Windrush Day, held each year on 22 June, is an opportunity to celebrate the Caribbean communities that came in England in 1948, aboard the Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks. With them, they brought a powerful cultural legacy of music, food, language, and art that continues to shape the UK today.
As a student living in London, you’re in the perfect place to explore and appreciate this legacy, both through organised events and everyday experiences. If this is your first time celebrating Windrush Day, follow these steps to make sure you make the most of this important cultural celebration:
🚶♀️ Take a Walk
A great place to begin is with a walk through history. The free Windrush in Westbourne Walking Tour invites you to explore the stories of Caribbean communities in West London, starting from Paddington. The guided route takes you through key neighbourhoods where early Windrush migrants lived and worked, bringing the past to life through storytelling and local history. It’s a thoughtful way to engage with Windrush heritage on the ground. You can book your free spot on Eventbrite, but spaces fill fast – so don’t wait too long.
🥘 Engage with the Culture
If food is your love language, the Windrush Culinary Cookout offers a delicious way to connect with Caribbean culture. This free event combines traditional cuisine with storytelling, allowing you to taste iconic dishes while hearing about the people behind them. Held in an open, welcoming space, it's a great chance to gather with others and experience Windrush culture through flavour. This event is free, so mark your July calendar and go through this link to reserve your place!
📚 Discuss in a Group
If you’re more inclined toward books and conversation, don’t miss Novelists on Windrush Day at Waterstones Piccadilly. This is the only ticketed event in the list, but well worth it for literature lovers: you can get your ticket here for £8. Contemporary authors with Caribbean heritage will gather to discuss writing, identity, migration and legacy. It’s an intimate setting where you can hear personal reflections and gain deeper insight into the Windrush narrative through fiction and memoir. And who doesn’t love a literary evening in Waterstones?
✨ Discover Hidden Gems
Beyond these events, there are everyday ways to connect with Windrush culture in London. Visiting Brixton Market or Ridley Road Market is more than just a grocery run: it’s a sensory journey into Caribbean heritage. You’ll find everything from fresh produce to community-run shops and street food. Supporting local, Black-owned businesses is a simple yet impactful way to honour Windrush culture. You can also explore the Caribbean soundscapes of Windrush legacies, directly from your phone! Check out artists like Dizzee Rascal, Stormzy and Lethal Bizzle, to see how the Caribbean rhythm has forever changed music production in the UK and the west.
These are just a few suggestions on how you can best appreciate Windrush culture in London. It’s also a great way to reconsider the spaces and cultural items that you encounter every day, and unfold the international histories that make up the place you have settled in. The story of the Windrush Generation is the story of Britain, and one that continues to shape London in beautiful, powerful ways.