Bankside Open Spaces Festival - The Main Stage 2024

Head down to Flat Iron Square, Union Street SE1, on 8 June 2024 from 12pm to enjoy live music and dance on our Main Stage - from blues to jazz, from rock to funk, there’s a band for everyone at Bankside Open Spaces Festival!

Main Stage 2024 Line Up

From 12pm - The Fiesta Latina Procession returns to BOSFest with dancers celebrating our area’s rich links to Latin America:

12:00 - Bullerengue dance from Colombia 

12:05  - Dance from Bolivia 

12.15 - Speeches and opening  

12:35 - Joropo dance from Venezuela 

12:40 - Puya dance from Colombia 

12:45 - Dance and live music from Peru 

Followed by live music from:

1pm - The Soft Shell Crabs 

2pm - Remi Bankyln

3pm - Sweet Giant

4pm - Pelican Assembly 

5pm - Art Terry & The Black Bohemians

6pm - Ma Polaine’s Great Decline

7pm - Ese & The Vooduu People

8pm - Dana Immanuel & The Stolen Band

About the Bankside Open Spaces Festival Main Stage bands:

1pm- Soft Shell Crabs

Inspired by Talking Heads, David Bowie with an Ian Dury and the Blockheads spin, our trusty openers return to Bankside Open Spaces Festival led by our Chair of Trustees Tim Wood!

2pm - Remi Bankyln

Guitarist/Singer Remi Bankyln will take you on a journey of discovery of the roots of western music. With inspiration coming from the golden era of the early fifties blues sound made popular by Blues men such as Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Little Walter, BB King among others.

3pm - Sweet Giant

Much like the mycelium spreading unseen through the soil, Sweet Giant are a crew of assorted creatures who found themselves and each other in some of London’s coziest crevices. Brought together by a shared love of the wild side, Sweet Giant bursts forth from the underground, like a fruiting body emerging from the forest floor.

4pm - Pelican Assembly 

Carefully continually curated assembly of jazz inspired musicians playing combination of originals and jazz standards. Lead by Gabriella Romano inspired by story, latin rhythms, chansons francais, jazz and authenticity. They call it: 'Metro Kitsch Jazz'.

5pm - Art Terry & the Black Bohemians

Art Terry and the Black Bohemians play their own unique and delirious brand of arthouse funk. A singer and pianist, Art underpins deeply personal lyrics with dense melodic textures to create conceptual Black music. Listen here.

6pm - Ma Polaine’s Great Decline

With influences in blues, jazz and country Ma Polaine have drawn comparisons with many, with references to Billie Holiday, Tom Waits and a “moody Mary Margaret O’Hara”, yet Ma Polaine’s sound is very much their own. Beth’s distinctive, emotive vocals coupled with her evocative lyrics create a compelling mix of abstract tales, dark humour and raw beauty, whilst Clinton’s understated guitar style supports with rich chords and gritty riffs.

7pm - Ese & The Vooduu People

Ese Okorodudu is founder and leader of the extended musical family that is Ese & The Vooduu People. Singer-songwriter Ese (vocals, guitar) is backed by a pool of some of the UK's best musicians. She's inspired by an eclectic selection of legends from Jimi Hendrix, Sly & The Family Stone and Led Zep to Dr. John, Prince and Skunk Anansie. Listen here.

8pm - Dana Immanuel & The Stolen Band

Dana Immanuel and the Stolen Band are a banjo-whacking, guitar-shredding, fiddle-sawing, foot-stomping, whiskey-soaked all-female assault on the senses. This five-piece powerhouse delight diverse crowds with blues, rock, Americana, folk, indie and country vibes. Their high energy shows astound audiences across the UK and Europe and they’ve been a hit at myriad festival including Glastonbury, Boomtown and Country 2 Country.