Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) London’s leading and longest established free festival of outdoor performance returns to Royal Borough of Greenwich, Newham and the Thamesmead from Friday 22 August to Saturday 6 September. To celebrate 30 years of the award-winning annual festival, 30 companies from across the world will present new work inspired by the theme Above and Beyond.
The hugely popular “festival within the festival” Dancing City returns this year on 6 September from 1-6pm featuring an exciting new partnership with New York’s iconic Fire Island Dance Festival which will see a stellar line-up of international LGBTQIA+ dance artists perform at GDIF.
This year’s alfresco dance take-over will showcase a host of amazing outdoor spaces across Stratford – popping up in the Town Centre, and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Dancing City will feature three London premieres from groundbreaking disabled artists and companies, along with a huge variety of work from exceptional homegrown and international artists.
Denise Roberts Hurlin, Founding Director of Dancers Responding to AIDS and Fire Island Dance Festival said: “As we celebrate 30 years of both GDIF and Fire Island Dance Festival, our shared commitment to bold artistry and meaningful change resonates across the atlantic. This partnership reflects the power of dance to unite and uplift. Together, we embrace LGBTQIA+ voices and stories that must be seen and heard. This milestone reminds us why we began – and why we keep going.”
GDIF’s Dancing City 2025 programme features 15 leading international and UK companies, including UK and London premieres from acclaimed artists such as Ahmad Joudeh, Pontus Lidberg, Courtney Washington Balenciaga, and Restless Dance Theatre. This free event celebrates diverse dance traditions and innovative choreography. Audiences can expect a day filled with performances that explore themes of identity, connection, and resilience, set against the backdrop of Stratford’s waterfront and public spaces.
Highlights include Layl (Night) by Syrian-born, Emmy-winning dancer Ahmad Joudeh at 13:00, 15:30, and 18:05 at Eastbank Waterfront (E20 2AQ), blending classical and Sufi dervish movement in a deeply personal UK premiere that bridges East and West. At the same times and location, Swedish choreographer Pontus Lidberg presents A Delicate Balance, an entrancing duet with Cuban choreographer Raul Reinoso, using a glass of water to explore trust and vulnerability. Courtney Washington Balenciaga’s Courtney’s Diner (13:00, 15:30, 18:05, Stratford Waterfront, E20 2AQ) fuses New York City’s ballroom scene with contemporary dance, celebrating identity and perseverance in a fabulous UK premiere. Australia’s Restless Dance Theatre offers Through Another Lens at 14:55 and 17:00 at Waterfront Square, a bold performance by disabled and non-disabled artists inviting audiences to see beauty in new perspectives.
Other notable performances include 360° by Colombia’s La Gualtero at 15:10 and 16:40 at The Carousel (E20 2AD), evoking carnival and female experience through rotating choreography, and Fragments of Us by Talawa, Fubunation, and Sonia Hughes at 13:00 and 15:20 at Stratford Rooftop, a world premiere celebrating Black masculinity through dance and poetry. Pagrav Dance Company’s One Sky at 14:30 and 17:40 at Stratford Walk (E20 2AS) marks their 20th anniversary with a South Asian kite festival-inspired London premiere. Yoann Bourgeois’ Passage (15:45, 17:10, Fountain Room) features a revolving doorway in a mesmerizing UK premiere, while Joe Powell-Main’s Passionately Defiant (13:55, 15:30, Marshgate South, E20 2AE) blends ballet and paso doble in a joyful celebration of disability pride. Stopgap Dance’s RO-TES-រទេះ (13:15, 16:15, Marshgate South, E20 2AE) showcases innovative wheelchair design, and Nandita Shankardass’ Roots to Rise (14:15, 17:30, Carousel Room, E20 2AD) fuses Indian and contemporary dance in an environmentally themed London premiere.
Sweden’s Land Before Time presents Waterkind at 13:35 and 16:05 at Carpenter’s Lock (E20 2ST), a duet reflecting on water’s vital role through freestyle and popping. Local talent shines with Levan Peart’s Jungle Boy (14:00, 16:15, Stratford Waterfront, E20 2AQ), celebrating self-discovery and community, and UEL Dance Collective’s When Jazz Meets Hip Hop (13:30, 15:00, Stratford Rooftop), exploring jazz and hip-hop’s shared rebellion and joy. The Yoruba Tales Collective’s The Whispering Forest at Stratford Waterfront (E20 2AQ) offers a mixed reality experience inspired by Yoruba mythologies, featuring vibrant textiles and music.
Dancing City 2025, part of GDIF’s free outdoor festival running from August 22 to September 7, invites audiences to experience these captivating performances in Stratford’s open spaces. For the full schedule and details, visit www.festival.org/gdif-2025.
