20 brilliant ways to celebrate the August bank holiday in London

Summer in London wouldn't be summer in London without the Notting Hill Carnival. Taking place on August bank holiday weekend each year since 1966, it’s grown into Europe’s largest street festival, attracting more than two and half million people annually.

With parades, masquerade, floats, dancing, steel bands and soundsystems, as well as dozens of Caribbean food stalls, Carnival is proper treat for every one of your senses. Click through to find everything you need to know about this year’s event, including the parade route, details on the different sound systems in attendance, and a schedule for proceedings.

Since debuting in 2018, All Points East has garnered a reputation for building some of the most exciting line-ups in the UK, and 2026 is no exception. Its second and final weekend takes place over the August bank holiday, and sees Tyler, The Creator taking over the festival for two nights, with support from  Rex Orange County, Turnstile, Ravyn Lenae, Daniel Caeser, Ghostface Killah, Danny Brown, Mariah The Scientist and more, before Twenty One Pilots headline Bank Holiday Monday, playing alongside Wunderhorse, Ren and Nova Twins. 

Feeling spontaneous? There are still a small number of two-day tickets left for Tyler’s takeover, as well as some final-release tickets for Twenty One Pilots, starting at £117. 

There are few more striking spots to catch a movie than the iconic surrounds of the Barbican Sculpture Court. As usual, the City of London’s temple of the arts has an inventively curated line-up in store for the final week of August. This year’s line-up is a kaleidoscopic array of films and filmmaking styles, ranging from Spike Lee concert docs to Denis Villeneuve science fiction, via the French New Wave and the best of Iranian cinema. Standard tickets are £20 (£18 concessions and £10 for under-18s) and there’s street food to feast on while you sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Things are getting tropical in Croydon. The rooftop of Centrale’s multi-storey car park has been filled with sand, beach huts and a water splash zone to create London’s latest summer hangout. There’s more than sunbathing on offer, though. While the day time will be family-focused, this year the south London spot has launched a new ‘Beach Club’ Thursday evening series for adults-only. Kick off your bank holiday this week with pre-carnival dancehall acts celebrating South London talent, or pop down with the family over the rest of the weekend to build sandcastles in the giant sand pit, paddle in the splash zones, play super-sized chess and sample slap-up street food and drinks. And the best bit? Entry is completely free!

This charming August bank holiday festival is back for a fourth time in 2026, transforming Battersea Park into a serene space to take in rchestral renditions of your favourite tunes. 

This year’s line-up sees the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra take to the stage for Pop Symphonic, a night of ultimate party classics, reimagined live; think ABBA, Britney, Elton, Madonna and the Spice Girls. There’s also a Movies and Musicals night celebrating the finest sounds from cinema and musical theatre, finishing with a spectacular fireworks finale. 

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra will make an appearance, as will The Amy Winehouse Band celebrating 20 Years of Back to Black. Brand new for this year will also be sets from Sounds of South Africa and the London African Gospel Choir, who’ll be performing Paul Simon’s Graceland live. Grab your tickets here. 

Seasoned London festival-goers have been singing the praises of this 10,000-capacity Southwark Park festival since it debuted in 2023, thanks to its boutique size, community vibe and collaborative line-ups created with help from some of the city’s best culture venues. So we’re pleased to say that Rally is coming back for a fourth edition in 2026, with a very exciting line-up curated by Blood Orange. Dev Hynes – AKA the guy behind Blood Orange – will bring his signature blend of synth funk, experimental beats and emotional depth to Southwark Park. Hynes will headline and has hand-picked the rest of the line-up. Of course, we always knew we could trust his good taste.

The rest of the fest’s programme includes Daniel Avery performing with a full band, ethereal electronic pop girlie james K and the legendary Glaswegian DJ duo Optimo (Espacio). Rally 2026 will see the first ever UK performance from Jump Source – the project of Montréal-based DJs and producers Priori and Patrick Holland – alongside sets from GENA, out-there DJ and producer Parris, a special live show from Roman Flügel, and Pitchfork-approved artists like Norwegian slinky poppers Smerz and US experimental rockers YHWH Nailgun.

It was a hit when it debuted last summer, so it’s no surprise that Secret Cinema is bringing back its 2.5 hour theatrical screening of Grease back for the summer nights of 2026. Returning to Battersea Park, the show that launched a thousand Instagram snaps saw the immersive titants blessedly return to a format wherein the audience actually had to watch the movie (a point that had increasingly become an afterthought in recent Secret Cinema events). 

Expect fancy sets recreating Rydell High and its neighbouring fairground in a super fun show that supplements the recorded John Travolta, Olivia Newton John et al with live dancers and singers. If you like the film Grease and dressing up as if you were in the film Grease (and can look at the ticket prices without swooning like you’ve just been given a hickey by Kenickie) you’ll have a cool time.

After making a spectacular debut last summer with headliners Charli xcx, Jamie xx and Massive Attack, Lido festival 2026 is a slightly more modest event in 2026. Originally scheduled for early June, ground conditions in Victoria Park meant that dates with CMAT and Bombay Bicycle Club unfortunately had to be cancelled. But all was not lost! Maribou State’s headline gig may have been postponed by two months, but it looks to be worth the wait. The electronic duo will be supported by a line-up of dance music legends including Kelis, Folamour, Marie Davidson, Theo Parrish b2b Moodymann, DJ Koze and Kelly Lee Owens.

There might be a lot to be said for London’s outdoor swimming spots, but sometimes you can’t beat a paddle in the waves, some refreshing sea air, and a hearty portion of fish ‘n’ chips. You’ve probably already been on a jaunt down to Brighton, but the British seaside has plenty of more secluded, photogenic destinations absolutely steeped in charm, too – and many of the UK's best beaches can be found within two hours of the capital. Hop on a train and soak up some sun, stat. 

London’s spectacular free Greenwich + Docklands International Festival is back for 2026, taking place over three weeks at the end of the summer as the skies darken and its huge outdoor shows look particularly impressive at night. 

The festival’s second of three weekends falls over the Bank Holiday, and features two performances of Meet My By the Fountain at Romford Market (Aug 28 and 29), a stunning son-et-luminaire bringing Romford’s ‘lost’ Liberty Fountain back to life in probably the most ‘wow’ show of the festival, while Argentina’s Efectos Especiales Aug 29 and 30) will seek to thrust you into an actual action movie on the streets of Greenwich Peninsula. 

If a trip to Hampton Court has been on your to-do list, why not time your visit to coincide with this foodie extravaganza? Over the August Bank Holiday weekend tickets to Henry VIII’s former gaff give you access to more than 150 speciality food stalls, so you can feast like like a Tudor king in the palace’s gorgeous green spaces. There's also pop-up bars, kids’ activities, and an array of local musicians taking to the bandstand to soundtrack your culinary adventure. 

When American wrestling promotion AEW rocked up at Wembley Stadium in 2023 they managed to basically sell the place out, which is pretty impressive for what is essentially a weird, niche pseudo sport. However, ask anyone that did go, and they will tell you it’s a fantastic bloody time and if you’re a fan of cheering, beer, larger-than-life characters and jaw-dropping feats of athleticism you should definitely turn up for this year’s instalment. True fans will be ecstatic to see high-flying Essex export Will Ospreay headline the card, but there’s also more than enough hard-hitting, spectacular action to enthral casuals.

Having outgrown its first home in Hackney Wick, London’s queer nightlife festival Body Movements levelled up in 2024 making a dazzling debut in Southwark Park with five stages showcasing the great and good of the LGBTQ+ party scene in the capital and beyond. We’re thrilled that the great and good of the London queer scene will once again come together in the same location for its 2026 edition, on the Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. This year, the five stages of Body Movements (Mother, The Strap, Snatch, Hot Mess, and Glory Hole) will be helmed by DJs including Babymorocco, Blasha & Allatt, FAFF, Roza Terenzi, Marie Malarie and GIDEÖN as well as collectives like Dalston Superstore, Daytimers, Fèmmme Fraîche and Queer House Party. 

Battersea Power Station already has an indoor chimney lift experience, a huge food court, a lovely cinema and more high street faves than you can hope to get round in a weekend-long shopping spree. Now it’s adding a free summer funfair to its entertainment offering, Electric Summer is an entire seaside town’s worth of things crammed onto a Thames-side patch of concrete. 

The centrepiece is a full roller rink with sessions ranging from wobbly first-timers to Thursday date nights and Saturday silent discos, plus roller fitness classes if you fancy your cardio with a side of nostalgia. Out on the jetty, pétanque courts turn the riverside into a passable stand-in for the south of France, river views included. There's also a big wheel for skyline views, dodgems, a wave swinger and boardwalk games including Lobster Pot and Blockbuster. We aren’t too sure what either involves, but we’re very intrigued. The Boardwalk Bar’s rooftop terrace is also the obvious spot for an after-work pint with a view.

Getting in is free. You only pay if you want to skate or spin around on something.

Get sun and sand without the faff of a two-hour journey on a baking hot train this bank holiday, by heading to Walthamstow’s Big Penny Social, where the courtyard of the UK’s largest beer hall has been transformed into the Big Penny Beach Club for the warmer months. Formerly known as Walthamstow-On-Sea, the seasonal pop-up has had a bit of a glow-up for 2026, with soft golden sands, beach bars and bookable cabanas giving more Balearic than Blackhorse Road, just with more graphic design dads and fewer Wayne Lineker wannabes.

Head down early on Friday evening for an Aperol-sponsored beach party, with live music, DJs and free spritzes for the first 200 guests to arrive, or stop by over the rest of the weekend to soak up some rays on a deck chair, sip frozen cocktails and treat yourself to some fish and chips or a scoop or two of Hackney Gelato. Ibiza’s got nothing on E17!

Another year, another spectacular line-up of classical music as the BBC Proms take over Royal Albert Hall. This year’s orchestral extravaganza features 86 concerts across eight weeks, with over 3,000 artists taking to the stage. There’ll be the chance to hear visiting ensembles from all over the world, including The Met Orchestra, LA Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic and the Spanish National Orchestra, as well as innumerable concerts and recitals from the classical music world’s biggest stars. 

The bank holiday features some wonderfully eclectic programming, including Amsterdam-based psychedelic rock band Altın Gün joining forces with Jules Buckley and the BBC Symphony Orchestra (Friday August 28), Stravinsky and Prokofiev performed by the Oslo Philharmonic (Saturday August 29) and a concert of Alan Menken’s Disney scores featuring music from classics like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid (Sunday August 30). 

Lavender season is here and as August draws to a close, the richly-scented purple blooms – tough enough to survive the hotter days – are in full form. Enjoy them at London’s glorious lavender fields, where the mauve flowers on mass create epic backdrops, perfect for a scenic picnic or your Instagram feed. Kennington Park, Kew Gardens and Vauxhall Park are top destinations for lavender-fanciers. Or make a day of it and head to whole farms dedicated to the mauve blooms just outside the capital, in Kent, Surrey and Hertfordshire.

St Katharine Docks is always worth a visit, with its fascinating line-up of exclusive vessels bobbing on the water, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of central London. Head there this August bank holiday weekend and you’ll find a big additional incentive: a summery jazz festival packed with sultry acts to enjoy by the water.

The free programme features 15 artists performing over three days, on Marble Dock. This international crew include the docks’ artist-in-residence, jazz vocalist Olivia Swann, Brooklyn singer-songwriter Inés Nassara pianist Jamie Safir and more. Pitch up and enjoy a laidback afternoon of new sounds. 

A stroll through Tracey Emin: A Second Life is an evocative experience. Positioned as a 40-year retrospective through the pioneering artist’s vast and varied repertoire, the show lays bare Emin’s life through her distinct and often unsettling art, from career highs – such as the iconic, Turner Prize-nominated ‘My Bed’ (1998)– to stark personal lows in work depicting her experiences with sexual violence, abortion and recent life-threatening illness.

This exhibition perfectly encapsulates Emin’s defiant approach to life and her ability to turn traumatic experiences into mesmerising art. You’ll leave feeling emotionally rung out, but struck by the realisation that ‘Mad Tracey from Margate’ is truly a force to be reckoned with.

This hugely popular installation from British artist Luke Jerram has visited more than 30 countries since it was first displayed at Bluedot Festival back in 2018. An internally-lit, seven-metre-wide replica Earth made using detailed NASA imagery, the sculpture is supposed to give you a taste of the Overview Effect that astronomers describe when viewing our pale blue dot from outer space. 

It’s stopping off at Royal Festival Hall over the August bank holiday. Visitors can get up close to the sculpture suspended above the concert hall’s stage throughout the Saturday, or settle in for two atmospheric concerts,  BBC Concert Orchestra’s ‘Sounds of the Earth’, featuring heavenly works for strings, including pieces by Vaughan Williams and Oscar-winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, or Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre’s ‘Eternity in an Hour’, involving choral voices, cello and electronic instruments.