The best things to do in London this summer

Thanks to the city’s wealth of queer bars, clubs, nights and other spaces, London’s LGBTQ+ scene is among the most fabulous in the world. But, it’s Pride Month when the LGBTQ+ celebrations really take off, as Pride in London fills the city with LGBTQ-themed events, protests and parties. At its very centre is the annual Pride parade. 

This year London’s Pride parade will place on Saturday, July 1 and once again this year the route will begin in Hyde Park, heading down to Piccadilly Circus, before ending in Whitehall Place. 

This year’s line-up of live acts and floats is yet to be announced, but if previous years are anything to go by expect marching, floats and dancing, singers, dancers, lip-synchers and entertainers performing over multiple stages. 

For a lot of Londoners, Notting Hill Carnival flashes by in a blaze of feathers, Red Stripe and tinnitus. To those who make it happen, it is a year-round operation to create one of the biggest and oldest street parties in the world. More than two million people are expected to flock to west London to watch the iconic parade showcasing the best of mas, soca, calypso, steel bands and soundsystems over the bank holiday weekend. Dazzling floats, check. Kaleidoscopically dressed performers, check. Rib-shaking soundsystems, check. The sweet, smoky smell of jerk chicken, check. What ’cha waiting for? 

Joining a long list of legendary names that includes David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Patti Smith, Grace Jones and David Byrne, Chaka Khan is taking on Southbank Centre’s fabulous annual Meltdown Festival, and the first few performers have just been announced. Todrick Hall (June 16), Speakers Corner Quartet and the Guildhall Orchestra (June 17), Incognito (June 19) and Morcheeba (June 22) are just a handful of the names on the programme, with plenty more to be announced. You can expect a celebration of all things Chaka, as it marks a whopping 50 years of her career as a musician. In that time, she's sold 100 million records, won ten Grammys and released absolute bangers like 'Ain't Nobody', 'I'm Every Woman', 'I Feel for You' – need we go on?

At Time Out we’re big fans of cosying up in our favourite London cinemas and entering a whole new world through the power of projection. But, when the sun’s out and the weather’s at its best, hiding away in a dark, stuffy room isn’t quite as appealing. Thank god then, for outdoor cinemas letting us get our film fix under the stars and with a sweet summer breeze in our hair. Al fresco movie spots pop up all over the city as the weather gets warmer, from canals and parks to rooftops overlooking the city skyline and the manicured gardens of stately homes. Basically, if there’s space for a screen, someone is putting one up – here are some of the best ones.

Since its inception in 2018, All Points East has earned a reputation for a varied blend of musical styles and genres. Back in Vicky Park for another instalment, it’s confirmed big-hitting 2024 headliners including Kaytranada (Friday August 16), Loyle Carner (Saturday 17 August 17),  Mitski (Sunday August 18), LCD Soundsystem (Friday August 23), APE presents Field Day (Saturday August 24) and The Postal Service / Death Cab For Cutie (Sunday August 25). As well as the ticketed weekend events, look out for All Points East In the Neighbourhood, the festival’s free midweek programme of community activities including film screenings, live sports, theatre, family fun and more. 

RECOMMENDED: 
LCD Soundsystem and Loyle Carner at All Points East 2024.
Kaytranada at All Points East 2024.
Mitski at All Points East 2024.
Field Day at All Points East 2024.

The RA’s annual showcase of all the artists you need to know about right now will return for its 256th edition to brighten up the summer holidays. The world’s oldest open submission exhibition (which means anyone can enter their work to be considered for inclusion), the artist with the big job of sifting through the works and curating them this year is sculptor Ann Christopher. Expect work from plenty of familiar names as well as newly elected Royal Academicians, alongside a selection of interesting stuff from thousands of entrants. It’s a good opportunity to spot an art star of the future. And also see weird stuff by your mate’s mum.

We’ve got the lowdown on exactly which sky-high bars are open for cool cocktails on hot summer days. These places can be pretty popular, so it’s worth booking where you can. From swanky city skyscrapers to informal warehouse hangouts, cheers to getting up on the roof.   

As much as we love London here at Time Out, we’re also partial to the odd daydream about a leisurely getaway to somewhere that’s not quite so big and busy. Microdose on that holiday vibe by taking a day trip to one of the many laidback, joy-inducing destinations just a few hours away from London, which pack in plenty. From historic cities and cute villages to sandy beaches and rolling countryside, we’ve rounded up our favourite day-tripping spots, complete with our recommendations of cute pubs and ace restaurants – all close enough to London to get there and back in one sweet day. 

Presented by Michelin-starred chef and longtime ‘Great British Menu’ judge Tom Kerridge, this touring food and music festival aims to bring a convivial public house atmosphere to the great outdoors with loads of delicious pub grub and equally enticing live performances. This year, it’s back for four weekends in and around London throughout the summer: Marlow (May 16-19), Chiswick (June 28-30), Reigate (July 12-14), St Albans (September 6-8). On the menu is an exciting roster of new chefs, ranging from ‘Bake Off’ judge Mary Berry to Jeremy Chan of Ikoyi, alongside returning favourites like Michel Roux Junior, Simon Rimmer, Andi Oliver, Angela Hartnett’s Cafe Murano and Kerridge’s own The Hand & Flowers. Music-wise, the pop-heavy line-up features the likes of Scouting for Girls, Paloma Faith, Jools Holland, McFly and Olly Murs.

Due to take over north London’s iconic Roundhouse throughout June, The Last Word Festival is back for its brilliant eleventh edition. The fest is one of the best in the UK for championing exciting voices and emerging talent in the world of spoken word, and what better live venue could there be to host it? This year, there’ll be poetry slam heats, where 18-25 year olds can compete for a cash prize, and a session called ‘redacted’ where poems are created by removing words from articles, chapters or magazines, plus much, much more.

Wireless returns to Finsbury Park for 2024 with a line-up that’s positively bulging with hip-hop, R&B and grime talent. Spanning trap, grime, experimental and beyond, there's more A-list talent here than the Met Gala. Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, 21 Savage, J Hus and Future – all bona fide superstars. That's not all though, you've got a crowd-pleasing array of rising artists like Ice Spice, Asake, Rema, Gunna, Sean Paul, Sexyy Red, Tyla and Digga D who could quite possibly provide those 'I was there when' moments. It’s looking massive.

Munch your way through dishes from the great and the good of the capital’s restaurant scene at this sprawling culinary festival in the picturesque surroundings of central London’s Regent’s Park. Korean rabata (barbecue) restaurant Roka, South American fusion from YOPO and Big Mamma’s quintet of maximalist Italian joints (that’s Gloria, Circolo Popolare, Ave Mario, Jacuzzi and Carlotta) are among the line-up of restaurants peddling plates to celebrate the event’s 20th anniversary. If you’re not in a food coma by the end, there’ll also be kitchen masterclasses, chef talks and tastings to get involved with. Our advice? Have some Rennies on hand. 

Bring on a summer of alfresco excellence. Whether you’re in the mood for spaghetti in the sun or schnitzel by starlight, our big ol’ list should have you covered. Just be sure to book ahead, yeah? A lot of people are going to want to eat, drink and be merry outside. 

We know Skepta is a man of many talents: he's a rapper, a DJ, a record label head and a fashion designer. And now he's a festival curator. This July, the famous Londoner has curated two stages personally, assembling a star-studded, multi-genre lineup of artists for an unmissable celebration of the music he cares about. Catch his only UK performance of 2024, alongside unmissable sets from The Streets, Mahalia, JME, Lancey, K-Trap, Odumodublvck, The Den featuring Frisco, Flowdan, Sir Spyro, Infamousizak, Manga, Thafirst and a special guest. You've also got some of house and amapiano's biggest stars taking over The Más Tiempo Stage, with the likes of Loco Dice, Uncle Waffles, Syreeta and Kitty Amor all locked in. 

With over 100 stalls, a traditional Victorian fun fair, a beer tent and a tea tent, a dog show with a VIP judge, tug of war, and live local bands, Kew’s Midsummer Fete is a brilliant way to chill out on the village green this month. But there’s plenty more to 2024’s edition of the popular afternoon, including a karate display, inflatables and a charity raffle, too. The best part? Entry is free, but all your well-spent cash will be going to some very worthy causes – last year raised more than £22,000 for local charities like Richmond Food Bank and the Riverbank Trust. 

There are few things greater in life than gathering up your mates and heading to the park to grill up a feast under the sizzling summer sun. It’s a simple pleasure, but one that somehow makes your grub taste even better than it would in boring old indoors. Just don’t spoil the day by scorching the grass and leaving a mess behind you. Most of London’s lush green spaces are reserved for picnics only, but there are some major parks and local gardens where you’re officially allowed to fire up the BBQ. We’ve rounded up the best spots in the city where it’s totally chill to grill. 

Somerset House Summer Series is back for another year. Held in the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court amid the iconic Neoclassical building, this open-air series of gigs has long held space for both exciting up-and-comers and well-known trailblazers from the UK and beyond. This year’s series runs for 11 days in mid July, and features the likes of The Patti Smith Quartet, Corinne Bailey Rae, The Big Moon, Hak Baker and some special guests to be announced. Watch this space!

Nothing says summer like the tennis whites, strawberries and cream and Pimms of Wimbledon. But what if you missed out on ballot tickets in the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and simply can’t face camping out on the street for day tickets? No problem. As usual, London will be peppered with big screens showing all the Murray Mound (okay, Henman Hill) action in so much blown-up high-res glory that you might as well be court-side. There’s a screen for everyone, with some offering special-edition cocktails and finger food and coming with pop-up tennis lessons. We’ve rounded up the best of them here. 

Super-director Jamie Lloyd is renowned for his powers of celebrity wrangling. But even by his standards this is quite the coup: his production of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’ will star Tom Holland, aka Spider-Man himself, in his first stage role since a lengthy stint in ‘Billy Elliot’ as a child actor. Holland will, of course, be playing Romeo alongside the relatively unknown Frances Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet. Stylistically, we can certainly expect a contemporary setting and stripped-back aesthetic, though last year’s peerless ‘Sunset Boulevard’ did see Lloyd get back to his more maximalist roots with its gargantuan video wall and copious use of gore – you’d think a bit of the ol’ claret has to be an option for Lloyd’s take on Shakespeare’s high-ish body-count romantic tragedy. 

Beer gardens are one of the best things about London. There’s no finer way to spend a sunny (or not-so-sunny) afternoon in the capital, than sipping a few cold ones with the city’s famous skyline in the background. We want you to relish in the pleasure of supping away in the breezy great outdoors, so here are the best alfresco pint-sipping spots the city has to offer. 

Is it just us or does Field Day feel way younger than 17 years old? Time flies, eh? Drawing in over 50,000 ravers to its soirée in Viccy Park, the festival is back with an electronic-leaning line-up for 2024, and The biggest draws: Justice, who’re back with a new album and a fresh set of house bangers, and Gen Z garage-pop girlie PinkPantheress. There are also achingly cool acts like Vegyn, Yaeji, Shygirl, Brutalismus 300, Romy, Charlotte de Witte and Mura Masa.

Let’s be honest: urban beaches are in no way as good as real beaches. We’re not going to stand here and try and kid of you of that. There’s no sea to swim in. There’s very limited access to high-quality fish and chips. It’s very unlikely you can go surfing at one. That being said... you can’t catch the Tube to the coast, so when you’re too busy for an actual trip to the seaside, why not make life a bit easier for yourself and visit an urban beach? They have sand, they have cocktails, they often have beach parties and they sometimes (when we’re lucky) get a bit of sun. We’re not going to turn our noses up at any of that. So, we’ve rounded up the very best ones in the city. 

The musical version of DreamWorks’ hit noughties franchise about a tempestuous Scottish ogre returns to London for six weeks this summer, thirteen years after its first stint on the West End. The production company’s first attempt to emulate Disney’s success with stage adaptations wasn’t exactly a roaring success last time round, but this touring version of ‘Shrek the Musical’ features a completely different cast, and arrives in town just as the swamp-dweller appears to be having some sort of ironically cool revival among the Gen Z audience who first watched the films as kids. Don’t believe us? Check out our hard-hitting on-the-ground reporting from the UK’s first Shrek rave last year.

There’s perhaps nothing more magical than seeing a play or musical in the open air, and London is absolutely the city for it. In defiance of the weather gods, our outdoor theatre season now stretches from March to late October: we’re just that tough. Substantially it revolves around a few key theatres; Shakespeare’s Globe – open March to October – and the delightful Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, which is open late spring to the end of summer. But there’s plenty of other stuff, especially as the summer reaches its height, from the ambitious street theatre of the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival to the musical theatre blowout of West End Live and an eclectic blend of drag, dance and circus at the National Theatre’s River Stage.

The Lambeth Country Show is back. Just as it has done since 1974, this year’s show will bring countryside pursuits to Brockwell Park. Over its history, certain traditions have developed, like getting a glimpse of Vauxhall City Farm’s alpacas, downing a massive carton of Chucklehead’s super-strong cider and joining the long queue to see the pun-derful entrants in the vegetable sculpture competition. Look out for sheep-shearing, sheepdog and owl displays, an on-site mini farm and lots, lots more. Live music will be heard from two stages over the weekend, too. Craft beer, catering from around the world, homemade cakes and other refreshments will be on sale, and – as ever – entry is free. More than 100,000 people typically descend on Lambeth for the show, so expect to be elbowing your way through the crowds.

Want to get more involved with your food than just mere peeling, chopping and cooking? Head to a pick-your-own farm in and around London to get as close as you can get to the process without growing your fruit and vegetables yourself. Core picking season is May to August, but the produce available depends on the season. Go along in June to fill a punnet with gleaming strawberries, delight in sunflowers in August, or gather autumnal apples, pumpkins and squashes in September – the choice is yours! London is surrounded by farms with acres of PYO fields to keep you busy all summer.

Heading into the fields and getting picking isn’t just a great day trip (although it definitely is that, too) – it’s also a brilliant way of boosting your sustainability, cutting out all that extra plastic packaging at the supermarket. Plus, you’ll be able to snap a ton of stunning selfies and keep the kids occupied.

REMEMBER: Check the farm’s website beforehand to find out what produce is available, as crop seasons change from year to year. And no eating while you pick. Keep all your juicy finds in their punnets for weighing up.

RECOMMENDED: Outdoor London

The renowned Sundance Film Festival returns to London to give film buffs the chance to view more thought-provoking, emotion-stirring movies. The 2024 festival will open with ‘Kneecap’, the first-ever Irish language film to premiere at Sundance, which tells the story of a rising Belfast rap group and their mission to save their native language. Closing night will boast the UK premiere of ‘Dìdi (弟弟)’, Oscar-nominated director Sean Wang’s ode to first-generation teenagers in the Bay Area. Stay tuned for the full programme, which is announced in late April. 

Prince Albert might be best known for the debate over whether he actually had ‘that piercing’. But he also helped devise the Great Exhibition, an embarrassment of world riches and inventions that drew 6 million visitors to Hyde Park in 1851. Albert then used the funds raised by the exhibition to help develop the V&A, the Natural History Museum and the Royal Albert Hall. Those grand institutions are once again joining forces this June for two days of events inspired by the 1851 bonanza. Everything is free (if you register), and the programme is as mixed as a family bag of Revels. Head down if you fancy an AI silent disco, constructing mini robots or learning about revolutionary medical technology. 

The great and good of the city’s queer nightlife scene are once again coming together for this massive day-to-night festival celebrating LGBTQ+ clubbing culture in London and beyond. Having outgrown its first home in Hackney Wick, Body Movements is making the move to Southwark Park for its biggest and best edition on the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday. Adonis, Bid Dyke Energy, Little Gay Brother, Love Child, MARICAS, NYC Downlow, Pxssy Palace, Queer House Party, Riposte and unfold are just a handful of the 25+ clubnights and collectives involved this time around. And there are some pretty exciting names on the line-up, including Swedish rapper and singer COBRAH, who previously headlined the festival’s Winter 2023 edition and Berlin-based DJ LSDXOXO and French singer and producer Coucou Chloe. Be sure to sign up to emails for information on ticket sales in due course. 

Come late June, the outskirts of the city are overcome with aA sudden sweet, herbal scent and shocks of vibrant purple, as lavender season arrives in the city. Immerse yourself in a purple haze this summer by visiting one of the capital’s fragrant lavender gardens, or head out of town on a day trip to find sweeping fields of the stuff. Kennington Park, Kew Gardens and Vauxhall Park are top London destinations for lavender and there are farms dedicated to the mauve blooms just outside the capital, in Kent, Surrey and Hertfordshire. Whether you’re after a sweet-smelling picnic spot or just want to watch the bees for a bit, London and its neighbours’ lavender will be happy to oblige.