Spirit of Tel Aviv coming to London in September

The spirit of Tel Aviv is coming to north London for four days in September for a culture festival aiming to bring Israel’s cosmopolitan heart to the centre of Camden.

Over the second weekend of the month, from 8-11 September, Camden’s iconic Roundhouse will showcase the best of Tel Aviv’s thriving arts and music scene, as well as a food and drinks festival and a beach party at The Coronet.

The event, branded as ‘TLV in LDN,’ will deliver on sights and sound, featuring a live concert with prominent female artists from a variety of backgrounds, plus a performance by Infected Mushroom – “the godfathers of psychedelic trance” – and a digital art exhibition curated by internationally-renowned artist Ori Gersht.

The four-day family-friendly event also promises workshops for youngsters on chocolate-making and Israeli cookery, with 7-13 year olds helped to make Lekach, the traditional honey cake served at Rosh Hashanah.

Elsewhere younger visitors can learn rhythm and movement, drumming, and theatre, while others can hear from the Palestinian-Israeli actress and singer-songwriter Mira Awad, who will deliver a talk on her personal story, dealing with her complex identity.

Palestinian by heritage but Israeli by citizenship, Awad was born in Galilee in 1975 and has spent recent years working to build dialogue and co-existence in the region, seeking to balance two cultures.

On Monday 11 September, the last day of the event, three top Israeli pianists, performing classics from Bach, Mozart and Tchaikovsky, together with favourite jazz standards and contemporary Israeli music, will be joined for the night by award-winning British soprano Gemma Summerfield.

Throughout the weekend, Street food stalls, curated by Israeli chef Shaul Ben Aderet, will offer festival-goers a taste of Tel Aviv gastronomy.

“Israeli cuisine has evolved from so many different cultural influences,” he said. “The chefs we are working with come from all different backgrounds and truly represent the melting pot that is Tel Aviv. I can’t wait.”

TLV in LDN director Marc Worth said the mission was “to enlighten Londoners to a part of the world they may not know too much about, or to a part of the world that they may have preconceived notions of.”

Visit tlvinldn.org to find out more.