Herd of puppet animals to ‘stampede’ across London next month

The Herds, a large-scale public art project featuring life-sized animal puppets, will arrive in London from 27 to 29 June 2025 as part of a journey across Africa and Europe.

Created by The Walk Productions, the project follows a fictional migration of animals fleeing climate catastrophe and aims to reflect the urgency of the environmental crisis.

The initiative began in April in Kinshasa and has since travelled through major African cities including Lagos, Dakar, Marrakesh, Casablanca and Rabat. Along the way, the animal puppets have been met by local communities, artists and climate campaigners. Future stops include Madrid, Marseille, Venice and Paris before reaching the UK.

In London, the animals will enter the city via Tower Bridge at 10am on Friday 27 June and appear in locations across the capital. They will pass through Soho and along Strand Aldwych to Somerset House (from Seven Dials at 4pm on 27 June), accompanied by readings, music and live performances from organisations including the Royal Opera and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical.

In Stratford, a performance directed by Sadler’s Wells associate artist Alesandra Seutin will feature dancers joining the puppets on their route to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (Sunday 29 June from 3.15pm). In Camden, the public will witness a scene where “a hunt breaks out” on the High Street (Saturday 28 June at 4pm), while the Unicorn Theatre will stage a choral performance involving over 100 children.

After the London events, the puppets will continue north to Greater Manchester, where they will open the Manchester International Festival from 3 to 5 July. Their journey will continue through Scandinavia, concluding in the Arctic Circle.

As the project progresses, more animals and species will join the herd, with puppets representing elephants, giraffes, antelope and lions. The project will also incorporate local fauna, such as vervet monkeys in Nigeria and reindeer in Norway. All puppets are constructed from recyclable and biodegradable materials, including cardboard and plywood.