THE Bank Holiday weekend sees Victoria Park transformed into modern-day pleasure garden, packed with circus performers, music and theatre. Scores of musicians and performers are flocking to East London for the Paradise Gardens free two-day festival on Saturday and Sunday

By Victoria Huntley

THE Bank Holiday weekend sees Victoria Park transformed into modern-day pleasure garden, packed with circus performers, music and theatre.

Scores of musicians and performers are flocking to East London for the Paradise Gardens free two-day festival.

Bands including Alabama 3 and Ska Cubano play on an open-air stage, plus other acts including Avant Garde Dance, soul legend Omar and Mimbre acrobatics.

The Women’s Institute serves tea and cakes in the Tea Dance Tent while the London Swing Dance Society teach the Charleston, lindy hop and jitterbug.

Sensazione, an interactive, theatrical street art installation powered by the audience, bombards people with tales of wonder and extraordinary requests.

Once past the gateway, people are free to roam the fairground.

But the attractions won’t start moving and the lamps won’t start burning until participants use their muscles.

The award-winning No Fit State Circus combine cutting-edge circus, performance, live music and video in its Tabu show.

The audience enter a giant silver spaceship big top and become immersed in a promenade circus event taking place above, around and among.

Rhythms of the City, a stomping samba street percussion band, come straight from the streets of Brazil to perform in Vicky Park, fronted by band leader and Latin music legend Barak Schmoo.

Paradise Gardens also features a Victoria Village’ fete, food and craft market and of course Carter’s Steam Fair over the two days, from 1pm to 10.30pm Saturday (May 24) and 1pm-10pm on Sunday. Entry is free except for Sensazione and No Fit State Circus.