Highlight­­s of 2025, Ambitions for 2026

Gavin: “Over the past decade, with the support of Delancey, Here East has transformed from the London 2012 Olympic Press and & Broadcast Centre into an ecosystem of over 6,500 entrepreneurs, creatives, and students who are working, studying and innovating at the intersection of many industries. The past year has been one of many triumphs within this community, in East London, and beyond.

“We launched our ‘Visionary’ podcast, exploring everything from AI to dynamic art installations alongside global leaders in their own fields. We continued to champion the next generation of talented East Londoners through our Scholarship Programme. Our Future Talks series focused on ‘Industry 5.0’ and ‘Dangerous Ideas to Shape the Creative Economy’. We also hosted events on both sides of the Atlantic, with our ‘London Calling’ event at SXSW Austin and our ‘It All Starts Here’ showcase at LMA that took place during the first-ever SXSW London. We were also thrilled to see the opening of the V&A East Storehouse at Here East, concluding over 9 years of work.

“What 2025 has shown us is that the Here East team does not stand still – and next year, there is a lot to look forward to. The plans afoot will build on all we have achieved in the past decade and further embrace our ethos of ‘creating at scale.’”

Mike: “Looking ahead to 2026, what excites me most about this next chapter for Here East is the sense that we are building something far bigger than a place. Our campus is where scale enables ambition, and where diverse minds are given the space to experiment, collaborate and create.

“Our brand new Impact Film, launched recently, captures this community and vision perfectly. Celebrating our impact and commitment to creating at scale in a new format, this film brings our vision, achievements and ambitions to life through the voices of our people – capturing a community defined by possibility and setting the stage for what’s to come.

“Our ambition for 2026 is to deepen Here East’s role as a launchpad for innovation, culture, and learning. A place where startups, global institutions, artists, and creators come together to turn bold ideas into real-world impact. The focus next year is on expanding our ecosystem and welcoming new tenants to campus. On accelerating the ideas that will shape future industries and cities through platforms like Visionary and our Future Talks. And on strengthening cross-sector partnerships, forging new ones with those that share our vision and ethos.

“Building on all that we have achieved this year – 2026 is about momentum, and we’re excited to get started.”

Thank you to Gavin and Mike for sharing your thoughts with us – we can’t wait to continue Here East’s journey next year!