| Where: | London at Bankside (near the Globe Theatre) and the George on Borough High Street |
| When: | Near 6th January |
| Time: | 1.45 for 2pm (double check as it varies a little from year to year) |
Twelfth Night at Bankside is a modern New Year celebration involving many ancient elements associated with the season, and is now well established having run for over 25 years. The Holly Man, bedecked in greenery, arrives over the Millennium Bridge to the accompaniment of Wassailers and mummers who perform a traditional hero/combat play featuring St George. After the play, cakes are given out and those who find the concealed bean and pea in their cakes are crowned King and Queen for the day; a procession then makes its way to the George Inn on Borough High Street for more dancing, mulled wine,the Kissing Wishing Tree and storytelling. What more could you want from a winter festival?
Helpful Hints
In 2025 it should be on Sunday January 5th (to be confirmed).
The festival is free and goes ahead whatever the weather, as you can tell from the photos of a very wet 2016 performance. The Holly Man formerly arrived by boat but now he uses the Bridge instead.
It’s always held near to Twelfth Night / January 6th but depending on how the holidays fall it can be on a Sunday or Monday (in 2010 it was Sunday 3rd, in 2011 Monday 3rd, in 2012 Sunday 8th January, 2013 Sunday 6th, 2014 Sunday 5th).
Click here for the event website : http://www.thelionspart.co.uk/twelfthnight/index.html
Hi
This event starts at 2.45pm, not 1pm as stated above.
Hi Tamsin,
I’ve amended the time on the article so thanks for letting me know!
Best Wishes,
Averil
PS We came to October Plenty this year – loved it!
Hi Avril,
Just to confirm, Twelfth Night this year is indeed on Sunday 8th at 2pm on Bankside. To date all traditional festivities in place! warmest Seasonal Greetinga, Sonia and the Lions part
It starts at 13.45 in 2017, time is dependent on tides
Thanks Ian! Makes perfect sense when the Holly Man arrives by boat.
Regards,
Averil
Averil, I attended this yesterday (2018). The Holly/Green Man no longer arrives by boat. This, I was told, was stopped 2 years ago by the Port of London Authority on safety grounds. Instead, he crosses the Thames by the Millenium Bridge. After being greeted by the company, they processed to the steps of the Globe Theatre where the Mayor of Southwark welcomes everyone and throws cider over the Theatre Gates, accompanied by singing of the first Wassail song. Then they walk a short distance east for the performance if the Mummers Play, more singing and distriabution of cakes to find the two people with the cakes with the pea and bean inside. The lucky ones are crowned King and Queen and join the procession along the Thames, down Clink St and through Borough Market to the ancient galleried George Inn, south of London Bridge. Here there is more singing, toasts and throwing of cider plus a Wishing Tree, refreshments in the Inn & dancing by the Deptford Fowlers’s Troop Molly Dancers in the Inn Yard. It was all great fun and the Holly Man takes his role very seriously, putting time and effort into making his terric ‘guise.
Many thanks Elizabeth for the up-to-date info! We must have attended the last year that the Holly Man arrived in his boat so it’s very helpful to have changed reported – sadly I can’t get to everything every year even with the best will in the world. It’s a great day out even when it pours as it did in 2016.