The Big Meet ✕ Candler Creative

Let's Build
Together

Community Fest

📍 Vauxhall Arches 🗓️ Thu 22 Oct 2026 · from 5pm 🎟️ 18+

One venue. Up to 20 communities. Each running their own activation — music, art, games, dance, comedy and more — all under one roof. We're bringing the whole community together, and we want yours in the room.

Pitch your activation →

A festival of community

We're bringing communities from all backgrounds into one space to showcase their activations, connect, and show the power of collaboration. An incubator-style platform for communities of every size to gain unrivalled exposure and open doors to further growth and collaboration — showcasing London as the true home of culture and community.

Salsa · music jams · LGBTQ+ comedy · chess socials · live painting · poker night · soul & disco — all in the same space.

“Real community should be a staple of humanity.”

“Everyone has the right to belonging & being part of something greater than the individual.”

Who's behind it

The Big Meet and Candler Creative came together because the idea of community is growing — but how do we make community sustainable, long-lasting and capable of wider impact? Let's Build Together is the platform to figure that out, and the incubator that turns seedling ideas into thriving community ecosystems.

The Big Meet

Supporting communities to become sustainable ecosystems

Connecting people, communities & businesses
Supporting community collaborations
Providing communities with spaces that fit their unique vision

Candler Creative

Community ecosystem for creatives to build together

Brand building & accountability
Community events & meet-ups
Media production & creative agency

What to expect

🎪

Up to 20 communities

A whole space of communities, each with their own corner and their own vibe.

🎶

Activations all night

DJs, live music, art, dance, comedy, chess, games — running throughout the night.

📈

Grow your reach

New faces from every other community, plus the public. Real footfall, real growth.

🤝

Built on collaboration

Not competition. Communities lifting each other up in one room.

Who's in the room

🌱

Community founders

Founders building community around their unique passion, making creative use of the space to show what they're all about.

🎨

Creatives

Musicians, DJs, AV and live painters helping bring the individual activations — and the whole space — to life.

👥

Community members

The members who've been supporting each community from the start, meeting others with the same mindset.

🏷️

Brands

Brands passionate about community and eager to support are invited to sponsor the event.

📰

Press & journalists

Coverage at amateur and mainstream level, spreading what a collaborative community mindset can achieve.

🎟️

The public, 18+

Mass public outreach in an exhibition format, for people curious about belonging to the communities involved.

The venue

The Garden at Vauxhall Arches — seven railway arches on the Thames, twenty seconds from Vauxhall Underground, rail and the 24-hour bus station. The Garden runs the whole length of the venue: four zones, an open-air terrace, and room for up to 70 tables.

The Garden at Vauxhall Arches — covered walkway hung with blossom, lined with benches and food traders — The Garden — covered, colourful, benches the length of it

Open-air terrace with long benches against a brick railway arch wall — Open-air terrace — one of the Garden's four zones

An arch laid out with rows of seating facing a large LED screen — Arches lay out for talks, screenings and showcases

Warmly lit brick arch with rows of chairs facing a stage — Every arch has its own character and its own sound

Brick booths with curved seating under fairy lights and a disco ball — Booths and corners for the quieter activations

A DJ booth in front of a huge blue LED light wall — Big LED screens and full production if you want it

🎨Blank-canvas style — make the space yours
🏛️Seven arches, each with its own atmosphere
🌤️Four Garden zones including an open-air terrace
🔊High-quality AV, LED screens & sound in every section
🍕Six food traders, two bars, coffee shop, arcade & bar games
🕛24-hour licence — the night runs as long as it needs to

📄 See the venue deck → Full spec — rooms, capacities, sound & lighting.

What you get

✓A free space to run your own activation and show off what your community is about.
✓Unrivalled exposure to other communities, the public, press and brands.
✓Collaboration with other founders — and new members walking through your space.
✓Creative support if you need it — we can help source DJs, musicians or artists through Candler Creative.
✓Full media coverage — dedicated videographers capturing the night for everyone.
✓Part of a recurring platform — this doesn't stop at one event.

The night, on camera

Pre-event, event night and post-event coverage — so every community walks away with content, not just a good night.

🎤

Main stage video

High-quality footage of the main performances, speeches and headline activations.

📹

Community space video

Fixed, consistent coverage of every community section, capturing the whole experience.

📸

3 roaming CC crew

Candler Creative brings three video/photo personnel to catch the highlights of the night.

📱

Your own content

Bring your own videographer or filming members — the more angles, the better for everyone.

How to pitch

1

Tell us your idea

Fill in the short form with your community and the activation you'd bring to the space.

2

We'll confirm you

We vet pitches to build a diverse line-up and lock in your space and slot.

3

Bring your people

Post one collab with @buildtogethercic, bring your community, and let's build.

⏳ Pitch deadline: Friday 25 September — spaces are limited.

Submit your pitch →

Let's BuildTogether