Free

Essential Information

Type Events and festivals
Location
National Maritime Museum
Date and Times Past event
Prices Free

Diwali at the National Maritime Museum is a fantastic family-friendly celebration, featuring free live performances, workshops, talks, a lantern parade and more.

For two years running the Museum has teamed up with Mehala Ford, founder of south Asian arts collective COMMONGROUND&, to curate the celebrations.

Due to roof works at the National Maritime Museum we're sadly pausing the main celebrations for now, but keep an eye on our website for updates closer to the time. You can also check out our what's on guide here to find more events and festivals taking place in Greenwich.

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Meet our partners

For two years the National Maritime Museum has teamed up with Mehala Ford, founder of south Asian arts collective COMMONGROUND&, to curate Greenwich's Diwali celebrations.

"Diwali is a festival that celebrates new beginnings, wealth and prosperity and the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. It is observed around the world by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains," she explains.

"Shared rituals and ceremonies, such as those that take place at Diwali, can offer us a sense of belonging," Mehala adds. "New rituals and ceremonies are emerging and old ones are being revised to include people who do not identify themselves as traditionally religious, bringing people together based on a sense of community, rather than shared religious beliefs."

What’s On

Find more events and festivals taking place in Greenwich.

Cutty Sark Concert - The Old Time Sailors
Events and festivals | Museum Lates

Cutty Sark Concert - The Old Time Sailors

Sail back in time with us for an immersive experience of traditional seafaring music underneath the Cutty Sark
Thursday 25 April 2024 | 7.30 - 10pm
Adult: £23 | Member: £21 | Young person/student: £21
Cutty Sark
Silver Screen Science-Fiction presents... Lilo & Stitch
Events and festivals

Silver Screen Science-Fiction presents... Lilo & Stitch

Join the Hawaiian rollercoaster ride that is Lilo & Stitch!
Saturday 27 April 2024 | 6.30-8.15pm
£10 Adult | £5 Child
Royal Observatory
Lunchtime Concerts
Events and festivals

Lunchtime Concerts

Enjoy musical performances in the Queen's House given by students from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance 
Select weekdays (see page for details) | 1pm-2pm
Free, drop in
Queen's House
12 Silk Handkerchiefs
Events and festivals

12 Silk Handkerchiefs

Join us for this special evening of folk music at the Cutty Sark, celebrating ordinary people doing extraordinary things
Thursday 16 May 2024 | 7pm-9.35pm
Adult: £18 | Members: £16
Cutty Sark
Caribbean Takeover
Events and festivals

Caribbean Takeover

Celebrate black history and culture in Britain with the Caribbean Social Forum as they take over the National Maritime Museum's grounds
Saturday 18 May 2024 | 11am - 5pm
Free | Free wristbands required for talks
National Maritime Museum
Cutty Sark Comedy
Events and festivals | Museum Lates

Cutty Sark Comedy

Join us in the Lower Hold of the famous tea clipper for a fantastic evening of stand-up comedy
26 May 2024 | 6.30pm-8.30pm (Doors open at 6pm)
Adult: £18.00 | Members: £16.00
Cutty Sark
Evening Concerts at the Queen’s House
Events and festivals

Evening Concerts at the Queen’s House

Join us for an night of music performed by students from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Friday 7 June | 7.30pm-8.30pm
Adult: £10, Members: £7, Concessions (Students, Under 25s, Children): £5
Queen's House
World Oceans Day
Events and festivals

World Oceans Day

A family-friendly celebration of our ocean hosted at the National Maritime Museum
Returning in 2024
Free
National Maritime Museum
Refugee Week 2024
Events and festivals | Refugee Week

Refugee Week 2024

Find out about the events taking place at Royal Museums Greenwich to mark Refugee Week, focused on this year's theme 'Our Home'
16-23 June 2024 | See page for details
Free
Cutty Sark
New Lights Festival 2024: Kraken Harp
Events and festivals

New Lights Festival 2024: Kraken Harp

New music for harp and ensemble with Trinity Laban
Tuesday 18 June 2024 | 7.30-9.30pm
General admission: £15 | Members and Under 25s: £10
Cutty Sark
Windrush Day
Events and festivals

Windrush Day

Celebrate the anniversary of the Empire Windrush's arrival in Britain, and find your own Windrush connection at the National Maritime Museum
Returning in 2024
Free
National Maritime Museum
Teachers' Evening 2024
Events and festivals

Teachers' Evening 2024

Celebrate the end of term and find out about schools sessions, resources, CPD and project opportunities at all Royal Museums Greenwich sites.
Thursday 4 July 2024 | 4.30pm - 7.00pm
FREE for UK school teachers
Royal Observatory
International Slavery Remembrance Day
Events and festivals

International Slavery Remembrance Day

Explore the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade and its abolition at the National Maritime Museum
Returning in 2024
Free
National Maritime Museum
Attention All Shipping
Events and festivals

Attention All Shipping

To mark Cutty Sark’s 155th birthday, join us on board to watch Charlie Connelly's one-man show based on his bestselling book 'Attention All Shipping: A Journey Round The Shipping Forecast'
Friday 22 November 2024 | 7-9pm
Adult: £20 | Member: £18
Cutty Sark

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Our partners

COMMONGROUND& offers a showcase for South Asian creatives across a broad range of disciplines. The collective allows artists and creatives of South Asian heritage to express themselves and show their work.

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All events on the day are free. You are welcome to book free National Maritime tickets in advance to guarantee entry, or just turn up on the day - find out more about planning your visit here.

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