The festival of Holi is celebrated each spring across the Indian subcontinent and is one of the most important days in the Hindu calendar.
It is known for its colour, energy and a sense of joyousness, and marks the onset of spring and the budding of flora and in anticipation of the harvest to come.
Around the world, the festival has attracted people from other religions (or none at all) to take part, no doubt partly down to the fact that throwing paint and colourful powders at people is one of the foremost ways to honour the occasion.
Traditionally, the vivid colours were derived from the natural world and ayurvedic medicinal practices, paying homage to trees, flowers, fruits.
More seriously, Holi is also a story about good and evil and is based on the legend of Hiranyakashyap, Prahlad, and Holika from Hindu mythology.
Whatever your beliefs, London is always home to festivities, processions, songs and dances, and so here are some ideas for 2024.
House of Holi
The Indian restaurant Cinnamon Kitchen has been hosting a Holi event at Devonshire Square for seven years now. In a purpose built “party pod”, guests are invited to throw colourful paint on one another for half an hour, adding a dose of colour to the grey urbanism of the City. Cinnamon Kitchen chef-owner Vivek Singh will also be serving Holi supper clubs during the festival, with dishes including lamb curry and chickpea dumplings.
Until March 25, tickets from £10. Cinnamon Kitchen, Devonshire Square, EC2M 4YL, cinnamon-kitchen.com
London Ki Holi
Not for the faint-hearted, the London Ki Holi festival is big, with laser and light-themed indoor and outdoor raves, and a mini Bollywood festival with dhol players, dance, circus performers, and workshops. There are plenty of food stalls too — think dosas, chaat, and biryani — as well as free paint, photo booths, and a complimentary shuttle bus from the nearest station (Fairlop — yes, it’s far east, and so quite a trek for many).
March 23, noon-8pm. Tickets from free to VIP packages. The Willows, Forest Road, IG6 3SL, fatsoma.com
Magic of India
Magic of India, an organisation that promotes the best of Indian culture, from art to music to dance, is putting on its annual street festival again this year. The Holi Colour Dance Festival brings to Swiss Cottage drumming, DJs, performers, food stalls and plenty of powdered paint throwing.
March 17, 11am-4pm. Swiss Cottage Fountain Area, By the Cherry Blossom Trees, NW3 3NR, magicofindia.org
Babur
Babur in Forest Hill is teaming up with MasterChef UK 2023 finalist Anurag Aggarwal to host a celebratory menu “where each course carries a visual and philosophical feel of colour”. The idea is to present an opportunity to appreciate diversity and oneness, allowing everyone, Hindu or not, to immerse themselves in Holi’s colour and storytelling.
From March 25-31. £50. 119 Brockley Rise, Forest Hill, SE23 1JP, babur.info
Yaatra
At Yaatra, a playful and upmarket Indian restaurant in the iconic Old Westminster Fire Station, you will find a three-course Holi dinner. Dishes include togarashi grilled scallops, hemp marinated chicken, Awadhi spiced lamb, and Punjabi shahi paneer. There are butter naans, too, and kulfi for pudding.
From March 25-27. £45. Old Westminster Fire Station, 4 Greycoat Place, SW1P 1SB, yaatrarestaurant.com
Ministry of Sound
Younger Holi enjoyers might like to head to Ministry of Sound, the Elephant & Castle superclub. It is hosting a party, a neon rave, for students, with the colours and lights of the festival projected with UV. Expect glow sticks, UV paint, face painters, and UV cannons, all alongside Bollywood classics and “desi hits”.
