It’s summertime in the city, and while the heatwave has come and gone for now, Londoners can cool off this weekend with more great events in the capital.
There's the chance to head to rooftop bars, enjoy live sport and check out world-beating exhibitions.
There’s also the first of a new batch of outdoor cultural events to check out and the welcome return of live theatre, plus the return of bowling alleys and casinos.
Here's our pick of what to get up to this weekend.
See the Champions League final at a drive-in screening
Ally Pally is playing host to film screenings and one of the biggest beer gardens in London, and now the venue is welcoming football fans for a drive-in screening of the Champions League final on Sunday. Doors open at 6pm and kick-off is at 8pm, with Bayern Munich taking on PSG in the biggest game in club football. Tickets are £13.50.
August 23, Alexandra Palace, N22 7AY, alexandrapalace.com
Head to Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings for Saturday supper
The chic surroundings of Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings is the place to head for a Saturday supper this weekend, with the venue having reopened for a weekly evening service (in addition to its weekend brunch). Guests can look forward to a changing, seasonal four-course menu designed by Anglo chef Mark Jarvis, as well as a selection of superb cocktails. Dinner costs £50 per person, including an arrival cocktail.
42 Northampton Rd, Farringdon, EC1R 0HU, bandhbuildings.com
Head to the reopened Harry Potter studio tour
Few film franchises have ever captured imaginations around the world quite like Harry Potter, and no other experience in Britain lets fans get as close to the magic as the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. After moving online during lockdown, the experience has now reopened to visitors, with guests ready to explore Hogwarts and beyond once again. Book in this weekend.
Studio Tour Drive, Leavesden, WD25 7LR, wbstudiotour.co.uk
Head to Five Points’ new Mare Street Taproom
One of the best independent breweries in the capital has launched a brand new venue, ready to check out this weekend. East London’s Five Points has opened Fire Points Mare Street Taproom, for socially distanced pints around the corner from London Fields. It’s open 4-9pm on Friday and 1-9pm on Saturday. Make sure to pre-book a table for £5 per person, which includes a free drink.
61 Mare St, Hackney, E8 4RG, fivepointsbrewing.co.uk
Head to the park for Jesus Christ Superstar
The Evening Standard Award-winning revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock musical is back against all the odds this month, with theatre fans enjoying the show under social distancing last weekend. It’s a chance to see one of the most popular shows in new surroundings, following sell-out runs at Regent’s Park and a summer season at the Barbican last year – let’s just hope the weather holds up. Read the Standard's review here.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, NW1, Until Sep 27, openairtheatre.com
Get more bang for your buck with London’s best restaurant deals
The Eat Out To Help Out scheme has seen scores of Londoners head out for a bite with a bit of money off, but there are other offers to entice foodies back too. Top deals include a Cocktail Passport at Vinegar Yard, free English wine at The Harwood Arms and discounts on drinks at Simmons. Read our full guide here.
Various locations
See Titian: Love, Desire, Death at the National Gallery
The National Gallery is one of the leading London galleries to reopen after lockdown, and there’s a special exhibition to entice art lovers back this week. Six masterpieces reunite for the first time in 300 years in Titian: Love, Desire, Death, examining the renaissance master’s works created in the 1550s and 1560s for Philip II of Spain.
Until January 2021, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN, nationalgallery.org.uk
Get your game on with outdoor sports in London
After a summer where fans missed out on the Olympics, Euros and the London marathon, more and more people are getting their fix by getting back out there and picking up a sport again. Whether its Finsbury Park tennis and basketball courts, swimming at Parliament Hill Lido, football at Powerleague’s many London locations or even white water rafting at Lea Valley White Water Centre, there’s so much to get stuck into this week. Read our full guide here.
Various locations
