In desperate need of somewhere to cool down? Read our guide to how to survive a heatwave in London.
Indulge your inner kid by splashing around in one of these refreshing play fountains — ideal for cooling off in a London heatwave. Just remember to pack a towel and spare clothes. Need to fully immerse in water? Check out our pick of the best lidos and outdoor swimming pools in London, or if it's reaaallly hot, peruse our guide to surviving a heatwave in the capital.
Jeppe Hein's Appearing Rooms, Southbank Centre
First installed in 2006, and returning annually pretty much ever since, Jacob Hein's aquatic structure Appearing Rooms is the big daddy of London's play fountains. Jets send walls of water high into the air creating 'rooms', which disappear as quickly as they emerge. For kids, it's about getting as wet as you can, as often as possible — even if it's not 'fountain weather'.
Open 17 June-31 August 2026, Wednesday-Sunday. Free, no booking required.
Diana Memorial Fountain, Hyde Park
Located in Hyde Park, the Diana Memorial Fountain is made of 545 pieces of Cornish granite, forming an oval 'stream' in the surrounding grass.
There are three bridges you can cross into the centre without getting your feet wet: but really, it's a great place for kids (and grown-up kids) to paddle. The two sides represent the two facets of Diana's life: happiness in the calmer pool; and turmoil in the choppy waters.
These days, Royal Parks ask visitors to sit on the edge and refresh their feet, rather than walk through the memorial. Note that a queuing system is in place on very busy days (usually hot days, when the fountain is most in demand).
Open all year (except in extremely cold or severe weather, for safety reasons). Opening times vary throughout the year, see website for details. Free, no booking required.
Granary Square fountains, King's Cross
Granary Square features 1,080 individually controlled and lit water jets. The result is a brilliant splash park for kids of all ages; the perfect way to cool off on a warm day, and one of the best things to do with kids near King's Cross station.
The fountains start off mellow first thing in the morning, becoming more boisterous as the day goes on (a bit like kids). After dark, the fountains' personalities change again, with the addition of colours to the seemingly random squirt patterns.
Open in warm weather. Free, no booking required.
More London/London Bridge City fountains
There was outcry back in 2018 when one of London's most infamous water features, The Rill, was filled in. The gullies of water ran through the More London/London Bridge City estate, and though they've gone, the more kid-friendly fountains down by the river — an installation officially known as 'The Riverside' — are still in situ. 200 water jets form the play fountains, which spring up at surprising intervals — to the surprise of one mini Londonist team member recently.
The result is an odd mash-up of suits on mobile phones marching between meetings, and south London parents hollering at soggy, squealing kids. It's always fun to keep an eye out for any newbies/tourists caught out by the deceptive 'water benches' nearby too. Pick your picnic spot carefully.
Open all year. Free, no booking required.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park fountains, Stratford
Head to the south of the Olympic Park to find the Waterworks Fountains outside the ArcelorMittal Orbit and near the London Stadium. 195 individually controlled jets form walls of water, and a maze to splash through and cool off.
In the north of the Olympic Park, the Tumbling Bay playground has rock pool-style bodies of water, along with a hand pump where children can pump water into a series of shallow pools and tributaries. No fountains, but still plenty of water to keep them happy on a warm day.
Open March-October, 10am-5pm except major event days such as West Ham United home matches. Free, no booking required.
John Madejski Garden fountains, V&A Museum
At the inner courtyard at the V&A in South Ken, you'll find a calming elliptical pool dotted with the occasional fountain water jets, and shallow steps ideal for plonking yourself down on.
It's a fantastic space to sit and enjoy some tranquility after the bustle of the museum — on hot days, it makes for a sophisticated, secluded paddling pool, ideal for refreshing your feet. Note that running, splashing, swimming, and sitting in the water are not permitted, and you must remain fully clothed at all times.
Free, no booking required.
Edmond J Safra Fountain Court, Somerset House
The 55 jets that make up the playful Edmond J Safra Fountain Court inside Somerset House aren't always available to splash around in, as the courtyard is often used for special events such as film screenings and comedy festivals in summer.
Check out the Somerset House website before you visit to avoid disappointment.
Free entry, no booking required.
Russell Square Gardens fountain
The pretty garden in Bloomsbury's Russell Square gained a fountain when it was re-landscaped in 2002. It gushes from the centre of the square: small, yes, but still offering a perfect paddling opportunity for kids and kidults alike.
Free, no booking required.
Leicester Square Fountains
Following a couple of spruce-ups (in 2012 and 2014), Leicester Square now boasts a lovely play fountain surrounding the statue of Shakespeare in the centre. Cool off while watching celebs get sweaty in their tuxes at film premieres across the road. The area gets very busy during summer tourist season, so not somewhere to head if you're after cooling respite from the crowds.
Free, no booking required.
Elephant Springs, Elephant and Castle
Part of the new(ish) Elephant Park development, Elephant Springs is crafted from igneous porphyry stone in an organic-looking way, featuring miniature waterfalls, mounds, ravines and babbling streams. Like all the best play fountains, it encourages interaction: kids can use hand-operated pumps, and block certain channels, diverting the water flow. Adults who prefer to stay dry can watch from the comfort of hammocks dotted around the edge of the fountains.
Free, no booking required.
Play fountains at Duke of York Square, Chelsea
We'd never noticed the play fountains sunk into the ground at Duke of York Square, until we saw a toddler playing in them during a particularly warm edition of Chelsea in Bloom. Head to the entrance of Saatchi Gallery and follow the wall a few metres along to the right. Happily, there's a bench right in front of it for parents to watch while children have their fun.
Free, no booking required.
Fountains at Arena Square, Wembley Park
The triangle of land out the front of Wembley Arena (used for queuing and security on event days), Arena Square has its own set of fountains which are switched on for warmer days — look for the smaller triangle in the centre of the area. A few minutes' walk away, on the other side of Wembley Stadium, the newer Union Park has a children's paddling pool, as well as ponds with their own fountains (strictly no swimming in those, but we've got fairly drenched just walking past them on a warm day when the wind's been blowing the right/wrong way).
Free, no booking required.
Aldgate Square play fountains
Not the largest fountains in our list, but Aldgate Square's hooped spurts are quite unusual. The water flow of each arch is so smooth, it appears to be static — a phenomenon known as laminal flow. The larger arcs are just about big enough for a mischievous nine-year-old to crawl through, though the water cuts off unpredictably meaning that a soaking is possible. At night, the fountains glow like fibre optics. Hard to remember now that this pleasant plaza was once a roaring gyratory.
Free, no booking required.
Wall Fountain, St Paul's Cathedral
One of the oldest fountains on the list, this easily missed feature near St Paul's was created in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations. While paddling in the knee-deep pool is not actively encouraged, it's not prohibited either, a fuzzy state that means the water is usually not so crowded as other pools. The adjacent lawn, meanwhile, is a tempting place for sunbathing, all backdropped by the dome of St Paul's.
Free, no booking required.
Fellowship Square fountains, Walthamstow
Throughout the summer months, you can dance among choreographed jets of water shooting up through Fellowship Square, and backdropped by the art deco Walthamstow Town Hall. With added lighting and music, this is verges on a Disneyfied experience — and the programme of gentle, and more fulsome, jets means that kids of all ages can happily frolic amongst them. On from around 9am-9pm, the 12-hour water show is bookended by a tranquil 'reflection pool'. A handy chalk board shows the schedule in full.
Free, no booking required.
