Join us in Greenwich and celebrate Diwali at the National Maritime Museum this October.

Experience the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of Diwali, and enjoy an incredible range of free live music and performances, family activities, art displays and more!

This year's programme is curated by South Asian artists' collective COMMONGROUND&. We'll be announcing more details very soon, so sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about what's coming up at the National Maritime Museum.

To celebrate Diwali the National Maritime Museum is releasing a whole host of resources to add to festivities at home.

Scroll down to find out more.

Watch a Diwali performance at the Queen's House

Epika Dance is an International Bollywood Fusion Troupe based in London recognised for their unique fusion of Indian (Bhangra, kathak, garba, gidha and Bollywood), Japanese and Hiphop styles. Epika stands for Empowerment, Passion, Inspiration, Knowledge & Ambition. The company was Founded by Emiko Jane Ishii who trains people to become leaders in dance that will also help to inspire and evolve the future of dance.

Watch these three performances from Epika, filmed at the Queen's House, to celebrate Diwali. Performances include Bhangra and Giddha, Bhangra hiphop fusion and Kathak.

Rangoli making

Watch a Rangoli being created on the floor by members of staff from the National Maritime Museum.

Kindly created by VSA Gayatri Navaratna with VSA Barsha Pokhrel (edited by VSA Gayatri Navaratna) 

Check out the Diwali zine

This special publication is made up of submissions from South Asian communities in London and around the world.

'I created this zine to celebrate the persistent creativity of queer communities and how we keep traditions alive while cultivating our own,' says editor Anju Kasturiraj. 

Anju is the Community Facilitator for the Migrations, Heritage and Belonging project at Royal Museums Greenwich. As well as the Diwali zine, she's also recorded a podcast in conversation with Hansika Jethnani, a queer poet and activist. Listen in to find out more about Diwali, religious violence, and queer interfaith spaces.

Read the zine

Listen to the podcast

Explore connections between London's docks and India

Meet Raj Fernandes, a dockworker living and working in London in the nineteenth century. Learn about the cargoes brought into London, the pay and working conditions along the docks, and Raj’s own story of life in London as a Lascar and the diverse communities he lived amongst in sailor town.