A representative from the festival, which began on 22 June and will run until 17 July, told Event the design of the pop-up event space was inspired by the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, which it is situated next to in its Paternoster Square location. The bowler hat also pays homage to the iconic City-worker’s uniform of 1950s businessmen.
The ten-metre-tall inflatable venue was opened for the first time this year and joins a number of iconic venues hosting events for this year’s festival. The Barbican, the Bank of England Museum and the Mermaid Theatre are all taking part in the event, alongside Unilever House, the Gherkin and Deutsche Bank.
The Bowler Hat has a capacity of 212 and will host more than 100 events this year, including children’s theatre, cabaret, comedy and circus performances.
Paul Gudgin, director of the City of London Festival, said: "The City of London is an exceptional place for a festival – full of extraordinary spaces, buildings and people.
"By taking a City icon and transforming it in this way we believe The Bowler Hat will prove to be a striking, popular and fun addition to London’s cultural scene this summer."
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