Join our exciting Summer Fun Festival from 28 June to 30 August as we celebrate stories, creativity, and different cultures from Africa, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.
We promise a summer filled with loads of fun and free activities, amazing performances, thrilling storytelling and a magical reading challenge for children.
Launch Event
We're kicking off the festival with an exciting launch event on Thursday, 26 June.
Enjoy a day of stories, crafts and tech-powered fun for children of all ages, including:
- live storytelling with Sally Pomme Clayton, who will bring to life Firebird fairy tales from the Middle East, followed by a craft session where children can create their own magical beasts inspired by the stories
- interactive poetry and performance with Paul Lyalls and LeX, the world’s first robot teacher
- creative tech activities with LeX, exploring story-making, coding, and AI
- robotics and coding workshops using LEGO, designed to build STEM skills through hands-on experimentation
- storytime sessions for younger children, featuring classic characters like the big bad wolf, a curious giant, and a mischievous Goldilocks
- craft and art workshops where kids can make dragon masks, phoenixes, Loch Ness monsters, and explore global art traditions including Navajo, Chinese calligraphy, Caribbean birds, Mandalas, Ndebele, and Aboriginal art.
There’s something magical for everyone, don’t miss it!
Reading challenge
Children aged 3 - 12 years old can join the summer reading challenge from 28 June.
How it works
- Children sign up at their local library to start their challenge.
- Borrow books and read six books over the summer.
- Everyone who completes the challenge will receive a certificate and get a special packet of seeds to plant at home, celebrating nature, wildlife, and all things green.
Not a library member?
It’s free to join! Children aged 0 to 12 can sign up for a library card at any Brent Library.
Festival finale
Join us on Saturday, 30 August as we wrap up the season with our end-of-festival celebration! We’ll be handing out prizes for book review winners, celebrating everyone who took part in the challenge, and enjoying a day of fun, entertainment, and family activities.
Activities and opportunities for young people
Library Takeover
From 29 July to 30 August, young people aged 12–15 can take part in the Library Takeover at Wembley Library, working with rap artist BREIS to create and run a live poetry and spoken word event.
Participants will:
- help plan and promote the Summer Fun Festival
- organise workshops and create library displays
- support the finale event on 30 August, showcasing local poets and artists
This is a fantastic opportunity to develop skills in event planning, teamwork, and creative expression, all while having fun this summer!
Find out more about this opportunity.
Youth volunteering
Help bring the Summer Fun Festival to life!
We’ve got a range of exciting volunteering opportunities across Brent Libraries this summer for young people aged 12 to 24.
We are looking for young people to support with customer service, promote library events, and assist with activities. It’s a great way to gain valuable experience in project management, event coordination, working with children, and customer service.
To apply, please email libraries@brent.gov.uk.