Celebrating The Olympic Anniversary – The Open East Festival On 27 & 28 July

open east festival queen elizabeth olympic parkTaking place in the newly opened northern section of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the Open East Festival runs from 27 to 28 July marking the first anniversary of the grand London 2012 opening ceremony.

Over the two days there will be a whole host of events anchored around the main stage, where The Waterboys, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 will be performing, with DJs and an eclectic line-up of musicians over at the Caught By The River stage.

Much like the Olympic and Paralympic Games you’ll also come across performances taking place across the Park and there’s lots for kids too, with The House Of Fairy Tales hosting storytelling from Stratford’s Discover centre and performances of Charlie Dark’s edgy puppet adventure. Jeremy Deller’s full-size Stonehenge bouncy castle is also going to be putting in an appearance.

Food comes in the form of the Real Food Festival (although unlike last summer you can take your own picnic if you want) and the Ten Mile Beer Festival will celebrate the best of London’s growing craft brewing movement. For the art lovers, the Art Car Boot Fair also gets another outing and the Architecture Foundation will be presenting two new commissions which have been specifically designed for the Park.

There’s certainly going to be a full day and evening of entertainment for anyone who goes along, and tickets for the Open East Festival are very reasonably priced for a change, with a full adult ticket going for £9.50 while under 17s get in for just £6. Don’t expect to be able to explore the entire park however, as only a small section is being opened up for the festival – you’ll have to wait until 2014 before you can wander around the Orbit and along the canal network…