London’s free UNESCO ceremony streams on 20 August

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-07-27 19:07 3 min read

A wooden arrow-shaped sign pointing the way to a public event ceremony.

London’s UNESCO Day for Remembering the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its Abolition ceremony will be streamed online on Thursday 20 August 2026. The free event runs from 6.30pm to 7.30pm, and no booking is required.

According to the London City Hall Events listing, the Mayor of London will host the annual commemoration for the ninth time. It is open to the general public and can be watched through the livestream on the event page.

Date, time and online access

Event detail	Confirmed information
Date	Thursday 20 August 2026
Time	6.30pm to 7.30pm
Venue	Online only
Price	Free
Booking	No booking required
Audience	General public

Viewers can use the embedded player on the London City Hall Events page. The listing notes that playing the stream will set cookies from YouTube or Google.

As this is an online-only ceremony, there is no physical venue address or transport information. The published event details do not currently provide accessibility information; those arrangements should not be assumed unless City Hall adds them to the listing.

The ceremony will combine remembrance and reflection

The Mayor of London will host the live ceremony, which is intended to honour the history of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and consider its lasting impact. A special guest will deliver the keynote address, although the speaker’s identity has not yet been announced.

London’s free UNESCO ceremony streams on 20 August

The programme is supported by a Community Advisory Group created to help shape the event’s vision and integrity. City Hall says its members contribute knowledge, lived experience and cultural insight so that the ceremony remains historically grounded and reflects the communities it honours.

The group includes Aisha Sanusi, co-founder and chief executive of the African Caribbean Education Network. Her work through the organisation has included racial inclusion, antiracism and cultural competency training for more than 20,000 students, teachers and professionals.

Arthur Torrington CBE, the Guyanese-born co-founder of the Windrush Foundation, is also among the advisers. The foundation was established in 1996 to preserve and promote the legacy of African and Caribbean migrants in Britain. Torrington received an OBE for his Windrush work in 2002 and a CBE in 2011 for publicising the life of Olaudah Equiano.

Other members bring experience spanning education, cultural heritage, community organisations, broadcasting, equalities research and the arts. Their role is advisory, while the Mayor of London remains the ceremony’s host.

The event sits alongside plans for London’s new memorial

The City Hall listing also points to The Wake, London’s planned memorial to victims of Transatlantic Slavery. Designed by Khaleb Brooks, it was selected from six shortlisted proposals following an open public consultation in summer 2024 in which thousands of people voted.

The memorial is planned to be unveiled in 2027. That project is separate from the August livestream but provides wider context for London’s continuing programme of public remembrance.

How to watch the livestream

No advance reservation or physical attendance is needed. Viewers should use the livestream embedded on the London City Hall Events listing for UNESCO Day for Remembering the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its Abolition 2026.

The guest keynote speaker remains the main programme detail awaiting confirmation. The embedded broadcast is scheduled to begin at 6.30pm on Thursday 20 August and finish at 7.30pm.

Source: London City Hall Events

Context & actions About this article

Source check How we checked the details

The date, broadcast time, online format and attendance details were checked against information published by London City Hall Events.

Checks

Confirmed the ceremony is scheduled for Thursday 20 August 2026.
Confirmed the livestream runs from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.
Confirmed that the event is free, online and requires no booking.
Kept the keynote speaker unnamed because City Hall has not yet announced the guest.

London City Hall Events Check wider coverage