If you are looking for an alternative to Christmas winter wonderlands, which is also free, head down to Waterloo’s Leake Street Arches for graffiti, glitter, the Grinch and Grotty Grottos.
After last year’s success transforming London’s longest graffiti tunnel into a festive urban paradise, Miracle on Leake Street is back, and they are going all out to put on a Christmas extravaganza for one evening only – Tuesday 17 December from 5-9pm.
Organised by the WeAreWaterloo and Southbank business improvement districts the four hour event is packing in a lot. There will be a screening of Elf, a cross-dressing crooner leading a cabaret sing-song and Burlesque class, a grotty grotto, street food stalls, a wreath making workshop and an immersive Office Christmas Party experience by the actors from the Vaults.
Now famous as home to London’s longest legal graffiti wall, visitors arriving on to the street under Waterloo Station will be greeted by a band of busking reindeer, guests will make their way through the urban snow, past graffiti artists at work, to the centre of the tunnel. There they will find cross-dressing crooner, Alexander Luttley. Crooner is an American epithet given primarily to male singers of jazz an ironic term denoting a sentimental singing style. Luttley will be kicking off proceedings by leading a cabaret performance and Burlesque class with two well known artistes.
With the festive tone set, guests can then take a seat, wrap up in a blanket and watch a screening of Elf.
At the same time the Vault theatre, who run London’s biggest arts festival at the arches every January to March, will be holding the VAULT Festival Office Christmas Party. Expect the cheesiest dance moves, cups of punch and guests from the VAULT Festival programme for next year.
Community gardeners, the Meanwhile Club, will be hosting a free Christmas Wreath Making Workshop, and visitors can then take their bespoke creations home with them.
House of Vans, the iconic skateboard brand that has its European headquarters at Leake Street, will be serving up mulled wine and cider as well as running a skateboard themed carnival game with prize giveaways.
Other giveaways include festive glitter face painting and a goody bag at the Grotty Grotto.
While free donations made will go to the Waterloo Action Centre, a nearby space run by and for the local community for the past 40 years from the former Waterloo Library.