The Richmond Arts and Ideas Festival is set to return from Friday, 13 June to Sunday, 29 June 2025, across various locations in the borough of Richmond. Following a successful pilot in 2023, this year’s festival will showcase arts, culture, and community under the theme of Cultural Reforesting, which aims to promote positive social change and conversation by asking, “how can we renew our relationship with nature?”
Over two weeks, venues and public spaces across Richmond will host more than 50 events, including music, dance, theatre, art installations, and exhibitions. The festival was initiated by Richmond Arts Service in response to Culture Richmond’s 10-year framework, which aims to establish a vibrant and inclusive cultural landscape by 2031.
This year’s headliners include artists, activists, storytellers, scientists, and thinkers who will interpret the theme of Cultural Reforesting. Events will take place across the London Borough of Richmond, including three hub spaces: The Exchange in Twickenham, OSO Arts Centre, and Hampton Common.
Lebanese live artist Tania El Khoury will present Memory of Birds (13-15 June), an interactive installation exploring political violence in contested lands. ORIGIN (13-22 June), by A Right/Left Project, offers a deep listening experience combining spatial sound design, lighting, and composition. The Waves are Rising (13-29 June) is an Augmented Reality work by Raqs Media, focusing on environmental issues related to waterways.
Other highlights include Garbh (14-15 June), an outdoor participatory dance performance by Shyam Dattani, and Beuys’ Acorns Oak Circle (21 June), led by Ackroyd & Harvey, celebrating the Summer Solstice. Actor and author Paterson Joseph will present Sancho & Me (25 June), a dramatized reading from his novel The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho.
Councillor John Coombs commented:
“Richmond upon Thames has long been a home for artists, a place where creativity takes root and flourishes. Richmond Arts and Ideas Festival highlights this spirit, using the arts to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Cultural Reforesting is about more than just nature – it’s about renewal, regeneration, and the power of creativity to inspire change.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
