Gigs in London this weekend

Another year, another spectacular line-up of classical music. This year, the orchestral extravaganza 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.    There'll be the chance to hear visiting ensembles from all over the world, including The Met Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Mahler Academy Orchestra and the Spanish National Orchestra, as well as innumerable concerts and recitals from the classic music world's biggest stars. There's also a renewed focus on more modern music styles, with celebrations of musical icons including Miles Davis and Marvin Gaye, the first ever Prog Rock Prom, and psychedelic rock from Grammy-nominated Dutch-Turkish band Altın Gün. Ticket prices start at £10 (with half-price tickets for under-18s ), and Promming day standing tickets are £8. Booking ahead is recommended. All performances will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer, too. 

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.   

The UK's annual festival line-up is full to bursting, so any new entrant onto the field will need to stand out to survive. And luckily, Hush Festival does just that. Festival founders Peter and Shabira Cassidy are determined to bring a quieter kind of fest to their East Ham community, and they've teamed up with Cocteau Twins ex-member Simone Raymonde to curate a resolutely chilled line-up, performed to a seated audience. Headliners include Cate Le Bon, This Is The Kit, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah doing a piano and voice set. The festival ethos is all about being present and listen deeply, so as well as being encouraged to sit comfortably and listen, audiences will also be offered talks on mindfulness and sound meditations. So it's certainly not a festival for lovers of mud, moshpits and general chaos, but anyone looking for a sedate dose of musical transcendence is sure to find it here. 

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. 

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. When is Somerset House Summer Series 2026? Somerset House Summer Series with American Express is spread out over eleven nights, starting July 16 and ending with a final gig on July 26. How much are tickets? This year, ticket prices range between £30 and £60.  Who’s on the lineup? The biggest names in this year’s series include breakthrough pop sensation Naïka (Thursday 16 July), veteran indie band The Cribs (Monday 20 July), ascendent art-rock outfit Black Country, New Road (Wednesday 22 July) and psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips (Saturday 25 July). Also headlining are Palace (Friday 17 July), Thee Sacred Souls (Saturday 18 July), Lightning Seeds (Sunday 18 July), Agnes Obel (Tuesday 21 July), Venna (Thursday 23 July), Raf-Saperra (Friday 24 July) and Benjamin Clementine (Sunday 26 July).  What time does Somerset House Summer Series start? Doors open from 7.30pm each night. Last year, supporting acts played from 8pm, and headliners started at 9pm. Curfew is 10.30pm.  More festivals happening in London this year.

Another year, another spectacular line-up of classical music. This year, the orchestral extravaganza 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.    There'll be the chance to hear visiting ensembles from all over the world, including The Met Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Mahler Academy Orchestra and the Spanish National Orchestra, as well as innumerable concerts and recitals from the classic music world's biggest stars. There's also a renewed focus on more modern music styles, with celebrations of musical icons including Miles Davis and Marvin Gaye, the first ever Prog Rock Prom, and psychedelic rock from Grammy-nominated Dutch-Turkish band Altın Gün. Ticket prices start at £10 (with half-price tickets for under-18s ), and Promming day standing tickets are £8. Booking ahead is recommended. All performances will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer, too. 

Once again, London’s most ravey festival will take over Boston Manor Park with some of the biggest names in techno and house. Celebrating it’s 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.  

Classical music isn't just for the rarified silence of concert halls. Brixton Chamber Orchestra is determined to bring free music to local people, with a summer tour that'll take them right to the estates where they live. Forthcoming dates including Wyvil/Mawbey Estates (Fri Jul 24, 3pm), Clapham Park Estate (Fri Jul 24, 7pm), Moorlands Estate (Sat Jul 25, 3pm), Fairfax Park (Sat Jul 25, 7pm), Palace Road Estate (Sun Jul 26, 3pm) and St Matthew's Estate (Sun Jul 26, 6.30pm). Turn up and listen to a set performed by a 30-piece orchestra, spanning classical, grime, gospel, jazz and more. 

One of the signature sounds of Notting Hill Carnival is the steel pan bands who march through the streets, filling the air with joyful calypso tunes. Now, 75 years since steel pan arrived in the UK, this ever-growing artform is the subject of a big riverside takeover at Southbank Centre, a month before carnival kicks off. There'll be loads of chances to listen to pan music, and to try your hand too. Find out about this instrument's fascinating history at 'Rhythm of History Exhibition' (Sat Jul 25, 11.30am), join a big Riverside Terrace takeover with Just Vibez assembling bands from across the UK (Sat Jul 25, 12noon), or head to Jubilee Gardens for Steel Legacies (Sun Jul 26, 12noon), a big get-together with pan orchestras and DJs.