2025 Greenwich+Docklands International Festival kicks off this evening with gravity-defying outdoor performance

The Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) will return today, Friday 22 August, marking its 30th anniversary with a 16-day programme of free outdoor theatre, circus and dance.

This year, themed Above and Beyond, opens with a UK premiere from French company Lézards Bleus, who bring their aerial parkour production to Woolwich. Set to a new score by Roma Yagnik and culminating in a performance from the Citizens of the World Choir, the piece will see performers navigate the rooftops of local buildings in a display of choreographed movement and vertical spectacle. Photos from the final rehearsals from the show are available now.

A limited-edition book, Above and Beyond: 30 Years of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, will be released by Unicorn Publishing on 22 August. The publication, written and edited by Fiona Hughes, captures three decades of the festival’s most memorable moments with unseen photography and behind-the-scenes stories.

WhatsOnStage has discussed the festival on its most recent podcast episode:

You can see what’s coming up over the festival here.