Brutalism, Jazz, Black History, Council Estates, Steam Engines and the BT Tower — one week until London's Open House Festival

Press Release

Aug 31

From Jazz gigs in Brutalist Libraries and guided walks celebrating black history, to free tours inside the BT Tower, 10 Downing Street and iconic council housing estates – it is one week until Open House Festival returns to the capital with a bang.

The world’s largest celebration of special buildings and neighbourhoods, Open House Festival, will this year take place across nearly 700 sites in London from Wednesday the 6th to Sunday the 17th of September.

After the last three year’s events were partially disrupted by the death of the Queen and Covid pandemic, 2023’s Open House Festival will be the first “full scale” festival since 2019, with a more ambitiously curated programme than ever before.

The diverse festival line-up includes workshops for children at Central Hill Estate (one of the only major Modernist housing schemes in Britain to have been designed by a woman architect) and open days at remarkable places such as a historic barge that has been converted into a garden next to Tower Bridge and the world’s largest working triple-expansion steam engine.

Also on offer are British Sign Language tours including at Brixton Windmill, the Modernist masterpiece Royal College of Physicians and the offices of the world-renowned architects Foster + Partners; plus many guide-led urban walking tours exploring big themes including feminism and black history.

In addition, alongside the public programme, this year Open House Festival is running London Unlocked, a series of tours of special buildings and places exclusively for young people from under-represented communities funded by the City Bridge Trust.

Phineas Harper, Chief Executive of Open City, the charity which stages the Open House Festival, said “All year round our incredible educators work to support children and young people from under-represented communities and with special educational needs to experience and pursue careers in architecture and urbanism. I’m delighted that this year’s Open House Festival will include London Unlocked, a special programme supporting young Londoners to experience and be inspired by their city.”

Founded in 1992, the Open House Festival format has spread around the world with events now running in over 60 cities including New York, Maputo, Taipei and Santiago.

Visitors planning to attend London’s Open House Festival should go to programme.openhouse.org.uk and register for a free visitor account to start planning their festival itinerary.

Filming and interview opportunities

Most festival sites are available on request for filming and media interviews. For all media enquiries email press@open-city.org.uk to arrange access.

The official festival launch is taking place on Thursday the 7th of September at Waterloo City Farm. To arrange media access or filming permission email press@open-city.org.uk.

Notes to editors

The 2023 Open House Festival runs from the 6th to the 17th of September.
Typically the Open House Festival attracts 170,000 visits. The economic impact is estimated to be £2.9m direct spend in the local economy by visitors.
Open City, the charity which stages the Open House Festival was founded in 1992 and runs educational programmes for children and young people from under-reperesnted communities in London and Birmingham year-round.
Over its three-decade history, the Open City has helped set up Open House Festivals across the world from New York City to Lagos. There are now nearly 60 Open House Festivals worldwide which together attract around 750,000 visitors a year.