The event, which takes place between 5-14 July at London’s Hyde Park, will host the three areas for five days (8-11 July) designed to create a hub of culture, entertainment and dining for attendees.
The first area, The Village, will recreate a rural British look and atmosphere, with a village hall hosting church hall-style activities with an urban twist. A village green featuring a bandstand will host jazz bands, string quartets, community choirs and up-and-coming singer/songwriters.
Food served in The Village will be provided by independent food traders The Pie Cart, Sausage Roll Sanctuary, Garlic Wood Farm and Roast of Sherwood.
The Piazza, themed around Europe, will serve up culinary dishes from around the continent supplied by event food traders Paellaria, Cooking Cooks and Well Kneaded. There will also be a specialist bread maker and a bar offering a selection of European beers.
The European-themed area will also host the Barclaycard Unwind Theatre, which will present a variety of theatre, dance and comedy performances during the week.
The Comedy Store Players (8 July), Kevin Eldon and His Very Funny Friends (9 July), Laughing Boy Comedy Club (10 July) and Russell Kane presenting Lucy Beaumont and Jarlath Regan (11 July) form the comedy line-up for the stage.
The Carnival – the third area at Hyde Park’s British Summer Time festival – will represent Hispania, South America and the Caribbean, with food being supplied by a number of vendors.
These include empanadas from Borough Market’s Porteña, Churros Garcia and The Coconut Kings, as well as burritos and Argentinean steaks, and speciality drinks such as mojitos, caipirinhas, cuba libres, and sagres served from the Havana and Santa Clara bars.
A carnival float stage will provide entertainment such as samba, salsa and steel drums throughout the weekends, and Soho-based trattoria Bocca Di Lupo will be providing an al-fresco dining experience via its pop-up restaurant – Bocca Di Lupo In The Park.
Jim King, festival director, said: "Right from the very start, we wanted our event in Hyde Park to offer something for everyone. The multi-cultural diversity of the zones celebrates all that is great about London and added to this, opening the zones free to all during the week means we really are giving people a brand new event experience."
James Russell, head of events at The Royal Parks, said: "For the first time during the midweek of a concert series we are opening the event area to the public, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy free entertainment whilst soaking up the unique atmosphere created in an outdoor venue in central London."
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