Rivington Street Festival comes to Shoreditch

Located in the heart of Shoreditch, the Rivington Street Festival has the theme of Carnival this year – a festive season of hedonistic cavorting and indulgence. It’s just a shame that the goal of the day seems less to actually have fun, and more to be seen having fun. The photo booth just past the outdoor market – essentially a miniature Spitalfields, but incomprehensibly even more expensive – is the most reliably populated part of the main stretch, with several dedicated partygoers documenting their photo booth experience with their phones. #irony.

On the live stage there’s an extensive list of unsigned bands throughout the day with Rat on the Roof and The Kubricks among others providing a genuinely enjoyable atmospherel; the live stage is possibly the highlight of the festival, and the partygoers drop their carnival mask of bored superiority to actually bounce around to the beat. Reggae Roast makes an appearance over on the DJ stage, which is less loyally populated but still has its moments.

The nail technician stall vies for attention with Wolf Sister, the tarot reader, and a face-painting stall that presumably was originally meant for kids. No matter, the kids are happy drawing on the adult-height cardboard erected in the corner as a way to channel their “creative DNA”. Unfortunately, the most telling image drawn by a young girl depicts nothing more than the outline of a mirror and the words “#selfie – look in da mirra”. The vacuous white glass of her drawing reflects only the attitude of those people still milling around the photo booth and isn’t the most inspiring piece of street art, but does pack a punch. Aside from that, the festival begins to hit its stride later on in the afternoon, with beer and cider – sorry, “cidre” – containers around the place somewhat explaining this less contrived jollity.

The Rivington Street Festival also spans five other venues that continue the party beyond the early evening wind-down of the outdoor venues, ranging from the late-opening cocktail bar/creperie Shutterbug to The Bedroom Bar for a less eclectically matched two-floored music experience. Taxi drivers across London nickname Shoreditch “Zombie Land” thanks to the hordes of bleary late-night cab hailers, and with such a good excuse to start drinking in the middle of the day, the second apocalypse – with face paint! – is expected on the streets tonight. Good luck to the cabbies.

Francesca Laidlaw
Photos: Erol Birsen

For further information about Rivington Street Festival visit here.

Watch a teaser for Rivington Street Festival here: