The 2026 Urban Tree Festival

Saturday 9th May

Join us for our launch event today from 5.30pm at Art Hub Studios - meet the Urban Tree Festival team!

9.00am - 10.00am - Meditation with Trees- Join Mel Sutton for a guided tree meditation session exploring mindfulness with trees. The session lasts around 20 minutes, followed by time to connect with others. No experience is needed and it will be recorded and shared online after the festival.

10.30am - 4.00pm Daily During the Festival - Urban Forest Exhibition - The Urban Forest Exhibition at Art Hub Studios runs daily with a late openings on Saturday 9th, showcasing tree-inspired artworks exploring London’s urban forest, with a pop-up cafe for drinks and cake run by the student intern team from Goldsmiths University.

10.00am - 12.00pm - Street Trees for Living Citizen Science Workshop - Join us for our first event of the festival, a friendly introductory session to learn about Lewisham’s tree health programme and how to get involved in citizen science, helping care for local street trees.

10.00am - 11.30am - Clemson’s Park Tree Safari, Derby - A gentle, creative session for young children and their grown-ups to explore leaves and make nature crowns together.

10.30 - 12.00noon - Guided Walk: 'Woody': the Story of London's Most Famous Tree- Join us in the City of London as we explore the story of London's most famous tree and its fascinating historic relationship with its urban surroundings.

11.00am - 1.00pm - Connect & Create Forest Bathing session, Hampstead Heath- A two-hour forest bathing session using mindful movement, meditation and creative activities to deepen connection with trees and nature.

11.00am - 3.00pm - Greenwich Park: Orchard Open Day - Join the Royal Parks team to explore the Queen's Orchard - home to a wonderful range of fruit trees and rich with history. Speak to experts and take part in a range of activities. Suitable for people of all ages.

12.00noon (TBC) - Delayed Life: Growth and Decay in Urban Plants - Through a series of oil paintings, this work explores indoor plants under uneven conditions, revealing how growth and decline coexist and reflecting the subtle ecological tensions within urban environments.

2.00pm - 3.00pm - The Poetry of Trees: a creative workshop - A creative writing workshop with author Olivia Sprinkel, blending poetry and ecotherapy to explore deep connections with trees and the more-than-human world, at Art Hub Studios.

UTF Launch event! 5.30pm - 8.00pm - Urban Forest Opening Night - Art Hub Studios - The first ever Urban Forest exhibition at Art Hub Studios launches with a lively private view, featuring art, a bar and immersive happenings celebrating trees, creativity and community - All welcome!

6.00pm - 7.00pm - Learn how to set up a community orchard, Leeds - A practical workshop at Bedford Fields on setting up a community orchard, sharing real-life insights, tips and lessons from experience.

Sunday 10th May

10.00am - 2.00pm - Nature & Art in the Neighbourhood - Pioneer renaturing, artist's studio and ancient woodland all rolled into one biodiverse walk in Walthamstow exploring re-naturing, community green spaces, artist Sharon Drew’s work and the veteran trees of Epping Forest.

10.30am - 4.00pm - The Urban Forest Exhibition and Pop-up Café - open daily at Art Hub Studios, New Cross, serving drinks and cake in a relaxed space.

10.30am - 1.00pm - Radicle Tree Walk: Ravenscourt Park - A Radicle Plant Walk in Ravenscourt Park exploring trees through botany, foraging, storytelling and shared reflection with herbal tea.

11.00am - 1.00pm - New Cross Tree Walk with Greg Packman - Join Greg Packman for a creative and wide-ranging tree walk through New Cross, exploring urban trees, ecology and folklore across local parks and pathways.

SPONSORED by City of London - 2.00pm - 4.00pm - Connect + Create: Women's Nature Wellbeing Session - Part of our City of London sponsored events, for residents, this gentle session with Ciaran Ivanovic combines Forest Bathing, Qigong and simple creative activities to help you slow down and reconnect with nature.

11.00am – 4.00pm - Hackney Community Tree  Nursery Open Day‍ ‍Join Tree Musketeers for a laid-back day of nature, learning and community at our beautiful Hackney nursery. Whether you’re just passing through or planning to stay all day, there’s something for everyone… more info and line-up coming soon!

11.00am - 12.30pm - Lesnes Abbey Woods - Time Travelling though Nature nature - A circular guided walk through Lesnes Abbey Woods exploring its ancient woodland, from prehistoric origins to Roman, medieval and Victorian history.

2.00noon - 3.00pm - Community Fungi Cultivation / London Mycology Project -Join us at Art Hub Studios for a practical, low-tech mushroom cultivation workshop exploring sustainable growing methods, with hands-on activities and a take-home reusable grow kit. Also on Sunday 17th May.

12.00noon - 1.00pm - Sunshade & Shadow Street Survey, Webinar -Creating comfort zones through mapped tree planting, this project links UK and Nigeria via live dialogue to promote shade, sustainable streets and diaspora-supported planting initiatives. Also on Sunday 17th May.

5.00pm- 7.00pm - Film Screening: Happy Man Tree- The Happy Man Tree, they do everything they can to try to save it. Following the film there will be a Q&A with members of the Notice This Tree campaign.

6.00pm - 8.00pm - Witches & Beeches of Epping Forest: A Walk with Dark Tales & Sinister Facts - A storytelling walk in Epping Forest with Kamila Wielebska, uncovering its ancient trees, eerie folklore and dark histories.

7.00pm - 8.00pm - Bench (a short film by People Show) - A couple meet on a park bench to reveal a life-changing secret in BENCH, an award-winning short film, followed by a Q&A with the directors and producer.

8.45pm - 9.45pm - Big Vauxhall Tree Week: Bat Walk- Discover bats after dark with Dr Iain Boulton on a guided evening walk through Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, using bat detectors to spot urban wildlife.

Monday 11th May

10.30am - 4.00pm - The Urban Forest Exhibition and Pop-up Café - open daily at Art Hub Studios, New Cross, serving drinks and cake in a relaxed space.

12.15pm - 1.45pm - Tree Song Project | Community Singing Workshop- A lunchtime singing workshop with Phoebe Coco and Sarah Williams-Robbins, using tree-inspired songs to connect voice, nature and community in the Culture Mile.

1.00pm - 2.00pm - Sitting with Trees: A Green Love Letter to Black Elder Women, Webinar - This virtual dialogue explores aging, memory and nature through poetry and lived experience - join us at Art Hub Studios for tea and cake and a screening of this webinar - all welcome!

SPONSORED by City of London - 2.00pm - 4.00pm - Trees That Shape Cities - A talk for residents of the City of London, with architect, gardener and writer Judith Lösing explores the vital role trees play in shaping London’s built environment.‍ ‍

3.30pm - 4.30pm (TBC) - A walk in Memory of Ms Marline: The Grapefruit Tree at 67 Queenstown Road- A walk in Battersea celebrating the grapefruit tree of Ms Marlene, and Black immigrant plant stories, with Nhadya Simone Lawes interdisciplinary scholar and artist.

7.00pm - 7.45 - Larch, Spruce, Fir, Birch, Hand, Blast Hole Pond Road, Newfoundland - On-line Talk -A café talk with artist Marlene Creates, sharing her long-term photographic work with trees in a Newfoundland boreal forest and her deep, evolving relationship with place.

Tuesday 12th May

10.30am - 4.00pm - The Urban Forest Exhibition and Pop-up Café - open daily at Art Hub Studios, New Cross, serving drinks and cake in a relaxed space.

12.30pm - 1.30pm Trees at ExCel - a local tree walk led by Tony Kirkham & Kenton Rogers -A tree walk led by TDAG at Futurebuild exploring local planting, species selection and tree condition around ExCeL.

SPONSORED by City of London - 10.20am - 12.20pm - City Tree Walk & Barbican Wildlife Garden - Join Age UK City of London for a relaxed and sociable guided walk with City of London Guide - Sarah Williams Robbins, exploring the planting and green spaces around the Golden Lane and Barbican area.

1.00pm - 2.30pm - Tree Musketeers Community Tree Nursery: a Guided Tour -Spend time in our beautiful tree nursery. Come see how we grow our native and unusual trees from seed, and have a tour of our Orchard, seedling polytunnel, apiary, forest garden, herb garden, wildlife pond and much more.

5.00pm - 6.00pm - Tremendous trees at Boston Manor Park: Guided Walk - A guided walk to discover the beautiful veterans and other tremendous trees of Boston Manor Park.

6.30pm - 8.30pm - Discover Trees in Epping Forest (Chingford) - A circular walk in Epping Forest with EFHT Trustee Abi, exploring tree species, ecology and their role in human history.

Wednesday 13th May

10.30am - 4.00pm - The Urban Forest Exhibition and Pop-up Café - open daily at Art Hub Studios, New Cross, serving drinks and cake in a relaxed space.

SPONSORED by City of London - 11.00am - 1.00pm - Inclusive Tree Tour with Adapted Bikes & Scooters- A supported outdoor session with Wheels for Wellbeing exploring local green spaces using adapted bikes and scooters. Led by Phil Paulo from CPRE London, this inclusive tour introduces urban trees while promoting confidence, well being and social connection for people with limited mobility.

11.00am - 12.30pm - Lesnes Abbey Woods - Time Travelling though Nature nature - A circular guided walk through Lesnes Abbey Woods exploring its ancient woodland, from prehistoric origins to Roman, medieval and Victorian history.

11.30am - 1.00pm - Gunnersbury Park Mulberry & Friends - Discover Gunnersbury Park’s hidden wonders with Peter Coles, from historic mulberries to ancient yews and a towering Cedar of Lebanon.

12.15pm - 1.45pm - Tree Song Project | A Walking Tour - A guided walk through the City’s green spaces with Phoebe Coco and Sarah Williams-Robbins, blending tree stories, music and performance across the Culture Mile.

SPONSORED by Vauxhall One - 7.00pm - 8.30pm – Panel Discussion: Community Stewardship of Trees - A live panel discussion with four experts exploring community stewardship of trees in urban spaces and streets. Promises to be one not to miss!

Thursday 14th May

10.00am 2.00pm - Forest Club Open Session - A hands-on woodland session at Lesnes Abbey Woods exploring traditional crafts, tools and biodiversity through the Forest Club’s community-led activities.

SPONSORED by City of London - 11.00am - 12.15pm - Hidden Garden Tree Haiku Walkshop
City of London - Hidden Garden Haiku Walkshop is a 90-minute guided walk with Andrew Stuck exploring hidden green spaces near St Paul’s, combining gentle walking, mindful observation and haiku writing inspired by the City’s quiet gardens and urban landscapes.

1.00PM - 2.00PM - Big Vauxhall Tree Week: Vauxhall Park Tree Walk - Explore Vauxhall Park’s urban forest on a guided lunchtime walk with arboriculturist Callum Henderson, uncovering the stories behind the park’s key trees and London’s changing planting history.

10.30am - 4.00pm - The Urban Forest Exhibition and Pop-up Café - open daily at Art Hub Studios, New Cross, serving drinks and cake in a relaxed space.

7.00PM - 8.00PM - Urban Forestry and the Arts - Connecting people with trees- Mark Johnston has spent a lifetime connecting people with trees. Through his work he has been able to pioneer new ideas and approach to urban forestry and urban greening.

Friday 15th May

10.00am - 4.00pm - Fruit Tree Nursery Volunteer Day, Leeds - A hands-on day at a Leeds fruit tree nursery, helping propagate and care for trees with practical tasks and a shared ve

10.30am - 4.00pm - The Urban Forest Exhibition and Pop-up Café - open daily at Art Hub Studios, New Cross, serving drinks and cake in a relaxed space.

SPONSORED by City of London - 11.00am - 1.00pm - London Tree Ring: Inclusive Street Tree Photography Workshop‍ ‍- A free, creative workshop exploring London’s street trees through photography, part of the City of London programme with insight from Phil Paulo (CPRE London), supporting wellbeing, connection and urban nature.

12.00noon - 1.30pm - Tree Hunting: North London with Paul Wood - Join author of Tree Hunting Paul Wood on a walking tour discovering some of Islington’s remarkable trees.

2.00pm - 3.30pm - Printing with Trees: Cyanotype Workshop - Make bold blue sunprints using leaves and branches while exploring tree shapes and identification at Art Hub Studios, led by local artist Sarah Garrod. (18+)

6.00pm - 8.00pm - Witches & Beeches of Epping Forest: A Walk with Dark Tales & Sinister Facts - A storytelling walk in Epping Forest with Kamila Wielebska, uncovering its ancient trees, eerie folklore and dark histories.gan lunch.

Saturday 16th May

10.00am - 12.00noon - Ladywell Fields Tree Walk- A gentle guided walk through Ladywell Fields introducing notable trees, including native black poplars and the Lewisham elm lead by Caroline Cupitt, a local tree enthusiast.

10.00am - 1.00pm - Painting Trees in Old Town Gardens, Swindon - Join artist Mary Parsons for a relaxed outdoor session exploring trees through drawing or painting, with guidance on colour, texture and form.

10.30am - 12.00noon - The History of One Tree Hill, Told Through its Trees - A guided walk through One Tree Hill exploring its rich history, diverse trees and panoramic views across London led by John Gray author and chair of the Friends of One Tree Hill.

10.30 - 12.00noon - Trees in Myth and Story-A guided walk with Dr Chris Collier in Blythe Hill Fields, exploring tree myths and folklore through storytelling, reflection and shared connections.

10.30am - 4.00pm - The Urban Forest Exhibition and Pop-up Café - open daily at Art Hub Studios, New Cross, serving drinks and cake in a relaxed space.

11.00am - 5.00pm - The grand finale of Big Vauxhall Tree Week - Celebrate the grand finale of Big Vauxhall Tree Week at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens with a joyful weekend of animals, performances, plants and family-friendly activities.

11.00am – 12.30pm - BSL interpreted Tree Tour, Victoria Park, London- Guided walk with Trees for Cities and the Sensory Trust exploring trees and climate action, BSL-supported walk for D/deaf and hard of hearing participants.

11.00am - 11.45am - Urban Tree Festival: Tree Myth & Folklore Tour Birmingham - A guided walk at Birmingham Botanical Gardens exploring global tree myths and folklore, alongside insights from research and heritage tree projects.

11.00am - 1.00pm - Trees, Folklore & Song: A Guided Walk Through Penzance - Join singer Kelsey Michael and arborist Nick Bentley for a guided walk through Penzance’s trees, blending folklore, local insight and uplifting seasonal song.

12.00noon - 2.00pm - Tree Hunting: South London with Paul Wood - Join author of Tree Hunting Paul Wood on a walking tour discovering the treasures of New Cross and Deptford, starting at our exhibition at Art Hub Studios.

1.30pm - 4.00pm - Stirchley Forest Garden Walk - Join Rob from Fruit & Nut Village for a relaxed walk along the River Rea, exploring forest gardens, heritage fruits and community growing in Birmingham.

2.00pm - 3.00pm - Touch Tour of Trees, Victoria Park- A guided sensory walk for blind and partially sighted participants to connect with trees and explore practical climate action with Trees for Cities and the Sensory Trust.

2.00pm - 4.00pm Deadwood: Elergy - Join Soobie Whitfield for a creative session exploring the life of a dead silver birch, inviting participants to reflect and create an elegy through words and images.

2.00pm - 3.00pm - Urban Tree Festival: Tremendous Trees Tour - An hour-long guided walk led by BIFoR and Birmingham Botanical Gardens exploring urban tree value, collections and scientific ressearch.

2.00pm - 3.30pm - The Wishing Tree - A magical forest storytelling show for children and families set in Lesnes Abbey Woods, hosted by Bernadette Russell.

2.00pm - 3.30pm - Lesnes Abbey Woods - Time Travelling Though Nature - A circular guided walk through Lesnes Abbey Woods exploring its ancient woodland, from prehistoric origins to Roman, medieval and Victorian history.

6.00pm - 8.00pm - Witches & Beeches of Epping Forest: A Walk with Dark Tales & Sinister Facts - A storytelling walk in Epping Forest with Kamila Wielebska, uncovering its ancient trees, eerie folklore and dark histories.

Sunday 17

9.00am - 10.00am - Meditation with Trees - Join Mel Sutton for a guided tree meditation session exploring mindfulness with trees. The session lasts around 20 minutes, followed by time to connect with others. No experience is needed and it will be recorded and shared online after the festival.

10.00am - 12.00noon -Nature Connection Haiku Poetry Workshop, Birmingham - A guided walk and haiku workshop with Laura Hackett, exploring nature through poetry, observation and shared reflection in a forest garden setting.

110.30am - 4.00pm - The Urban Forest Exhibition and Pop-up Café - open daily at Art Hub Studios, New Cross, serving drinks and cake in a relaxed space.

10.30am - 12.30pm - Trees of the Toon: A Tour of Exhibition Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne- An urban tree walk in Newcastle’s Exhibition Park exploring identification, ecology, folklore and uses of trees, with a shared herbal tea.

10.30am - 1.30pm - Community Fungi Cultivation with London Mycology Project- Join us at Art Hub Studios for a practical, low-tech mushroom cultivation workshop exploring sustainable growing methods, with hands-on activities and a take-home reusable grow kit. Also on Sunday 10th.

11.00am - 1.30pm - Golders Hill Park's Veteran Trees & Orchard - A leisurely guided walk in Golders Hill Park with Peter Coles, exploring its veteran trees, including historic oaks, mulberries and remnants of a Victorian orchard. (Wednesday 13th May Greenwich Park)

12.00noon - 1.00pm - Sunshade & Shadow Street Survey, Webinar - Creating comfort zones through mapped tree planting, this project links UK and Nigeria via live dialogue to promote shade, sustainable streets and diaspora-supported planting initiatives. Also on Sunday 101th May.

12.30pm - 3.30pm - Discover Trees in Epping Forest (Highams Park) - A circular walk around Highams Park Lake with Trustee Abi, exploring tree species, ecology and their role in human history.

2.00pm - 4.00pm - The Urban Forest exhibition closes - We open for collection of bought and submitted artwork from 2.00pm - 4.00pm.

2.00pm - 4.30pm - Family Heath Walk- Join us for a walk on the much-loved Hampstead Heath to spend time together and connect with the spiritual through identifying the more ancient trees, as well as taking time to appreciate the more urban trees nearer to home.

3.00 PM - 4.30 PM - D i s a p p e a r i n g Plants- A workshop at Cultivate Colindale inviting participants to rethink how we see and photograph trees, exploring local species before creating experimental, camera-free images using plant materials while reflecting on urban nature and biodiversity.