London events in July 2025

Wireless returns to Finsbury Park for 205 with a line-up of Drake, Drake and more Drake. No, we're serious.

Join Champagne Papi for London's biggest hip-hop, R&B and grime festival as he headlines the long weekend with three different setlists to reflect the show's 20th anniversary. The line-up is very much TBC but it currently includes a few special guests (Drake's pals) and teases 'many more acts still to be announced'.

From the look of things, the days have been grouped by vibe/genre, with Summer Walker and PARTYNEXTDOOR suggesting that Friday will lean into R&B and Sunday having slightly more of a reggae, dancehall and Afrobeats vibe with Burna Boy and Vybz Kartel.

Saturday? Well, when Drake first announced 'The Mandem' we were all taking wild guesses. Turns out it's the return of Boy Better Know – who are making their first live appearance in eight years.

Tickets are pretty much gone (it was the fastest-selling Wireless in history) but we'd recommend keeping an eye out in case of resells. 

The last Lyttelton theatre show to be programmed by Rufus Norris prior to his departure looks like a good one: following the Jodie Comer-fuelled West End smash Prima Facie, writer Susie Miller and director Justin Martin join forces with a new star for for follow-up Inter Alia. Rosamund Pike has had a good few years with screen hits Saltburn and The Wheel of Time, and now she makes her National Theatre debut to star as Jessica Parks, a maverick high court judge who precariously balances her work and her home life. We don’t know a lot more about the Miriam Buether-designed show just yet, but the fact Pike will be joined by actors Jamie Glover and Jasper Talbot points to the fact that this won’t be a monologue in the vein of Miller’s last.

It may be known for its sleepy scent and soothing properties, but there’s nothing dozy about the explosion of colour that happens around London’s lavender fields each summer. There are several farms dedicated to the mauve blooms just outside the capital, in Kent, Surrey and Hertfordshire. Immerse yourself in a purple haze this summer by visiting one of London’s fragrant lavender gardens, or head out of town on a day trip to find sweeping fields of the stuff.

Up at the top of Ally Pally this summer, you’ll find a multifaceted web of genres. Where else can you while away the day with renowned DJs like Eats Everything, Sara Cox and DJ Spoony, drum and bass legend Goldie and the familiar hits of Faithless? There’s also comedy on the books from Shappi Khorsandi, the Beatles Dub Club, hip hop karaoke and high-energy Shakespear. This is one festival that truly lives up to its name.

Line-up includes: Faithless, Goldie, Eats Everything, Sara Cox, Sleeper, DJ Spoony

Watch out Ally Pally, there’s a new darts extravaganza in town. The Professional Darts Corporation is putting on a brand new darts championship in Hyde Park, aptly named the Hyde Park Darts Championship. It’s a chance to catch bulls-eyeing big hitters like Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Fallon Sherrock. There will also be special guests Olly Murs, Roman Kemp and Dion Dublin in attendance. Tickets will also gain you entry to the mega craft beer festival BREW//LDN where you can sip on suds from 100 indie and established drinks brands. Darts and booze: winner, winner! 

When the sun’s out and the weather’s at its summery best, hiding away in a dark, stuffy room isn’t the most appealing option. Thank god then, for outdoor cinemas letting us get our film fix under the stars and with a sweet summer breeze in our hair. London is home to some brilliant alfresco movie spots, which will be popping up all over the city in 2025, everywhere from docks and parks to rooftops and manicured gardens. Here’s a list of our favourites. 

It’s been an exciting fixture in London’s musical calendar since 2013, and it’s back with a line-up of some of the biggest stars on the planet. Taking place across weekends in June and July, Hyde Park will host an upmarket festival vibe complete with food, drink and a posh VIP area. On the line-up in July? Folk-pop artist Noah Kahan, and two nights from 2024 breakout star Sabrina Carpenter, before a final weekend trio for the older funsters, in Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts, Stevie Wonder and Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra in what will be the band’s final ever live show.

In the sweltering city heat, few things are more inviting than the prospect of plunging into one of London's finest al fresco swimming pools. And everyone knows it. The capital has well and truly caught the open-air bathing bug over the last few years, but that also means that on the hottest days of the year, you’ll need to book well in advance if you want to secure a poolside spot. The good news is that there’s a bounty of places for getting your outdoor swim fix in the city. Heated or unheated, regimented lanes or wide open water, serious fitness or chilled family fun – these are all of London’s best lidos and outdoor swimming pools for whatever floats your boat.

Somerset House Summer Series is back for another year. Held in the Edmond J. Safra Fountain court, in the enclave of 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. On the bill this year are influential British stars Rizzle Kicks and Giggs, heartfelt singer-songwriters Freya Ridings and Jacob Banks, electro-swing fusionist Parov Stelar, acclaimed folk artist Joy Oladokun, art-rock visionary St. Vincent, Scottish indie band The Snuts, rising R&B trio FLO and Melbourne indie-folk faves The Paper Kites.

Deptford X, SE8’s beloved contemporary visual art festival, is back – but this time with a brand new format. For the first time, it’s going biennial, expanding the festival to 18 days packed with art, exhibitions, events, and a street parade. Plus, fringe art events will leave almost no part of Deptford untouched. An artist callout is currently underway, head to the event website if you fancy applying. Otherwise, watch the space for the final programme.  

Sure, Kew Gardens is maybe London’s most iconic setting to enjoy some horticultural marvels and catch some rays, but it’s also home to this fun little music festival, which is looking to be a proper all-rounder this summer. Craig David will bring his legendary party TS5 to the UNESCO world heritage site, playing all his greatest hits. He’ll be joined on the line-up by UB40, fronted by Ali Campbell, The Human League, DJ Spoony, Alison Moyet, Gypsy Kings and other special guests including Daniel Beddingfield, So Solid Crew and more. 

Anyone who’s keen to replicate Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet's iconic rendition of a doomed romance in the 1997 movie Titanic will fall head over heels for this new immersive show. It’s a new offering from the makers of the surprisingly good virtual reality spectacular Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition, which uses all kinds of cinematic wizardry to bring its world to life. This time, we’re promised immersive 360° projections, a moving VR tribute to the ship’s brave orchestra, and a 5D Augmented Reality Metaverse walk through theTitanic’s decks. A perfect settling to canoodle with your loved one of choose. Or just get nerdy about the Titanic’s story, with plenty of intricate detail about its plunge from art deco design classic to barnacled wreck at the bottom of the ocean. 

Emily Kam Kngwarray is a renowned artist hailing from Australia who pours her experiences as a senior Anmatyerre woman from the country’s Utopia region into her works. This exhibition will take you into her homelands through textiles, paintings, film and audio, covering both land and ancestral heritage.

One of London’s biggest dance music festivals is back to take over Boston Manor Park in 2025. If previous years are anything to go by, you can expect Junction 2 to provide a careful balance of massive names and hotly-tipped up-and-comers across the last Friday, Saturday and Sunday of July. The festival has just released its final lineup, and it’s got some huge names on it. This year you’ve got a stacked selection of house and techno juggernauts like deadmau5, Christian Löffler, Ahmed Spins, Amber Broos and Kolter. They come alongside the likes of Nina Kravitz, Bashkka, Mount Kimbie, Moxie, Midland, DJ Koze and Soul Wax. Basically, it’s the holy grail of raves.

As well as putting on mega stars – with this year’s lineup including Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and Zach Bryan – every year BST Hyde Park also hosts Open House, an eight-day-long event that’s mostly free to attend. On this year’s Open House lineup is House Gospel Choir, Dub Pistols, Trojan Sound System, South London Samba and many more. Plus, if you feel like getting raucous there’s a Bongo’s Bingo party. There are plenty of kid-friendly events, such as West End Kids and Brainiac Remixed. And other than the music, BST is hosting eight open-air cinema nights, showing flicks including The Goonies, Wicked singalong, The Fall Guy and Dune Part 2. 

On Saturday July 26, central London will turn pink and blue as London Trans+ Pride celebrates its seventh year. This event will be extra-important this year, as UK trans rights have been jeopardised by a recent Supreme Court ruling. Full details haven't yet been confirmed, but in previous years, a parade has marched through central London, from Trafalgar Square to Hyde Park Corner’s Wellington Arch. Since 2019, the event has sought to honour the memory of trans lives taken, uphold the next generation of trans revolutionaries and support crucial trans rights. In previous years organisers have asked people taking part to wear flowers ‘to honour the long legacy of transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming and intersex people who came before us.’

Projection-based performance space The Lightroom goes back to the Cretaceous with its latest show, which is a collaboration with Apple TV and its spectacular CGI dinosaur documentary series Prehistoric Planet. There’s no mention of David Attenborough serving as narrator on this one – which strongly suggests he isn’t, let’s be honest – but there should be considerable recompense from the wonder of being surrounded by gargatuan lifesized dinosaurs. The 50-minute film is a mash-up of the highlights of the show’s two seasons, plus a few new and extended scenes. 

Nothing sums up the best of London’s balmy, thriving summers quite like the noble sunflower. The clue’s in the name, after all: during the part of the year where we’re blessed with the most of those sweet, sweet rays, that’s when we see the most of these golden, spindly, great-vibe giants. There are plenty of dazzling pick-your-own sunflower fields within very easy reach of London. Before you head off on a sunny adventure, make sure to check in with these sites in advance to be sure of fresh crops and full blooms – Mother Nature is an unruly and unpredictable force.

Feeling thirsty? Desperate for a funky sour, cheeky saison or a fruity IPA? You’re in luck. The Capital’s biggest beer celebration is back for 2025, taking place at events warehouse Magazine London, for four-hour sessions of non-stop-beer-drinking bliss. Set over two days, you’ll get to sample London’s best beers as well as some international standouts, including our faves Gipsy Hill, Verdant, Deya and more. Hungry? The food line up is pretty serious too, this year featuring Meltdown Cheeseburgers, Bone Daddies and Chick N’ Sours. A £64.50 ticket gets you a four-hour session and access to more than 800 beers from over 100 brewers, and there are group discounts available too. All the beer is included in the ticket price. Happy drinking, folks. 

A new wholesome day festival has entered the chat. From the people behind Brainchild, Desire Lines promises to be an all-day extravaganza of DJs, live music, theatre, works-in-progress performances, local craft, zine and art vendors, and a selection of eats from some of southeast London’s finest independent restaurants. It’s taking place at the Shipwright, a multi-purpose venue by the river in Deptford. The line-up is still TBC, with an announcement coming soon. 

You’ve probably heard of ‘Instagram face’. This summer, Somerset House is dedicating a whole exhibition to things like the internet’s inclination for everyone to look exactly the same. In Virtual Beauty, Somerset House will explore the impact of digital technologies on how we define beauty today. The show will display more than 20 artworks from the 'Post-Internet' era, an art movement concerned with the influence of the internet on art and culture. It will feature sculpture, photography, installation, video and performance art, with highlights including ORLAN’s Omniprésence (1993), a groundbreaking performance in which the artist live-streamed her own facial aesthetic surgery, and AI-generated portraits by Minnie Atairu, Ben Cullen Williams, and Isamaya Ffrench.