Summer is here, the couple of weeks in the year when Londoners unveil their hairy toes, drink canned cocktails and convince each other that it’s like living in Lisbon while sucking in fumes on a café “terrace” beside the Old Kent Road. But what we do have going for us is a city filled with events and culture and opportunities to gather and do what Londoners do best: sweat, clumsily flirt and complain.
The big society spectacles such as the Serpentine Summer Party, Wimbledon and the Henley Royal Regatta are all coming around again to allow trust fund leeches and minor celebrities to stress their way through etiquette rules (see right), while for those who haven’t slept with a member of the Guinness family, there’s a packed schedule of festivals, art shows and open-air entertainment to act as background for your drinking.
Without Glastonbury this year, white middle-class Londoners will be heading out to Green Man and End of the Road festivals, while sexy Londoners will be heading to Love Supreme jazz festival, and child-burdened Londoners will be kidding themselves into thinking they can take mushrooms and everything will be fine at Camp Bestival.
But actually, the festivals within London are so good now, it feels like the party will be right here, especially if England manage to make it deep into the World Cup and everyone starts delusionally acting like it’s their personal triumph. So in Victoria Park there’s All Points East (Tyler, the Creator and PinkPantheress the big draws) while BST Hyde Park features Duran Duran, Lewis Capaldi, Pitbull and, er, Maroon 5.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Opera Holland Park represent chances for Timothée Chalamet-style non-lovers of theatre and opera to dabble in arts you can’t film, while content creators will have a ball at Somerset House’s Summer Series and Tate’s Frida Kahlo exhibition, hitting new levels of view-obstructing arseholery. As for cool underground parties for young people, we are clueless, but likely there are plenty. Best not to know what they’re up to.
Oh, and a final shout out to Notting Hill Carnival, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, and remains the ultimate London summer event, a symbol of a city still thriving on the lifeblood of its people more than the cold crumbs of corporate sponsorships. Enjoy yourselves.
Without further ado, here are the best events and things to attend in London this summer.
Frida: The Making of An Icon
Few artists have become as instantly recognisable as Frida Kahlo. This exhibition brings together her major works alongside photographs, clothing, jewellery and personal artefacts, and explores her many identities — creative, intellectual, political activist and cultural figure. It’s a rare chance to look beyond the famous self-portraits.
June 25 to January 3, Tate Modern
Cats at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
We’ve waited long enough, but it’s finally time for a new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, based on TS Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, to grace a London stage. And it’s a very fine stage at that: the Open Air Theatre is one of the capital’s most atmospheric venues during the summer months. This revival promises plenty of Jellicle magic.
July 25 to September 19
Midnight matinees at Shakespeare’s Globe
Let’s face it, the Globe is a magical place to enjoy Shakespeare at any time of day. But in summer, its famous midnight matinees add an extra layer of enchantment. With three performances to choose from — A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing and As You Like It — you’ve got your pick of the Bard’s classics, too.
June 20, July 31 & September 11
Barbican Outdoor Cinema
Is there any better place to catch a film under the stars than the iconic Sculpture Court? Once again, the Barbican has put together an artfully curated programme that features the likes of Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, Janet Jackson and Tupac in Poetic Justice and Hettie Macdonald’s Beautiful Thing.
August 19-30
Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration
The newly opened Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is an ideal place to slip away from a heatwave and appreciate the world’s largest space dedicated to illustration. With three galleries, a library, gardens, café and a shop, there’s lots to keep you entertained, and the former 18th- and 19th-century waterworks at New River Head in Clerkenwell isn’t half bad to look at either.
Anish Kapoor
This landmark exhibition is a chance to get up close and personal with Kapoor’s recent works, made using light-absorbing nanotechnology, as well as his earlier pieces that play with scale, material and perception. You’ll be sure to see head-spinning photos taken from his mirror sculptures splashed all across your social media feed this summer.
Until October 18, Hayward Gallery
Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical
Who wouldn’t want to step inside the hormonally charged 1978 movie, recreated by Secret Cinema? Ticket holders move through funfairs, schools, drive-ins and beauty salons, with live performances and a film screening in tandem. Bring your dancing shoes and some spare cash for burgers, because Grease, seriously, is the word here.
July 22 to September 13, Battersea Park
Everyman on the canal
What’s better than a cinema on the waterfront? A free cinema on the waterfront. Seats operate on a first-come, first-served basis, and you don’t have to book in advance. Films this year include Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, Bend it Like Beckham and The Devil Wears Prada.
June 29 to August 16, Granary Square
Trainspotting the Musical
Think of Trainspotting and you probably don’t picture an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza. But 30 years on from the film that sent shockwaves through British cinema, Trainspotting The Musical is having its world premiere. Written by Irvine Welsh, it’s reasonable to expect all the darkness that made his novel about heroin users in Edinburgh such a hit in the first place — just set to music.
Opens July 15, Theatre Royal Haymarket
Pride
This musical, based on the acclaimed 2014 film, reunites original writer Stephen Beresford and director Matthew Warchus. It tells the true story of the solidarity the British LGBT+ community offered striking miners in the 1980s.
Until September 12, Dorfman Theatre
Ariana Grande The Eternal Sunshine Tour
Ariana Grande’s great return to London is upon us, with a huge 10-night residency at the O2. Grande hasn’t performed in the capital since 2019, but she’s hardly been quiet in the years since, releasing two chart-topping albums and winning over a whole new audience with her role as Glinda in the Wicked films. This is set to be a “popular” one.
August 15 to September 1, The O2
Sea Lanes Canary Wharf
When a heatwave hits, there’s nowhere you’d rather be than by a pool. And luckily for the capital, a major new lido is opening. Sea Lanes features a 50-metre, six-lane natural-water pool, two saunas and a community clubhouse that will host events, as well as drinks and dining.
Opens June 19
All Points East
For the eighth year running, All Points East is back in Victoria Park for two big weekends at the end of August. Headliners this year include Tyler, the Creator — who will be at the festival for two nights in the top spot — as well as Jorja Smith, Tems, Lorde and Deftones. As always, it’s bound to bring together music-lovers from east London and beyond for a final big summer blowout.
August 21-23 & 28-30, Victoria Park
BST Hyde Park
Over three weekends, Hyde Park is transformed into a gig haven with BST Hyde Park. Expect multiple stages, big crowds and the likes of Mumford & Sons, Lewis Capaldi and Duran Duran, all in one of London’s most scenic green spaces. And, with Pitbull on the line-up, there’s bound to be a sea of people dressed in bald caps, too. The festival’s Open House series is also returning, with Sir Mo Farah leading a 3k fun run and Davina McCall hosting a martial arts session.
June 27 to July 12, Hyde Park
Roundhouse Comedy Festival
When you think of a comedy festival in August, your mind might naturally wander to the Edinburgh Fringe. But the Roundhouse Comedy Festival offers those eager for a laugh something a little closer to home. With a programme featuring Jack Rooke, Katherine Ryan, Frank Skinner, Joe Lycett and Sara Pascoe, there are plenty of big names to choose from. Better yet, under-30s can snap up tickets for just £5.
August 1-18, Roundhouse
The Music is Black festival
Four weekends of free music and performance (yes, you heard that correctly) are coming to London this summer. The Music is Black festival, which has grown out of V&A East Museum’s inaugural exhibition, The Music is Black: A British Story, is set to celebrate sound, culture and community, with special curators like Footsie, Jamz Supernova, Shy One and FLOHIO all building the line-ups.
July 11-12, August 22-23 & September 12-13, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Greenwich Comedy Garden
London’s biggest comedy festival returns to the Old Royal Naval College for five nights of stand-up. Expect sets from the likes of John Robins, David O’Doherty, Sarah Keyworth, Fern Brady, Ania Magliano, Ross Noble and Josh Widdicombe, plus food stalls and plenty of beer to keep you laughing all day long.
July 15-19, Old Royal Naval College
Somerset House series
Over 11 consecutive nights, the gorgeous courtyard of Somerset House — officially known as the Edmond J Safra Fountain Court — plays host to a series of concerts. Featuring artists including rising pop star Naïka, psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips, Mercury Prize winner Benjamin Clementine and British indie band The Cribs, there’s certainly plenty of variety on offer, and it’s one of the best places in the city to bask in London summer.
July 16-26, Somerset House
The Greenwich + Docklands International Festival
Free theatre and installations spilling across Greenwich and the Docklands? Yes, please. The Greenwich + Docklands International Festival brings a programme of outdoor shows to London each year, with 2026’s theme announced as “We Move”. The festival opens with 360, a new work by French choreographer Mehdi Kerkouche, which will convert General Gordon Square in Woolwich into an open-air dance arena.
August 21 to September 6, Greenwich and the Docklands
