Press room

The Barbican invites visitors of all ages to celebrate the return of Play Make Do, a three-day festival packed with free and affordable activities designed to bring families, friends and communities together through creativity, play and participation. Taking place across the Barbican's public spaces from Friday 14 – Sunday 16 August 2026, Play Make Do transforms the Centre into a vibrant playground for imagination and discovery with circus play, dance, craft, storytelling and more.

Inspired by community, summertime and togetherness, this year's festival also draws on themes of carnival, identity and culture, connecting with ideas explored in the Project a Black Planet exhibition and the wider season programme, running throughout the summer until 6 September.

Play Make Do builds on the success of its inaugural edition in 2025, celebrating the creativity that emerges when generations come together to ‘play’, ‘make’ and ‘do’. Each day of the festival is shaped around one of these themes, encouraging visitors to experience the Barbican in new and inspiring ways.

PLAY

Friday's programme, PLAY, is dedicated to imagination, movement and discovery. Families can explore the art of clowning with Clowns without Borders UK and circus-play collective Reallynice, or step inside Peut-Être Theatre's playful Audiomoves BoogiePod to explore movement, imagination and self-expression. Visitors can also enjoy storytelling with Maryam Hashemi and Barbican Library in the Conservatory, create cyanotype artworks with artists Safiye Gray and Sneha Alexander, and end the day on a musical journey through Colombia with Montañera.

MAKE

Saturday's programme, MAKE, invites audiences to spend the day crafting, creating and collaborating. Inspired by Carnival traditions and self-expression, participants can create masks, accessories and headpieces with Tropical Isles Carnival Art of Mas Workshop, contribute to a collective artwork in Black Girl Knit Club's Braided Traditions workshop, and enjoy stories, songs and rhythms with Barbican Library and drummer Seneke from Mbilla Arts. Families are invited to picnic at the Barbican, make use of the Kitchen’s Kids Eat Free offer for under 10s, and spend the day enjoying summer creativity together.

DO

Sunday's programme, DO, closes the weekend with a day of dance, music, celebration and participation. Audiences can try hip hop street dance styles with our Artistic Associates Boy Blue, take part in Bollywood-inspired movement with Bollyqueer, discover the rhythms and culture of Bullerengue Circle, and round off the festival at a Rueda Libre salsa social. Visitors can also enjoy the Sankofa Community Carnival-inspired performance, featuring artists from Mahogany Carnival Design, IRIE! dance theatre and Endurance Steel Orchestra.

The Conservatory offers a quieter space for creativity, including Travels in History, a creative writing workshop with award-winning children's author Claire Linney, exploring Black British history, and Take It Slow: Making Space, a relaxed drop-in drawing session for all ages.

Oluwatoyin Odunsi, Senior Producer, Creative Collaboration, Barbican, said:

“We’re delighted to welcome families and communities back to Play Make Do. This festival celebrates the creativity, learning and fun that happens when people of all ages make things together. We’ve brought together outstanding artists and collaborators to lead joyful, hands-on experiences. From circus play and storytelling to Carnival-making and dance, the weekend invites audiences to connect, explore the Barbican in new ways, and leave inspired to keep playing, making and doing long after the summer ends."

Karena Johnson, Head of Creative Collaboration, Barbican, said:

“Creating opportunities for people to play, connect and express themselves is at the heart of what we do. Play Make Do continues our commitment to opening up the Barbican as a creative civic space for everyone, where audiences can encounter exceptional artists, celebrate different cultural traditions, and explore their own creativity. We want everyone who joins us to feel welcomed, inspired and that this public space belongs to them.”

Activities and events are designed to be enjoyed by all ages, with many free for under 18s, and other events free for the whole family. Play Make Do is an inclusive and welcoming summer destination for families, local communities and visitors from across London.