The Mayor's Thames Festival 2008

The Mayor's Thames Festival is a spectacular, free celebration of London and its river. Taking place over the middle weekend in September between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge, the festival brings Londoners together in the very heart of the capital to dance, make sculptures, listen to music, watch movies, drink, eat, enjoy performances, sing, play on the beach, sail on the Thames and dance in the streets.

Details. The festival runs for the weekend Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th September 2008, 12pm to 10pm. Between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge. Both days are free.

More than three quarters of a million people came to the Thames Festival in 2007 making it London's most popular family-friendly cultural event.

"What a great event the Thames Festival is. The river is the lifeblood of our city and a key factor in London's success from Roman times to now. The Thames Festival has had an important role in helping reawaken our interest in it, and at the same time creating a lively and magical celebration", Mayor of London Boris Johnson

In 2008 the Thames Festival features culture and creativity from 37 countries, along with programmed work generated by schools from all 33 of London's boroughs. In 2008 alone, the festival will provide workshop activities in nearly 300 schools reaching more than 10,000 young people. Over the festival weekend a further 15,000 people are expected to be actively involved in the festival's hands-on events.