Lido Love is a unique night of art, music, performance and poetry that celebrates the hidden history of the London Fields Lido, as well as being a celebration of the current users of the pool

This second event builds on the success of 2010’s inaugural Lido Love, when hundreds of people braved the snow to experience the Lido at night for the first time, take part in performances, dance with glowsticks at a 90s inspired rave, watch art films in a changing room, learn about its unique history, and most importantly, have a lot of fun.

So wrap up warm, and join us for this years line up:

StrangeWorks presents: Lido Loving

On entering the Lido visitors will be cast into one of three historic London Fields Lido groups - the infamous squatters, the relentless campaigners, or the hardy councillors. Throughout the night, interactive theatre group StrangeWorks will bring the history of the Lido to life with roaming performances, getting you on-side for a competitive showdown finale on the steamy water.

TANK TV presents: Campaigners Tank TV, the online gallery for artists moving image will be showcasing a programme of contemporary artists’ film and video around the subject of the heart-felt campaigner, playing homage to all those who fought (and stood in front of bulldozers) to save the London Fields Lido many years ago.

Hammer and Tongues presents: Anarchy in the UK (London Fields Branch) Hammer and Tongues – the promoters of some of the best spoken word artists currently performing in the UK and organisers of legendary poetry slams – presents a series of the East End’s finest riffing hard on the energy of London Fields, living it, loving it, squatting it. WORD. Literally.

London Fields Radio presents: Lido Love Live Bijou cult radio station London Fields Radio will present a special outside broadcast of their radio station, coming direct from an indoor changing room of London Fields Lido. Expect guest spots from some of the emerging musicians that have featured on the station, as well as interviews with other performers at the Lido event.

Take Away Poetry For those who prefer their words a bit quieter and on the printed page, small press publisher Helen Slater curates a series of poets who have written their own responses to current day happenings at the Lido. Their responses will be printed and are meant to be discovered, and found in the some of the outdoor small individual outdoor changing rooms, to rip, takeaway, read ...or even wear.

Bon Bon Kaotikai Out in the open air, Lido Love is delighted to announce the one-off reformation of Bon Bon Kaotikai – a cabaret punk band that used to play at the squatted Lido (in their swimwear...). The group loved the lido and held many, many informal and creative events there over the years.

Hilary Powell – Fleeting Artist and filmmaker Hilary Powell presents a special one-off screening of her film Fleeting – a film of a large scale installation she created in the empty Lido in 2003, suspending 50 colourfully striped deckchairs across the swimming pool in fleet formation and lit by halogen lights with their canvas “sails” billowing in the evening breeze to the composed soundtrack of 1930’s romance tunes mixed with echoes of swimming pools and seaside holidays past. Within this strange fleet formation, a beautiful woman dressed in a long white dress with a red umbrella took her place in her own deckchair and sat there swaying silently in her own world... As well as ALL this, there will be the usual slide show on the history of the Lido, found footage of the area at various times during the last 60 years, Lighting design company Iguzzini have provided lights which will bathe the Lido in ethereal glow as steam hovers over the pool, and Hoxton Beach Café will be open for hot steamy drinks and snacks. 

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COMPETITION: 1x Pair of tickets to attend 'Lido Love Returns' at the London Fields Lido at 19:00 on Saturday, 8th January.

To claim your tickets, send an email to vienna@run-riot.com with the correct answer in the ‘subject’ box. The winner will be randomly selected.

Q: Built in 1931 by the LCC, London Fields lido was abandoned in the mid-1980s, when which Prime Minister ran a wrecking ball through the GLC and wiped out the majority of London’s lidos in the process?

A: 1) John Major .2) Clement Attlee .3) Margaret Thatcher .4) Sir Alec Douglas-Home