrush Community Picnic
Join a vibrant day of culture, creativity, carnival arts, music, dance, costumes and community connection!
Hackney Pride Fayre: Queer Smell Club
Curious about the possibilities of scent? Eager to try something new? This workshop delves into the cultural history and symbolism of scent representing LGBTQ+ cultures and identities.
Hackney Pride Fayre: Ten-Minute Portraits
InkyLayla is an artist who draws people in ink and watercolour. She will be available between 12-2pm, drawing Pay-What-You-Can 10 minute portraits.
Hackney Pride Fayre: DIY Patch Making
Come make your own patches with Silly Little Craft Club! Bring your creativity and get handy with these DIY drop-in sessions.
Hackney Pride Fayre: Studded Leather Workshop
Join artist Emily Witham to learn how to attach metal rivets to leather, creating a studded patch spelling out a 3–6 letter word of your choosing. This event requires a FREE ticket.
Hackney Pride Fayre: Bedazzling Clothing Embellishment Pop-Up
Join artist Fen Fitzgerald for a bedazzling clothing embellishment pop-up! Yassify your look!
Hackney Pride Fayre: Badge Cafe
Fancy a crafty utopian hangout? Come and make your own unique badges reusing old pics, books and mags, including fab vintage LGBTQ+ material.
Hackney Pride Fayre: Short Film Screenings: CHOOSE YR OWN ADVENTURE
Welcome traveller. This curated selection of films by Fringe! revel in themes of destiny and discovery. If you decide to choose your own adventure, who knows what fortunes lay ahead on your path?
Hackney Pride Fayre: Grounding Yoga Class
8th Sister Yoga will guide you through a gentle but invigorating trauma informed yoga practice to ground you for the day ahead.
Hackney Pride Fayre: Pop-Up Clothing Swap
QueerSwap is a clothing swap meet. Bring your old clothes, swap ‘em out and leave with a new look!
Hackney Pride Fayre: Artist & Makers Market @ Chats Palace
Check out our Artists & Makers market at the gorgeously historic Chats Palace featuring 20+ sellers!
Hackney Pride Fayre: Panel Talk: A Queer Hackney. With Crystal, Mayor Zoë Garbett & Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir.
Join Crystal, Mayor Zoë Garbett & Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir for a panel talk and Q&A on A Queer Hackney.
Hackney Pride Fayre: LGBTQIA+ Food & Market stalls
Join us for a special LGBTQIA+ extension of the Chatsworth Road Sunday market. Featuring queer-led traders, business and charities, come grab a snack and enjoy the Market.
Hackney Pride Fayre: Positive East Pop-Up
Positive East join us with a pop-up stall on Chatsworth Road Market. Come to speak to them about their services in STI and HIV support and prevention.
Hackney Pride Fayre: Art Installations at Chats Palace
Two installations from artists Alec Stevens and Neil Martinson will be in sit at Chats Palace, be sure to seek them out.
Reggae Revival: Babymother
Neeta and her crew rise to dancehall fame in North West London’s Caribbean community, in the first Black British musical.
Windrush Herstory
Interactive workshops exploring the overlooked experiences of women from the Windrush Generation through Caribbean and Black British literature.
All Of Them, Dead
In a global pandemic caused by infected meat, two boys find they're much less alone than they thought. A play about being young, gay and working-class in the middle of nowhere.
Windrush Tek Over at the Hackney Empire
Join Hackney Empire for Windrush Tek Over, an immersive celebration of the legacy, culture and contributions of the Windrush generation! Expect Ship-front installation exploring journeys, migration and belonging, Interactive intergenerational writing workshop, Original soundscapes, music and more!
Hackney Writers’ Festival: Dalston CLR James Library Writers with Morgan Omotoye
Join this special taster session including a workshop and readings from group members
Sheroes: Two Stories of Triumph Over the Windrush Scandal
Celebrating Windrush Day with a film premiere, panel discussion, dance performance, food and cultural stalls.
DJAG at Hackney Caribbean Elderly Organisation
Tune in to DJ AG Online for a one hour live set in celebration of the Windrush Generation
Windrush Day Celebration
Join us at Ridley Road Market for a free Windrush Day celebration of art, culture and creativity.
Join the Love Hackney newsletter
All the latest news, events & activities direct to your inbox