Woolwich Works has announced the return of Brassworks, its annual celebration of brass music, street performance and community involvement, on Saturday 5 September 2026. Taking place as a flagship event in the venue’s fifth anniversary year, the free festival will once again bring together some of the most renowned names in brass, the local community and music enthusiasts for a day of diverse live music and fun.
Returning for its third year and supported by the Royal Greenwich Festivals fund, Brassworks will once again transform Woolwich with a vibrant parade through the town centre, a full day of free live music in the venue’s courtyard and opportunities for people of all ages to get involved.
The day will begin at 12pm with the now-established Brassworks Parade, a colourful carnival of horns that gathers in General Gordon Square before winding its way through Woolwich and the Royal Arsenal, culminating at Woolwich Works. Everyone is invited to join the procession and become part of the spectacle.
For those keen to get involved earlier on in the day itself, Brassworks will also feature a free family-friendly Kazoo Workshop. Taking place at Woolwich Works on the morning of Saturday 5 September, participants will learn a song together before joining the Brassworks parade as it makes its way through the Royal Arsenal. Kazoos will be provided free of charge and the workshop is open to all ages.
From 12.30pm onwards, audiences can enjoy an afternoon and evening of free outdoor performances in the venue’s courtyard. The full artist line-up will be announced in the coming weeks.
Alongside the festival itself, Woolwich Works has announced a number of paid opportunities for local people to take part behind the scenes.
PAID PLACEMENTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Applications are also now open for five Brassworks placements for people aged 18-30 living, working or studying in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
Running from August and into the festival itself, the paid placements will offer hands-on experience across festival operations, technical production, artist liaison and marketing.
Participants will work alongside the Woolwich Works team in the lead-up to Brassworks and gain hands-on experience into how a large-scale live event is planned and delivered.
Available roles include:
• Operations
• Technical
• Artist Liaison (two positions available)
• Marketing
Placements total five paid days of work across the project period.
Applications close on 30 June 2026. To apply, candidates should send a CV and short covering letter to brassworks@woolwich.works.
Nick Williams, Director at Woolwich Works commented: “As we celebrate five years of Woolwich Works, it feels fitting that Brassworks returns as one of the highlights of our birthday celebrations.
What began as a joyful celebration of brass music has quickly become one of the most distinctive events in our calendar and really embodies what we do; it’s fun, with a huge range of different music, and gets everyone up and dancing.
This year’s festival is not only about enjoying fantastic live performances. Through our paid placements programme and opportunities to take part in the parade and workshops, we’re creating ways for young people to get directly involved and gain valuable experience behind the scenes in the live event industry.
We’re looking forward to welcoming audiences back to Woolwich for what promises to be our biggest and most memorable Brassworks yet.”
Councillor Adel Khaireh, Cabinet Member for Culture, Equalities and Leisure, said: “Royal Greenwich is the place to be for culture this summer. We’re supporting a diverse range of events and activities with a strong focus on putting local young people in the driving seat.
“We’re funding 22 unique Royal Greenwich Festivals events – including the fifth anniversary of the brilliant Brassworks at Woolwich Works – and commissioning new Community Arts and Black History 365 (BH365) projects through our Create grants – over the summer and beyond. And as part of Ignite our Cultural Impact Award, our young emerging producers are set to unveil their new culture manifesto in General Gordon Square later this summer. And it’s all free for residents and visitors to enjoy.
“London was just named top city globally for culture – and Royal Greenwich is showing the world exactly why!”