15+ things to do in London in August 2025
August in London is that sweet spot when the city is properly alive, parks are buzzing, the streets are loud in the best way, and the cultural calendar feels like it’s on a summer high. As we bounce around the capital in search of art, music, food and somewhere to dance or just sit with a cold drink, here are some of our favourite things happening this month. From classic institutions turning their courtyards into outdoor cinemas, to all-day carnivals and food festivals inside palaces, this is your go-to list of what to do, where to be and what not to miss this August in London.
Battersea Park in Concert
Battersea Park in COncert returns this August Bank Holiday (23-25 August 2025).
#FLODown: Battersea Park in Concert is back over the August Bank Holiday, offering three spectacular evenings of live music by the Thames. Expect jazz, orchestral disco, funk, and iconic film scores, with performances by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and a grand finale featuring Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra with special guests. Running from 23 to 25 August, the concert combines world-class music with great food and drink, an ideal way to spend the Bank Holiday weekend.
Date: 23–25 August 2025. Location: Battersea Park, London SW11 4NJ. Price: from £48.49/£18.86. Adult/Child. Book now
Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival. Image credit Bernd Dittrich.
#FLODown: Notting Hill Carnival, Europe’s largest street festival, returns to W10/W11 from Saturday 23 to Monday 25 August. Packed floats, elaborate costumes, massive sound system blocks, and non stop soca, calypso, and steelpan vibes will fill the streets. Think jerk chicken, roti, paint throwing, dancing in the rain and two million people in motion. Saturday starts with the grand Panorama Steel Band contest; Sunday features colourful costumes and kids singing on Family Day; Monday explodes into full Carnival mode with floats, soca beats, steelpan orchestras, and stalls slinging jerk chicken and roti. Over the past few months, there has been plenty of discussion about funding for the festival, but funding has now been secured for safety upgrades so it is happening, bigger than ever this year.
Date: 23–25 August 2025. Location: Streets of Notting Hill, London W10/W11.Price: Free (except Panorama finals, which are ticketed). nhcarnival.org.
Queen’s Park Book Festival
Image credit Queen’s Park Book Festival.
#FLODown: More than just readings, Queen’s Park Book Festival is a book feast that feels like a neighbourhood party. Taking place on 30 and 31 August in Queen’s Park NW6, the weekend brings together literary icons like Hanif Kureishi and Alan Hollinghurst with spoken word, comedy, community talks and a lively children’s line-up, including Zadie Smith and Nick Laird reading from Weirdo Goes Wild. With tickets from £8 and free events in the Community Tent, it’s a celebration of books, ideas and local spirit.
Date: 30–31 August 2025. Location: Queen’s Park, Kingswood Avenue, London NW6 6SG. Price: £8 per ticket (some free events). queensparkbookfestival.co.uk
Tai Shani: The Spell or The Dream
© Adam James Sinclair and Lotti V Closs, 2024
#FLODown: A major free commission by Turner Prize winner Tai Shani will open The Spell or The Dream at Somerset House’s Edmond J Safra Fountain Court as part of its 25th birthday celebrations. The installation features a striking 10-metre sculpture of a sleeping figure enclosed in glass, accompanied by a new soundscape and a 24/7 global radio broadcast called The Dream Radio. This multi-layered project invites artists, writers, and thinkers to explore dreaming as a radical act of imagination through live talks, performances, and a family programme running throughout the summer holidays. Alongside this, a series of live conversations and special events offers spaces to reflect on themes like power, democracy, and future possibilities. The exhibition opens on 7 August 2025 and remains at Somerset House over August before touring to Jupiter Artland outside Edinburgh from October 2025.
Date: 7 August – 14 September 2025. Location: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA. Price: Free (ticketed for live events). somersethouse.org.uk
Click here to discover 20+ art exhibitions to see in London in August 2025.
Gustavo Dudamel & the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra
Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra. © Nohely Oliveros
#FLODown: Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra returns to Royal Festival Hall under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel for an evening of vibrant classical music. Known for their passionate and energetic performances, the orchestra will perform Bernstein’s overture to Candide and the electrifying Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, alongside two atmospheric works by Manuel de Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain and the Second Suite from The Three-Cornered Hat. With all 180 musicians trained through Venezuela’s transformative El Sistema programme, the orchestra continues to captivate global audiences.
Date: 28 August 2025. Running time: 2 hrs approximately. Location: Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road, Southbank, London SE1 8XX. Price: From £22 + BF. Book now
London Festivals
All Points East. Image credit Lou Morris.
#FLODown: Late summer brings a wave of festivals across London. All Points East / In The Neighbourhood returns to Victoria Park from 15 to 24 August 2025, with major headline shows across two weekends featuring Cleo Sol, Chase & Status, Barry Can’t Swim, RAYE, and a special reunion from The Maccabees. Between the weekends, the free In The Neighbourhood programme fills the park with film screenings, talks, family activities, and more. On 23 August, RALLY Festival takes over Southwark Park with a bold lineup of alternative sounds, including Floating Points, CASISDEAD, MIKE, Ben UFO, Geordie Greep, Porridge Radio, and Astrid Sonne. Meanwhile, ahead of these festivals, Big Smoke Festival heads to Crystal Palace Bowl on 9 and 10 August, headlined by Skepta and featuring special performances from Central Cee, Chip, K-Trap, and Frisco.
Barbican Outdoor Cinema
Dune, USA 1984, Dir David Lynch. Image courtesy of the Barbican Centre.
#FLODown: Barbican’s Outdoor Cinema 2025 returns this August with 11 nights of open-air screenings in the striking Barbican Sculpture Court. The programme features a diverse line-up of cult classics, animations, and international cinema, including Dune (1984), Fantastic Mr. Fox, Beau Travail, The Return of Godzilla, and Little Shop of Horrors. Highlights also include Grave of the Fireflies, Fire of Love, and Love & Basketball, with films by acclaimed directors like Wes Anderson, Claire Denis, and Isao Takahata. Audiences can enjoy food stalls and bars while watching bold, visually rich films under the stars.
Date: 20 August – 31 August 2025. Location: Barbican Sculpture Court, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS. Price: Standard £18 | Barbican Members £14.40 | Corporate Members £13.50 | Young Barbican £10 | Under 14s £10. (£1.50 booking fee applies to online bookings). Book now
Greenwich + Docklands International Festival
Image courtesy of GDIFestival
#FLODown: The Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) returns from 22 August to 6 September 2025, celebrating 30 years as London’s leading free outdoor arts festival. This year’s theme, Above and Beyond, features 30 companies from around the world presenting bold and innovative performances across Greenwich, Newham, Thamesmead and the Greenwich Peninsula. Highlights include a thrilling opening parkour show across Woolwich rooftops, climate-themed dance on floating stages, vertical wall performances, and circus-meets-robotics displays. The beloved Greenwich Fair and Dancing City also return, bringing family-friendly street theatre, LGBTQIA+ dance, and new works by disabled artists. Featuring breathtaking performances across parks, squares, rooftops, and even on water, GDIF 2025 is a dynamic celebration of creativity, community, and free outdoor performance.
Date: 22 August – 6 September 2025. Location: Across Greenwich, Woolwich, Docklands (e.g. Woolwich SE18, Greenwich Park SE10). Price: Free. festival.org
Image courtesy of GDIFestival
BBC Proms – Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall. Image credit Samuel Regan-Asante.
#FLODown: The BBC Proms 2025 continues throughout August at the Royal Albert Hall, offering a packed schedule of classical and contemporary music. Audiences can expect standout performances from world-class orchestras and soloists, including Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony, Ravel and Reich double bills, and Beethoven’s Ninth. Highlights include Anoushka Shankar’s world premiere, Anna Lapwood’s overnight organ concert, and themed evenings such as The Planets and Star Wars and Soul Revolution. August also features visually striking events like Shostakovich’s Fifth by Heart performed from memory, and innovative concerts blending circus and sound. Ticket prices start from just £8 for standing (promming) spots, with premium seating also available. Concerts are broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and various BBC TV channels.
Click here to discover more about BBC Proms events in August 2025.
Date: Select concerts in August during 18 July – 13 September 2025. Location: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP. Price: £8–£110+ depending on seating.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Image courtesy of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
#FLODown: Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre continues this August with a dynamic line-up of shows and events in its unique outdoor setting. The season’s big musical revival, Brigadoon (2 Aug–20 Sept), offers a fresh adaptation of the Scottish classic, directed by Drew McOnie. For younger audiences, The Enormous Crocodile (15 Aug–7 Sept) returns with puppetry and music, bringing Roald Dahl’s story to life for children aged 3 and up. August also features a series of lively festivals celebrating dance, comedy, and live music, making the most of summer in the park.
Date: 2 August – 20 September 2025. Location: Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Inner Circle, NW1 4NU. Price: From £18 (£15 season scheme). Book now
Hampton Court Palace Food Festival
The Hampton Court Palace Food Festival returns over the August Bank Holiday.
#FLODown: The Hampton Court Palace Food Festival returns over the August Bank Holiday weekend (23–25 August 2025, 10am–6pm), offering a packed day out with over 150 artisan food and drink stalls, street food, pop-up bars, mixology demos, and chef masterclasses set against the backdrop of Henry VIII’s historic palace. Enjoy live music, family-friendly entertainment including face painting and games, plus access to the palace’s famous gardens, maze, and interiors. Entry to the festival is included with a palace admission ticket, and Historic Royal Palaces members can attend for free with pre-booking.
Date: 23–25 August 2025. Location: Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey KT8 9AU. Price: Included with palace entry; members free with advance booking. Book now
Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby
The cast of Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby. Image credit Rebecca Johns.
#FLODown: Calling all Peaky Blinders fans, a Peaky Blinders show is coming to Sadler’s Wells Theatre this month as Rambert reimagines the Shelby legacy in The Redemption of Thomas Shelby. Set in the aftermath of the First World War, it follows Tommy’s rise through Birmingham’s underworld, told through fierce and cinematic choreography with a live band playing music from Radiohead, Nick Cave, Anna Calvi and more. It is visceral, stylish and darkly moving, Peaky like you have never seen it before.
Date: 5–16 August 2025. Duration: approx. 2 hr 10 min run time with interval). Location: Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN. Price: from £15 (standard tickets ~£18). Book now
Brixton Calling
Brixton Calling. Image credit Danny Kaan.
#FLODown: Brixton Calling is a new play with live music, inspired by Simon Parkes’ bestselling memoir Live at the Brixton Academy, and is showing at Southwark Playhouse Borough. Written by Alex Urwin and directed by Bronagh Lagan, the production tells the true story of a 23-year-old outsider who bought a derelict cinema for £1 in 1983 and transformed it into the iconic Brixton Academy music venue. Featuring a live soundtrack that blends reggae, punk, rock and rave, with performances by actor-musicians Max Runham and Tendai Humphrey Sitima, Brixton Callingcaptures the spirit and energy that shaped one of London’s most legendary venues. Full details on tickets and timings are available on the Southwark Playhouse website.
Date: 23 July - 16 August 2025. Location: Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD. Price: from £22 Standard / from £18 Concessions. Book now
Summer Exhibition 2025
Installation view of the Summer Exhibition 2024. Photo: © Royal Academy of Arts, London / David Parry
#FLODown: Last chance to see the Royal Academy’s 257th Summer Exhibition before it closes in August. Curated by architect Farshid Moussavi RA, this year’s show explores the theme ‘Dialogues’, with art and architecture sparking conversations on ecology, identity, and society. Highlights include major works by Alice Channer, Antonio Tarsis, Tamara Kostianovsky, and first-time exhibitor Jenny Holzer, alongside Royal Academicians like Grayson Perry and Yinka Shonibare. Many works are available to buy in support of artists and the RA Schools.
Click here for our review of the 2025 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.
Date: 17 June – 17 August 2025. Location: Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD. Price: From £23; concessions available; under 16s go free. Book now
Ronnie Scott’s Street Party
Image courtesy of Ronnie Scott’s.
#FLODown: Ronnie Scott’s is bringing back its free summer street party on Saturday 2 August 2025, following the success of its 60th anniversary edition in 2019. Taking place on Frith Street in Soho from 11am to 5pm, this mini day festival celebrates UK jazz and the work of the Ronnie Scott’s Charitable Foundation, which supports music education and young talent. The line-up includes Jazz Jamaica, Theon Cross, Cosmic Fusion, Tomorrow’s Warriors Youth Ensemble, Kinetika Bloco, and special guest DJ AG, who opens the day. Expect live music, DJ sets, family-friendly activities, outdoor bars, and street food. Entry is free and no tickets are required.
Date: 2 August 2025. Time: 11 am - 5pm. Location: Frith Street, Soho, London W1D 4HT. Price: Free. ronniescotts.co.uk
Summer Splash at the Royal Docks
At the Docks. Royal Docks Summer Splash 2023. Image credit Royal Docks.
#FLODown: Imagine a pop up lido in East London, free to use, with sun, water, sandpits, a sauna, and summer DJs, all set against the city skyline. That’s Summer Splash, running from 25 July to 17 August at the Royal Docks. Lifeguards keep things safe while families splash about, older kids learn open water swimming or paddleboarding, and DJs bring the beats to keep things fun.
Date: 25 July – 17 August 2025. Location: Royal Victoria Dock, near City Hall, East London, E16 1AH. Price: Free. royaldocks.london
V&A East Storehouse at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
View of the Weston Collections Hall at V&A East Storehouse. Image by David Parry, PA Media Assignments.
#FLODown: August is the perfect time to explore the V&A’s brand new Storehouse, which opened its doors at the end of May 2025. Tucked behind the scenes of the museum, this free-to-visit treasure trove gives you access to over half a million objects usually hidden from view, including Dior couture, David Bowie’s stage wear, samurai swords, Roman frescoes and much more. Wander through the working archive, join special events and even use the unique “Order an Object” service to request a closer look at selected items. No booking is needed to visit, but if you’re planning to order an object, advance booking is recommended.
Location: Here East, Parkes Street, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London E20 3AX. Price: Free entry; some activities may require booking. vam.ac.uk
Afternoon Tea Week
Image courtesy of Sketch London.
#FLODown: For one glorious week in mid‑August, London turns its teatime dial up to eleven. From Monday 11 to Sunday 17 August, hotels, cafés, and restaurants across the city celebrate the tradition with themed menus, discounts, and inventive twists on sandwiches, scones and pastries. Many venues offer 25% off throughout the week, making it the perfect excuse to indulge. Whether you’re after a decadent Bridgerton-themed spread, a dinosaur tea for kids, there’s something for every kind of tea lover.
Date: 11–17 August 2025. Location: Multiple venues across London (e.g. Mayfair, Covent Garden, Southbank). Price: Typically £29–£115+ per person (many offer 25% off during the week).
Lego Block Party at Old Spitalfields Market
Lego Block Party at Old Spitalfields Market.
#FLODown: Old Spitalfields Market is hosting Block Party – Summer LEGO Workshops, a free and family-friendly event designed to spark creativity during the school holidays. Led by the expert team at Bricks McGee, these hands-on workshops take place over two weekends on the Market Mezzanine. From 8–11 August, kids can help build a giant collaborative cityscape in ‘London Landmarks’, while 15–18 August is all about ‘Magical Monsters’, inviting young imaginations to run wild designing their own quirky creatures. Sessions run from 11am to 3pm, and with a drop-in format, families can stay for a quick visit or a whole afternoon of building fun.
Click here to discover more fun activities to do with children this summer.
Date: 8–11 & 15–18 August 2025 (Fridays–Sundays). Location: Old Spitalfields Market, 16 Horner Square, Spitalfields, London E1 6EW. Price: Free. oldspitalfieldsmarket.com
