Light show in Greenwich town centre this weekend
A light show and evening events are set to take place this coming Saturday in Greenwich town centre in an attempt to draw people to the area.
The Diwali festival including a light show will run from 6:45pm to 8:30pm.
The event is funded by Mayor of London’s High Streets For All fund. In November 2021 an announcement was made on allocating £166,000 to Greenwich town centre but little detail on what that involves until now.
Town centre economy
One idea is to improve the area’s night time economy, though I do chuckle at how an event for the “night time economy” ends as early as between 8:30pm.
In much of the country’s cities – and abroad – that’s an early night. When I think of night time economy I think of events, watching a film, live music or sitting outside a bar until the early hours.
Still, there seems much to appeal. The Diwali – Festival of Lights – On Saturday 22 October sees areas of the town centre “illuminated with a free programme of events as part of the Greenwich Light Time series, linking the National Maritime Museum and Old Royal Naval College through Greenwich Town Centre.”
Promos for the event state: “The display will culminate in a spectacular light show from 6.45pm until 8.30pm, colourfully lighting up the Old Royal Naval College colonnades, the iconic domes and shining beams of light into the air above Queen’s House and across the classical buildings.”
“As the sun sets, follow the atmospheric Diwali parade with lanterns made by Royal Greenwich residents, as it winds its way from the grounds of the National Maritime Museum to the riverside lawns of the Old Royal Naval College. The light show includes a community-sourced film projected across the historic buildings, made up of kaleidoscopic ‘rangolis’ – a colourful art form originating in the Indian subcontinent – created by local schools, families and other community groups.”
Food stalls will be around at the Clocktower Market and the Old Royal Naval College between 12pm and 8pm (why end so early?).
Food includes “Indian offerings by Chai Junction and Chef Yogis, vegan Caribbean food by the brilliant Joy’s Caribbean Fusion and paella from Tapas Bravas to tasty treats from Africa, China, Italy, Mexico and beyond there is sure to be something for everyone.”
“Other highlights on the day include live performances, DJ sets, family drumming, rangoli and goddess-inspired jewellery-making workshops, incense sampling, sari draping demonstrations and talks and tours at National Maritime Museum and Old Royal Naval College.”
I completely agree that something that ends at 8:30pm cannot be considered as contribution to the night time economy. What London needs is more shops, cafes and markets in certain areas (especially tourist areas like Greenwich) opening a lot later than they do.
Also pedestrianised areas with table seating outside the cafe and restaurants (perhaps with cover on top) like they do in other countries would be great. This started to happen a lot more after the pandemic but the traffic ridden roads aren’t the best places to sit on.
Twenty or thirty years ago there was a far healthier night time economy in London. In Picadilly or Soho you could buy a movie until midnight on Friday or Saturday at HMV, or browse books and music 24hrs a day at Tower Records. Dozens of places to get hot food stayed open till around 4am (you could get excellent coffee 24hrs a day opposite the Trocadero, grab a delicious kebab opossite the Revue Bar at 5am, or just noodles at Man Fu Kung at 2am on your way home from the cinema). Now central London is as bad as the rest – scurrying to close everything before the last trains.
There’s opportunity here
@ Levi Ericson I could not agree with you more We need more cafes restaurants etc open until later in the evenings so you can get a cup of coffee and a snack.. Also Sunday Trading Laws need to be reviewed so some larger business can also open longer on a Sunday as we do now live in a 24 hour society.