Play Make Do Festival at the Barbican Centre

A Festival of Fun for All the Family

The Barbican invites visitors of all ages to celebrate the return of Play Make Do, for a three-day festival packed with free and affordable activities designed to bring families, friends and communities together through creativity, play and participation.

Taking place across the Barbican's public spaces from Friday 14 – Sunday 16 August 2026, Play Make Do transforms the Centre into a vibrant playground for imagination and discovery with circus play, dance, craft, storytelling and more.

Inspired by community, summertime and togetherness, this year's festival also draws on themes of carnival, identity and culture, connecting with ideas explored in the Project a Black Planet exhibition and the wider season programme, running throughout the summer until 6 September.

Play Make Do builds on the success of its inaugural edition in 2025, celebrating the creativity that emerges when generations come together to ‘play’, ‘make’ and ‘do’. Each day of the festival is shaped around one of these themes, encouraging visitors to experience the Barbican in new and inspiring ways.

Times: There is a host of activities taking place across the three days at different times. You can view the full programme to see more details on timing.

Tickets: Prices vary across activities, with many being free and some charging a small fee. View the full programme to see more information on pricing for each event.