London Wonderground festival to bring spirit of Coney Island to South Bank

The new festival is a collaboration between Southbank Centre and Underbelly who will also be bringing their E4 Udderbelly in the shape of an upside down purple cow back to the South Bank for the fourth year running.

At the heart of the London Wonderground will be a 600-seater Spiegeltent that will present a programme of international cabaret, music and circus headlined by the Australian hit Cantina. Fascinating Aida will also take up residency for the whole of September. The full programme will be announced in the new year.

"At Southbank Centre we create festivals of many kinds in keeping with our history as the Festival of Britain site," said artistic director Jude Kelly.

"We know that festivals allow all kinds of people to try out new experiences in unexpected surroundings.

"Together with Underbelly we dreamt up the London Wonderground because we wanted to revive the idea of a pleasure garden beside the river as well as conjuring up images of Coney Island with its fairgrounds and vaudeville spirit."