Ensemble Festival 2026
Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July 2026, 12pm – 8pm
Royal Victoria Docks, London, E16 1FA
This July, Certain Blacks presents Ensemble Festival 2026 in London’s historic Royal Victoria Docks. Now in its seventh edition, the free outdoor celebration of circus, dance, and theatre returns for two full days of bold, joyful and thought-provoking work from exciting contemporary artists. Suitable for all ages, Ensemble Festival continues to transform the Docklands waterside destination into a vibrant meeting point for innovative outdoor arts and community celebration in Newham.
This year’s programme explores identity, ritual, ecology, and collective experience through a dynamic mix of dance, gig theatre, circus, and physical storytelling. Highlights include Fragments of Us by the renowned Talawa Theatre in collaboration with contemporary dance company FUBUNATION and award-winning artist 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.
Meanwhile, Nigel “Kobby” Taylor’s The Torch blends Afrobeat, hip-hop, rap and storytelling into 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 in a playful and poignant reflection on nature, ecological crisis, and reconnection.
The programme also includes Balance by Brainfools, a circus-theatre piece using found objects and acrobatics to reflect on pub culture, and Captain C-Man by Cormac Mohally, a juggling and circus show for all ages.
The festival will also showcase a selection of contemporary Catalan performances. These include 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.
Following recent funding awarded through Arts Council England’s Creative Foundations Fund, Certain Blacks will invest in environmentally conscious and sustainable infrastructure to deliver a greener festival. As well, Ensemble Festival 2026 features work supported through Without Walls, the national network championing outdoor arts across England.
Clive Lyttle, Artistic Director of Certain Blacks says: “I was recently asked by a group of young Black men where I was from – ‘Are you from Somalia? No. Are you from Jamaica? No. So you think you are British? Why? You aren’t from here?’ – ‘I was born in Lewisham Hospital; the same place my mum worked all her life and where she died so, this is where I’m from.’ The work in the festival touches on this conversation of identity and what it is to be diverse, or different or care about the world. It’s a pleasure to present work from artists that engage with these themes and we are grateful for the support of our funders, community and friends, which enable us to keep telling these stories”
Ensemble Festival 2026 includes:
Ensemble
Festival 2026
The free outdoor extravaganza of circus, dance and theatre returns to Royal Victoria Docks for two full days.
Identity, ritual, ecology and collective experience
This year’s programme explores identity, ritual, ecology and collective experience through a dynamic mix of dance, gig theatre, circus and physical storytelling.
Ensemble Festival 2026 features performances supported through Without Walls, the national network championing outdoor arts across England, as well as Catalan artists with support from Institut Ramon Llull.
Below you will find programme timings, access provisions and content warnings to help you plan an unforgettable weekend of circus and fun.
Your festival programme
The schedule is subject to change. For the latest updates, visit the Information Tent or follow Certain Blacks on social media.
Start your day with
Water Silhouettes
Teatro en Movimiento Callejerx, Spain
Domte
Nacho Flores, Spain
Elevate Her
Daughters of the Wire
Captain C-Man Saturday
Cormac Mohally
Balance Sunday
Brainfools
Early afternoon fun
Stick & Stone
Ferdinando + Bernstein
Fragments of Us
Talawa Theatre
BSL interpreted SundayU.F.A.
Cris Clown, Spain
Garbh
Shyam Dattani and Mira Salat
Water Silhouettes
Teatro en Movimiento Callejerx, Spain
Late afternoon thrills
The Torch
Nigel “Kobby” Taylor
BSL interpreted SundayU.F.A.
Cris Clown, Spain
Elevate Her
Daughters of the Wire
Touch tour SundayDomte
Nacho Flores, Spain
Stick & Stone
Ferdinando + Bernstein
An evening with
Captain C-Man Saturday
Cormac Mohally
Pre-show touch tourBalance Sunday
Brainfools
Fragments of Us
Talawa Theatre
Garbh
Shyam Dattani and Mira Salat
Touch tour SundayThe Torch
Nigel “Kobby” Taylor
Living Streams Ensemble
Continue the evening at The Good Hotel with a live music performance led by composer Isa Suarez on keyboards and voice, featuring bass, percussion, flute and oud.
What you will find on-site
All events are chilled performances, so you are welcome to move around, leave and return, and make noise whenever you need to.
Step-free festival site
The Royal Docks have step-free access across the site.
Accessible toilet
Located on Western Gateway, outside the Good Hotel and opposite Tesco.
Baby-changing facilities
Baby-changing toilets are available in local hotels.
Chilled performances
You can move around as you wish and make noise during performances.
Seating available
Seating will be available throughout the festival site.
Assistance Dogs welcome
Assistance Dogs are welcome across the festival site.
Discuss your access needs
Contact the festival team before your visit or speak to staff at the Information Tent during festival hours.
Plan your visit
Most access provisions take place on Sunday 26 July. Times are subject to change.
To request access support, including a touch-tour place, contact access lead Maria Cuervo at maria@certainblacks.com. Information will also be available at the Information Tent.
Captain C-Man
16:45 touch tour · 17:45 show
Download the Captain C-Man script (PDF)Fragments of Us
13:45
Download the Fragments of Us guide (PDF)The Torch
15:45
Download The Torch script (PDF)Elevate Her
15:55 touch tour · 16:45 show
Garbh
18:05 touch tour · 18:30 show
Download the Garbh guide (PDF)Fragments of Us
13:45 and 18:15
Garbh
14:45 and 18:30
Pre-recorded. Headsets available at the show’s tent.
Stick & Stone
13:45 and 17:30
Balance
Highly visual with no spoken dialogue. The show includes occasional songs and a period recording as atmospheric elements.
The Torch
Noise-cancelling headphones are available.
Lyric sheet
Please ask the festival team at the Information Tent for details.
Audio description and lyric sheet
Scan the QR codes with your phone camera, or tap an image to open it at full size on your device.
Garbh
Listen to the audio description of Garbh on your own device.
Scan the code or tap the image to open it.
The Torch
Open the lyric sheet for The Torch on your own device.
Scan the code or tap the image to open it.
Plan your journey
Royal Victoria
The festival site is a 10-minute walk from Royal Victoria DLR station. This is an accessible station.
Custom House
Custom House station provides step-free access.
View the step-free tube guideRoutes 325, 474, 241 and 129
Route 129 travels from Lewisham and Greenwich through the new Silvertown Tunnel.
IFS Cable Car
Travel from the O2 Centre across the Thames to the Royal Docks.
Thames Clipper
The festival is a 15-minute walk from Royal Wharf Pier.
Thames Path and cycle routes
Bike racks are available nearby.
Because of the London T100 Triathlon, use Dock Road to reach the flyunder. No vehicle can enter or leave Western Gateway between 8:30am and 1:30pm.
Before you attend
Select a performance below to read its content and sensory information.
Fragments of Us
Loud music with a heavy bass tone.
Audience interaction.
Garbh
Scenes of burial and death.
The Torch
Themes of racism and bullying.
Stick & Stone
Three instances of loud sounds.
U.F.A.
Audience interaction.
Water Silhouettes
Optional audience interaction.
Occasional presence of smoke.
No sudden sounds, loud explosions or jarring effects.
No strobe lights or flashing-light effects.
Domte
Audience interaction.
Loud sound and music.
Balance
Flash effect using light only, with no explosive effect.
Captain C-Man
Loud cheering and audience hype throughout the performance.
Loud whip cracks at the beginning of the show.
Optional audience participation.
Elevate Her
No content warnings.
Two days. One waterfront. A world of performance.
Join Certain Blacks at Royal Victoria Docks on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July 2026.
