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The Music is Ours

13/06/2026 - 14/06/2026

The Music is Ours

13/06/2026 - 14/06/2026

The Music is Black Festival from East Bank live weekends kick off with The Music is Ours, a Block Party celebrating London's soundsystem legacy in the birthplace of Grime. With the Saturday 13 June curated by Grime legend Footsie and Sunday 14 June by double MOBO award winning artist YolanDa Brown OBE DL and Soul Mama plus My Runway Group, The Music is Ours will feature a line-up full of east London and the UK's finest artists and MCs.

 

Download a digital guide for The Music is Ours now.

Saturday 13 June, 12-7pm

Footsie, on stage DJing

Saturday 13 June, 12-7pm

Curated by Footsie

East London grime pioneer Footsie, best known for his work in Newham Generals and for carrying on his father Farda Waz’s iconic King Original soundsystem, is a true legend of the scene.

For The Music is Ours, Footsie takes full control of the Saturday's programming, curating a stacked lineup of DJs, MCs and rappers spanning grime, ska, alternative R&B, reggae and beyond.

A DJ on stage with crowd in front of her

Saturday Line Up

The Waterfront Stage

12pm - V&A East Making Sound x Ruff Sqwad Arts Foundation presents Origin and Geniee

12.30pm - BBC 1Xtra: DJ Target

1.30pm - Danniella Dee & ET ROCKERS

2.30pm - Tailor Jae

3.30pm - Nicole Blakk • JayaHadADream • Eljé

5pm - Mak10 • Mimi Mxnroe • Kruz Leone

6pm - Supa D & Terminal 4

A large soundsystem with printed text and a face

Mid Terrace

12pm - Rebel Clash

2pm - Hughie Izachaar • Kingjay • Tafara • Elevatetoday

3pm - Sir Spyro • Jamakabi

4pm - King Original • Flowdan

5pm - Gussie P

6pm - King Original

Plus don't miss a Makers Market at London College of Fashion, open Saturday 13 June, 12-5pm. 

Sunday 14 June, 12-5pm

YolanDa Brown stands against a white brick wall

Sunday 14 June, 12-5pm

Curated by YolanDa Brown OBE DL and Soul Mama and My Runway Group

Sunday is curated by YolanDa Brown OBE DL and Soul Mama, a double MOBO Award winner, who blends reggae, jazz and soul in her music and has toured with The Temptations, Jools Holland and Billy Ocean.

As curator for The Waterfront Stage, YolanDa will be bringing a deep commitment to intergenerational soul with both legacy and emerging voices.

Mid Terrace is curated by My Runway Group, the discipline-blending collective known for transforming traditional spaces into dynamic hubs for contemporary African and diasporic creativity. 

A brass player performs on stage

Sunday Line Up

The Waterfront Stage

12pm - Acantha Lang

1pm - Melodees From Heaven

2pm - Koyesax and The Fortune Collective

3pm - Brit Funk Association

4pm - YolanDa Brown

Sunday Mid Terrace

12pm - DJ Kaylee Kay   

1pm - Yomi Sode

1.15 - DJ Kaylee Kay

2pm - Tinchy Stryder in conversation with DJ Target

2.45pm - DJ A1

3.45pm - MA.Moyo

4.15pm - DJ A1

Please note: to support any Deaf or hard of hearing people, Mid Terrace on Sunday 14 June will be BSL Interpreted from 1-4.15pm.

The Dance Floor is Black

Photo of Kloe Dean

The Dance Floor is Black

At Sadler's Wells East

Across the weekend, Sadler's Wells East will also be open for The Dance Floor is Black, an opportunity to get up and dance to all your favourite tunes. Led by different choreographers, you can get involved in Family Dance sessions on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons and then a curated Club Night from 7pm on Saturday. 

Saturday 13 June 

Family Dance, 12-3pm, with Fly Kid - Fly Kid are set to bring a daytime party where you can introduce the kids to the tunes you grew up on. 

Club Night, 7pm-late, Garage X Grime Reload with Kloé Dean - Close out the night with DJ sets and live performances, curated by Kloé Dean, a renowned dancer and choreographer who has worked extensively with Little Simz, Ezra Collective and Cleo Sol. Featuring DJ Sticky and Mr S.

Sunday 14 June

Sunday sessions, 12-6pm, with Breakin' Convention - Breakin’ Convention take over The Dance Floor with exhibition battles and DJs in the world of Soundsystem and Grime.

BASSTONE PLAYGROUND

BASSTONE PLAYGROUND with people holding light strings

BASSTONE PLAYGROUND

Curated by the Culture Within Newham Children’s Board

Renowned artist and DJ Linett Kamala (LIN KAM ART) has been commissioned to design a family art installation for the weekend. The outdoor space will mix play and calm, with hidden speakers playing dub, lo-fi and chilled music throughout.

BASSTONE PLAYGROUND will feature an interactive LED and sound sculpture, BASSTONE MAYPOLE, which was first shown at the Light Up Kilburn Festival in 2026 and is split into three zones:

12-1pm, 2.30-3.30pm, 4.30-5.30pm - Performance: DJ 

1-1.30pm, 2-2.30pm, 4-4.30pm - Play: Maypole Dance

1.30-2pm, 2-2.30pm, 3.30-4pm - Peace: Chill Zone

Find BASSTONE PLAYGROUND next to Dessert Ice Cream Club and London Stadium 12-5pm.

Find out more

How to find the Festival

Head towards Sadler's Wells East to find the two outdoor stages, The Waterfront Stage and Mid Terrace, at Stratford Waterfront as well as The Dance Floor. Or use what3words: 

Frequently asked questions

What is The Music is Black Festival from East Bank?

The Music is Black Festival from East Bank is an eight-month series of events including four festival weekends with live music, dance and performance.

What dates are the live weekends?

The four live festival weekends are:

  • The Music is Ours: 13-14 June
  • Power & Respect: 11-12 July
  • Queer Frequencies: 22-23 August
  • Black to the Future: 12-13 September

What time are the live weekends on?

Every Saturday of the live weekends: 12-7pm for music stages, 7pm-late at Sadler's Wells East

Every Sunday of the live weekends: 12-5pm

Where are the live weekends?

Head towards Sadler's Wells East to find the two outdoor stages, The Waterfront Stage and Mid Terrace, at Stratford Waterfront as well as The Dance Floor. Or use what3words: 

Which venues are events taking place at?

The Music is Black Festival from East Bank events are taking place across Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park including at V&A East Museum and Storehouse, UCL East, Sadler’s Wells East and London College of Fashion, UAL. Please check the individual event to know exactly where your chosen event is taking place.

Is everything at The Music is Black Festival from East Bank free? Will I have to pay for anything?

Entrance to all activities including at live weekends are completely free. However, there is a charge for food and drinks purchased from any retailers or cafés or restaurants around the Park.

Do I need to pre-book a ticket for any events?

You do not need a ticket to come to a live festival weekend as these are completely free and unticketed.

However, for most other events throughout the festival, you will need to pre-book a free ticket. Click the link in each event page to book a free ticket.

Is the Festival family friendly?

Yes, The Music is Black Festival from East Bank is family friendly. Each festival weekend has family friendly activities such as Dance Floor sessions at Sadler’s Wells East.

How do I get to the Park?

The Park is very easy to get to with multiple train, tube and bus options available. Please see the Getting Here page for more information.

Where can I park for Blue Badge Parking?

There are blue badge car parking spaces at Copper Box Arena and London Aquatics Centre. Permits must be registered at reception on arrival at both these venues.

Alternatively, Westfield Stratford City has accessible parking spaces.

Is the event wheelchair friendly?

The live weekend event site is accessible for wheelchair users and has been designed to ensure level routes are provided across the whole Park. This includes The Dance Floor at Sadler’s Wells East.

For all other events, please refer to individual venue sites for confirmation on internal spaces.

What other accessibility provisions are there at the Festival?

The Park Mobility service supports visitors with a range of physical and visual access needs, with help from trained volunteer Park Champions. The service is based at the Information Point at Stratford Cross. Available services include buggies, mobility scooters, and wheelchairs. To book, contact Customer Services on 0800 0722 110.

Additionally, to support any Deaf or hard of hearing people, Mid Terrace on Sunday 14 June will be BSL Interpreted.

Where are there accessible toilets?

There are public toilets at Riverside East in the south Park and Timber Lodge in the north Park. Both have accessible toilets with Changing Places facilities with and there is an accessible toilet in the London Aquatics Centre located near the café in the reception area.

Sadler’s Wells East and V&A East Museum also have accessible toilet facilities.

For the live weekends, there will be an additional temporary accessible toilet installed on Tallow Bridge, near The Waterfront Stage.

Will there be toilets and baby changing facilities?

There are toilets at all venues with baby changing facilities.

For the live weekends only, there will be additional temporary toilets installed on Tallow Bridge, near The Waterfront Stage.

Will there be food and drinks available?

There are several local places to get refreshments during the Festival including: Tsujiri, Ginger & Mint, Draughts, Chilli Padi, Park Kitchen & Bar, Riverside East, Park Kiosks on Tessa Jowell Boulevard

For the live weekends, there will be a small number of pop up food retailers available including: Caribbean Food Hut, Park Kitchen & Bar and Café Jikoni.

Do I need to bring anything to the event?

No, just yourselves!

Remember to check the weather forecast before you leave the house and be prepared for a range of changeable weather conditions.

Will there be somewhere to store my personal belongings?

Storage will not be possible so please bring only essential items with you and keep them with you at all times.

Who should I contact if I've lost a personal belonging?

Please contact the venue that you were visiting directly for best chance of retrieval of lost property.

For items lost during the live weekends, contact Customer Services at customerservices@queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk who will check with the security team and Park Information Point.

Will there be photography and videography happening at the event?

Yes there will be professional photography and filming happening at all events at The Music is Black Festival from East Bank. By joining us, you may be photographed or filmed and these may be shared in marketing materials.

Stay in touch

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Check out the rest of the Festival