Doesn't matter if it's a chilly 9°c; if the sun's out, us Londoners are out too — and we'll deal with the resulting pneumonia later. Want to make the most of being outside this summer? Here's our guide to experiencing the city's outdoor culture — think cinema, theatre, live music and art al fresco, and plenty of other outdoor activities.
Outdoor cinema in London: summer 2025
Outdoor cinema has been A Thing in London for a few years now. We've watched films in parks, gardens, palaces, swimming pools and on rooftops across the capital. And y'know what — it never gets old (though it does sometimes get cold).
Summer 2025 is looking like a good'un for fans of al fresco films — Rooftop Film Club and Adventure Cinema are among the roving movie theatres popping up in the capital, and there are lots of other free outdoor movie screenings too. Read our guide to outdoor cinemas in London and get booking!
Outdoor theatre in London: summer 2025
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
You could spend hours wandering Regent's Park, and still never stumble across its Open Air Theatre, nestled within the park's Inner Circle. The auditorium is exposed to the elements, with tiered seating for around 1,200 audience members.
There are usually three or four shows on the programme each summer, and at least a couple tend to be family-friendly (Peter Pan has been a favourite in the past). The 2025 season begins in May and runs through until September. For 2025, we're treated to no fewer than five different productions; Shucked, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Dream Ballets, Noughts & Crosses, Brigadoon, and The Enormous Crocodile. Comedy, film and music is sometimes staged here too, and there's a Family Takeover Day towards the end of May.
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, 10 May-7 September 2025.
Shakespeare's Globe
Probably London's most famous theatre, Shakespeare's Globe is another open-air experience, and though it's not the original Elizabethan theatre, it replicates the original playing conditions Shakespeare and his actors would have known. The roof takes a wooden 'O' shape (hence its nickname 'this Wooden O'), leaving the audience exposed to the elements, and there's room for up to 700 'groundlings' to stand in the yard (seating is available too).
Romeo and Juliet (set in the Wild West), The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Twelfth Night or What You Will are on the bill for summer 2025 at Shakespeare's Globe. In addition to these works from the Bard's own quill, look out for Rough Magic, a family-friendly production based on the Weird Sisters from Macbeth, and Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Top tip: if you're on a budget, hold out for the £5 Rush, which sees a limited number of last-minute £5 groundling tickets made available every Friday at 11am.
The above are the only full season outdoor theatre experiences that we know of, though some venues offer pop-up theatre experiences throughout the summer:
- Shakespeare in the Squares brings the bard to an assortment of green spaces in the capital. The Taming of the Shrew is this year's play, on from 4 June-12 July.
- Chiswick House: Twelfth Night is scheduled for 1 July 2025. Keep an eye on the website for further announcements, as they usually offer several shows each summer.
- The Handlebards: Cycling Shakespeare theatre company The Handlebards perform in outdoor locations all over Europe, and this year's show is Much Ado About Nothing, which they're bringing to Severndroog Castle (18 May), Southwark Cathedral (22 May), Oasis Farm Waterloo (23 May), Strawberry Hill House (5 July), The Charterhouse (8 July) and Dulwich Picture Gallery (14 September).
- Fulham Palace usually runs a couple of theatre productions in its gardens each summer - check the website for updates.
- The Greek Theatre Players are performing Antony and Cleopatra at Walthamstow's secret amphitheatre 23-26 July 2025.
Outdoor live music in London: summer 2025
London's not short of a music festival or two — dozens take over parks and commons for days or weekends of live music across all genres, and we've covered them in our guide to London music festivals 2025. But what about when you're looking for something a little more sophisticated? Read on...
Opera Holland Park 2025
For a couple of months each summer, a temporary canopied auditorium pops up in Holland Park, festooned with all manner of lighting and sound gear. It acts as the base for Opera Holland Park, a performing arts charity which works in schools, care homes and the like throughout the year, but comes into its own for its summer festival. Both classic and newer shows are performed — the summer 2025 season includes Wagner's The Flying Dutchman, Gilbert and Sullivan double bill Trial By Jury/ A Matter of Misconduct!, Verdi's La traviata, and performances by the Royal Ballet School, among other productions, including one-off performances. Younger music fans can get in on the action with Winnie the Pooh's Songbook (19-20 July). There are even free lunchtime recitals on selected Fridays, taking place on the steps in Holland Park and open to anyone.
Technically, it's a covered venue, although the canopy does have open sides, so we're calling it al fresco. There's no dress code but organisers recommend layers in case it gets chilly.
Opera Holland Park. Summer 2025 season begins 27 May.
Kew The Music 2025
With its wide open spaces and lush vegetation, Kew Gardens is the ideal backdrop for a sophisticated summer concert or two. Cue Kew The Music, a series of picnic concerts taking place each July. A stage and large screen is set up at the north end of the gardens, close to the Elizabeth Gate. Bring your own picnic chair or blanket, pack a picnic or buy food and drink on site — and enjoy live music in a relaxed and (hopefully) sunny setting.
2025's line-up includes Craig David, the Human League, UB40, DJ Spoony, Alison Moyet and Gipsy Kings.
Kew The Music, 8-13 July 2025.
Hampton Court Palace Festival 2025
If you thought Kew was an impressive concert venue, what about seeing world-famous musicians performing against the backdrop of Hampton Court Palace? The Hampton Court Palace Festival is a series of outdoor concerts taking place in the Tudor courtyard each summer — all tickets are seated. The East Front Gardens open before the show each night, where concertgoers can enjoy a picnic. Or there are King's Dining VIP experiences, giving you access to the State Apartments, where you can dine like royalty.
For 2025, James, Rag'n' Bone Man, Tom Jones, Bananarama, 10cc, Chaka Khan, Gary Barlow and Elbow are on the line up, while the middle Sunday of the run moves away from the music, with a live recording of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast.
Hampton Court Palace Festival, 11-21 June 2025.
See also:
- Jazz on the Lawn at Fulham Palace (1 August and 2 August 2025)
- LSO's BMW Classics: The London Symphony Orchestra gives a free, open-air concert in Trafalgar Square (15 June 2025), performing classic Italian compositions as a nod to LSO Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano's heritage.
Outdoor art in London: summer 2025
London has an array of permanent outdoor art and sculpture trails — The Line is one such example. But here are a handful that are only around for a limited time:
The Serpentine Pavilion
Every year, a temporary Serpentine Pavilion pops up in Kensington Gardens, close to The Serpentine Gallery. The structure is designed by a different team of architects and artists each time, and open to the public for a couple of months. Most memorable for us was The Mastaba, a floating plastic pyramid on the Serpentine Lake by Christo and Jeanne-Claude.
The 2025 Serpentine Pavilion is A Capsule of Time, a curving, lozenge-like structure designed by Bangladeshi architect and educator Marina Tabassum. It "aims to prompt a dialogue between the permanent and the ephemeral nature of the commission," so make of that will you will. It's FREE to visit and will be in situ from 6 June 2025
Sculpture in the City
Usually running from summer through to the following spring, Sculpture in the City is a free art trail through the Square Mile. Artworks range from standalone sculptures in squares and public spaces, to smaller works mounted onto the walls of buildings or suspended from ceilings at Leadenhall Market, to video projections, plaques and more. The 13th edition finishes in spring 2025 — keep an eye on the website for details of the next round.
Frieze Sculpture Park
Every October, as Frieze Art Fair takes over vast swathes of Regent's Park with huge marquees, sculptures also pop up in other parts of the park for the accompanying Frieze Sculpture Trail. This is a free open-air sculpture exhibition open to everyone. Artists, themes and individual sculptures vary annually. Check the website later in the year for October 2025 dates.
A couple of things to note:
- Dress appropriately for an outdoor setting — layers are your friend. Even if it's been a scorching hot day in London, things get chilly as soon as the sun sets, and many of the above events go in late into the evening.
- Check venues' booking conditions — most don't offer a refund for iffy weather unless it's bad enough that the performance or screening can't go ahead for safety reasons.
