Taking place throughout June, this year’s festival will culminate in a flagship Windrush Day celebration on Sunday 22 June, bringing residents together to mark the immense cultural contribution of Caribbean communities to Hackney and the UK.
Hackney’s Windrush Generations Festival is back for 2025 with its most ambitious line-up yet, offering a month-long celebration of music, film, history, and community to honour the enduring legacy of the Windrush generation. Taking place throughout June, this year’s festival will culminate in a flagship Windrush Day celebration on Sunday 22 June, bringing residents together to mark the immense cultural contribution of Caribbean communities to Hackney and the UK.
Funded by Hackney Council’s Windrush Microgrant Scheme, this year’s programme supports nine locally-rooted community groups, artists, schools and organisations. Each has designed events that reflect, expand and preserve the heritage of the Windrush story. Highlights include a Town Hall Square market, curated film screenings by the Windrush Caribbean Film Festival, a musical and poetry showcase at Hackney Empire, and a commemorative event at Dalston Station celebrating the renaming of the Windrush Line.
The month’s events are as diverse as they are powerful. Among them is an intergenerational workshop led by award-winning young author Romeo Bremmer on documenting family history. Justice4Windrush will host a community impact day of screenings and survivor testimonies in partnership with Hollywood actor Colin MacFarlane. The Black Burlesque School will explore the Windrush legacy through movement, storytelling and Caribbean cuisine, while Allens Community Garden will run sessions on how to grow traditional Caribbean vegetables in the UK. There will also be a screening of Under Your Nose, a documentary exploring UK Black LGBTQIA+ activist histories, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers.
This year also marks a series of exciting new partnerships. Arriva Rail, the Windrush Foundation, and Young Hackney are among those hosting events to mark the Windrush Line’s official renaming at Dalston Station. The Victoria & Albert Museum’s new V&A East site will host a micro-residency for artist Jazz Grant, a Windrush descendant and recipient of the 2025 Windrush Amplified Art Grant. In another nod to Hackney’s musical heritage, the borough will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Let’s Make Africa Green Again, the reggae anthem that became Hackney’s response to Live Aid in 1985. Rising Tide’s Jermain Jackman will lead a song-writing workshop for young residents inspired by the track.
Councillor Carole Williams, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Equalities and Windrush, said the festival was a celebration not only of the borough’s diverse communities but also of their strength and creativity. “These incredible community-led projects help us appreciate the breadth of the Windrush story and how this account of injustice has had an impact across continents, class, and age. By understanding the Windrush experience through this lens, we are offered a richer, more authentic story for future generations,” she said.
Councillor Chris Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care, Leisure and Culture, hailed the scale of this year’s programme. “Working alongside so many of our cultural partners truly helps us deliver a rich programme of events for everyone. With such a fantastic range of activities on offer there is more opportunity than ever to learn, share and preserve the true history of Windrush for this generation and the next.”
Patricia Hamzahee OBE, Co-Founder and Director of the Windrush Caribbean Film Festival, said the festival’s return to Hackney underscored the borough’s deep-rooted cultural ties. “Hackney’s commitment to heritage, diversity, and community makes it a natural partner for WCFF. We are excited to share this year’s programme with residents and audiences from across the country.”
First launched in 2019, Hackney’s Windrush Generations Festival continues to be a vital platform for education, celebration and justice. It is part of the borough’s ongoing commitment to recognise Black history, amplify Caribbean voices, and support those affected by the Windrush scandal.
Residents can view the full schedule and explore learning resources from previous festivals by visiting the Love Hackney website.
