A wonderful lantern festival is coming tomorrow to Bermondsey!

The parades will walk through the neighbourhood’s streets before meeting in Southwark Park at the bandstand.

Illuminate Rotherhithe & Bermondsey is a free annual festival for, by and with local people, inspired by the histories of the Thames, the docks, migration, and connections with the Mayflower.

On Friday 4th March lantern processions will leave from two venues: Mayflower Hall, 1 Neptune Street, Rotherhithe SE16 7JP and St James’s church, Thurland Rd, London SE16 4AA Jamaica Rd, Bermondsey.

Doors will open from 4.00 pm. The processions will set off from both venues at 5.30 pm sharp.

Accompanied by music, the parades will walk through the localities before meeting in Southwark Park at the bandstand at about 6.00 pm.

There will be free music and barn dancing at the bandstand provided by the Ceilidh Tree Band, a specially written poem for Illuminate by Wes Viola about T R E E S, surprise guests, a very special lantern made by The Shed, and pizza, biscuits by Boscoffee and cinnamon buns by the Finnish church.