From 8 October – 1 November 2025 Croydonites celebrated 10 years and delivered its 8th live festival featuring 29 performances in 7 Croydon venues featuring 45 artists/practitioners to an audience of 3,677. The programme included magic, performance, comedy, immersive theatre, free outdoor work, a film and work in progress from local artists.
The festival would not have been possible without a grant from Croydon Council. This confirmed support unlocked funding from Arts Council England National Lottery Grants, and the combination of the two with support from Croydon BID, enabled the festival to go ahead.
On the occasion of our 10th birthday, we had our first national press!
https://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/croydonites-festival-proves-the-need-for-bold-theatre-not-cheap-punchlines-natasha-tripney
https://www.broadsheet.com/london/articles/croydonites-festival-2025
“While the festival is programmed with locals in mind, it’s also part of the wider London ecology. This is a festival that is not just trying to push Croydon as a cultural destination but also, maybe, to change some minds along the way.”
The profile and quality of the artists including one of The Stage’s top 5 shows from Edinburgh Fringe Festival (In Bed with My Brother / Philosophy of the World), gave us visibility to a much wider audience outside of Croydon
What audiences said:
“Croydonites has brilliant class acts in the BEST venues”
“Croydon is lucky this is happening, we need more on our streets that is positive.”
“It's absolutely great. It reminds us that there is talent in Croydon. Vital support for local people, it’s a whole mix of people in the audience and on stage (ethnicity, age, type of work)”
“It is so important to have this absolute gem of a festival on our local doorstep bringing the best of theatre and performance to an area not always considered culturally relevant.”
“It's a great way of putting out a more positive image of Croydon and celebrating the fantastic performance makers who live here.”
“I felt the sense of community on the night which the festival has clearly created, this is important especially in London where it can be lacking. It gives a sense of identity for Croydon and encourages more creativity and support amongst the people involved.”
“Well done Croydonites - Croydon is richer for you.”
What artists said:
“I had a wonderful experience performing as part of the festival as per. All tech team very engaged and helpful. Marketing support solid and prompt invoice payment always appreciated.”
“It was amazing!! I felt extremely supported in many ways. The whole Team has provided me with a safe space that allowed me to get out of my comfort zone to develop and test new ideas. I am so grateful for the whole experience.”
“Wonderful support to develop an earlier work from Croydonbites. It is a new creative practice for me and I would never have been able to do it without the Croydonites festival support.”
“In the current climate politically, small scale art is in many ways not a priority, you and your colleagues efforts in making your festival happen is a rare and precious thing in a hostile landscape.”
CroydonWrites
We ran our critical writing programme CroydonWrites for the 7th time, and a cohort of aspiring young critics covered most of the shows, mentored by professional journalists Francesca Peschier (The Stage, Exeunt) and Sanjoy Roy (The Guardian, Springback Magazine). You can read their reviews in the blog section.
Thank you Croydon! If you keep showing up, we’ll keep bringing the kick-arse theatre. Until next year…
Main Photo Credit: The Other Richard, Gallery: Lukasz Izdebski