London’s UNESCO slave trade remembrance streams free online
The general public can watch London’s UNESCO Day for Remembering the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its Abolition online on Thursday 20 August. Hosted by the Mayor of London, the free ceremony runs from 6.30pm to 7.30pm and does not require advance booking.
According to the London City Hall event listing, this will be the ninth ceremony held under the UNESCO remembrance banner. It is an online-only event, with no physical venue for attendees.
- Date: Thursday 20 August 2026
- Time: 6.30pm to 7.30pm, London time
- Venue: Online
- Cost: Free
- Booking: No booking required
- Audience: General public
The one-hour ceremony will include a keynote address
The live-streamed programme will commemorate the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its abolition while providing space to reflect on the continuing impact of that history. A special guest will deliver the keynote address, although the speaker’s name has not yet been announced.
No detailed running order has been published. The confirmed programme currently consists of the ceremony and keynote address within the scheduled one-hour broadcast.
The Mayor of London is hosting the event, and the City Hall listing describes it as an annual ceremony. The online format means viewers do not need to travel to a London venue or secure a ticket before joining.
Community advisers are helping shape the event
A Community Advisory Group is contributing to the ceremony’s vision and integrity. City Hall says its members bring knowledge, lived experience and cultural insight intended to keep the event historically grounded and reflective of the communities it honours.
The group includes Aisha Sanusi, co-founder and chief executive of the African Caribbean Education Network. Her work has focused on equity and racial justice in education and workplaces, including racial inclusion, antiracism and cultural competency training.
Arthur Torrington CBE, co-founder of the Windrush Foundation, is also among the advisers. His work has included preserving the history of African and Caribbean migration to Britain and raising awareness of the life of Olaudah Equiano.
The wider advisory group brings together experience from education, community organisations, cultural heritage, television, publishing, policy design and the arts. Its role is to help ensure that the ceremony reflects the people and histories at the centre of the commemoration.
The ceremony sits alongside plans for London’s new memorial
The event listing also highlights The Wake, London’s planned memorial to victims of transatlantic slavery. Designed by Khaleb Brooks, the proposal was selected from six shortlisted designs after a public consultation held in summer 2024, in which thousands of people voted.
The memorial is planned to be unveiled in 2027. Its inclusion on the event page connects this year’s online ceremony with a separate, permanent site of remembrance being developed for London.
Joining the livestream on 20 August
There is no registration process: viewers can open the livestream on the London City Hall event page when the broadcast begins. The page notes that playing the embedded video will set cookies from YouTube and Google.
Because the ceremony is online only, there is no venue address or transport guidance. Accessibility information has not been published, and the keynote speaker remains to be confirmed. The livestream is scheduled to begin at 6.30pm on Thursday 20 August and end at 7.30pm.
Source: London City Hall Events
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The date, broadcast time, online format and entry arrangements were taken from the official London City Hall event listing.
- Confirmed the ceremony is scheduled for Thursday 20 August 2026 from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.
- Confirmed that the event is online only, free to watch and requires no booking.
- Checked that the keynote speaker has not yet been announced.
- Confirmed that this is the ninth ceremony hosted by the Mayor of London.
- Source
- London City Hall Events
- Scope
- London
- Updated
- 2026-07-27 19:11
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