Bandaloop aerial dance company to pull a Tom Cruise on St. Paul's Cathedral

In a page torn straight from the "Mission: Impossible" playbook, an innovative American dance company will put on a thrilling vertical show on the south façade of the world-famous cathedral – and it's free to watch.

The California-based Bandaloop dance company has pioneered vertical performances with its seamless blend of mid-air choreography, rock climbing techniques, original music, and memorable locations. Their extraordinary vertical shows have wowed audiences around the globe, and they've now been invited to London as part of the Greenwich+Dockland International Festival (GDIF), a 17-day programme of outdoor performances in London's iconic public spaces.

For three days only, from 31 August to 2 September, Bandaloop has been granted rare access to stage a run of exclusive performances on the south façade of St. Paul's Cathedral. The company will premiere a new show, which was inspired by “Resurgam” (“I will rise”), an inscription on the cathedral's south portico. The event also coincides with the 300th anniversary of the passing of Sir Christopher Wren, the famous architect who designed the cathedral.

The Bandaloop performances will take place at 6.15pm on each of the above days and last 30 minutes. Like the other GDIF events, admission is free, just show up, find a good vantage point, and look to the sky. You can find more information here.