London's music scene: highlights and news
Explore the latest music news unfolding in London, from festival announcements and classical music programmes to venue updates.
French electro pioneers Justice announced as headliners for Field Day 2024

The Chemical Brothers. Field Day 2022. Photo by Eric Aydin Barberini.
Electro legends Justice have been announced as headliners for Field Day Festival's 17th edition, alongside PinkPantheress, Charlotte DeWitte. Due to take place in Victoria Park in August 2024, the iconic festival event promises a diverse lineup spanning electronic genres.
Date: 24th August 2024. Location: Victoria Park, East London. Price: Early birds from £50. Book now. Instagram: @fielddayfestivals
La Linea Festival Announces Second Wave of Artists

La Linea London Latin Music Festival. Ana Tijoux.
La Linea, London's Latin Music Festival, unveils its second wave of shows for the 24th edition in April. The festival will feature specially curated performances across the capital. Highlights include Desta French & Friends at the Jazz Café, Domenico Lancellotti and Ricardo Dias Gomes at Cafe Oto, and Nacao Zumbi at the Jazz Café.
Date: 12 - 22 April 2024. Website: la-linea. Instagram: @lalineafestival.
Brand New All-Dayer Event Set to Take Place at Crystal Palace Bowl

Grace Jones . Photo by Lawrence Watson.
Get ready for an electrifying addition to the summer festival calendar with Love Motion, a brand new all-dayer event set to ignite Crystal Palace Bowl on 26 July, as part of the South Facing festival. Headlining this exhilarating affair is the legendary Grace Jones, alongside Irish sensation Róisín Murphy, disco icons Horse Meat Disco, and a stellar lineup of DJs including Dimitri from Paris, Oli Keens, and J-Felix. With its historic setting and vibrant lineup, Love Motion promises to be a highlight of the season, offering a day filled with infectious beats, incredible performances, and unforgettable memories.
Date: Friday 26 July 2024. Location: Crystal Palace Bowl. Price: from £43.70. Book now.
Chaka Khan to Curate Meltdown 2024 Festival at Southbank Centre

Chaka Khan. © Jo Metson Scott.
Iconic musician Chaka Khan has been announced as the curator for the upcoming Meltdown 2024 festival, hosted by the Southbank Centre. Celebrating her legendary 50-year career, Khan will infuse the 10-day summer event with her incredible voice and global influence, promising a celebration like no other in June.
Date: 14 - 23 June 2024. Location: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Website: southbankcentre.co.uk.
Cassie Kinoshi's will celebrate Women in Music at the Barbican

Casse Kinoshi. © Aurore Fouchez.
Cassie Kinoshi will present her largest show yet at the Barbican in March, in celebration of International Women’s Day. Joined by her ensemble seed, turntablist NikNak, and the London Contemporary Orchestra, Kinoshi will revisit her acclaimed 2023 piece 'gratitude' and premiere a new composition inspired by women's role in British music history.
Date: 7 March 2024. Time: 7.30pm. Location: Barbican Centre. Price: £10-£15. Book now.
Clive Lyttle is the Artistic Director of Certain Blacks, a new Arts Council England funded organisation. He has held senior roles at Arts Council England, including Head of Combined Arts for the South East, overseeing circus, outdoor arts, and major venues like The Roundhouse and Jacksons Lane…
The Italian Greyhound sits handsomely on the corner of Seymour Street and Seymour Place in an area sprinkled with high end restaurants like Anglo Thai and Basque restaurant Donosita. It is just here to be the neighbourhood restaurant we all need.
Departing from the usual art fair model of booths, Art Basel Qatar will focus on solo exhibitions by galleries, shaped by individual artistic visions. The fair is designed to create a more meaningful experience for visitors while spotlighting artists and galleries from the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and beyond…
To mark its 25th anniversary as one of London’s leading cultural institutions, Somerset House will throw open its doors on 13 and 14 September 2025 for Step Inside 25, a celebratory weekend of free interactive events, performances, exhibitions and workshops…
This week in London, experience the timeless ballet Giselle performed by the National Ballet of Japan and a powerful live show where poet Caleb Femi and musician Jordan Stephens blend words and beats. Explore experimental sound at Signals, groove to jazz at JAZZ RE:FEST 2025, and enjoy the orchestral magic of the BBC Proms…
Noreen, a newly opened Middle Eastern restaurant in St Christopher’s Place, offers a standout dining experience with bold flavours and beautifully presented dishes. Surrounded by the charm of cobbled streets, it’s a place worth seeking out…
Pippin’s is a new Modern British restaurant located within the recently opened Hotel Templeton Garden in Earl’s Court. Tucked away on a quiet, elegant street of Victorian terraces, the restaurant offers a refined dining experience in a peaceful yet well-connected part of London…
There’s so much happening in London this week, from outdoor exhibitions like Sculpture in the City and music highlights like BBC Proms and Somerset House Summer Series, to unique experiences such as the Lord Mayor’s Hot Air Balloon Regatta…
This September, the Southbank Centre presents We Should Have Never Walked On The Moon, a groundbreaking new collaboration between Rambert and Ballet national de Marseille, under the direction of (LA)HORDE…
London’s food scene is always evolving, and this July brings a fresh wave of exciting places to discover. With new restaurant openings, seasonal menus, chef collaborations, and a mix of relaxed terraces and late-night hotspots. Whether you’re craving modern British cuisine, Middle Eastern flavours, classic Italian…
Manchester International Festival got underway on Thursday (3 July), under the directive to ‘dream differently’, the Festival this year is set out to inspire fresh perspectives and challenge conventional thought.…
In 2026, London’s art scene will be defined by a series of compelling exhibitions celebrating pioneering female artists and influential creative voices. The Tate will lead with a programme featuring landmark shows, including a major survey of Tracey Emin, tracing four decades of…
The David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse, opening on 13 September 2025, will bring visitors closer than ever to the life, work and creative vision of one of the most influential artists of modern times. More than 90,000 items from Bowie’s personal archive will be housed in the new centre…
Each summer, Henley-on-Thames plays host to the Henley Royal Regatta, an event that is as much a celebration of British sporting excellence as it is a fixture on the social calendar. Renowned worldwide for its rich heritage and competitive rowing, the regatta draws top crews and thousands of spectators…
Judith Clark is a curator and fashion exhibition-maker, and currently Professor of Fashion and Museology at the University of the Arts London. She lectures on the MA Fashion Curation and is a founding Director of the Centre for Fashion Curation. From 1997 to 2002, she ran London’s first experimental fashion gallery in Notting Hill…
The timing of this exhibition could not be better. At the end of a long winter, and egging on London’s reluctant spring, the Saatchi Gallery brings us FLOWERS in full bloom…
Missed out on Wimbledon 2025 tickets? Don’t worry – you can still enjoy the magic of this iconic British summer event right here in London. From 30 June to 13 July, big screens will be set up across the city, broadcasting all the live action from SW19…
The Royal Academy Summer Show has returned for its 257th exhibition. Curated under the theme of ‘Dialogues,’ the 2025 edition is coordinated by internationally acclaimed architect and Royal Academician Farshid Moussavi and explores art’s capacity to forge dialogues and build sensitivity towards societal concerns such as ecology, survival and living together…
Marylebone’s best-kept secret, Portman Square Garden, is once again set to bloom with life and laughter as Summer in the Square returns in July 2025. Now in its 11th year, this free community festival transforms the usually private garden into a lively…
The South London Gallery will open Thrill, Fill, Spill, a major solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist Yto Barrada, on 26 September 2025. Renowned for her cross-disciplinary practice that weaves together sculpture, textiles, film and painting…
Tate Modern will unveil Nigerian Modernism, the first major UK exhibition to chart the evolution of modern art in Nigeria. Opening in October 2025, the show will present more than 250 works by over 50 artists, exploring a rich period from colonial rule through independence and into the global present…
The South London Gallery will open Thrill, Fill, Spill, a major solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist Yto Barrada, on 26 September 2025. Renowned for her cross-disciplinary practice that weaves together sculpture, textiles, film and painting…
Oskar Zięta is an architect, process designer and artist whose work challenges the boundaries between disciplines. His practice brings together design, engineering, art and bionics to create sculptural forms. His latest installation, ‘Whispers’, is currently on display outside One New Ludgate as part of the London Festival of Architecture 2025…
The Park Corner Brasserie, running under the culinary leadership of Chefs Jean Didier and Anthony Marshall, who serve up refined British fare with seasonal flair from an attractive state of the art kitchen. The menu is delightfully diverse, satisfying everyone’s taste. From a juicy Park Corner Burger to a Dover Sole and even a Slow Cooked Barbary Duck Leg…
The London Design Biennale 2025 has officially opened at Somerset House, running from 5–29 June, bringing together over 40 pavilions from around the world in a bold celebration of global creativity. Now in its fifth edition, this year’s Biennale is curated by Artistic Director Dr Samuel Ross MBE, an award-winning British designer…
Danny Larsen is a Norwegian artist who has transitioned from a successful career in professional snowboarding to establishing himself as a distinctive painter. His detailed neo-pointillist landscapes reflect a deep connection to nature and a personal journey of transformation. Ahead of his debut London solo exhibition…
