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London’s much-loved, annual celebration of outdoor dance is coming back to Newham on Saturday 6 September.
This year’s alfresco dance take-over will showcase a host of amazing outdoor spaces across Stratford – popping up in the Town Centre, East Bank and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. With stunning staging and a huge variety of dance styles, explore the full line up now.
Dancing City Event Guide
View and download this useful document to plan your Dancing City experience and get the most out of your visit. Download→
Purchase the GDIF 30 Year Book
For the 30th anniversary of GDIF you can pick up a special edition hardback book celebrating the life of the festival.
Find out more
Access
GDIF was the first UK festival to be awarded the Platinum level for accessibility by Attitude Is Everything, recognising our commitment to removing barriers between audiences and the arts and making every element of a visit to GDIF accessible and inclusive to all.
Access information for Dancing City will be share soon.
Site Access
All shows in Dancing City are free to attend. Just show up.
Assistance Dogs Welcome
There will be signage on site with all important show and access information.
Level Access
Dancing City show locations have good step-free access and hard-standing surfaces.
Access Viewing areas
Each performance location will have an access viewing area for disabled audience members marked with a sign or flag. Space for wheelchair users, companions and seating with and without arms will be available.
Distance between performances
The festival site includes various locations across the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Stratford Town Centre. Performances in the Olympic Park are all between 2minutes and 15 minutes travel time away from each other. The Olympic Park is 20 minute walk to the Stratford Town Centre Site
Check the Dancing City festival map and brochure to plan your route, ask a volunteer or at the information point.
Low Sensory Space and Access Areas
A Low Sensory Space will be available for anyone who wishes to escape the crowds for some chillout time. At the Access Area and Low Sensory Space there will be ear defenders, easy read guides, large print resources and sensory toys.
There are lots of peaceful areas with shade and seating across the park
All shows at Dancing City are relaxed. This means you can come and go as you please, move around and make noise.
Accessible Toilets and Changing Places
The Podium: Accessible toilets and Changing Places– ask in Riverside East café for a Radar key.
University College London: Accessible toilets and Changing Places- ask at reception for Radar key.
Westfield Stratford City: Accessible toilets on various levels. Changing Places on the ground floor between Made by Society and Watches of Switzerland, radar key from staff and guest services.
Stratford Centre: Accessible toilets only.
There are also other venues across the park with open toilets
Click here for a QEOP map of accessible toilets and changing places facilities. PARK MAP_SEP 2024 update.pdf
Blue badge parking
Westfield Stratford Car Park. Charges may apply.
Drop-off point
Westfield Avenue
Contact
For Accessibility questions, contact [email protected] // 07899 893 935
For other audience questions, contact our Box Office: [email protected]
Show Access
We have special accessibility for each show. This means each show has it’s own different access provisions. You can find details on the event pages for each show.
Most of the shows at Dancing City are Speech Free
Shows that contain speech or lyrics will have QR codes to access the text
Selected shows will have live Audio Description via headset and a touch tour, some will have pre-recorded audio description.
Easy-read Visual Guides can be downloaded from event pages and printed copies will be available on site at the access information point
Assisted Access Routes
BSL interpreters and access guides will be on hand all day to guide the audience between events on the following routes:
1) Live audio description
2) BSL/Speech Free
3) Assisted route for anyone who would like support navigating the schedule and moving between events.
Information On Access Routes
Live Audio Description Assisted Route
for blind and visually impaired audiences – to book headset email [email protected]
12:45pm Meet at Stratford Station in the ticket hall of the Westfield Stratford City exit/entrance.
Or meet at 1:30pm at the Access Info point
1:55pm Roots to Rise Touch Tour
2:15pm-2:45pm Roots to Rise (Digital Audio Description)
2:45pm-3:30pm [BREAK]
3:30pm – 3:40pm Passionately Defiant (Live AD)
4pm – Touch Tour RO-TES
4:15pm- 4:45pm RO-TES (Integrated Digital AD)
5pm-5:17pm Through Another Lens (Live AD)
5:30pm Touch Tour One Sky
5:40pm-6:10pm One Sky (Live AD)
6:15pm walk back to Station
Speech Free and Suggested Route
This is a suggested route for Deaf audiences and anyone who would like help planning their day to see all the shows.
All Show are speech free.
This will be led by a Deaf Host and BSL interpreter.
You can take a break and rejoin whenever you like.
Please note, this route only includes shows on the Olympic Park site.
12:30pm meet at the Access information point
1pm-1:25 Fire Island
1:35pm-2:01pm WaterKind OR Jungle Boy 2pm – 2:10pm
2:30pm – 3pm One Sky
3:10pm-3:27pm 360 OR 3:30pm – 3:40pm Passionately Defiant
3:45pm – 3:53pm Passage
4:15pm-4:45pm RO-TES (Speech Free, captions available for audio description track)
5pm-5:17pm Through another Lens
5:30pm-6pm Roots to Rise
Unforgettable Dancing City Moments
