Image: The pleasure gardens open with a free festival

A new entertainment quarter - London Pleasure Gardens - spanning 15 acres (6.1 hectares) of the Royal Docks in Newham is to open with a free festival tomorrow (30 June).

Dance and theatre arenas form part of the £5m development, which has led to the creation of a 60,000sq m (645,835sq ft) arts and entertainment destination to the east of the capital.

A 1,000-capacity dome with a late licence; a sculpture garden; and a floating cocktail bar will also be among the attractions at London Pleasure Gardens.

The project has been funded with the help of a £3m loan from Newham Council and aims to recreate the pleasure gardens that were a focal point of London life between the 17th and 19th centuries.

London Pleasure Gardens will be responsible for redeveloping and operating the site over a three-year period as a "prelude to the long-term regeneration of the area".

Details: www.londonpleasuregardens.com