About this Event
Make traditional Japanese Eisa Dancing Puppets with artist Miyuki Kasanara and enjoy live music, performance, food and unique culture from Okinawa, the southernmost islands of Japan. All ages welcome.
Puppets made at this event can be used at at our grand finale celebration in Bermondsey Spa Gardens on 12th July. Put the date in your diary!
- Free drop-in activity 12pm - 3pm
- Live performances 11am - 5pm
- All ages and abilities welcome
- Disabled accessible
- Seating available
- Market open with places to eat and drink nearby
- Free activities every Saturday 16th May - 11th July
Bermondsey Puppet & Story Festival 2026
A new family-friendly community festival is coming to Bermondsey in summer 2026. Bermondsey Puppet & Story Fest will feature free puppetry and storytelling workshops across local schools, community venues and public spaces, leading to a lively outdoor celebration in Bermondsey Spa Gardens on Sunday 12 July, 12–5pm.
The finale will showcase community-made puppets alongside headline performances from internationally renowned storytellers including Usifu Jalloh, Emily Hanna, Marrianna Portello and Bernadette Russell.
Find out more:https://bermondsey.london/events/puppet-storytelling-festival-2026-bermondsey/
All events are free and open to all ages.
Supported by Blue Bermondsey BID, Connection With Wonder and Southwark Cultural Celebration Fund, the festival is brought to you by the team behind London Dreamtime Storytelling and Illuminate Bermondsey & Rotherhithe.
Okinawa Day
An annual family-friendly celebration showcasing music, dance, food, and crafts from the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan. Okinawa has a rich and distinct cultural heritage, shaped by its history as the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Enjoy Ryukyu classical music, Okinawan folk songs, Eisa dance, Ryukyu karate demonstrations, and traditional Okinawan cuisine. Food and crafts will be available from stalls run by the London Okinawa Sanshinkai.
Miyuki Kasahara
Miyuki Kasahara is a Japanese artist based in London. Miyuki has worked extensively with communities and schools as an artist-educator, including projects with Bow Arts. Miyuki's practice weaves her international heritage with contempoary concerns about ecology and social change to create drawing, film, installation, sculpture, and interactive performance. Miyuki Kasahara runs workshops for Okinawa Day each year in the Blue Market Place, sharing traditional Japanese arts and crafts techniques with families.
What to expect from at the workshops
Free public workshops will take place across local venues and outdoor spaces, including weekly sessions at The Blue Market from May - July. Led by professional storytellers and puppeteers, these hands-on sessions invite people of all ages to create puppets, share stories and learn the techniques that bring puppetry and storytelling to life. Participants can contribute ideas and creations towards the final community celebration. No experience is needed — just curiosity and imagination. Take home your creations and then bring them along to Bermondsey Spa Gardens on Sunday 12 July 12 - 5pm and join in with our finale show!
How to get there
The Blue, Market Place, South Bermondsey SE16 3UQ
By bus 1, 381, P12
By train South Bermondsey, Canada Water
By tube Bermondsey
By car Free Parking on St James Road Car Park (2 hour maximum). Free street parking available at weekends, please check signs carefully for local restrictions.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Blue Market Bermondsey, Market Place, London, United Kingdom
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