Leadenhall Live brings culture, tech and creativity to the heart of the City
Leadenhall Live is transforming The Leadenhall Building, better known as The Cheesegrater, into a surprising summer destination, bringing together culture, technology and creativity in London’s financial district. As free performances, installations and talks unfold under the building’s soaring glass galleria, the festival feels less like an interruption and more like a natural expansion of the city’s evolving landscape, blending the rhythm of work with moments of inspiration.
This month-long series includes live art, wellness workshops, music and discussion panels featuring the likes of Jamie Laing speaking on mental health and Athena Kugblenu challenging our relationship with content creation online. With talks from AI specialist Daniel Hulme and journalist Vicky Spratt also on the agenda, Leadenhall Live reflects a curious intersection of tech, creativity and conversation that resonates with Londoners, whether they’re commuting through or working just steps away.
Musicians including Michael Sebastian and jazz vocalist Isobel Gathercole bring a vibrant tone to the event’s evenings, while Antidote LDN’s wellness sessions and practical workshops offer a pause from the corporate pace. Local food stalls add community flavour to the atmosphere, inviting audiences to explore, linger and connect with the Square Mile in a way that feels both historic and forward-thinking.
Organised by Savills in collaboration with Ch!lled Agency and supported by Eastern City BID, the festival is part of a broader strategy to encourage people to spend time in the area between meetings, to experience the City not just as a workplace, but as somewhere worth returning to. According to the City of London Corporation, such initiatives aim to support local businesses and enhance the urban experience.
As Adam Goldin of C C Land explains, the intention is to make the day-to-day experience of people in the area memorable beyond just work, so time spent in the City supports local shops and eateries while making it more of a cultural destination. It’s a vision aligned with London’s broader ambition to extend its cultural footprint beyond traditional zones.
Leadenhall Live may occupy a relatively small footprint in terms of geography, but its presence demonstrates how public space and programming can reimagine the City. By inviting a mix of voices, technologies and performances into one of London’s most recognisable landmarks, the festival offers a blueprint for how the Square Mile can continue to transform – even on a lunch break.
For more updates on what’s happening in the Square Mile, visit EyeOnLondon City. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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