Two free weekend festivals have been planned
(Picture: Richard Stroud/ Museum of London)The Museum of London is marking its closure at London Wall by staying open all night for the first time ever and offering two weekend festivals filled with music, sport and theatre.
DJ sets, late-night cinema and table football will be on offer from next month as the museum draws to end of its time at London Wall after 45 years, before relocating to West Smithfield in late 2025.
The museum will remain open for 24 hours between December 3 and 4 for city goers to have a final glimpse at its galleries and collections charting London history before shutting its doors for good at the current location.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II opened our site in 1976 and we have enjoyed some fantastic moments here,” director Sharon Ament said.
“Whether that’s marking the History of the Coronation, the 2012 Olympics, the Cheapside Hoard, or Vivienne Westwood’s wardrobe.”
More than 21 million people have visited the museum’s galleries, Ms Ament said.
During the first weekend festival, kicking off on November 26, football fans will be able to take part in London’s biggest table football competition against players from the Walking Football Association.
Winning teams will be entered into a raffle to win an England shirt and poster signed by Harry Kane.
For children there will also be face painting, a Baby Rave, theatrical performances, immersive tours, and pop-up musical performances.
The following weekend, the capital’s greatest hits from the Seventies to present day will be explored through the genres of disco, punk, dub, and grime.
Sisu, a DJ platform showcasing women and non-binary DJs and producers, will perform live in the museum’s Ellipse Hall. Visitors can also see the museum’s free music display, Grime Stories: from the corner to the mainstream, or take part in a DJ workshop.
In collaboration with Film London, the museum will show late-night films and host discussions that celebrate the city of London.
Visitors will also be able to enjoy the museum’s iconic pieces, including the Roman Bucklersbury mosaic, Oliver Cromwell’s death mask, a sword belonging to Admiral Nelson, the Booth Map of Poverty, Selfridge’s art deco lifts, and a Sixties Beatles dress.
Actors from the Walking Theatre Company will impersonate London’s historical characters to bring the museum’s collection “to life”.
The museum is reopening at West Smithfield under a new name — The London Museum.
It will welcome its first visitors to a festival curated by Londoners in late 2025 and open to the public in 2026.
The Museum of London Docklands will remain open to visitors throughout and will become The London Museum Docklands from January 2023.
