30 brilliant ways to celebrate the August bank holiday in London

Summer in London wouldn't be summer in London without Notting Hill Carnival. Taking place on August bank holiday weekend each year since 1966, it’s grown into Europe’s largest street festival, attracting more than two and half million people annually. With parades, masquerade, floats, dancing, steel bands and soundsystems, as well as the outstanding Caribbean food stalls, Carnival is a feast for the senses. 

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. Cineastes can revel in the cult sci-fi extravaganza that is David Lynch’s 1984 Dune while music lovers have an outdoor screening of Björk’s mesmerising new concert movie Cornucopia. Standard tickets are £18 (£12 for under-25s and £10 for under-18s) and there’s street food to feast on while you sit back, relax and enjoy the show. 

Fashion icon, model, club promoter, musician; Leigh Bowery was a multi-hyphenate before multi-hyphenate became a thing. But above all else, he was a muse, as the Tate Modern’s extensive new exhibition tracing the Melbourne native’s life and legacy does an excellent job of portraying. 

Starting with his arrival onto London’s New Romantic scene in 1980, we’re whisked through Bowery’s many different eras in loose chronological order, from his early days as a club promoter for the short-lived but influential Taboo, through to his later practice as a performance artist, clothes designer and life model for Lucian Freud. 

There’s a lot going on in this exhibition, and sometimes it’s hard to identify exactly what point, if any, is being made about Bowery’s cultural impact. But maybe that is the point: it’s not quantifiable. It is vast, dynamic; a testament to London’s creative community and a vision of a true artist who was not afraid of pushing the limits.

The Bank Holiday weekend is the perfect time to take in some cricket as The Hundred takes over Lord’s and Kia Oval. The 100-ball format is in its fifth year and sees plenty of fast-paced games, entertainment on and off the pitch and has the men’s and women’s matches side-by-side. Over the long weekend, Saturday will see London Spirit take on Southern Brave at Lord’s Cricket Ground, and on Monday, the Oval Invincibles will play London Spirit at The Kia Oval. Plus, there’ll be musical entertainment from BBC Introducing artists BombayMami and Common Goldfish, as well as plenty of street food to keep you going throughout the day. 

London’s spectacular free outdoor Greenwich + Docklands International Festival is back for 2025, taking place over three consecutive weekends starting with the August bank holiday.  Celebrating its 30th edition in 2025, the festival will kick off with Above And Beyond, a breathtaking acrobatic feat that will see eight parkour performers from French company Lézards Bleus traversing landmark buildings around Woolwich accompanied by music from the Greenwich-based Citizens of the World Choir. The beloved Greenwich Fair (Aug 23 and 24) then returns after skipping last summer, bringing family friendly games and street performance to the heart of the borough, including all-female Belgian circus company Cie Des Chaussons Rouges’s high wire show Epiphytes in Greenwich Park. As always, everything at GDIF is free to attend, and you don’t even need to book in advance. 

It’s been three years since Secret Cinema had a show on in the capital, but they’ve finally found a new home in Battersea Park, where they’ll be staging Grease: The Immersive Movie Experience this summer. It sounds like the immersive London legends are going for something slightly different, with a two-and-a-half-hour show in which the immortal 1978 film musical will play around you as you move through the show’s environment. Truly it’s hard to get one’s head around it without seeing it, but it basically sounds like the film and the theatre elements will be fully integrated rather than a case of first one, then other. As ever you’re encouraged to dress up as an extra from the film. And if you worry you’re too young to pass as a pupil at Rydell High then don’t worry – that didn’t stop the film’s casting director.

After a successful first two years, this charming August bank holiday festival is making its return for a third time in 2025, transforming Battersea Park into a serene space to take in some majestic orchestral renditions of your favourite tunes. 

This year’s line-up sees the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra perform two concerts. Symphonic Disco (Saturday August 23) traces the history of disco music, featuring hits from the likes of Abba, Chic, Kool & The Gang, Donna Summer, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Dua Lipa. The following evening sees the Royal Philharmonic’s 60-piece concert orchestra return for A Night at the Movies (Sunday August 24), where they’ll perform soundtracks from some of the most iconic film franchises in history. And the final evening of the three-day festival sees Jools Holland and his famous Rhythm and Blues Orchestra headline a full day of lazy afternoon jazz, accompanied by longstanding vocalists Louise Marshall and Sumudu Jayatilaka.

As usual, spectators are invited to pack a blanket and some picky bits for a Bank Holiday picnic, with gourmet hampers, street food stalls and bars also available on the site too.

On Bank Holiday Monday, immerse yourself in a cinematic cocoon of fog, black coffee and red dreams watching every episode of the first series of David Lynch’s cult show Twin Peaks at the ever eclectic Prince Charles Cinema. Starting at 2.15pm, episodes will run back-to-back until 10.30pm, so you can follow the first instalment of FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper visit to Twin Peaks, Washington as he investigates the murder of high school student Laura Palmer, and uncovers a web of secrets and supernatural mysteries. Worried about staying awake that long? Don’t worry, there’ll be some damn fine coffee to hand to see you through! 

Fashion icon, model, club promoter, musician; Leigh Bowery was a multi-hyphenate before multi-hyphenate became a thing. But above all else, he was a muse, as the Tate Modern’s extensive new exhibition tracing the Melbourne native’s life and legacy does an excellent job of portraying. This show is vast, dynamic, a testament to London’s creative community in the 80s and a vision of a true artist who was not afraid of pushing the limits.

How do you rebuild your sense of self after a traumatic event? There lies the question at the heart of Eva Victor's charmingly sincere and very funny feature debut – a nuanced, character-driven story that Victor wrote, directed, and takes the star-making lead in. Agnes is an English literature lecturer at a liberal arts college in New England, and she’s stuck in a rut. Still living in the same house as she did while a grad student. It opens in the present day, with her best friend Lydie (Naomi Ackie) arriving for a visit after a long separation. But there’s underlying tension in the fact that Lydie’s life so far has more propulsion. It’s a captivating comedy-drama that avoids the reductive binary of hero or villain. Instead, it articulates the flaws of humanity, of people, but also the hope we can find in each other and ourselves.

During the big men’s sports tournaments, you can count on practically every pub in the city to broadcast matches and fill up with fans. When it comes to the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup, though, public places fans can gather at to watch matches remain relatively few and far between. But this year, there is at least one place where you’re guaranteed to catch every single game: the brand new Asahi Open Arms. The fan-focused pub, backed by Women’s World Rugby Player of the Year Ellie Kildunne, is taking residency at The Queen’s Head in Shoreditch for the duration of the tournament. Besides the live screenings, it promises to host grassroots events, like Q&As and exclusive launches. A full programme is on its way soon.

Islington theatre The Little Angel is a haven for puppet lovers all year round, but it takes things to the next level with its annual Children’s Puppet Festival. Head along this bank holiday weekend and you'll find a performance of The Elves and the Shoemaker, aimed at kids aged three to eight. Or if you're looking to try your hand at this ancient artform, there's a two day workshop for adults that'll teach you hand and rod puppetry, the style made famous by much-loved tv shows like Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock.

The UK's naval history is inextricably entwined with the slave trade, so it's fitting that Greenwich Maritime Museum is hosting a day of events for Slavery Remembrance Day (Aug 23). A line-up of free film screenings, creative workshops, talks and panel discussions will culminate in an emancipation ceremony on the banks of the Thames, in a powerful moment of shared remembrance. 

You don't really need an excuse to go to Kew Gardens, which is always a gorgeous spot for a day out when temperatures soar. But Marshmallow Laser Feast's new installation is still a bit of an added lure: this six metre tall artwork is inspired by the inner workings of the famous Lucombe oak at Kew, letting you peer under the bark of this historic tree and see how it changes with the seasons. There are even guided meditations you can play through your headphones, so you can take do a bit of forest bathing with a deeply relaxing soundtrack. 

Hollywood stars don’t come as classy as Sophia Loren. This programme of films curates by the BFI, Cinecittà and Cinema Department of the Ministry of Culture of Italy, celebrates oven 70 years of the glamazon actress with screenings of 4K restorations and cinematic classics. Loook out for talks including Sophia Loren: Hollywood Italian Style as well as screening including: Good Folk’s Sunday (Anton Giulio Majano, 1953), Heller in Pink Tights (George Cukor, 1960), Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (Vittorio De Sica, 1963), Arabesque (Stanley Donen, 1966), Saturday, Sunday and Monday (Lina Wertmüller, 1990) and The Life Ahead (Edoardo Ponti, 2020).

Summer is almost over, but there's still a chance to make the most of London’s thriving and fun outdoor cinema scene. Across the city, you'll find pop-up screenings in scenic spots, showing the latest blockbusters, indie flicks and some beloved classics for good measure. This year, it’s all about enshrining ‘Barbie’ into the outdoor cinema canon alongside the likes of ‘La La Land’, ‘Notting Hill’ and other surefire favourites on London-wide screens. 

There might be a lot to be said for London’s outdoor swimming spots, but sometimes you can’t beat a paddle in the waves, some refreshing sea air, and a hearty portion of fish ‘n’ chips. You’ve probably already been on a jaunt down to Brighton, but the British seaside has plenty of more secluded, photogenic destinations absolutely steeped in charm, too – and many of the UK's best beaches can be found within two hours of the capital. Hop on a train and soak up some sun, stat. 

Lavender season is here and as August draws to a close, the richly-scented purple blooms – tough enough to survive the hotter days – are in full form. Enjoy them at London’s glorious lavender fields, where the mauve flowers on mass create epic backdrops, perfect for a scenic picnic or your Instagram feed. Kennington Park, Kew Gardens and Vauxhall Park are top destinations for lavender-fanciers. Or make a day of it and head to whole farms dedicated to the mauve blooms just outside the capital, in Kent, Surrey and Hertfordshire.

DJ by night and artist by day, French interdisciplinary talent Christelle Oyiri is set to take over Tate Modern this June as the first recipient of the Infinities Commission, a new annual award celebrating experimental contemporary art. Working across music, film, performance and installation, Oyiri’s practice explores hidden narratives within media, identity, and diasporic culture. She focuses on what ‘lies between the lines’, from lost mythologies to youth subcultures. Presented in Tate’s Tanks, the commission was awarded by a panel including Brian Eno and Anne Imhof, with additional support granted to artists Xenobia Bailey, Rashida Bumbray, and Jean Katambayi Mukendi.