• Battersea Power Station will host ‘Behind The Bricks’, a nine-day festival where visitors can discover more about the London landmark’s rich history and transformation into a new riverside destination
• Guided Tours will give members of the public access to the building’s beautifully restored Art Deco, Control Room A, for the first time
• Family-friendly activities will transport visitors back to the 1930s and 1950s, the decades in which the two-halves of Battersea Power Station were completed
• The Grade II* listed building’s story will also be told in a series of engaging panel talks and a historic exhibition

19 SEPTEMBER 2023

Battersea Power Station will be hosting ‘Behind The Bricks’, a nine-day festival, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Power Station opening its doors to the public for first time (Photo Credits: Charlie Round-Turner, John Sturrock, twobytwo)

To celebrate one-year since opening its doors to the public for the first time in history, Battersea Power Station is hosting ‘Behind The Bricks’, a nine-day festival between 21st – 29th October 2023 where visitors can discover more about the London landmark’s rich heritage and transformation into a new riverside destination.

Visitors can expect an array of fun themed activities that take inspiration from the 1930s and 1950s, the decades in which the two-halves of Battersea Power Station were completed, including a colourful and Insta-worthy 1950s inspired hair and beauty salon that will pop-up in Turbine Hall B with cocktails available from Control Room B.

Official Battersea Power Station Guided Tours will launch during the festival, giving visitors the opportunity to learn about the Grade II* listed building’s iconic history. The tour will also include special access to the beautifully restored Art Deco, Control Room A, for the first time. This stunning architectural masterpiece was once where power was distributed to addresses across London including Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. Visitors can also follow a free heritage trail map and discover historic items from the Power Station inside the building and outside in the six- acre Power Station Park.

The Behind The Bricks Festival will also feature live music with classic hits from the 1930s and 1950s including a performance from the Battersea Power Station Community Choir who will be performing a Beatles Medley of songs from the film ‘Help!’, which the Power Station appeared in. Professional dancers will also be on hand to teach visitors how to ‘swing’ and ‘jive’ along.

Other activities taking place during the festival will include:

• Expert panel talks: Revealing untold stories about the London landmark, experts involved in the restoration of the Grade II* listed building will discuss topics including rebuilding the iconic chimneys, the story behind the 1.75 million bricks used to restore the building and how the Power Station’s VIBs (very important birds), the Peregrine Falcons, and the biodiversity of the site have been cared for throughout the redevelopment. Plus, former employees at the coal- fired Power Station will share their experiences about what it was like to work there.
• Historic exhibition: An exhibition on the history of the Power Station including the different attempts to redevelop the site and a full historical timeline highlighting the building’s key milestones since 1929, will be on display on Level 1 in Turbine Hall A.
• Children’s activities: Children can get hands-on with history at the festival’s arts and crafts sessions, which will include a vintage poster colouring workshop with Postmark, Faber Castell and Betty Etiquette, as well as a paper red telephone box making workshop. There will also be a self-guided Heritage Trail Map just for little ones, free facepainting at weekends and a free foam brick pit.
• Battersea Bookshop storytelling sessions: The Power Station’s neighbourhood bookstore will be hosting storytelling sessions of children’s classics including Mary Poppins and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator instore.
• Searcys Shillings: Searcys will be displaying a 10ft Champagne bottle in Turbine Hall A, to celebrate the one-year anniversary and the opening of their brand new champagne bar inside Turbine Hall A. The Searcys team will also be getting into the 1930s spirit by handing out special shillings that visitors can use to redeem treats at the new bar.

Simon Murphy, CEO at Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC), said:
“The one-year anniversary of the public opening of Battersea Power Station is a momentous occasion to celebrate. This anniversary also happens to represent forty years since the Grade II* listed building was decommissioned, reflecting the immense challenge it has been to save and restore this London landmark, which was made possible thanks to the determination, commitment and support of our shareholders. We look forward to paying homage to the Power Station’s rich history with a series of themed activities and events for all to enjoy during Behind the Bricks to mark this celebratory moment.”

Travelling to Battersea Power Station couldn’t be easier with the Zone 1 Battersea Power Station Underground station bringing the riverside neighbourhood within 15 minutes of the West End and the City. Battersea Power Station also has its very own Uber Boat by Thames Clippers pier and is a 15- minute journey from Embankment, 20 minutes from Blackfriars, 30 minutes from Putney and 40 minutes from Canary Wharf. The riverside neighbourhood is easily accessible by bus, bike, car and train too.

To discover more on the Behind The Bricks Festival at Battersea Power Station, please visit www.batterseapowerstation.co.uk/events/behind-the-bricks

For more information about Battersea Power Station, please visit www.batterseapowerstation.co.uk and follow @BatterseaPwrStn to keep up to date with the latest news and events.

-END OF PRESS RELEASE-

For media enquiries, please contact:
Battersea Power Station Development Company
T: +44 (0) 20 7062 1870
E: pressoffice@bpsdc.co.uk

About Battersea Power Station
Following an ambitious eight-year restoration, Battersea Power Station opened to the public for the first time in history on 14th October 2022. The iconic landmark and surrounding area has been transformed into London's most exciting new mixed-use neighbourhood – a place for the local community, Londoners and visitors from further afield to shop, eat, drink, live, work and play.

Forty years after the Power Station was decommissioned, the Grade II* listed building is now home to over 100 shops, bars, restaurants, 254 apartments, offices, leisure and entertainment venues including Lift 109, a unique glass elevator experience inside the building’s north west chimney, The Cinema in The Power Station and Bounce Ping Pong.
Visitors to Battersea Power Station will find a mix of premium, high street and small independent brands such as ME+EM, A.P.C, ZARA, Hackett, Jigsaw, Levi's, Aesop, Uniqlo, the Battersea Bookshop, and Curated Makers. The riverside neighbourhood also offers a variety of dining options at over 30 cafes, bars and restaurants including the newly opened 24,000 sq ft Arcade Food Hall, which hosts 13 world cuisines on its menu.

The restoration of Battersea Power Station is the centrepiece of an ambitious regeneration programme that spans across 42 acres on a 450m stretch of the River Thames. When completed, this highly anticipated and innovative project will have created more than 20,000 new jobs, over 4,000 new homes, a new NHS medical facility and 19 acres of public space.

Additionally, with its own Uber Boat by Thames Clippers river bus pier and the new Zone 1 Battersea Power Station Underground station on the Northern Line, this central London destination is now easily accessible for all to enjoy.

For more information, please visit www.batterseapowerstation.co.uk and follow @BatterseaPwrStn to keep up with the latest news and events.

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