In its second year the festival that runs to 31 August explores many different types of love, including love between family and friends and the love between colleagues and team mates.

Across the 21 acre Southbank centre expect a wide range of activities, performances, music, exhibitions, different themed weekends and installations throughout the summer. All inspired by South Africa’s former president, civil rights campaigner and long-suffering prisoner.

If all this love in the air makes you feel a little romantic, the entire event culminates in to a mass wedding ceremony in the Royal Festival Hall Saturday, 29 and Sunday, 30 August. So far 40 couples have signed up to marry, renew their vows or, thanks to a recent change in the law, convert civil partnerships into a marriage on stage, in front of friends and family in this celebration of love.

Every ceremony lasts around 90 minutes and will consist of 20 couples declaring their vows separately during the wedding in front of loved ones.

If you’d like to be part of making history you can tie the knot for £1950 for up to 40 guests. It may be a little last minute, but there’s still time to register for the Big Wedding. Pop along to the open day on 16 June to ask questions and find out more about the day.

For more information, check out the Southbank centre website.