The East Festival 2010 begins tomorrow and runs until Tuesday 9 March. It began last year in order to celebrate all that East London has to offer, or something like that. The festival last year was founded on a growing sense of unease over East London’s readiness to host the Olympics in 2012. The Evening Standard’s expose this week on The Dispossessed is another illustration of a growing unease about the real economic and financial state of this area. Despite these reasons and other criticisms of East London not being able to support the Olympics, it’s still the best place in London for anybody with a pulse and warm blood still pumping through their veins. And frankly, who gives a rat’s ass about what’s going to happen with the Olympics in 2012? Hoxton, Shoreditch, Whitechapel and Hackney (and I’m already leaving plenty out) are all filled with the coolest bars, galleries and shops in London. East London has become one of the most contemporay urban environments in Europe and the East Festival 2010 is the perfect way to kickstart your exploration of it.

Firstly I couldn’t resist putting up Boris Johnson’s picture here as it appears on the first page of the programme:

You can download Time Out’s pdf programme here, it has all the details.
Rated has high expectations for the Bishopsgate Institute’s series of walks, talks and debates, and the Tongues of Fire Asian Film Festival on Bethnal Green Road – see daily listings for details on both.
We also like the look of:
4 March
Celeste Boursier-Mougenot at the Barbican. Birds landing on musical instruments and creating music of their own. 11am – 10pm [for whole week].
5 March
Manganiyar Seduction at the Barican Theatre. Muslim musicians from Rajasthan. 8pm.
Old Jewish East End, Museum of London Walk. 11am – 1pm. 020 70019844 for details.
7 March
London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican and then on Monday the post-jazz Portico Quartet are playing, when I’m sure a little boogie woogie will be on the cards
8 March
Debate, Is creativity in architecture dead? Tickets. 615pm – 8pm.

Problem: You’d feel like a right plonker if you missed all this.
Solution: Get a short term flat for it.
n.b. Rated has got some especially cool flats like The Canal, Framery Four and Framery Loft that are bang in the centre of the bits of East London you want to see.