Open Iftar: Trafalgar Square event showing Ramadan is ‘open to all’

A flagship community event bringing together those with and those without faith during the holy month of Ramadan is concluding in Trafalgar Square next week, after dates in some of the UK’s iconic locations.

Open Iftar, run by the award-winning charity Ramadan Tent Project, invites guests to break the Ramadan fast at sundown.

Since it began in 2013, Open Iftar has connected more than 500,000 people across the UK, and has been held in venues from the Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Stadium to Coventry Cathedral.

To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the charity’s Ramadan Festival 2023, a yearly festival of art and culture, Ramadan Tent Project has been hosting its Open Iftar event in 10 cities across the country, where attendees can share food, engage in conversation and listen to inspirational guest speakers.

The series has already visited venues including the V&A and Shakespeare’s Globe in London and Aston Villa FC in Birmingham, with the finale to be at Trafalgar Square on April 20.

Ramadan Tent Project

Omar Salha, founder and chief executive of Ramadan Tent Project, said: “For the past decade Ramadan Tent Project has connected and convened over half a million people from all backgrounds through its annual Ramadan Festival and flagship initiative Open Iftar.

“It is with great pride and joy to celebrate our 10-year anniversary with the return of our renowned Open Iftar events at some of the UK’s landmark venues.

“Open Iftar first started on university grounds inviting people of all faiths and none to share the breaking of fast, to build bridges and increase awareness about the month of Ramadan.

“To celebrate this work and our 10-year journey, the theme of ‘Belonging’ quintessentially culminates everything Ramadan Tent Project represents. True belonging should not require you to change who you are – rather, it is to celebrate who you are.

“We are delighted to showcase that Ramadan is open to all, and that our Ramadan Festival and Open Iftar events is home to a community of communities.”

Asif Aziz, founder and chief executive of the charity the Aziz Foundation, a sponsor of the Trafalgar Square event, said: “I truly hope events such as this will enhance engagement and understanding among the diverse communities of Britain, ultimately leading to a stronger society for all.”

Open Iftar events

The remaining Open Iftar events are:

• London, Battersea Arts Centre - April 13
• London, Victoria and Albert Museum - April 14
• London, Wembley Stadium - April 15
• London, TBC, April 16
• Gloucester, Blackfriars Priory - April 17
• London, Hay’s Galleria - April 18
• Coventry, Coventry Cathedral - April 19
• London, Trafalgar Square - April 20

Free tickets to all Open Iftar events, including at Trafalgar Square, are only available to those subscribed to Ramadan Tent Project’s newsletter.

For more information on Ramadan Festival 2023 and Open Iftar, visit the Ramadan Tent Project’s website