Jubilee Gardens Archives - Jubilee Gardens Trust

14 July 202613 July 2026

Jubilee Gardens awarded the coveted Green Flag Award as it is officially recognised as one of the country’s best parks for 2026

GREEN FLAG AWARD 2026

Jubilee Gardens on London’s South Bank raises prestigious Green Flag Award after achieving international quality mark for parks and green spaces.

Jubilee Gardens Trust is celebrating today after receiving a Green Flag Award for the sixth year for Jubilee Gardens.

It comes as the internationally recognised standard for parks and green spaces celebrates its 30^th year.

Jubilee Gardens at the heart of London’s bustling South Bank is one of a record breaking 2,391 in the UK to achieve the award this year – a fantastic testament to the hard work, passion and dedication of the team who care for this green space, ensuring it is maintained to a high standard for visitors and residents to enjoy.

Paul Todd MBE, Green Flag Award Manager at Keep Britain Tidy, said: “Parks are essential public spaces that support our wellbeing, our communities and our economy. Yet for millions of people, particularly in the most deprived areas, local parks simply don’t feel safe or welcoming.

“With public services under pressure, investing in parks is not a luxury, it’s a practical, preventative solution and one of the most visible ways to improve people’s quality of life.

“Jubilee Gardens Trust have shown what can be achieved when parks are properly supported and managed. As we celebrate 30 years of the Green Flag Award, we want every community to have access to green spaces like this that are safe, welcoming and maintained to a high standard.

“Congratulations to everyone involved.”

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under contract from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

Find out more about the Green Flag Award scheme including criteria and a list of other winners.

14 July 202613 July 2026

GREEN FLAG AWARD 2026

Jubilee Gardens on London’s South Bank raises prestigious Green Flag Award after achieving international quality mark for parks and green spaces.

Jubilee Gardens Trust is celebrating today after receiving a Green Flag Award for the sixth year for Jubilee Gardens.

It comes as the internationally recognised standard for parks and green spaces celebrates its 30^th year.

“With public services under pressure, investing in parks is not a luxury, it’s a practical, preventative solution and one of the most visible ways to improve people’s quality of life.

“Congratulations to everyone involved.”

Find out more about the Green Flag Award scheme including criteria and a list of other winners.

1 May 20261 June 2026

75 Years On: Jubilee Gardens and the Festival of Britain

On 1 May 1951 the Festival of Britain opened to the public – a bold, hopeful moment for a country rebuilding after the Second World War. Today, as we mark its 75th anniversary, it’s worth remembering that Jubilee Gardens stood right at the heart of the Festival of Britain story.

Credit: All images – Southbank Centre Archives

Jubilee Gardens site – at the heart of the 1951 Festival of Britain

This much-loved green space was once home to the Festival’s most iconic structure: the vast Dome of Discovery, and was overshadowed by the striking Skylon, which seemed to float above the South Bank skyline. Together they symbolised innovation and a belief in a brighter future. Millions of people came here to experience new ideas in science, design and culture – encountering a transformed London after the bombing and deprivations of WWII.

But there’s a challenge at the heart of this story. Unlike the nearby Royal Festival Hall, which still stands today, the Dome and Skylon were dismantled soon after the Festival closed. Almost nothing physical remains. What was once a centrepiece of national optimism has largely disappeared from view.

Progress paves over the past – reinvention is constant

That’s what makes Jubilee Gardens so special. The current lawns and trees hide a layered history that reflect London’s ever-changing, richly woven story of constant reinvention. This site has evolved from marshland and working wharves to the post-war Festival of Britain, a short-lived air terminal, decades as a GLC car park, and later open parkland that became a space for public gathering and protest, before becoming the much-loved Gardens we enjoy today. Yet without visible reminders, it’s easy for this fascinating past to be forgotten.

This anniversary is a chance to look again. As you sit, play or pass through the Gardens, you are standing on the very ground where one of Britain’s most ambitious cultural moments unfolded. It’s a story of reinvention, imagination and resilience – and it’s still part of the landscape, even if you have to look a little closer to see it. A place where each new season brings fresh growth, and where the spirit of regeneration that shaped the South Bank continues to unfold.

Over the coming months, Jubilee Gardens Trust is hoping to share more of this history, helping bring these hidden stories back into view for everyone.

In the meantime, the Southbank Centre have an article on their website about some of the Festival history and have collected memories from those who attended. It includes some striking original photography from their archives.

15 December 202516 December 2025

Planting for Pollinators: Park Plaza Volunteers at Jubilee Gardens

On 5 November, Jubilee Gardens welcomed a team of eight volunteers from Park Plaza for a dedicated day of planting as part of their ongoing corporate sponsorship of the Gardens. The team worked tirelessly throughout the day, planting over 1,000 bulbs. These included daffodils and tulips, chosen not only for the burst of springtime colour they will bring, but also for their value as an early nectar source for bees and other pollinators emerging after winter. The volunteers also planted winter-flowering annuals to ensure the Garden remains bright and welcoming during the colder months.

This activity builds on Park Plaza’s generous support earlier in the year, when their sponsorship enabled us to plant a new holly hedge, now growing strongly and providing important habitats right through the centre of the Gardens.

Daniel Pedreschi, Executive Vice President Operations UK, said:

“At Park Plaza, we believe in creating meaningful connections beyond our hotels. Supporting Jubilee Gardens allows us to give back to the local community and help preserve a space that brings joy to so many. We’re proud to see our team’s efforts making a real difference.”

Ted Inman, Chair of the Jubilee Gardens Trust, said:
“We are extremely grateful for Park Plaza’s continued support for Jubilee Gardens. Their sponsorship of the new holly hedge has already made a visible difference, and we were delighted to welcome their volunteers to the Gardens. The team’s hard work and commitment made a significant impact in just one day, and we value this ongoing relationship enormously.”

The Jubilee Gardens Trust looks forward to continuing to work closely with Park Plaza as partners in enhancing and protecting this much-loved green space on the South Bank.

18 October 202512 December 2025

Improving Visitor Experience: New Signage for Jubilee Gardens

New signage plans for Jubilee Gardens

We’re updating the signs and information panels across Jubilee Gardens to make them clearer, more accessible and more informative for everyone who visits. The current signs were installed back in 2012 and, after more than a decade of service, are showing their age.

What’s changing

We’ll shortly be applying for advertising consent – the formal planning process for signage – for a series of improvements across the site. The plans include new totem signs at all the Gardens’ entrances to welcome visitors, explain how the space can be used, and include tactile and braille maps for visitors with visual impairments. These will replace the smaller signs currently on the grass.

At the two riverside entrances, new information panels will feature video screens sharing the history of the site and the Trust’s role in caring for it. These and additional panels near the playground will also tell more of the Gardens’ story, especially important as we approach the 75th anniversary of the Festival of Britain in 2026.

The new signage will include details about the tree species in the Gardens, information about the work of the Jubilee Gardens Trust, and guidance to help visitors enjoy, respect and donate to support the Gardens.

Sharing our key messages

Following feedback and experiences during the pandemic, the updated signage will make key site rules easier to understand – such as the Gardens’ no-alcohol policy, which helps keep the space safe, welcoming and family-friendly.

Our 2024 visitor research showed that while most people love Jubilee Gardens, many aren’t aware that it’s managed by a local charity rather than the council. The new signs will help highlight the role of the Jubilee Gardens Trust and how people can get involved or support our work.

Designed with local input

The proposals have been developed by our Communications and Fundraising Committee, ensuring input from trustees appointed by local residents and businesses, as well as external experts. We’ve been in touch with relevant Lambeth officers who confirmed our preference for Legible London style totems at the entrances.

And our proposals were reviewed by Tom Lister of People Friendly Ltd, accessibility consultant to the 2012 re-landscaping project, who provided specialist advice on colour contrast, text size, and layout – helping to ensure the new signage is as legible and inclusive as possible.

We’ll keep you updated as our new signage and exhibition project progresses. Sign up to our quarterly newsletter to be the first to hear the news.