Essential information
| Type |
Events and festivals
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|---|---|
| Location | |
| Date and times | Saturday 7 November 2026 | 10.30am-5pm |
| Prices | Free |
This autumn, Royal Museums Greenwich invites everyone to celebrate All Together Now, a joyful day of creativity, culture and community marking Diwali, the Festival of Lights.
Curated by Mehala Ford, founder and curator of COMMONGROUND&, this year's celebration explores the simple but powerful idea that we are stronger when we come together.
Across cultures and communities, Diwali is a time for gathering through sharing meals, exchanging stories, welcoming family and friends and celebrating the triumph of light over darkness. While traditions may differ from home to home and across generations, the spirit of connection lies at the heart of the festival.
Throughout the museum, artists, performers, musicians, makers and storytellers will transform the galleries into spaces for participation and discovery.
Visitors can join creative workshops, experience live music and dance, hear stories, explore the museum's collections, take part in talks and conversations, discover South Asian designers and makers at the first-ever Diwali Bazaar.
Whether Diwali is part of your own story or you are discovering it for the first time, everyone is welcome.
Join us for a day of making, moving, listening, learning and celebrating.
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Meet our partners
For three years the National Maritime Museum has teamed up with Mehala Ford, founder and curator of COMMONGROUND&, to curate Greenwich's Diwali celebrations.
Mehala Ford is the founder of Friday Sari Project and COMMONGROUND&, a South Asian creative platform that works across art, fashion, craft, culture and community.
'Curating Diwali at the museum is always an honour and a privilege for me. Royal Museums Greenwich have been celebrating Diwali as a free public celebration for 16 years which is incredible. I am always thrilled at the opportunity to take over a museum for one day and to offer that opportunity to showcase the great talents of so many South Asian performers, artists and creatives as we have over the years. It is always a special day for everyone visiting and taking part to have a sensory experience of celebration and the opportunity to enjoy the talents of the South Asian communities. It is a great day for all and something for everyone.'
- Mehala Ford
Festival highlights
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Dance and music performances
From traditional dance to participatory workshops, the museum will come alive with vibrant performances celebrating the richness and diversity of South Asian culture.
Eternal Taal
An all-female group of dancers, dhol drummers and DJs, Eternal Taal will bring the sounds and energy of Punjab to the museum.
Their programme will include a short Bhangra performance with powerful dhol drumming, followed by a participatory dance workshop encouraging visitors to join in.
Folk Mandali / Pooja Rajguru
Pooja Rajguru and Folk Mandali will bring traditional Rajasthani folk dance and Gujarati Garba to the festival.
The programme will include short dance sessions throughout the day, alongside a main performance.
Sweta Pandey
Sweta Pandey, Bharatanatyam dancer and practitioner of classical Indian dance, will perform as part of the day's programme.
Kiran SKG
Musician, sound therapist and practitioner Kiran SKG will create a Music Sound Garden with short drop-in sessions throughout the day and main stage musical performances.
The programme include:
- Classical instrumental music
- Vocal mantra / Kirtan with musicians
- Bansuri flute with tabla and Kathak dance
Nandita Shankardass & Co. / Welcome Movement®
Dance artist, choreographer and interdisciplinary facilitator Nandita Shankardass and two dancers will present a new responsive dance work inspired by Diwali, light and this year's theme, All Together Now.
The experience invites visitors of all ages and abilities to breathe light into the body through movement and learn and create sequences together.
Elements of the movement will then come together during the final Lantern Parade.
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Creative workshops
Rangoli art workshop
Discover the beauty and symbolism of traditional Rangoli art in this hands-on workshop with Ekta Kaur of Story Beyond Lines.
Learn about the origins and meaning behind this South Asian art form before creating your own colourful Rangoli design to celebrate Diwali.
Lantern-making workshop
Design and decorate your own lantern to carry in the festival parade at the end of the day.
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Activities
Dress Up for Diwali
Step into the spirit of Diwali by trying on a vibrant selection of traditional South Asian clothing.
Whether reconnecting with cultural traditions or trying something new, everyone is invited to celebrate and capture a festive photograph.
Puppet show
Experience the epic story of the Ramayana through a unique puppet performance by Story Hour Puppet Theatre, followed by an opportunity to meet the puppets and discover how they were made.
Diwali Storytelling
Enjoy storytelling inspired by Diwali and South Asian traditions by celebrated storyteller and cultural practitioner Debbie Guneratne.
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Diwali bazaar
For the first time, the National Maritime Museum will host a Diwali Bazaar, bringing together South Asian designers, independent brands, artists, makers and craftspeople.
Visitors can discover clothing, jewellery, accessories, gifts, home and lifestyle products, ethical and fairly traded goods, and products made by South Asian creatives working in the UK.
The Bazaar will also feature local Greenwich-based businesses and makers.
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Gallery tours
Join us for the Diwali special event, and you can discover stories of South Asia within the National Maritime Museum's collections and galleries.
The Doctor's Secret Garden: Hidden stories of healing
Explore hidden stories of the early South Asian women doctors of the British Empire, their experiences and the medicines and traditions connected to their work with your guide, Theeba Krishnamoorthy.
The Queen's Talk of Rani Velu Nachiyar
Discover the story of Rani Velu Nachiyar and early histories of anticolonial resistance through objects and stories in the Traders Gallery.
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Diwali Talks Programme
Worn Into Being
Hosted by Brown Game Strong
Worn Into Being is a conversation exploring how we embody the stories we tell about ourselves and our identities through what we wear and how clothing can also help us manifest who we want to become.
Hosted by Mitali Dargani, founder of Brown Game Strong, the panel brings together voices exploring dual heritage, identity, wellbeing, jewellery, fashion and belonging.
Panelists:
Neelam Mistry - author, exploring dual heritage as a second-generation British Indian and the experience of relearning and reclaiming identity and a sense of belonging through wardrobes.
Namalee Bolle: author of The Mixed Multi-Racial Guide to Well-Being.
Anisha Parmar: jewellery designer and cultural practitioner.
Mehala Ford: founder of Friday Sari Project and COMMONGROUND& / curator of the Diwali programme.
A Diwali Story Through Food
Hosted by South Asian Salon
Food is central to the experience of Diwali, carrying memories, traditions and family stories across generations and borders.
SAS (South Asian Salon), a global, community-first platform founded by Ravista Mehra, will bring together chefs and food lovers to explore the different ways people around the world celebrate Diwali through food.
The conversation will explore the stories, rituals and personal meanings behind Diwali food traditions across different South Asian communities and diasporas.
On Creativity
Hosted by South Asian Creative Circle
Hosted by Nandita Shankardass, dance artist, choreographer, facilitator, educator and founder of Welcome Movement®, this conversation explores creativity through themes of wellbeing, care, creative flow, belonging and collaboration.
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Lantern parade
The day's celebrations culminate in a Lantern Parade through the museum grounds, accompanied by the exhilarating rhythms of Eternal Taal's dhol drummers.
Welcome Movement® will also lead visitors in movement inspired by this year's Diwali theme.
Starting inside the museum, the procession will travel into the park, bringing together the movement, music and lanterns created throughout the day.
Visitors are invited to bring along their handmade lanterns and join the celebration.
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Diwali art and installations
Button Masala
Collaborating on our Diwali decoration of the museum will be a textile installation by Button Masala, founded by artist and designer Anuj Sharma. This artwork will transform the museum space using its innovative no-cut, no-stitch design system.
Button Masala uses buttons and rubber bands to create a flexible method of construction that allows fabric to be shaped, joined and reconfigured without sewing. The technique reflects ideas of adaptability, creativity and zero waste.
Diwali Artist Banners
In 2025, the National Maritime Museum commissioned COMMONGROUND& to create a project to design their new banners as part of Ocean Court. Eleven South Asian artists were selected to create large-scale banners exploring themes including homecoming, belonging and light as resistance. These banners will be on display annually at Diwali.
What’s on
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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.
