The upside-down purple cow is back

Underbelly has announced a second London pop-up venue this summer, featuring its familiar upside-down purple cow.

The festival specialists are to launch London Wonderground on the site of the former Earls Court 2 Exhibition Centre in West London from July 15 to September 16.

As well as the cow venue previously seen on the South Bank, the new site will feature a 1,000-seater, 35-metre big top  as well as a  ‘city beach’, bars, street food and  vintage fairground rides.

The programme of live shows will feature circus, comedy and family events, including a  ‘best of the Edinburgh Festival’ season of performances. Both venues will accommodate reduced seating capacities if social distancing measures are still required.

News comes less than a week after Underbelly also announced a Spiegeltent pop-up venue in Cavendish Square, behind John Lewis on Oxford Street, for the summer.

Underbelly directors Ed Bartlam and Charlie Wood said in a statement: 'London Wonderground is without doubt one of our most exciting and ambitious festival creations to date, and it feels so in the spirit of the heritage of Earls Court to be launching it as we come out of the pandemic.

'We’re dancing on toes on hot coals in our excitement to give people that live entertainment experience again and to play our part in bringing some much-needed fun and socialising back to people’s lives'.

London Wonderground continues Earls Court’s history as a home of entertainment. It was first used as a  showground in 1887, hosted the Great Ferris Wheel of 1895, and countless gigs and shows as the Earls Court 1 and Earls Court 2 Exhibition Halls.

They were demolished in 2017 to make way for a controversial luxury housing scheme – although plans gave subsequently stalled and the site remains vacant.

The initial programme of London Wonderground shows will be announced and go on sale at the end of May.

The festival is still subject to planning and licensing approval by Hammersmith & Fulham Council, but council leader Stephen Cowan said: 'I am delighted to welcome this world-class attraction to Hammersmith & Fulham. The history of this site is one of exhibitions and festivities, and I am pleased to see plans to build on that legacy by bringing it back into use this summer. 

Published: 20 Apr 2021