On Saturday 23 July, the sun shone and The Islander Festival returned to Hopewell Square for a second helping. This time around, the festival was a one-day extravaganza, inspired by the family-friendly nostalgia of the traditional British summer fête. It may have only been one day, but, boy, did we squeeze in a huge amount of entertainment.

The summer fête is all about community spirit, so it was important to give local businesses a platform at The Islander Festival. The likes of Soda & Friends, London Lighthouse Gallery and Hum Yoga all held exclusive classes over the course of the festival, including a morning alfresco yoga session to start the day on the right foot. As well as a range of ways to get active – with the likes of F45 Training Blackwall and Rise Climbing in attendance – there was also plenty of opportunity to indulge with a host of street food and drinks vendors. Little ones, meanwhile, were kept on their toes with special workshops from Gymboree, face painting and crafty classes, as well as all-day live music from the likes of “kings of surf-noir” The Bikini Beach Band, the all-female Mariachi Las Adelitas, and east London-based performer Double Bass Dan.

A marvellous day was had by all, and after a tumultuous couple of years it felt like a triumphant return to form. Roll on, summer 2023!

See a selection of images from the day in our gallery below and follow us on Instagram @londoncityislandlife for more!