Battersea Power Station is hosting a street party full of art, music and food this weekend to celebrate the recent opening of its tube station.
Two Northern Line stations, Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station, were opened on 20 September.
Street artists, buskers and Battersea Power Station Community Choir (BPSCC) are set to perform in a festival over Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 September.
Choir-member Gabriella Geisinger, 32, said: “The street party is a real celebration not only of the tube station opening but of being able to be out in the community again.
“It represents people coming together in a way we haven’t been able to in the last 18 months.”
Geisinger described the BPSCC as reinforcing a feeling of neighbourhood that she felt encapsulated south London.
“You create these bonds in your community, through music,” she said.
“It helps to bridge a gap between different types of people.”
The choir, made up of about 70 members, will sing both in Circus West Village and outside the underground station, directed by Sam Evans and using original music arranged by Dan Swana.
Other highlights at the street party include the installation of an extensive array of street art.
Mr Brainwash, real name Thierry Guetta, has already installed several pieces of art, including a large riverside mural.
He has been praised by the likes of Banksy, who said: “Mr Brainwash is a force of nature, he’s a phenomenon.”
Six other street artists will produce pieces live at the power station, including Mr Cenz, 46.
He plans to mix the old with the new by using an image of the power station as seen on the Pink Floyd’s Animals album cover and merging it with one of his signature futuristic sci fi portraits.
Mr Cenz has been creating graffiti art since he was a child in the early 1980s.
His career has taken him all over the world, but this project brings him closer to home.
“In a way, it’s sentimental,” said Mr Cenz, himself from south London.
“It’s an iconic building and a very important part of the landscape. I’m excited to see it all.”
Another artist that will be at Battersea Power Station this weekend is Choots, real name James Chuter, 35.
Choots said: “I’m looking forward to being outside by the river near some talented artists.
“I’m hoping I have time to sit back and watch them work so I can pick up some tips!”
Choots will create a colourful piece to reference both his character and the power station.
Dave Bonzai, Lois O’Hara, Ricky ALSO and Tea One will also create art at the event.
Meanwhile, visitors have been promised stalls and pop-up shops, a ‘dine around the world’ experience, film screenings, half-price mini-golf, and more.
This all serves to promote Battersea Power Station as a ‘New Covent Garden’ as it undergoes a £9 billion development.
A consortium of Malaysian investors is in the process of turning the 42-acre, Grade II-listed site into a vast complex of homes, offices, shops, restaurants and leisure facilities.
This weekend’s celebration thus presents itself as an opportunity for the curious as much as fun for those wishing to delight in the cultural attractions of Battersea Power Station street party.
