Open House Festival: Build / Play / Shape 

Launch into a weekend of design-inspired creativity and play. 

Build / Play / Shape brings Croydon’s urban landscape to life through imagination and play! 

Curious minds and explorers of all ages are invited to join us for this free weekend in The Queen’s Gardens, as part of Open House Festival 2026.  

For mini explorers, construct a giant cardboard Croydon skyline, transform iconic local buildings into futuristic spacecraft, and dive into Right to Play – a giant adventure playground featuring den building and a mud kitchen! 

For all ages, discover an exhibition of local photography inside The Caravan Gallery and visit The Curiosity Rover to take you on a creative quest. 

Join us to reimagine Croydon’s past, present and future through hands-on activities, big ideas and a touch of space-age imagination!

FREE, no booking required.

Full programme for Build / Play / Shape:

Matt+Fiona: Croydon Skyline

Using large-scale cut-out landmarks, contribute to an evolving installation and shape a growing cardboard skyline inspired by Croydon’s heritage and future possibilities.

In Situ: Croydon Space Station

Be inspired by Croydon’s space age buildings and aviation history – from Apollo and Lunar House to Croydon Airport. Build your own models of familiar buildings redesigned as spacecraft and transform the town centre into a space station!

Max Yasmeen: Hopes and Fears

Exchange anonymous hopes, fears, and reflections via text message in this interactive artwork and see yourself as part of Croydon’s Collective story.

Pif-Paf Theatre: Right to Play

An imaginative, self-built adventure for all ages! Build dens, balance, swing and jump into this interactive play zone, and get hands-on in the Long Table Mud Kitchen, filled with play sand and crockery for little hands.

Creative Quests: The Curiosity Rover

Ready to step off autopilot and into adventure? Choose from a series of imaginative creative missions, designed to help you explore, connect, and discover your surroundings through fresh eyes.

The Caravan Gallery

A new photography exhibition of Croydon’s streets, building and communities inside a 1960’s vintage caravan – looking beyond the brown signs and interpretation boards to discover the unofficial ‘attractions’ and ‘unattractions’ of Croydon.