Our Nowruz Festival is a community-wide creative celebration of Persian New Year and the arrival of spring, a moment to come together, share stories and find connection as the seasons turn. At a time when community can feel especially important, we open our doors to everyone, whether you observe Nowruz each year, are discovering Persian culture, holidays and traditions for the first time, or just want to join in.
Embracing the arrival of spring, Nowruz is a 14 day tradition enjoyed for more than 3,000 years by over 300 million people worldwide, particularly across Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, the Balkans, and South Asia. Deeply rooted in Persian culture, Nowruz is marked by renewal, hope and time spent together with friends and family, especially outdoors. The Nowruz festivities culminate after 13 days on Sizdeh Bedar, also known as Nature's Day, during which people spend time picnicking outdoors to keep bad luck at bay.
Waterlow Park, with its secret enclaves, ponds and myriad of trees (including a Persian Ironwood), brings to mind a Persian garden, and has become an important and beautiful place for local families and friends to come together. For the third year, we are bringing the festivities inside Lauderdale House under the guidance of our Artist/Curator Mehrdad Aref-Adib. Our Nowruz Festival focuses on celebrating the cultural traditions and artistic expression associated with the beginning of spring, rather than religious or political themes, so that all communities feel welcome.
Find all the activities and dates below, with more events coming soon.
Wednesday 11 MarchNowruz Private View & Festival Launch
7.30-9.30pm | Free
We are delighted to welcome you to the private view of three unique exhibitions and the launch of our Nowruz Festival on Wednesday 11 March from 7.30 to 9.30pm.
Monday 16 March
String of Pearls Ensemble
7.30pm | £15.50String of Pearls Ensemble invite you to a magical evening of poetry, stories and song woven together from the teachings of the 13th century poet Rumi.
Thursday 19 MarchJazz in the House: Maydan Ensemble
8pm | £15.50The Maydan Ensemble traverses international bounds and genres to create a inclusive and irresistible sound blending modern jazz with Arabic, Anatolian and Persian folk music.
Tuesday 24 March
Iran +100 Book Event
8pm | £12Explore how ten Iranian authors grapple with the past and imagine the future in Iran at this special talk.
Saturday 14 March & Sunday 15 March
Nowruz Bazaar
11am - 5pm | Free
Discover the rich artistic heritage associated with the holiday at our Nowruz Bazaar, featuring goodies, beautiful artworks, books, pottery, jewellery and more.
Saturday 14 March
Free Talk - Nowruz: Customs & Camden
12pm | Free - please bookLearn more about the beautiful traditions associated with Persian New Year and how it is celebrated locally in this free talk
Free Talk - Past, Present & Future: Arts of Iran at the V&A
Saturday 14 March
2pm | Free - please bookThis free talk will explore the V&A’s rich and varied collection of objects from Iran – a collection which spans thousands of years in many different media and styles.
Free Talk - Shahnameh Reunited: Why Persian Stories Matter
Saturday 14 March
4pm | Free - please bookIn this free talk, hear from two great speakers, Arsalan Akhavan and Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh, about how they are reconceptualising the Iranian epic Shahnameh for contemporary audiences.
Sunday 15 March
Nowruz Family Day
11am - 3pm | Free
Bring the whole family to our Long Gallery for free crafts inspired by Nowruz and Persian culture!
11 March - 6 April
Echoes in Print Exhibition
Lower Gallery
Check gallery hours | FreeExperience contemporary print and image-making through the work of five UK-based Iranian artists.
The Boy on the Peacock Throne A Memoir in Images Exhibition
Upper Gallery
Check gallery hours | FreeThis exhibition is based on The Boy on the Peacock Throne, an illustrated memoir by Mehrdad Aref-Adib about growing up in Iran before and after the 1979 Revolution.
Hopscotch Exhibition
Courtyard Gallery
Check gallery hours | FreeWe are delighted to exhibit works by members of Hopscotch, a London-based charity seeking to address racial and gender inequity and to empower women facing this injustice in a culturally sensitive way, so they can be included and equal in society.
Haft-sin Trail
Waterlow Park
Park opening hours | FreeHead into Waterlow Park and help us collect the ingredients for the Haft-Sin!
Persian Paradise Garden
Brick Arch in Waterlow Park
Check park hours | FreeSituated in the far corner of the Tea Lawn, we have installed an artwork created by Mehrdad Aref-Adib, Artist & Curator of Lauderdale House’s Nowruz Festival, inspired by a 17th-century Persian artwork now found in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.