Imagine Festival
The Southbank Centre’s renowned children’s festival with a packed lineup of family events.
Dates
18 Feb
-
23 Feb 2025
Ticket Information
Ticket prices vary starting from £8. Many events are free of charge
Location Info
- Address
- Southbank Centre, London, UK
- AccessAble Link
- View Accessibility Info
Southbank Centre's Imagine Festival is the UK’s leading arts festival for children aged 0–11 years and their grown-ups. The festival's multi-artform programme presents music, storytelling, dance, crafts, comedy and more for children and their families, covering a huge variety of themes and genres.
Happening during the February half-term holidays, the festival is packed with creative, imaginative and fun-filled events – many of which are completely free to attend!
This is a ‘relaxed festival’, meaning visitors can enter and leave venues and events freely, and there’s also an open attitude towards audience noise and movement during the performances. The festival also features specific sensory-adapted shows, and BSL-interpreted and non-verbal performances, all designed to ensure an environment that feels inclusive and welcoming for all.
Shows & events for under 5s
Mini Architects
Tue 18 Feb, 11am, | For ages 3 – 5. Tickets £8.
Author Joséphine Séblon and illustrator Robert Sae-Heng present some of the 20 amazing projects in their book, Mini Architects, which take inspiration from buildings such as the pyramids of ancient Egypt and the mythical Labyrinth of Theseus.
Supertato Party!
Tue 18 Feb, 1pm, | For ages 3 – 5. Tickets £8.
Sue Hendra, co-creator of our favourite supermarket superhero Supertato, celebrates the tenth birthday of the beloved books with a super veggie workshop for the family.
Jodie Lancet-Grant: The Wild West Twins
Tue 18 Feb, 3pm, | For ages 3 – 5. Tickets £8.
Join Jodie Lancet-Grant, author of The Legend of the Wild West Twins, for a rip-roaring afternoon of stories, games, a design-your-own-WANTED-poster activity.
There’s a Bear on My Chair
Tue 18 – Sun 23 Feb, | For ages 2 – 7. Tickets from £14.
Enter the mischievous world of Bear and Mouse in this first ever stage adaptation of Ross Collins’ much-loved books by puppeteer Toby Olié, brought life through loveable, life-sized puppets creating a show bursting with laughs and surprises.
Great Big Tiny World
Wed 19, Fri 21 & Sat 22 Feb, 10.30am; 11.45am; and 2pm, | For children under 12 months. Tickets £20 (admitting one baby and one adult).
Settle in amongst hundreds of real plants, to watch, hear and feel the environment come to life all around you in an extraordinary relaxed show for babies and their adults from internationally acclaimed sensory theatre company Oily Cart.
Great Big Tiny World
Shows for 5+
Poetry Adventures with Kate Wakeling
Tue 18 Feb, 10.45am, | For ages 6 – 11. Tickets £10.
Join poet Kate Wakeling to race a comet through outer space, bake an exceptionally weird cake and much more in a playful interactive poetry workshop. Featuring lively poetry performances interspersed with relaxed and unusual opportunities for children to get involved and write their own poems.
Workshop with Eric Huang: Mapping Magical Lands
Wed 19 Feb, 11.30am & 1.30pm, | For ages 6 – 8. Tickets £10.
Author Eric Huang joins us to present his new book series based on East Asian mythology, Guardians of the New Moon, in an interactive workshop of writing, reading and world-building.
The Colour of Dinosaurs
Wed 19 & Thu 20 Feb, Wed: 10.30am, 1pm & 3.30pm, Thu: 11.30am & 2:30pm, | For ages 6 – 11. Tickets from £14.
Join famous palaeontologist Dr Jakob Vinther to find out what dinosaurs really got up to during a day with soaring music, catchy songs and mind-blowing science. Dr Vinther changed the world when he figured out what colour dinosaurs actually were. Now, he swaps the lab for the stage alongside five musicians, who tell the story of this roarsome discovery!
Ballet Besties: Yasmine Naghdi & Chitra Soundar
Thu 20 Feb, 10.30am, | For ages 7 – 9. Tickets £8.
The Royal Ballet’s Principal Ballerina Yasmine Naghdi shares her debut children’s book series, Ballet Besties, co-authored with Chitra Soundar, that celebrates the joy of dance. They will share their inspiration for the books alongside Naghdi talking about her dancing career and demonstrating key ballet items and dance positions, getting volunteers engaged on stage.
Rollercoaster
Fri 21 & Sat 22 Feb, 2.30pm & 6.30pm, | For ages 7+.Tickets from £14
Strap in for pop-punk juggling as juggler Wes Peden shares his cutting-edge tricks inspired by corkscrews, adrenaline and high-tech seatbelts. Wes Peden has performed around the world from Olympic stadiums in Tokyo to Broadway theatres in New York and glacier museums in Iceland. His energetic, playful and complex style has won awards from the International Juggling Association and Cirque de Demain.
Grimwood Party with Nadia Shireen
Thu 20 Feb, 1pm, | For ages 7 – 9. Tickets £8.
Sharpen your pencils and prepare to laugh your head off as author and illustrator Nadia Shireen tells us all about the world of her Grimwood series. Find out what it takes to create your own story and have a go at drawing two of the characters yourself.
The Colour of Dinosaurs
Darryl Gadzekpo & Ella Phillips: Plant to Plate
Thu 20 Feb, 3pm, | For ages 7 – 9. Tickets £8.
Green-fingered duo Darryl Gadzekpo and Ella Phillips celebrate their fun and informative book, From Plant to Plate and show us how to grow mighty ingredients, then transform them into delicious, plant-powered feasts.
An Afternoon with Draw with Rob
Sat 22 Feb, 1.30pm, | For ages 5+. Tickets from £12.
Join award-winning author and illustrator and festival favourite Rob Biddulph as he brings to life his award-winning picture books and introduces his brand new picture book, I Follow the Fox, in this fun-packed family session fizzing with laughs, creativity and drawing.
Dav Pilkey and DOG MAN
Sat 22 Feb, 10.30am, | For ages 7+. Tickets from £12.
Get ready to howl with laughter as the creator of DOG MAN leads an event filled with favourite characters, sneak peeks and tonnes of inspiration. Dav Pilkey has been delighting kids and families with books that ignite their passion for reading. Don’t miss the chance to meet the award-winning author and illustrator in the UK for the first time in 10 years!
Dr Ronx: How to Save a Life
Sun 23 Feb, 10.45am, | For ages 6+. Tickets from £10.
Award-winning non-binary emergency medicine doctor and TV presenter Dr Ronx is back with an essential guide to handle any emergency situation, How to Save a Life. The book empowers young readers to feel prepared, and arms parents with helpful language for navigating challenging conversations and scenarios. This high-energy event features Dr Ronx’s trademark balance of facts and fun, real life examples and inspiring stories.
Laugh Out Loud with The Lollies Winners!
Sun 23 Feb, 1.30pm, | For ages 6+. Tickets from £10.
Expect lots of laughs from the shortlist for 2024’s Laugh Out Loud Book Awards, The Lollies celebrate the best and funniest children's books, voted for by children. We’re joined by authors and illustrators from the amazing shortlist for an event jam-packed with jokes.
CBeebies Wildlife Jamboree
Sun 23 Feb, 1pm & 3.15pm, | For ages 5+. Tickets from £12.
Come along with Duggee, the Squirrels and lots more CBeebies friends to celebrate the natural world. Look forward to songs, music, lots of fun and opportunities to join in and meet new wildlife friends at the Cbeebies Wildlife Jamboree with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Athena Kugblenu: History’s Most Epic Fibs
Sun 23 Feb, 3.30pm, | For ages 6+. Tickets from £10.
History is full of brave knights, fearsome queens, legendary explorers and heroic stories, passed down through the ages. But is it all true? Comedian and writer Athena Kugblenu is here to debunk fact from fiction from throughout history.
Rollercoaster with juggler Wes Peden
Free & pay-what-you-can events
Afro Dance with HomeBros
Tue 18 Feb, 10.30am & 1.30pm, | For ages 5+.Free.
Learn new moves and routines, and watch incredible short performances from the exciting Afro-dance duo HomeBros.
Meditation Station
Tues 18 – Sat 22 Feb, 3.30pm, | For ages 5+. Free.
Journey through sound, movement and story to land softly after a busy day. Ideal for calming down and rounding up an exciting day out.
A Message for the Future
Wed 19 – Sun 23 Feb, 10.30am, | For ages 0 – 3. Pay What You Can.
A meditative installation of pop-up gig-theatre featuring original storytelling and live music by acclaimed Margate gig theatre-makers Brigitte Aphrodite and Quiet Boy.
Imagine Artist Studio x WOM Collective
Wed 19 – Sun 23 Feb, 10.30am, 11.45am, 1.30pm & 2.45pm, | For ages 7 – 11. Pay what you want.
Immerse yourself in a street art masterclass with WOM Collective. Focusing on a different specialism every day, the workshops introduce techniques like stencil making and graffiti lettering.
Singing All Over The World
Wed 19 Feb, 10.30am & 1.30pm, | For ages 5+. Free.
Enjoy a day of performances from different choirs and learn songs in different languages to celebrate all voices across the world.
When Stories Come Alive
Thu 20 Feb, 10.30am & 1.30pm, | For ages 5+. Free.
Hear from incredible storytellers and settle in for gripping live performances at this drop-in event.
Big Laughs for Little Bellies
Fri 21 Feb, 10.30am & 1.30pm, | For ages 5+. Free.
Comedian Jay Foreman, comedian and writer Leila Navabi and internationally renowned poet, performer and educator Joshua Seigal bring devilishly cheeky songs, poems and comedy to the Clore Ballroom floor.
ZooNation's Hip-Hop Half Term
Sat 22 Feb, 10.30am & 1.30pm, | For ages 5+. Free.
A fun-filled day for all the family, with workshops and performances from ZooNation Youth Company, plus a lunchtime DJ.
Prancer the Dancer's DanceDanceDiscoPartyFunShow
Sun 23 Feb , 10.30am & 1.30pm, | For all ages. Free.
Power the disco with collective electric dance energy at a fun-filled party featuring special guests, dance routines to learn together and gymnastics ribbons aplenty.
A Message for the Future
Workshops for kids aged 9-11
Writing Workshop with Lisa Williamson: Bigg School
Tue 18 Feb, 11.30am & 1.30pm, | For ages 9 – 11. Tickets £10.
Packed with inspiring tips and practical writing advice and guidance, this event is perfect for young writers and readers of all abilities and levels of confidence.
Worlds of Words: Translation & Drawing Workshop
Fri 21 Feb, 11.30am & 1.30pm, | For ages 9 – 11. Tickets £10.
On World Mother Language Day, join illustrator and translator Elīna Brasliņa to explore poems and stories from around the world. Try your hand at bringing poems into English, and translating words into images! No knowledge of other languages is necessary and all attendees receive a translated book to take home.
Events for disabled children of all ages
Thu 20 & Sun 23 Feb, Thu: 11am, 1pm & 3.30pm, Sun: 11am & 2pm, | For disabled children of all ages. Tickets £16 (admitting one child plus up to two accompanying adults).
When the World Turns is an accessible, intimate, interactive show from the pioneers of Sensory Theatre, Oily Cart. Immerse yourself amongst hundreds of real plants, watch, hear and feel as music, puppets, sounds, scents and shadows come to life around you. This performance is especially aimed at disabled children of all ages who experience the most barriers to access and who are wheelchair users (who have historically been labelled as having profound and multiple learning disabilities).
When The World Turns