London's Day of the Dead – presented by Let's Discuss Death

London's Day of the Dead presented by Let's Discuss Death
The festival draws from Pre-Columbian rituals over 3,000 years old and Christian All Hallows’ Eve traditions brought to Mexico with the arrival of Cortés in 1609, resulting in a uniquely syncretic celebration. It is a joyful festival, honouring and remembering those who have died. Families prepare the favourite meals of the departed, decorate graves with flowers, light candles, place cigarettes in the soil, and sing the songs their loved ones once cherished.

In Britain, All Hallows’ Eve itself has deep roots, tracing back to the Celtic festival of Samhain in the 8th century. It marked the end of harvest when fires were lit for cleansing, the veil between worlds was believed to thin, and families invited the spirits of their ancestors to feast with them. Across the world, this reverence for the dead connects cultures:

• In China, the Hungry Ghost Festival offers food to ancestral spirits.
• In India, families honour seven generations through sacred water rituals and feasts.
• In Cambodia, one of the most important festivals of the year blends prayer, offerings, and buffalo races in honour of the ancestors.

Thursday 30th October
Tilly Munro will be hosting a ***** (details to follow).

Saturday 1st November 2025 – Columbia Road
From midday Columbia Road will come alive to celebrate London’s Day of the Dead.
We’ll be keeping to Mexican time—so think of the timings below as a guide, not something to set your watch by!

Programme

• 10.00am – Face painting available outside the school (£3).
• 10.30am – Meet outside the school to gather for the cycle ride.
• 11.00am – London’s Day of the Dead Cycle Ride departs Columbia Road for Tower Hamlets Cemetery. Organised with Kidical Mass, this is a child-friendly ride. Please come dressed for the occasion—skulls, flowers, insects! The ride returns to Ezra Street around 12.30pm. Photographers will be on hand, so don’t be shy if you’d like to be captured in all your finery.
• 12.45pm – Yoga with Anu Kumar, local GP and choreographer. A gentle session to invite the spirits to return and to remind us of our earthly bodies. Two rehearsals will be held in London—see the Eventbrite page for details. No experience required.
• 1.00pm – Dance Performance by Mexican choreographer Alondra, inspired by La Catrina.
• 2.00pm – The Procession begins, led by Mariachi Las Adelitas, followed by the Colour Walk participants.
• 3.30pm – Second Dance Performance by Alondra, continuing the La Catrina-inspired celebration.

Join us for a day of joy and remebrance

On Sunday 2nd November, we will conclude our Day of the Dead celebrations with a reflective walk at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park.

The event begins at 2pm with a guided walk led by Ken, the park’s keeper. The focus of the walk will be on the unremembered dead and the stories of their lives. This is a free event but please follow the link to book.

We our keeping the event free but if you would like to make a donation or receive an award from our crowd funder campaign then please follow this link.