The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is returning to perform with local artists and performing groups in Wembley Park this September, as Wemba’s Dream: Join the Journey becomes a reality. Three free-to-attend family-friendly performances of music, dance, poetry and carnival arts will take place in unique urban locations in London’s most exciting new neighbourhood, Wembley Park, on Sunday 3rd September 2023.
Wemba’s Dream: Join the Journey follows the story of Anglo-Saxon traveller Wemba, who, in 825ad, journeyed to settle on the clearing in the forest (‘lea’ in Anglo-Saxon) that would be named Wemba’s Lea (or Wembley). Wemba’s journey was the first of a multitude, with people travelling from across the world to the heart of Brent. The performance looks at how we all take our own journeys, which shape our lives in unexpected ways with hope, anticipation, joy, sadness, self-discovery, and new perspectives that change how we see the world. It celebrates the resilience of those who cross oceans and continents to find a place to call home, overcoming barriers and struggles to find freedom and tell their stories through art.

The original performance of Wemba’s Dream took place in 2021; the second had been planned for 2022 but was postponed due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. This second instalment, Wemba’s Dream: Join the Journey, on 3rd September 2023, will feature a 50+-piece orchestra along with performers from St Michael & All Angels Steel Orchestra, Mahogany Carnival, Word Up and the Sujata Banerjee Dance Company, together with the RPO.
The show will begin in The Undercroft, the newly created performance space located under the Olympic Steps leading up to Wembley Stadium, before journeying to the multi-purpose space at Green Parking, a short walk away. Notting Hill Carnival costume legends, Mahogany Carnival Arts, will lead the audience in a procession from The Undercroft to Green Parking as part of the event.