The Great Fire of London Commemorations: Everything you need to know
The Great Fire of London which devastated the city and lasted for four days in 1666 marks its 350th anniversary this year, and today is the beginning of its commemoration.
To help uncover the stories of this tragedy, a variety of events will take place under the name Great Fire 350. These events, which will allow you to re-imagine the incident through art, will be brought to you by Artichoke, the group that brought us Lumiere London earlier this year.
To give you a brief history, the Great Fire of London is reported to have started in a baker’s shop in Pudding Lane – in the heart of the Square Mile – after he failed to snuff out a blaze. The fire is thought to have spread so quickly due to the capital's largely timber construction at the time.
What’s on at Great Fire 350?
The events officially kick off today, 30 August, and while some will go on well into next year, those produced by Artichoke will come to an end on 4 September.
Activities include exhibitions, art installations, performances, walks, talks, lectures and more. Be sure to have a look at the extensive and fun filled programme here.
The must see events
Dominoes – Station House Opera – Saturday 3 September
Throughout the square mile, there will be thousands of breeze blocks lined up domino-style. As a single one is tipped the line will then be split into three, retracing the path of the Great Fire through the City. You can choose to experience the dominoes from three different paths all leading to a “fiery finale”. The dominoes will be lined up from getting lined up from 3pm, and the first one will be knocked over around 6.30pm.
Fire Garden – Thursday 1 to Saturday 3 September
Starting at 8pm each day on the front lawn of the Tate Modern, the area will be transformed into a Fire Garden, with burning metal structures, cascading candles and flickering flowerpots accompanied by live music.
Holoscenes – Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 September
An underwater performance installation taking place inspired by the widely-shared concern that our troubled relationship with water is set to become the central issue of the 21st century. A free event taking place at Exchange Square, Broadgate, the installation represents the calamities facing our world, much like that of the Great Fire.
The majority of the activities and shows taking place during commemorations are free of charge, though there are some which require a fee and or bookings. Be sure to have a look at the London's Burning and Great Fire 350 website for more details on all the events.