Thames Festival

The Thames Festival is hosted by the Mayor of London and is held annually on the banks of the Thames between Westminster and Blackfriars bridge. In 2004 it was held over two days with various street performances, stalls, cabaret etc on both the north bank and the south bank. The festival culminated in a colourful night carnival procession which made its way along Victoria Embankment and over Blackfriars bridge. The theme of the carnival in 2004 was Wild Things, and over 2,000 people took part. The Victoria Embankment was alive with the sound of carnival drums, there were musicians, dancers, performers, vibrant and imaginative costumes, giant bugs and a thirty foot illuminated birdcage. Thousands of visitors turned out over the weekend which closed with a spectacular fireworks display from the middle of the Thames.