2026 Eastend Chinatown edition

Eastend Chinatown was first named as a destination during SXSW (SouthbySouthWest) London2025. It emerged organically as a mindset of a new generation of Asian creatives. We saw the emergence of Chinese and East Asian communities in London’s East End, as culture, food, business, creativity become decision makers in the creator economy.

This project responds to a clear gap in existing narratives: while Chinese culture is often framed through food nostalgia consumer trends, the rise of Chinese and East Asian cultural power as business, ownership, and influence remains undocumented. At the same time, the world's largest and fastest-evolving consumer market is redefining taste, ambition, and cultural authority. East London is where these shifts are becoming visible, physical, and unavoidable.