London’s iconic market celebrates milestone birthday with three-month festival of music, art, dance, food, and fashion from around the world.
Camden Market, the original home for creative cultures since 1974, is set to honour its past, present and future with a series of 50th anniversary celebrations across art, music and culture.
Known as the playground for the rebellious and free spirited, Stables, Lock and Hawley Wharf will come alive with a three-month festival of diverse and unique free events.
Kicking off the Camden Market festivities on Sunday, 30th June will be Pride Family Day in association with The Toy Project charity, where families will be able to enjoy the Toy Project workshop, panto dame storytelling, face painting and a colourful cabaret parade.
Saturday, 20th July will mark the opening celebration ofSouth Asian Heritage Month with the Camden Market Mela where visitors will be invited to enjoy a rich programme of community arts, dance, food and live music. Saturday, 17th August will play host to Camden Market’s Bollywood Festival, a celebration of South Asian and Indian culture, with an array of vibrant and visual performances, including live music, drumming performances, traditional dance and food tastings.
Alongside a full summer programme of free outdoor events, theatre, dance, live music and workshops,
those visiting the market will also be able to indulge in a series of limited-edition 50th anniversary specials. Known worldwide for their viral blow torched marshmallow topped hot chocolate, for the first time comes Chin Chin’s frozen iteration just in time for the summer – a retro choc ice featuring a gooey marshmallow centre encased in a thick milk chocolate coating. Over in Hawley Wharf, Afghan food trader, 2 Lads Kitchen, will be running a special dish in celebration of South Asian Heritage Month
- Mantu and Ashak, authentic Afghan steamed dumplings with spiced lamb or leek filling.
What’s more, a canal-side arch in Camden Market’s Hawley Wharf will be transformed with a bold and illustrative mural, inspired by the market’s five decades of history and created in collaboration with creative street advertising specialists BUILDHOLLYWOOD who will curate and produce the project. The mural will be painted by renowned artist David Shillinglaw and local emerging talents.
BUILDHOLLYWOOD says: “We are excited to be collaborating with Camden Market to create a vibrant
mural to celebrate their 50 years. Inspired by the heart and soul of Camden Market, the mural will
showcase its rich history, its lively, and alternative charm, which has added so much colour and energy
to the cultural scene in London. We can’t wait to unveil it at Hawley Wharf!”
The spirit of Camden Market began when a Saturday market opened in Camden Town, featuring 16 stalls selling antiques, jewellery and arts and crafts. Today, five decades later, this iconic destination is home to over 1,000 independent traders, unique shops, vibrant visitors and locals that make up the fabric of Camden.
To find out more about Camden Market’s 50th anniversary celebrations this summer, please visit https://www.camdenmarket.com/journal/50th-summer-event-series