Adding a pop of colour to the London summer, Roof East will open its doors for another raucous runaround in the sun on April 20, 2023.

Feeding London’s enduring love affair with rooftop pop-ups, Roof East has woven the magic of turning an east London multi-storey car park into a free-spirited playground.

And this summer’s season is poised to be the best one yet, with a brand new look and a new wave of food vendors and fun activities to entertain you during those long summer nights!

We should probably also mention that entry to this giant rainbow of a playground is FREE, with experiences priced individually. There will, however, be a new string to Roof East’s rather colourful bow in the form of free games (giant Jenga, anyone?), but more on that to come…

Sitting alongside Peckham Levels and Skylight in the “multi-storey car parks turned event space” category, Roof East is a firm favourite amongst the Secret London team, and for good reason.

That love affair is only likely to grow during the 2023 season. Last year, Roof East expanded to a whopping 30,000 square feet of sun-soaked shenanigans, with a fresh and vibrant lick of paint to make those colours pop out even more. And there’s plenty more planned for us this 2023 season at Roof East…

What can we expect to see at Roof East 2023?

There’s plenty on the roster at London’s largest outdoor playground; old favourites Sluggers are back with their batting cages, whilst the ever-popular Birdies crazy golf and East London Bowls Club are returning to the roster of games.

Beat The Bar—the endurance test that challenges you to staying hanging to the Roof East bar for as long as you can—is also back, and last year’s exciting new game arrival is also making its return for 2023. Arrows invites you to grab a bow and arrow and aim for the bullseye, with the promise that the loser buys the next round…

Excitingly, there’s a brand new arrival at Roof East this year which makes a trip to the exuberant playground all the more enticing. A free games area is opening on the roof, which will allow you to pit yourselves against your mates to find the champion of GIANT JENGA (lord help the one who pulls out the wrong piece here).

Connect Four, Kub, Cornhole, and Table Tennis are also on offer in this brand new area, which allows you to head out to this sun-kissed scape without breaking the bank, given the fact entry is also completely free.

Roof East 2023 also marks the return of the ever-popular Rooftop Film Club, which is the perfect way to add a handful of stars to movie night as you soak in the east London skyline alongside your chosen flick — we hear Freaks and Geeks is already on the agenda for May 2023! (Tickets for Rooftop Film Club drop on March 28, and a full schedule of movies will follow here)

You can expect a full programme of events to complement the games, with plenty a pub quiz, Jenga championships, quiz nights, dance classes by the Curve Catwalk, and the promise of a special event for Eurovision all in the pipeline.

What food is there at Roof East?

Roof East will also welcome its wave of new street food vendors to the roof this summer, with Cheeky Burger slinging the meat and plant-based patties, Piddaji sizzling up Turkish flatbreads to keep the hunger at bay, and Papi Chulo serving up ‘pura cualidad’ (pure quality) Mexican food.

As it’s summer we’re talking about, you’ll obviously be wanting to try Roof East’s take on an Aperol Spritz (the Britz Spritz), which is made with Beefeater gin, elderflower, apple, fresh citrus, cucumber, and prosecco.

Rum is also a popular choice, with their Yellow Bird cocktail guaranteed to compliment that dose of sunshine. Get a round of your tipple of choice in (there’s also wine, beer, bubbles and more cocktails), toast those glorious sunsets, and life will be just peachy!

Snag a seat in the venue’s colourful cabanas, scoff on a hearty mouthful of street food, and mentally prepare yourself to do battle across the archery lanes and batting cages – honestly, what could be better on a summer’s night?

Roof East also partnered with suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) this year, and guests will be able to make optional donations to their work when purchasing drinks (50p from each cocktail, 25p from each mocktail). CALM offer life-saving support through their campaigns every year, and fight to change the fact that 125 people in the UK every week. Donating to this vital cause at Roof East is just one more reason to pay a visit this summer.

Tickets for Roof East’s 2023 summer season go on sale via their website today (March 14). Roof East kicks off in style from April 20, and will be with us throughout the warm weather. 

Also published on Medium.