This July, Ensemble Festival 2025 returns to London’s Royal Victoria Docks for its sixth edition, presented by Certain Blacks.
Taking place on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July from 12pm to 8pm, the free outdoor festival promises a vibrant mix of circus, dance, physical theatre, and street art.
Highlights include Hydropunk, an interactive water installation by Artizani and Tenderfoot Theatre, and HUG by Levantes Dance Theatre, a striking aerial performance exploring the power of human connection.
Audiences can also experience Waiting Song, a lyrical trapeze duet by Mish Weaver, and PALAIS DE DANSE, a nostalgic flashback to 1950s dance halls by Olivier Award-winner Francesca Baglione, aka Miss High Leg Kick.
Nandita Shankardass presents Roots to Rise, a poetic call to ecological and ancestral reconnection, while Tiago Fonseca’s NoMo offers a comedic take on screen addiction.
Sadiq Ali Co.’s TELL ME uses Chinese pole acrobatics to confront HIV stigma, and HOLY DIRT, a collaboration between David Glass and Vidya Thirunarayan, fuses Indian performance styles with modern physical theatre.
Tilly Ingram’s The Hide invites audiences into a reflective birdwatching installation exploring hidden disabilities, and TRUTH by Ramshacklicious and Hijinx closes the weekend with a revolutionary street theatre spectacle.
This year’s festival also marks the 10th anniversary of Certain Blacks, a milestone for the East London-based organisation known for championing diverse and underrepresented voices.
“Ensemble represents everything we’re about at Certain Blacks. Our aim is to bring diverse artists from the margins into the mainstream, and with a number of new commissions… we hope to present a truly engaging, spectacular and entertaining festival to mark 10 years of Certain Blacks,” said Clive Lyttle, Artistic Director of Certain Blacks.
The festival is fully accessible, with step-free access, accessible toilets, and a dedicated access team on site. Certain Blacks also continues its commitment to sustainability, encouraging low-emission travel and waste reduction.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
