All weekend
BANK HOLIDAY: This weekend is a bank holiday weekend. If you're lucky enough to have three days off work and you're looking for something to keep you out of mischief, our guide to bank holiday things to do in London has a plethora of ideas.
NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL: Notting Hill Carnival is back on the streets of west London for three days of Caribbean-style entertainment. Expect the usual heady mix of Caribbean culture, samba, mas, soca and calypso, dazzling costumes... and lots and lots of people. Here's everything you need to know about this year's event, including what's happening on each day. 29-31 August 2026
ANIME & GAMING CON: What claims to be the UK's largest anime convention comes to Hammersmith from Friday, with merch, gaming, comics and cosplay. Expect appearances from anime rapper Shao Dow, as well as a chance to meet voice actors from anime productions. 28-30 August 2026
YIDDISH CULTURE WEEKEND: Yiddish language and culture is celebrated in a weekend of events organised by the Jewish Music Institute. The programme includes a beginner-friendly Yiddish sing-along celebrating women's and gender-diverse voices, and an exploration of contemporary Yiddish poetry, with events at Bloomsbury's Horse Hospital, and at SOAS. 28-31 August 2026
FOOD FESTIVAL: Feast your eyes on the surroundings of Hampton Court Palace, and your stomach on goodies from the Hampton Court Palace Food Festival, which is held in the palace gardens. Tuck into street food, browse and buy artisan products including wine, rum, cakes, pastries, coffee and cheese. There's also live music at the bandstand and vintage garden games for kids. 29-31 August 2026
COSTA DEL CROYDON: Catch the final few days of rooftop pop-up beach Costa Del Croydon, which brings sand and splash zones to Centrale’s rooftop car park. Expect a giant sandpit, baby splash area, family workshops, giant chess, fairground rides, and street food. FREE, until 31 August 2026
THE ENGLISH CATHEDRAL: Photographer Peter Marlow captured photos of all 42 cathedrals of the Church of England using only natural light. See the results in a free Southwark Cathedral exhibition, closing this weekend. FREE, until 31 August 2026
HORRIBLE HISTORIES: Treat the kids to a history lesson they'll actually enjoy: Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain at the Apollo Theatre tackles the nasty side of Boudica, King John, Guy Fawkes and other figures who shaped this country — you've only got until Monday to see it. Until 31 August 2026
FUTURE OF FOOD: Time's also running out to see the Science Museum's free Future of Food exhibition, which examines how science and ecology are reshaping what we grow, make and eat — from a 3,500‑year‑old loaf of bread to the first beef steak grown outside a cow. As it's the school holidays, the museum will be very busy so so book a (free) entry ticket in advance to avoid queuing. FREE, until 1 September 2026
GDIF: The free Greenwich + Docklands International Festival (GDIF) is still going on in east London. Highlights this weekend include Efectos Especiales, which allows visitors to step into the world of a live action film shoot. FREE, until 6 September 2026
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Experience the BBC Proms this bank holiday weekend
Make the most of the bank holiday in London, with two powerful BBC Proms concerts at the Royal Albert Hall this weekend.
This Saturday (29 August), the Oslo Philharmonic and powerhouse conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla are joined by violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja for an evening of Stravinsky and Prokofiev. Hear Stravinsky's virtuosic Violin Concerto alongside excerpts from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, bringing Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers and warring families vividly to life.
Then on Sunday (30 August), experience Berlioz's epic The Damnation of Faust, a dramatic musical journey through heaven, hell, demons and angels, performed by Les Siècles with an international cast of soloists.
Seats for both concerts start from £19.34 in advance. Feeling spontaneous? £8 standing tickets will be available to buy on the day.
The BBC Proms run until 12 September 2026.
Saturday 29 August
DISCO BRUNCH: Relive the '70s and '80s at the bank holiday special Disco Brunch, taking place at Electric Shuffle Canary Wharf on both Saturday and Sunday. Don your best flares or sequins and enjoy a '70s-inspired cocktail on arrival, followed by prosecco or beers, bottomless pizza, one hour of shuffleboard, and DJs spinning '70s and '80s classics. 29 and 30 August 2026
VICTORIAN SURGERY: Step into the oldest surviving surgical theatre in Europe for a vivid demonstration of 19th-century medical life. Experts at The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret delve into the grim realities of procedures performed before anaesthesia and antiseptics. Located in the original attic of an 18th-century church, the session explores the history of Old St Thomas’ Hospital and the training of the 150 medical students who once crowded these wooden stands. 10am-11am
SPEAKER BOX STREET PARTY: Samovar Space in Wembley Park transforms into an open-air dance floor for a multicultural celebration of music and movement. The Speaker Box Street Party features five hours of live DJs and workshops, ranging from Latin social dancing at midday to Bollywood grooves and a Michael Jackson birthday tribute later in the afternoon. Dip in and out, with a summer market selling handmade crafts and street food located right next door in Market Square. FREE, 12pm-5pm
COWGIRLS & COCKTAILS: Dust off your chaps and head to the Star in Shoreditch for Cowgirls & Cocktails Bottomless Brunch at the rootin’ tootin’ Star Saloon. It features 90 minutes of unlimited drinks paired with Neapolitan pizza from local partners 081 Pizza. Expect a wild programme of country-themed entertainment, including line dancing lessons, musical bingo, and "country-oke" hosted by a live DJ. 2pm-4pm
SOUTH LONDON SOUL TRAIN: The outside space at The Fox and Firkin in Lewisham hosts the first ever all-dayer for South London Soul Train. Legendary DJ Cash Money and MC The Chill One join host Jazzheadchronic for a marathon of funk, soul, and disco. Deep funk specialists Mati Baz and George Aresti round out the line-up, slinging vinyl in the garden from mid-afternoon. 2pm-9pm
BI PRIDE: An event where people who experience attraction beyond gender can be freely visible and celebrate themselves and their identities, Bi Pride UK takes place at Kings Place in King's Cross, offering talks, stalls from LGBTQ+ organisations and live performances. FREE, 2pm-10pm
MANORFEST 2026: The car park behind New River Studios in Manor House transforms into a multi-disciplinary festival hub for the August bank holiday weekend. Manorfest 2026 features a packed bill of live music from acts including Eel Men, Morreadoras, and EZ8, alongside DJs, art installations, and theatrical performances. Food stalls and a licensed bar will be on site to keep the energy up throughout the open-air sessions. 2pm-11pm
THE ELEPHANT MAN: Clerkenwell’s independent cinema and bar, The Nickel, screens David Lynch’s moving 1980 biopic The Elephant Man. Shot in luminous black and white, the film stars John Hurt as Joseph Merrick and Anthony Hopkins as the surgeon who discovers him being exploited in a Victorian sideshow. 3.45pm
CHINEKE! JUNIORS: The majority Black and ethnically diverse musicians of the Chineke! Junior Orchestra return to Croydon for a summer performance at Fairfield Halls. Comprising performers aged 11-22, the ensemble presents the results of an intensive week-long residential course where they are mentored by professionals from the senior Chineke! Orchestra. The programme features Arturo Márquez’s rhythmic Conga del fuego alongside Florence Price's The Oak and Respighi's evocative Roman tone poems. 7pm
Sunday 30 August
AUGUST FAMILY FESTIVAL: Dulwich Picture Gallery invites families to its August Family Festival, a day of hands-on art adventures and nature-led discoveries across its historic site and gardens. The packed programme includes flip-book animation workshops with illustrator Robert Sae-Heng, a garden trail by Lucy Grainge, and an interactive ArtPlay Pavilion that reimagines classic paintings as sculptural forms. FREE entry with some paid sessions, 10am-4pm
RIVER CLEAN UP: Help keep the River Thames healthy by joining a community foreshore session at Newcastle Draw Dock on the Isle of Dogs. Explore the riverside at low tide while removing litter from the water's edge. Organisers Thames21 provide all necessary equipment, including wellies to borrow, plus light refreshments to keep volunteers energised. FREE, 10am-12pm
THE KRAYS' LONDON: Explore the dark side of the Swinging Sixties on a guided walk through the East End manor of Ronnie and Reggie Kray. The Krays In London Walking Tour visits notorious landmarks including the Blind Beggar pub — site of the George Cornell shooting — and the twins' favourite haunt, Pellicci's Cafe. The two-hour route weaves between gangland legend and social history, stopping at various filming locations from the 2015 movie Legend along the way. 10.45am-12.45pm
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND EMPIRE: Historian Subhadra Das visits The Landor Pub in Clapham to re-examine the exploits of the world’s most famous detective through the lens of imperial history. The talk, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the British Empire, explores how Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories were inextricably linked to the global reach of the Victorian metropole, from the North American continent to the British Raj, and is followed by a Q&A. 12pm-1.45pm
FAMILY SUMMER FESTIVAL: Take the whole gang to Walthamstow for Big Penny Social's family summer festival. The beer hall venue offers both a pop-up beach and a beer garden, packed with entertainment including a market, a family pub quiz, and a chance to help create a Ghanaian-inspired community rug. 12pm-6pm
BODY MOVEMENTS: Body Movements is a one‑day dance and queer‑led festival at Southwark Park. The bill includes Horse Meat Disco, Eris Drew & Octo Octa, Roza Terenzi, Romy (DJ), Samantha Togni and many more DJs, live acts, crews and dancers such as Little Gay Brother. 12pm-10.30pm
WALTHAMSTOW HIGH STREET: Join guide Joanna Moncrieff for a walking tour of Walthamstow’s historic Marsh Street, exploring the evolution of what became one of Europe’s longest street markets. The route uncovers the area's theatrical past at the site of the former Palace Theatre and traces the local connections of Samuel Pepys and John Keats. 2pm-3.30pm
PUNK BBQ: Bank Holiday Sunday sees the return of the annual South London Punk Collective BBQ at The Windmill in Brixton. Eight bands including Sick on the Bus, PollyPikPocketz, and Scandal perform throughout the day, with a free BBQ served from 5pm on a first-come, first-served basis. The event also includes a raffle. 2.30pm
ALL ELITE WRESTLING: Wembley Stadium hosts a sporting showcase as All Elite Wrestling takes over the venue, showcasing top names from the wrestling world, in a bill headed by Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay. There's also a pre-show fan experience with photo ops with the AEW World Championship belt, meet-and-greets, and early access to merch. 4.30pm
CRICK CRACK CLUB: Ben Haggarty and Steph Brittain of Crick Crack Club present an evening of storytelling with live music from composer Narotam Horn and musicians Anjana Suta, Laurence Harrison and Nicholas Hann. The show, at The Master Shipwright's House in Deptford, draws on myth, epic and fairy tale to explore different kinds of love, initiation and alchemy. 6pm
CHESS CLUB: Head to the Tea House Theatre in Vauxhall for a social evening of strategy and loose-leaf brews. The Chess Club welcomes everyone from seasoned grandmasters to the merely curious for friendly matches in a converted Victorian pub on the site of the historic Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. FREE, 6pm-8pm
VINTAGE JAZZ: The elegant gardens of Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham provide the setting for an open-air performance by the Pasadena Roof Orchestra. Expect a journey back to the roaring 1920s and 1930s with a programme of swing and dance band classics, accompanied by refreshments from the Garden Café. Bring your own picnic blankets, chairs, and drinks to enjoy on the lawn. 7pm-9pm
MUSIC FOR MADRE: Dalston’s Shacklewell Arms hosts a fundraising gig for MADRE, an international charity defending the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. The evening features a live lineup including headliner Candar, supported by SEY.MOUR. and Plastersun. All proceeds from the 18+ event go toward supporting activists on the ground in a country where girls are currently excluded from secondary and higher education. 7pm
Bank holiday Monday 31 August
VINTAGE MARKET: More than 50 vintage traders fill Beckenham Place Mansion and the surrounding lawns with furniture, lighting, ceramics, posters, maps, records and seasonal clothing for the So Last Century vintage fair. Expect street food, a coffee van and the Mansion Bar and Cafe, plus live busking from The Alvar Treefrogs. Resident artists including Sophia Lyons have studios open too. 10am-5pm
LORD OF THE RINGS: Director Peter Jackson's extended cuts of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King play back-to-back at the Prince Charles Cinema, starring Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom and Cate Blanchett. The full marathon runs 688 minutes, taking you right through until Monday evening. 10.30am
PIE PARTY: Islington's Quince Bakery holds its third annual bank holiday pie party, opening its ovens to a guest line-up of the city's best independent bakers including Bake Street, Decatur, Lucky Yu Bakery and Hamblin Bread. They each make their own signature pie, resulting in a celebration of lattice-topped, fruit-stuffed goodness, available to buy until they sell out. 12pm until sold out
LGBT SPORTS DAY: Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens fills with hundreds of members of the LGBTQ+ community for the annual RVT Sports Day, a fundraiser for health charity LGBT HERO. The afternoon features a riotous programme of competitive events including a sack race, a 50m mince, a drag race relay, and the crowd-favourite rhythmic gymnastics. It is free to watch the action unfold behind the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, with donations encouraged to support vital mental health and wellbeing services. FREE to watch, 1pm-5pm
SUMMER SCREENS: Canada Square Park hosts an open-air screening of the National Theatre’s production of The Playboy of the Western World. John Millington Synge’s classic play stars Nicola Coughlan, Éanna Hardwicke, and Siobhán McSweeney in a darkly funny tale of youth and self-discovery set in a remote Irish pub. The story follows a young man who becomes an unlikely local hero after claiming to have killed his father, only for his secrets to be threatened by an unexpected arrival. FREE, 2pm
GREENWICH HIGHLIGHTS: Explore the maritime history and royal heritage of south-east London on a walking tour. Footprints of London guide Vivienne Lloyd leads the stroll from Greenwich station, passing the Cutty Sark and the Royal Naval College before heading into Greenwich Park to discuss the Meridian Line and Tudor royal history. The route showcases architecture by Inigo Jones and Christopher Wren, concluding with panoramic views across the Thames. 2pm-4pm
