More than 40,000 people attended the Brick Lane Curry Festival on Sunday, according to Tower Hamlets Council, as the revived celebration of Bangladeshi and South Asian food returned to the East End for its largest edition so far.
The council said bookings for the free event more than doubled compared with last year, while the number of market stalls tripled. The figures have not been independently audited, but point to a busy day for the restaurants, traders and performers involved in the one-day programme across Brick Lane and Banglatown.
A growing fixture for Banglatown
This was the festival’s second year back after a nine-year absence. It returned in 2025, and organisers had expanded the 2026 programme around food, music, cultural performance and family activities. Independent pre-event listings confirmed it was scheduled for Sunday 20 September, running from midday until the evening, with free entry and restaurant offers for people who registered in advance.
Tower Hamlets said the 2026 event was its biggest iteration since the return. Its reported attendance of more than 40,000 should therefore be understood as an organiser figure, rather than a count verified by an outside body. Nevertheless, the scale of the reported turnout underlines Brick Lane’s continuing pull as both a visitor destination and the historic heart of London’s Bangladeshi community.
The day began with a procession through the area and featured dancers, drummers, Chinese lion dancers and giant puppets. A festival stage presented a line-up including British-Bangladeshi artists Khiyo, Nish and Mumzy, alongside local dance and music groups. Families were also offered workshops, games and other activities at The Gaat.
Food businesses at the centre
Food remained the central attraction. Participating restaurants each put forward a signature dish, while visitors who had registered could receive a 20 per cent discount at participating venues. The council said the event also brought together street-food sellers and independent traders, with stalls offering food, drinks, fashion and jewellery.
For businesses on and around Brick Lane, the importance of the festival is not limited to one Sunday’s sales. The programme was designed to introduce visitors to restaurants and traders that make up the area’s everyday high street. The reported rise in bookings suggests the offer encouraged people to plan their visit rather than merely pass through, although the council has not published a separate estimate of spending or the economic impact on individual firms.
Brick Lane’s curry houses are part of a wider history of migration, enterprise and community life in the East End. The festival brought that heritage into a public programme rather than treating food as a stand-alone attraction, pairing restaurant offers with performances and activities that reflected the communities behind the area’s culinary reputation.
What happens next
The 2026 event was organised by Tower Hamlets Council with the Bangla Town Business Association and Brick Lane Community Forum, supported by local businesses, community groups, performers and volunteers. The council has described the festival as part of its wider effort to draw visitors into the borough and support local placemaking.
There is no announced date for the next edition. But after the festival’s return in 2025 and the council’s report of substantially higher interest this year, organisers have a stronger basis to consider how the annual event might develop. Its challenge will be to keep the benefits focused on the independent restaurants, traders and communities that give Banglatown its distinctive character.
