London events in June
Plan a fabulous June in London with our guide to the best events, exhibitions, parties and pop-ups taking place around the city in June 2019
June in London is a magical time of year. Summer's nearly here, the sun's out (fingers crossed) and London’s parks are filled with flowers. What’s more, it’s music festival season, and London does not disappoint with Field Day, Mighty Hoopla and All Points East all hitting up the capital in June. If glitter and glow sticks aren't your bag, June in London is also the month of the Trooping of the Colour (the Queen’s official birthday celebrations), The World Naked Bike Ride, and Open Garden Squares Weekend. Check out our guide to the best pop-ups, cultural happenings and things to do this June 2019 in London. We’ll catch you out there.
RECOMMENDED: The definitive London events calendar
June 2019 event highlights
Movies on the River
Don't miss the boat! Now is the time to experience London's most unique outdoor cinema. Join Movies on the River five nights a week for a sunset cruise through the city followed by a movie on our boat's top deck after dark.
London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival
A fleet of brightly coloured dragon boats will be making waves on the usually calm waters of the Royal Docks as more than 40 teams battle it out in this annual competition. Meanwhile, on dry land, there will be traditional Chinese lion dancing, martial arts, demonstrations and live music.
Mudchute Agricultural Show
Get your countryside fic with chutney stalls, a bit of weaving and a very competitive ‘sheep show’. Did we mention the Shetland pony photobooth?
The Great Exhibition Road Festival
A three-day festival of music, science, art and technology. It's (mostly) free, and you might get to meet a robot.
Serpentine Pavilion 2019
This year’s Serpentine Pavilion, designed by Junya Ishigami, is a cool, calming haven bang in the middle of Hyde Park. Made from 61 tonnes of slate and 106 steel columns, Ishigami’s creation is a massive sweeping roof and definitely worth a look.
Shubbak Festival
Dance to the sounds of underground DJs from the Middle East and North Africa at the opening night of this fest championing new Arab art. Expect a programme of contemporary belly-dance, Yemeni spoken word, theatre by Syrian activists and more.
Free Range Graduate Art Fair
Back for the 19th year, this showcase of work by arts graduates from around the UK features the best in fine art, photography and design.
London Gelato Festival
Ice cream pros from Italy will be serving up their best flavours at this market dedicated to the cold stuff. A ticket lets you sample all the scoops and join gelato masterclasses.
Summer by the River
Spent all your money on your summer hol? Keep yourself occupied for the rest of the balmy months at Summer by the River, a three-month festival that's totally free.
Francis Bacon: ‘Couplings’
Violent images of canoodling men by the great Francis Bacon. These are staggering, stunning, gorgeous paintings that show him off at his most illicit and his best.
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
Nicholas Hynter's pride-tastic immersive Shakespeare is a dream come true. Bringing out the big guns with a comedy cast to die for and this show is just a whole heap of fun.
Oscar Murillo
Big, bold adventurous abstraction by a young upstart. Forget the hype, this is just good abstract painting and an artist being himself.
Festival of Football
Organised by ace women's team Goal Diggers FC, this charity festival is all about encouraging women and non-binary people to play football. Expect panel discussions, film showings, tournaments, comedy nights and, of course, screenings of the Fifa Women's World Cup.
‘Bronx Gothic’
New York dancer Okwui Okpokwasili's form-breaking, bone-shaking solo show is crossing the pond and gives avant-garde dance a whole new meaning.
Lee Krasner: ‘Living Colour’
The wild artist brings colour to her dazzling life. They're works of pain and heartbreak: awful, heart-wrenching and brilliant paintings. See Lee Krasner in full flight.
‘Wife’
Catch this time-hopping powerful and provocative drama that takes a rousing look at 60 years of sexual identity, shining a light on the struggles of queer women who feel forced to deny their sexuality. It’s clever, it’s moving and there are some really good jokes.
Faith Ringgold
Pioneering artist-activist Ringgold combines storytelling and painting to stitch together narratives about black American history and the fight for equal rights. This is art for changing society, and it’s a pretty worthwhile cause.
‘Rutherford and Son’
Githa Sowerby's landmark drama about a tyrannical glassmaker comes with ravishing atmospherics and a great cast led by Roger Allam.
‘Bronx Gothic’
An uncategorisable show from the US performer Okwui Okpokwasili. It's an intense, haunting and beautiful performance.
Leonardo da Vinci: ‘A Life in Drawing’
A whole bunch of stunning drawings by art's great master. It's as intimate as you'll ever get with Leonardo.
The Viewing
A psychedelic escape game themed around London's gentrification. Go for a cheap, fun night out with zany characters, puzzles and plenty of gin.
Frank Bowling
This long-overlooked great of British painting is finally getting his dues. Bowling followed his own path and did it brilliantly.
‘Death of a Salesman’
Arthur Miller's play staged to centre on an African-American family. It finds new depths in a theatre classic.
Tender Touches
Ignore your mum. It's fine to play with your food. This space in Peckham is exploring scran as art, creating a 'dining room' where everything from the food to the furniture is an objet d'art. Order a dish from the curated menu and experience the pieces with all five senses.
Luchita Hurtado: ‘I Live I Die I Will Be Reborn’
The nonagenarian Venezuelan painter is art's hottest new discovery. These are stunning, inventive works of art that are finally getting their due.
Nevine Mahmoud: Belly Room’
Playful, sexual sculptures made of glass and stone. These are beautifully made and totally sensual works of art.
‘Henry IV Part 1’
Shakespeare's beloved history play. Michelle Terry is jaw-droppingly good with her psycho take on rebel lord Hotspur.
The best music festivals in London
You lucky Londoner: you don’t need a tent or even a pair of wellies to get the full music festival experience. Here are the best festivals hitting up the Capital this month.
Father's Day in London
Father's Day 2019 is on Sunday June 16 (but you knew that, right?) Check out our stellar ideas and suggestions for things to do in June with your pops.
‘Come from Away’
See this sleeper hit Canadian musical set in the days after 9/11. It's a beautifully crafted hymn to the power of community.
Magic Realism: Art in Weimar Germany 1919 - 1933
This exhibition is reclaiming the term 'magic realism'. Commonly used to describe the stories written by South American authors, now you can explore its origins.
‘AI: More Than Human’
Think you're clever? Be prepared for a bit of a knock to your confidence with this interactive exhibition at Barbican. The show brings together the latest in Artificial Intelligence, calmly showing how the cleverest (or maybe stupidest) thing humans have ever done is create machines that outwit us all.
‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’
This blockbuster showcase of a globally famous fashion label is about clothes and the imagination. There are displays of Dior-related paraphernalia such as sketches, mag covers and super-structured undergarments, but in honesty, visitors are here for one thing and one thing only: the dresses. And the exhibition delivers.
The EY Exhibition: ‘Van Gogh and Britain’
The world's favourite sunflower-painter returns to London with 2019's EY exhibition at Tate Britain. A lesser-known fact about the Dutch painter is that he was a bit of an Anglophile. Admire his artworks alongside those by British artists who, in turn, owe a debt to Van Gogh.
‘Manga’
The biggest manga exhibition ever to be held outside of Japan is coming to London. This show charts the history of manga and demonstrates how it's grown into a multi-billion pound industry, taking in gaming, cosplay and anime.
Frank Bowling
Frank Bowling gets a much-deserved major exhibition at Tate Britain. Londoners are in for a treat with this show which includes the artist's stunning 'map paintings' and his 'poured paintings' (created by literally pouring paint down a canvas).
‘9 to 5 the Musical’
Catch Dolly Parton's own musical adaption of her hit 1980 film. It's gloriously OTT - and they do the title song four times.
Natalia Goncharova
See this show dedicated to Russian artist Natalia Goncharova who helped found avant-garde modern art movements. This exhibition is overdue and should help to resurrect her reputation as a major artist you should know about.
‘Smoke and Mirrors: The psychology of magic’
Something wicked this way comes at the Wellcome Collection. This exhibition is devoted to mental manipulation used in magic. See the Bell Box used by Houdini to expose phoney mediums and see a gorilla costume worn by Derren Brown.
‘Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition’
A must-see exhibition for fans of iconic filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. See props, costumes, photographs and other memorabilia from some of hs most famous films at London's Design Museum.
Edvard Munch: ‘Love and Angst’
Prints from art's greatest miserablist. The eyes of his works follow you around the room, and they'll haunt you when you leave. It might not be pleasant, but it is proof of how brilliant he could be.
‘Secret Rivers’
The Thames is one of the most iconic features of London, but it's actually only one of many rivers to run through the capital. There are several 'hidden' rivers that flow underneath the city streets. This exhibition features items dredged up from the waterways.
‘Craft and Graft: Making Science Happen’
Ever wondered how a science lab manages to breed, feed and store a million fruit flies for experiments? Well, prepared to be amazed. The Crick Institute is offering up a behind-the-scenes look at the methods and people driving the latest scientific advances.
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