Next event: September 2025
Barking Riverside will be one of Europe’s largest residential developments, providing East London with thousands of new homes, and London’s only ‘Healthy New Town’ – a project led by the NHS.
Emerge East is Barking Riverside’s free festival celebrating community, creativity and nature. It is a celebration of local talent, highlighting the best of an evolving place. The first edition of Emerge East took place in December 2022, bringing together over 30 local makers and producers, street food traders, DJs and workshop organisers come together to celebrate creativity, community and nature at Barking Riverside’s new Station Square.The event attracted an estimated 1800 attendees throughout the day with those arriving from the overground station, pier and residential areas.
Visitors were able to taste local home-cooked food, start their festive shopping at the Emerging Maker’s Market, explore the area throughout the day and into the night with workshops and wildlife walks, plus get stuck in with free family entertainment, music and local talent.
The event brought new concepts and ideas which the area had never seen before, from a Riverside Sauna and cold water plunge, to local residents giving attendees the chance to taste their best kept kitchen secrets in a Taste of Barking Riverside -The Home Cooks.
Emerge East partnered with Gilles Peterson’s Future Bubblers label to bring some of London’s most exciting young DJ’s to Barking Riverside.
Emerge East returned for its 3rd year in early September 2024, once again bringing together local makers, producers, and street food traders, alongside and a variety of performances, walks, talks, wellness workshops, music, and riverside sauna. Additionally a monumental interactive walk-in sculpture illuminated by colour and light, Arborialis Luminarium, drew thousands of visitors to Emerge East for its London debut. Brought to Barking Riverside by Creative Barking and Dagenham in partnership with Barking Riverside Limited, supported by Riverside School, the immersive and accessible artwork added an unforgettable experience to an already packed programme of activities.
‘I was over the moon with the event – I had great feedback and such a lovely vibe going all day. I definitely think a seed was planted on the land there!’
– Katie Bracher – Riverside Sauna Master
