Ensemble Festival 2026

Taking place across East London’s spectacular waterside destination, Ensemble Festival 2026 explores identity, ritual, ecology, and collective experience through a dynamic mix of dance, gig theatre, circus, and physical storytelling.

Join us for two full days of free performances for all ages by some of the most exciting contemporary artists.

The festival includes Fragments of Us by Talawa Theatre in collaboration with FUBUNATION and Sonia Hughes, a dance and spoken word performance exploring ancestry, belonging, and shared experiences. Garbh by Shyam Dattani and Mira Salat reimagines the Gujarati folk dance Garba through contemporary choreography and a visually rich design, while ElevateHer by Daughters of the Wire celebrates female camaraderie and empowerment through an all-female wire walking performance. In Nigel “Kobby” Taylor’s The Torch, Afrobeat, hip-hop, rap and storytelling collide in a gig-theatre experience about identity, legacy and discovering one’s own light. Ferdinando + Bernstein’s Stick and Stone brings audiences together through physical comedy and visual imagery to reconnect with nature. Brainfools present Balance, a circus-theatre piece using found objects and acrobatics to reflect on pub culture, and Captain C-Man by Cormac Mohally dazzles with a juggling and circus show for all ages.

From the poetic to the absurd, the Catalan artists joining us this year add an extra spark to the festival, including U.F.A by Cris Clown, a public space installation centred around a clown suspended in the middle of the street; Domte by Nacho Flores, a poetic street circus duet inspired by mythology and transformation, and Water Silhouettes by Teatro en Movimiento Callejerx, a participatory performance exploring water scarcity through a symbolic language.