London's quirky Twelfth Night festival will take place this weekend - everything you need to know
Storytelling, mulled wine and music are staple parts of London’s historic Twelfth Night celebrations
As the Christmas season draws to a close, Londoners prepare to mark Twelfth Night with a unique and vibrant celebration.
Rooted in centuries-old customs, this festive occasion brings together history, folklore, and theatrical spectacle.
One of the city's most enchanting Twelfth Night events takes place along Bankside, offering Londoners and visitors a chance to step back in time and embrace a rich cultural tradition.
Here’s everything you need to know about this weekend’s festival including times, locations and traditions.
What happens at London’s Twelfth Night festival?
Each year, the Twelfth Night festival on Bankside, hosted by The Lions Part theatre company, revives ancient customs in a lively and immersive experience.
This free event, blending theatrical performance with folklore, will take place on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at 2pm near Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
Expect a mix of pageantry and performance as the festival kicks off with the arrival of the Holly Man, a striking figure clad in green foliage, who crosses the Millennium Bridge to bring blessings to the city.
His ceremonial wassails, toasts offered to the River Thames and the Globe, set the tone for the day’s festivities, invoking good fortune for the year ahead.
The revelry continues with a Mummers Play, a humorous folk drama featuring larger-than-life characters such as St George. This play, rich with battle scenes and boisterous verse, is a nod to a long-standing winter storytelling tradition.
King Bean and Queen Pea
Adding an interactive element to the celebrations, slices of Twelfth Night Cake will be distributed among the audience. Hidden within two lucky slices are a bean and a pea - whoever finds them will be crowned the King and Queen of the Day.
The newly anointed royals will then lead a joyous procession through the streets, culminating in a gathering at the historic George Inn, where the merriment continues with storytelling, music, and mulled wine.
Twelfth Night, traditionally observed on January 5th or 6th, marks the end of Christmas and the eve of Epiphany. In medieval and Tudor England, it was a time of feasting, revelry, and social role reversals, where a Lord of Misrule would oversee the festivities.
London’s Twelfth Night celebrations offer a fascinating glimpse into this bygone era, keeping the spirit of historical revelry alive in a modern setting. The combination of performance, folklore, and community engagement makes this one of the capital’s most distinctive winter events.
Event Details
Date: Sunday, January 5, 2025
Time: 2pm
Location: Bankside, near Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
Nearest Tube Stop: London Bridge or Blackfriars
Weather: A warning for snow and ice is in force, so make sure you wrap up warm