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?
It might be tempting to spend August lost in fantasies about escaping on a luxury holiday with no sweaty commutes, overcrowded beer-gardens or un-air-conditioned restaurants to contend with. But London's hottest, stickiest month can also be pretty damn lovely if you know how to do it right.
August has got a festival feel, and the biggest party on its line-up is Notting Hill Carnival – which takes over the streets of west London for the bank holiday weekend. When you’re not having a riotous time dancing to tinnitus-inducing dance hall with a pocket full of Red Stripe, there are plenty of other ways to get your fill of live music this month. All Points East and Body Movements are among the many festivals pitching their tents and blasting music across various parks in London.
It wouldn't be summer in London without outdoor theatres like Shakespeare's Globe or Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, which serve up spellbinding performances that'll bring magic to the long summer evenings. Or keep your cool with some of this city's more chill ways to spend an afternoon, like lido swims, lazy days in the park, outdoor-cinema sessions and all the other alfresco pleasures that summer in London has to offer, before September puts an autumnal chill in the air.
Plan your whole year with our BIG London events calendar.
