Wanna see what Londoners got up to in the Victorian Era? Now you can.
We love London’s history and so we are getting pretty excited to take a look back into it. The occasion? Victorian Vauxhall – South London’s Victorian revival fair.
Each year they take over Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens and turn the place into a time-warped funfair for a day, filling the place with the entertainers, sights and smells that would have filled the gardens back in the days of yore.
The location is pretty much ideal too. Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens was exactly where the Victorians went for their dose of fun. We should note that what they got up to was a little (actually a lot) more sordid than what you’ll be seeing at the fair.
What to Expect
There’s lots to see and plenty more to do. There’s a lot of emphasis on performances with the performers laying on shows that would have entertained the Victorians. That means that all the entertainers will be in Victorian outfits while they put on a show.
Those shows consist of dances and acrobatics with some very strong men, bubbleologist and performances by actual jesters. If you fancy learning a few of these tricks, you can. There’s going to be a circus school on site to train any would-be clowns in everything from juggling to plate spinning.
As for the littluns, Victorian Vauxhall is family friendly so you’ll have lots to keep the kids entertained. There’s also classes in music for all ages should you really want to run with the educational theme and pick up a few popular tunes from the old days.
As you’d expect there’s plenty of food and drink to choose from too, though this is the one thing we’re hoping isn’t too dated. We’re all up for a good look into the past but we highly doubt the Victorians had a better pop-up food stall scene than us contemporary Londoners.
There’s only one way to find out…
Victorian Vauxhall: Practical Information
Where: New Spring Gardens Walk, Vauxhall, Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HL
When: Saturday 26th August 2023, 2pm – 7pm
Tickets: Free
