London's Thames festival: the river wild

Crowds filled London's South Bank over the weekend 12-13 September, as the Mayor's Thames festival gave Londoners and tourists a series of thrills. Outside the National theatre, Les Studio de Cirque de Marseille presented La Roue de la Mort: La Trilogie du Temps, which saw performers dressed as cavemen on a cylindrical wheel Photograph: Ray Tang/Rex Features

Further along the river, a giant transparent sphere the size of a four-storey building was launched at low tide. A flautist suspended inside the sphere performed a specially commissioned piece of music Photograph: Jonathan Hordle/Rex Features

Flautist Simon Desorgher rehearses for his performance of Water Cycle for Flute and Sound System in the sphere on the Thames Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Festivalgoers enjoy a feast on Southwark Bridge, where a team of artists led by Clare Patey created a grand banquet Photograph: Ray Tang/Rex Features

On Saturday, the forecourt and garden of Tate Modern were decorated with intriguing structures ... Photograph: Ray Tang/Rex Features

... which were later turned into circles of fire Photograph: Ray Tang/Rex Features

Entitled the Fire Garden, the show was put on by French street arts group Compagnie Carabosse Photograph: Ray Tang/Rex Features

The commission saw fiery balls suspended above festivalgoers Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

St Paul's Cathedral is seen behind the flame-pots of the Fire Garden outside Tate Modern Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images