August events in London

For a lot of Londoners, Notting Hill Carnival on the August Bank Holiday Weekend flashes by in a blaze of feathers, Red Stripe and tinnitus. To those who make it happen, it’s a year-round operation to create one of the biggest and oldest street parties in the world. More than two million people usually flock to the streets of W11 for Carnival weekend. It’s free to join the family day on the Sunday, as well as the Monday street party which is for the hard partiers. It’s a celebration of freedom and Caribbean culture, with an iconic parade showcasing the best of mas, soca, calypso, steel bands and soundsystems. What are you waiting for? 

All Points East returns to Vicky Park for its seventh edition in 2026. Since debuting in 2018, the festival has garnered a reputation for building some of the most exciting line-ups in the UK. Its headliners are often indie or dance-focused big-hitters, while its undercards are packed with cult heroes and rising stars you can say you saw first. If your music preferences lie in the Venn diagram of indie and electronic then this is the festival for you, with the likes Idles, Jorja Smith + Tems, Lorde, and a Tyler, the Creator double weekender.

What a treat for London to get two major Cate Blanchett stage performances two years on the trot. A major stage force long before her screen career took off, Blanchett famously co-ran the Sydney Theatre Company with her husband Andrew Upton for five years, and has taken plenty of work to New York, but her London appearances tend to have been confined to avant-garde projects that were difficult to get tickets to: see her previous National Theatre turn in 2019’s weirdy When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other.

But with last year’s The Seagull at the Barbican the double Academy Award winner – and now Sussex resident – signalled that she was ready for still artsy but relatively more mainstream work on bigger stages, and that continues with Electra/Persona.

Directed and adapted by fellow Aussie Benedict Andrews, it’s a mash-up of Ancient Greek classic Electra and Ingmar Bergman’s more recent 1966 masterpiece Persona. Blanchett will be joined by her Tár co-star Nina Hoss and young Black Doves star Ella Lily Hyland. It’s not yet clear who is playing who, although doomed princess Electra and Persona’s leads Elisabet and Alma offers three obviously leads (though it may not be as simple as all that).

Somerset House has hosted fashion shows, ice rinks, open-air gigs and cinema in its Fountain Court, but never stand-up comedy, until now. This July, the courtyard plays host to five days of non-stop punchlines as Laughterama touches down for the first time, bringing seven shows and a stacked line-up of British comedy talents you’ll recognise from the telly.

Wednesday's opener sees Taskmaster champion Sam Campbell and chaos merchant Ross Noble share a bill with the BAFTA-nominated Bridget Christie. Meanwhile, Thursday belongs to Josh Widdicombe, fresh off dissecting other people's parenting on his podcast, alongside the brilliantly deadpan Rosie Jones. Dara Ó Briain and ventriloquist Nina Conti headline Friday, before a weekend of double-show days featuring basically everyone you’ve ever seen on a panel show in the last five years, including  Sara Pascoe, Phil Wang, Fern Brady, Ania Magliano, Catherine Bohart, Tom Allen, Nick Mohammed, Ed Gamble and Tim Key.

Factor in a stop at the food and drink stalls dotted around the courtyard, because nothing pairs better with chuckles in the sunshine than an overpriced Aperol spritz.

Seasoned London festival-goers have been singing the praises of Rally since it debuted in 2023, thanks to its boutique size, community feel and carefully curated line-ups. The 10,000-capacity Southwark Park festival returns for its fourth edition in 2026, with a programme curated by Blood Orange. Dev Hynes – the musician behind Blood Orange – will headline the festival and has personally selected the rest of the line-up, bringing his signature blend of synth-funk, experimental sounds and soulful songwriting to the stage. Joining him are Daniel Avery performing with a full band, electronic pop artist james K and legendary Glasgow DJ duo Optimo (Espacio). Rally will also host the first-ever UK performance from Jump Source, the collaboration between Montréal producers Priori and Patrick Holland, alongside sets from GENA, Parris, Roman Flügel, Norwegian duo Smerz and US experimental rock outfit YHWH Nailgun.

It’s finally happened: human civilization has finally lasted long enough that there is a second British production of Cats. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s blockbuster adaptation of TS Eliot’s whimsical book of feline kids’ poetry was the quintessential musical of the ’80s, and now it’s back in a new version directed and chreographed by OAT boss Drew McOnie.

He’s a slick, commercial director with something of a dance focus, but he’s unlikely to do a Jamie Lloyd-style deconstruction of it, but any new take will probably feel inherently radical purely by dint of trying something different in any way.

Maiden Voyage is back in Burgess Park for its 2026 edition. And, as ever, it has booked some of the finest names and clubnights from across London’s rave scene. Pxssy Palace, HOWL, Live From Earth and UNFOLD will each take over one of the festival’s four stages with their curation of some of the biggest names in contemporary electronic music. Confidence Man will be there, as will HAAi, DJ Heartstring, Taylah Elaine, Tokischa and SHERELLE. 

Edinburgh isn't the only place with a bursting, brilliant fringe, and indeed as the Scottish capital’s iconic annual event becomes ever more expensive, the once scrappy outsider Camden Fringe looks ever more like a serious alternative for the London-based. Returning for its nineteeth edition, it’s smaller than Edinburgh by a long shot, but still boasts hundreds of events all over Camden, taking in everything from the expected stand-up sets and experimental theatre to kids’ shows, dance, and even magic. Runs tend to be for a night or two rather than the entire month, and prices are bargain basement by London standards: many shows are less than a tenner, none are much more than that. Check out their website for all the details on the programme, as there’s far too much to gather here.

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.

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 opens in Power Station Park and along the Coaling Jetty from 29 July, and it’s 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.

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. More names are still to be announced. 

Clint Dyer may no longer be National Theatre deputy artistic director, but he remains front and centre of its 2026 programming as he helms a widescreen Olivier Theatre UK premiere of Tracey Scott Wilson’s 2003 play. Based on a series of real-life stories, it follows four journalists as they frantical scrabble to land the story of a white teacher murdered in a Black neighbourhood. Letitia Wright of Black Panther fame is the big name in the cast – other members include Ashley Thomas, Lorraine Toussaint and Wilf Scolding.

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.

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Another year, another spectacular line-up of classical music. This year, the orchestral extravaganza that is the BBC Proms will feature 86 concerts across eight weeks, with over 3,000 artists taking to the stage, with the majority of the action taking place inside the grand surroundings of London’s Royal Albert Hall.  

This month offers Londoners the chance to hear visiting ensembles from all over the world includingNew York’s Juilliard School Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, as well as homegrown ensembles including Aurora Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Highlights of the month’s programming include Mahler’s First Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, evening dedicated to the music of Marvin Gaye and Miles Davis, and a few different all-American programmes to mark the 250th anniversary of US Independence. 

Sure, London has got plenty of lidos, the Hamsptead ponds and the River Lea (AKA costa del Hackney), but sometimes a small body of water just doesn’t cut it. Sometimes, what you need is to feel buffeted by the strong coastal wind, smell the sea salt and hear the squawking of seagulls. So isn’t it great that London is surrounded by quaint and picturesque seaside towns, and many can be reached within an hour or two. From the up-and-coming St Leonards, to old faithful’s like Brighton and Margate, escape the heat at one of these gorgeous beach-side spots. 

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London’s most ravey festival will take over Brentford’s Boston Manor Park once again this July, with some of the biggest names in techno and house. Celebrating its 10th birthday this year, Junction 2 will span a mega two weekends with an absolutley stacked line-up featuring the godmothers and godfathers of electronic music alongside exciting contemporary talent. DJs announced for 2026 include Nina Kraviz, Adam Beyer, Franky Wah, Jeff Mills, Francesco del Garda, Gabrielle Kwarteng b2b Peach, I Hate Models, Miss Monique, Nicolas Lutz.  

A big coup for Hampstead Theatre here, as it bags the UK premiere of the wildly acclaimed US indie musical Kimberley Akimbo. Created by composer Jeanine Tesori and writer David Lindsay-Abaire, it’s an all-singing adaptation of Adams’s relatively obscure 2000 play of the same name, which follows the eponymous heroine, a 16-year-old girl afflicted by a rare/essentially magical disease that makes her age four times faster than usual. This means she has the appearance of an elderly woman while essentially being a teen.

And apparently it’s wonderful! It bagged multiple wins at the 2023 Tony Awards – including the all important best new musical – and ran for a year-and-a-half on Broadway. Now it’s headed over here, albeit in a brand new production from Michael Longhurst, who did such a bang up job at the same address a few years back with Tesori’s Caroline, or Change.

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. On the 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.

Thamesmead Festival has been going for over half a century now, so it knows a thing or two about how to throw an epic party. This family-friendly day out boasts music acts spread out over multiple stages in Southmere Park, as well as dance, comedy acts, a dog show and more. There'll also be stalls selling food, drink and crafts, making it a fun place to hang out, soak up the atmosphere, and get to know Thamesmead's local communities.

Nothing says summer quite like the towering stalks and glowing yellow petals of the noble sunflower. Get neck-deep in heliotropic heaven at these golden fields full of custard-yellow blooms, which are at their peak from August to September.

No longer the newbie on the block, London’s Jazz Cafe returns for its third edition in early August. It’s leaving behind its former home of Burgess Park and moving to a secret location. Headlining the 15,000-capacity festival in 2026 is R&B star Ari Lennox, known for her hits ‘Pressure’ and ‘Shea Butter Baby’, making it the singer’s only UK date in 2026. The rest of the line-up has been meticulously curated by the Jazz Cafe gang, spanning jazz (of course), R&B, hip hop and electronic sounds with the likes of Greentea Peng, Smino and Durand Bernarr topping the bill. 

Can you believe we’re somehow on the fifth instalment of beloved movie series Toy Story? Well, if you’re a superfan (or a clued up kid) you'll probably already be well on top of this development. So take your love of Woody, Buzz and the gang to the next level with a trip to this free pop-up called Bonnie’s Playtime at Westfield. Bonnie can t remember where she's hidden her toys, and kids are invited to track them down, on a fun digital rescue mission. Head to The Disney Store and you'll also find Toy Story 5-themed area The Ranch, with crafts and products to sample and play. 

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. 

Celebrating its 31st edition in 2026, the festival will kick off with 360 (Aug 21, General Gordon Square, Woolwich), a huge outdoor electronic dance work. This is followed by the return of the beloved Greenwich Fair (Aug 23 and 24), which combines family friendly games and activities throughout Greenwich with spectacular acrobatic works, largely in Greenwich Park.

Meet My By the Fountain (Romford Market, Aug 28 and 29) will be a stunning son-et-luminaire bringing Romford’s ‘lost’ Liberty Fountain back to life, and in probably the most ‘wow’ show of the festival Argentina’s Efectos Especiales (pictured, Aug 29 and 30, Greenwich Peninsula) will seek to thrust you into an actual action movie.

If you don’t have kids you probably don’t know who or what Dog Man is and you probably don’t need to know who or what Dog Man is – Dog Man: The Musical is quite possibly not for you. But in any case, it is of course an all-singing stage adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s meta graphic novels for primary schoolers, a wilfully dumb story of a police officer whose head is indeed replaced with that of a dog, making for a somewhat improbable crimefighter whose chief nemesis is Petey, a villainous cat supervillain.

It doesn’t exactly sounds like the stuff of classic musical theatre, but by all account this stage version – by Kevin Del Aguila and Brad Alexander – was a real cult treat off-Broadway and now Jen Wineman’s original US production is getting a UK premiere. Catch it at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall at the begining of its summer tour. 

We're light years away from the world where food at festivals was a greasy afterthought: now, eating something delicious is a pretty core part of the experience. Even so, new festival Back of House is taking things up a notch. This fest prides itself on bringing the food and music worlds together on an equal footing, so expect a stellar line-up on both fronts. Chefs will cook in an open fire kitchen in the round, ready for adoring fans to scrutinise their every move: the line-up includes Albert Smith (Smoking Goat), Elliot Hashtroudi (Camille), Holly Middleton Joseph (Hausu), and Suzie Bakos (The Little Sauce).

The music side of the line-up includes performances from Children of Zeus, Bel Cobain, Tia Gordon, Catching Flies (with String Quartet), 2FOX, Josh Caffé, Flo Dill, NIKS, Ishmael Ensemble. Drinks aren't neglected either: you can swap underwhelming draught beers for delights from Black Wine Club, Dram, Hector's, and Salseo. Cheers to that!

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’ series on Thursday evenings in August for adults-only. Each week will feature a different theme, from garage DJ nights, drag-hosted lip sync battles and pre-carnival dancehall acts to sip & paint sessions and music bingo, with all the line-ups celebrating South London talent. There’ll also be slap-up street food and drinks. 

Dance-theatre choreographer superstar Matthew Bourne brings back his critically acclaimed The Car Man to London for the first time since 2022. Based loosely on Bizet's opera ‘Carmen’ (see what he did there?), The Car Man is set in a garage-diner in ‘60s America, where small town passions are shattered by the arrival of a handsome stranger. Bourne’s shows – all danced by New Adventures – are usually frolicking, brightly coloured spectacles which popularise old classics for the modern generation.

Electronic music will be returning to the Old Royal Naval College (a UNESCO World Heritage Site!) again this summer. Labyrinth On The Thames – masterminded by promoter Labryinth – will see different artists from around the world take over the historic digs for six days of unmissable performances. Headliners for 2026 have been confirmed: The Kooks top the bill on July 31, Dom Dolla will headline on August 1; Peggy Gou leads the lineup on August 2 joined by Prospa, Kelly Lee Owens and MPH; Overmono are heading up August 7 alongside Erika de Casier and Nick Leon b2b Verraco; on August 8, electronic duo Adriatique will perform an extended set; Anjunadeep will headline on August 9;  Moby plays live on August 15 and finally, the whole thing will conclude with an extended set from Michael Bibi on August 16. 

Even the most sensitive of children tend to derive a certain amount of pleasure from watching things explode. And in that respect this live spin off of the defunct Sky children’s show Brainiac: Science Abuse delivers.

It starts with a caravan being detonated and ends with the destruction of a microwave: in between various gas-filled balloons are exploded, one of the enthusiastic young presenters gets strapped to a rocket propelled office chair, and several of them learn the hard way how an electrified fence works.

If you struggle to get your tweenager to get on with their science homework, this might help to convince them that learning the periodic table might actually prove to be worth their while. 

Beer gardens are one of the best things about London. There’s no finer way to spend a sunny (or even not-so-sunny) afternoon in the capital, than supping on a couple of cold boys under the city’s azure-ish sky. If you’re looking to sink some pints in the breezy great outdoors, we’ve got you covered with our tried-and-tested list of the city’s best beer gardens.