Art & Culture
Our Royal Docks 2024 Highlights
It’s been a remarkable year in the Royal Docks, with a plethora of community events, cultural highlights and development milestones. A huge thank you to all the people and projects whose collective efforts continue to shape the Royal Docks into a vibrant and inclusive hub of opportunity and growth.
Here’s a look back at some of our key achievements in 2024.
Mayor of London launches the Royal Docks new five-year Delivery Plan
In March we launched our new 5-year Delivery Plan setting out an ambitious, multi-billion-pound vision to unlock the full potential of the Royal Docks, with a commitment to deliver thousands of new homes and high-quality jobs for local people. Read more.
Affordable housing milestones in Royal Albert Wharf
Royal Albert Wharf celebrated significant milestones in affordable housing delivery. Gallions Green, with over 50% affordable housing, welcomed its first residents while Gallions View, with over 75% affordable homes, recently reached completion. We were also thrilled to see Royal Albert Wharf being celebrated as an exemplar development for creative placemaking and urban regeneration. Read more about the Bow Arts impact study here.
Progress at Silvertown
Work to transform the historic 60-acre site at Silvertown passed another milestone with the completion of the building containing the first new homes. The six-storey building will provide 106 new affordable homes and remains on track for delivery by Autumn 2025. Find out more here.
An ambitious climate agreement for the Royal Docks
Partners from across the Royal Docks signed up to a range of ambitious climates pledges to get us to net-zero by 2030. In a London first, key anchor organisations including ExCel, UEL and City Airport committed to expanding green space, reducing waste and plans for a blue green corridor. Read more here.
Royal Docks confirmed as first UK home for Ectogrid™
Lendlease and E.ON announced plans for a pioneering low-carbon energy network at Silvertown, which will serve 6,500 homes and businesses. The UK’s first Ectogrid™ system, will cut CO2 emissions by 88% compared to gas boilers and bring with it green job creation, energy security and reduced levels of fuel poverty. Find out more.
At the Docks
At the Docks returned with a jam-packed summer season featuring over 90 events by 30 partners, celebrating the Royal Docks’ unique culture, heritage, and waterfront. Highlights included Summer Splash, which attracted over 12,000 visitors to its urban lido, and giant sandpit with, family-friendly events, and evening entertainment from the Disco Shed. We’ll be back in 2025, see you there!
The launch of Immerse LDN
Excel launched the first phase of Immerse LDN showcasing world-class immersive experiences and original productions across a brand-new purpose-built venue and newly developed waterfront. THE FRIENDS™ Experience: The One In London, and The Formula 1® Exhibition, have already proved to be a huge success. Look out for the Elvis experience, due to launch in May 2025.
People Powered Places
From painting in the park to rowing in the Royal Docks, creative hubs to barber training, we were thrilled to support an exciting range of community-led projects as part of Newham’s participatory budgeting programme. Read about some of the inspiring people behind the projects:
Meet the Dockers
We were delighted to introduce Meet the Dockers, a new series of exclusive interviews featuring inspiring local people who are helping to shape the Royal Docks. Read some of our recent interviews here.
Thames Barrier Park
Thames Barrier Park celebrated another successful year, earning its seventh consecutive Green Flag Award and welcoming With Milk, a café run by sisters Hana and Lela Mamma. With a stone-baked pizza oven, panoramic park views, and outdoor seating overlooking the Thames Barrier, the café has become a popular addition to this award-winning green space.
Pews & Perches
Six bespoke public benches were installed across the Royal Docks as the final set of winning designs from the Pews and Perches competition - a unique collaboration with the London Festival of Architecture. This year’s brief challenged designers to embrace the principles of a circular economy, drawing inspiration from the Royal Docks’ waterfront and the communities who live here.
And we’ve got even more coming up in 2025! Take a look at our website to see what’s happening in January.
Do you have a Royal Docks highlight from 2024? Let us know.
