What’s on this week in London: 14 - 20 July 2025

Discover our pick of events in London this week: 14 - 20 July 2025

Sculpture in the City

Sculpture in the City returns for its 14th edition this week, turning the City of London into an open-air gallery featuring striking new works by internationally acclaimed artists including Ai Weiwei, Andrew Sabin, and Jane and Louise Wilson. Curated in partnership with the City of London Corporation and cultural studio LACUNA, the annual programme continues its tradition of showcasing world-class contemporary sculpture amid the Square Mile’s unique blend of historic and modern architecture.

Date: 16 July 2025 onward. Location: City of London (various outdoor sites including St Botolph without Bishopsgate, The Leadenhall Building, and 70 St Mary Axe). Price: Free. sculptureinthecity.org.uk

 © Ai Weiwei Studio. Courtesy Ai Weiwei Studio, Lisson Gallery and neugerriemschneider, Berlin.

BBC proms

The BBC Proms returns this week with a dramatic First Night, featuring works by Mendelssohn, Sibelius, Errollyn Wallen, and Vaughan Williams. Running from 18 July to 13 September, the 2025 season includes world premieres, major debuts, and standout performances from global stars. Highlights include pianist Yunchan Lim, a new orchestral work by Anoushka Shankar, and Joe Hisaishi’s The End of the World. Elim Chan makes Proms history conducting both the opening and all-female Last Night. With tickets from £8, it’s a summer celebration of music not to be missed.

Date: 18 July – 13 September 2025. Location: Royal Albert Hall and across the UK. Click herefor the full programme of events. 

Cafe OTO Summer Fair

Taking place this Saturday, the Cafe OTO Summer Fair is a free, all-day celebration of independent creativity, showcasing some of the venue’s favourite publishers, record labels and artists. Visitors can browse tables from a diverse range of participants including Aird Tapes, Strange Attractor, Purely Physical Teeny Tapes, Lol Coxhill Archives, Paradigm Discs, and many more. Alongside the stalls, the café will be serving refreshing cocktails, cordials, and a special kitchen menu, making for a cool atmosphere in one of London’s most beloved experimental arts spaces.

Date: 19 July 2025. Time: 11am - 6pm. Location: Cafe OTO, 18–22 Ashwin Street, Dalston, London E8 3DL. Price: Free. cafeoto.co.uk

BBC Proms returns to the Royal Albert Hall. © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons

Aakash Odedra Company: Songs of the Bulbul

The Aakash Odedra Company returns to Sadler’s Wells this week with Songs of the Bulbul, a spiritual new work that brings together kathak dance and Sufi poetry. Inspired by the ancient Sufi myth of a bulbul, a songbird that sings a final, beautiful tune before dying of heartbreak, the performance becomes a powerful metaphor for the fleeting nature of life and dance. Created in collaboration with choreographer Rani Khanam and composer Rushil Ranjan, the piece combines traditional Sufi music, poetry and movement in a performance that is both meditative and intense.

Date: 17 - 19 July 2025. Location: Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN. Price: from £15.00 plus £4.00 building maintenance fee.Book now

Lord Mayor’s Hot Air Balloon Regatta®

Following several cancelled dates earlier in the year due to unfavourable weather, the Lord Mayor’s Hot Air Balloon Regatta® is on standby for this Sunday. As the official ballooning event of the City of London, this breathtaking spectacle sees up to 50 hot air balloons launch across the capital at sunrise, led by the Lord Mayor’s Appeal balloon carrying the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress. The Regatta raises awareness and funds for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, offering a rare and beautiful sight over London’s skyline, weather permitting. Fingers crossed it goes ahead this Sunday. However, if it doesn’t, it is also on standby for 27 July. We recommend checking updates and social media for the latest confirmation before heading out for the early morning start.

Standby Date: 20 & 27 July 2025. Location: Central London (launch site typically Battersea Park). lordmayorsballoonregatta.com

Lord Mayor’s Hot Air Balloon Regatta®, 2019. Image credit: Exclusive Ballooning. 

The Soho Village Fete

The Soho Village Fete returns on Sunday for its 50th anniversary with a full afternoon of quirky, community fun in St Anne’s Gardens, Soho. From 12 to 6pm, enjoy six hours of live entertainment, the French House Bar, snail racing, a spaghetti-eating contest, the Human Fruit Machine, a dog show, raffle, and the much-loved Soho Waiters’ Race! With a tug of war between Soho Police and Fire Service and plenty of stalls and surprises, it’s a free event with a true Soho twist. Capacity is limited to 500 people, so arrive early; priority is given to Soho Society members with VIP wristbands.

Date: 20 July 2025. Location: St Anne’s Gardens, Wardour Street, Soho, London. Price: Free.

The London Craft Beer Festival

The London Craft Beer Festival is taking place this week, on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 July, at Magazine London in Greenwich, a riverside venue perfect for summer sipping. This year’s festival brings together over 100 breweries pouring more than 800 different beers and ciders, all included in your ticket. Expect a buzzing atmosphere with live DJs, street food from some of London’s top vendors, and a scenic setting overlooking the Thames. Whether you are into hoppy IPAs, crisp lagers or experimental brews, it is a brilliant way to discover new favourites and enjoy the city’s vibrant craft beer culture.

Date: 18 - 19 July 2025. Location: 11 Ordnance Crescent, London, SE10 0JH. Price: from £64.50. Book now

Photography (Rosmund Pike) by Mads Perch.

Inter Alia

Witness Rosamund Pike (Saltburn, Gone Girl) make her debut at the National Theatre in Inter Alia, a searing new play by Suzie Miller, running at the Lyttelton Theatre until 13 September 2025. Pike stars as Jessica Parks, a sharp, compassionate Crown Court judge who’s shaking up the legal system while trying to keep her own family life intact. From karaoke nights to courtroom battles, Jessica’s world is thrown off balance when a sudden event threatens everything she’s built. Directed by Justin Martin and from the team behind the global hit Prima Facie, Inter Alia is a gripping exploration of modern motherhood, power, and the cost of holding it all together. With £10 Friday Rush tickets and exclusive access for American Express® Cardmembers, this is definitely one of the season’s must-see productions.

Date: Until 13 September 2025. Location: Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1 9PX. Price: from £49 - £110. Book now

Somerset House Summer Series

The Somerset House Summer Series is in full swing, running until 21 July in the iconic courtyard of Somerset House. Blending rising stars with established names, the series offers a chic and intimate live music experience in one of London’s most atmospheric settings. This week’s standout performers include Sampha on 15 July, Jungle on 19 July, and Nia Archives later in the week. With a diverse and exciting lineup, the series continues to be a summer highlight for music lovers.

Date: Until 20 July 2025. Location: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA. Price: from £27.50. Book now

Sunrise Yoga at JOIA

Wellness

Sunrise Yoga at JOIA

The popular Rooftop Sunrise Yoga series has returned to the JOIA Rooftop, offering a gentle flow yoga session led by local instructor Jinis (@jinisyogi). Set against the scenic backdrop of the art’otel infinity pool and the nearby Power Station chimneys, the class provides a unique and calming experience. Participants can also enjoy the artistic surroundings created by signature artist Jaime Hayon. After the session, guests are treated to a complimentary hot drink or fresh juice and a pastry at TOZI Counter. Spa facilities on Level -1 are available beforehand for getting ready, and all yoga mats and bricks are provided.

The next session takes place on Friday and Saturday. If you can’t make it, the sessions continue every Friday and Saturday until September.

Date: 18 - 19 July 2025. Time: 7.30 - 8.30 am. Location: art'otel London Battersea Power Station, 15th Floor, 1 Electric Boulevard, London SW11 8BJ. Price: £40. Book now

Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, dir. Karim Shah, UK 2025, 62 min.

Cinema

Gaza: Doctors Under Attack

Showing this week at the ICA, Gaza: Doctors Under Attack is a powerful investigative documentary examining the devastating impact of Israeli military operations on Gaza’s healthcare system. With all 36 main hospitals reportedly damaged or destroyed and hundreds of medical professionals killed, injured or detained, the film sheds light on the immense challenges faced by doctors and surgeons working under constant bombardment. Despite limited resources and unsafe conditions, these frontline workers persist in treating the wounded, offering a harrowing yet deeply human account of resilience, courage and loss. Select screenings will include Q&A sessions with filmmakers and doctors recently returned from Gaza.

Date: 16 July 2025 – Followed by Q&A with editor Mel Quigley, Dr Graeme Groom, and Dr Saleyha Ahsan; 19 July 2025 – Followed by Q&A with Dr H Al-Hadithy. Location: ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts), The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH. Price: £10. Concessions available. Book now

Arts & Culture

Opening this week

Performance of Entrapment

Performance of Entrapment is a new installation by Jane and Louise Wilson, opening at London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE this week. The work explores the layers of history beneath the City of London through rare archaeological finds, including 2,000-year-old oak stakes uncovered during excavations near the Roman Temple of Mithras. Using microscopic imagery of the oak’s grain, the artists have created large-scale works that combine screen-printing, resin, and carved wood. The exhibition draws parallels between the Temple of Mithras and Japan’s Ise Jingu shrine.

Date: 17 July 2025 - January 2026. Location: London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE, 12 Walbrook, London EC4N 8AA.Price: Free.londonmithraeum.com

Constitutional Promise by Vasantha Muthiah, Sarah Jacob, Diya Bijoy, and Eera Dubey

After the Assembly: Constituting India

After the Assembly: Constituting India, opening at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS, commemorates 75 years of the Indian Constitution by exploring its creation through both formal political processes and public participation. Featuring an interactive digital platform on the Constituent Assembly debates (1946–49), alongside archival petitions, correspondence, short films, photographs, and artistic works, the exhibition highlights how the Constitution was shaped and how it continues to be reimagined by citizens, students, and artists today. Developed through the AHRC-funded PACT project, it offers a powerful reflection on constitutional ownership and transformation in contemporary India.

Date: 17 July - 17 September 2025. Location: Brunei Gallery, SOAS,Thornhaugh Street, London. WC1H0XG. Price: Free. soas.ac.uk

#FLOFavourites: This week 

Diamond Stingily: May 29

May 29 by Diamond Stingily is on show at Cabinet Gallery in London. The exhibition presents a range of multimedia works, including photography, video, and sculpture. Stingily’s pieces reflect personal history, experiences of loss, and resilience, often drawing from the artist’s own life.

Date: 29 May – 6 September 2025. Location: Cabinet Gallery, 132 Tyers Street, Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, London SE11 5HS. Price: Free.

Condensed Word, Displaced Flesh by Freudian Typo (Ghazaleh Avarzamani and Ali Ahadi)

Freudian Typo, the duo Ghazaleh Avarzamani and Ali Ahadi, present experimental text-based and visual artworks that address migration and identity at the Delfina Foundation. The works challenge traditional ideas about language and the body, using abstraction and layered narratives to engage visitors.

Date: Until 31 August 2025. Location: Delfina Foundation 29/31 Catherine Place London SW1E 6DY. Price: Free. delfinafoundation.com

Freudian Typo, Condensed Word, Displaced Flesh, 2025. Video still, three channels, 9.

Last chance 

In the Mood for Love: Hockney in London, 1960–1963

This week is the final chance to see early works by David Hockney on show at Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert. The exhibition features rare paintings, drawings, and prints from his time at the Royal College of Art and early London years, highlighting his stylistic growth and exploration of love, identity, and desire.

Date: 21 May -18 July 2025. Location: Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert, 38 Bury Street, St James’s,London, SW1Y 6BB. Price: Free.

David Hockney with The Cha Cha that was Danced in the Early Hours of 24th March 1961, at the Royal College of Art, c.1961.Photograph by Geoffrey Reeve. All rights reserved 2025 / Bridgeman Images

Artist Talk

Seeing Ghosts: Pio Abad & Susan Barker

As part of the ESEA Lit Fest, Seeing Ghosts brings together artist Pio Abad, novelist Susan Barker, and poet Romalyn Ante for a thought-provoking discussion on political histories and the spectral. Abad, a 2024 Turner Prize finalist, explores personal and national memory through art rooted in Filipino history, while Barker, author of The Incarnations, delves into identity and reincarnation in her fiction. Chaired by Ante, an award-winning Filipino-British poet, the event celebrates East and South East Asian literature and culture as part of the ESEA Encounters Summer Time series.

Date: 19 July 2025. Time: 12.15pm – 1.30pm (approx.). Location: Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: from £12 + £3.50 booking fee (multi-buy offer available). Book now

#FLOFavourites: Pick of the Week

Free event of the week

Serpentine Family Day

Serpentine Pavilion 2025 A Capsule in Time, designed by Marina Tabassum, Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA). Exterior view. © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA), Photo Iwan Baan, Courtesy: Serpentine.

The Serpentine Family Day takes place on Saturday 19 July 2025, offering a free drop-in event full of art, music, dance, storytelling and workshops for all ages. Set at Serpentine South and the Pavilion designed by Marina Tabassum Architects, the day includes live Bengali music and dance from Mukto Arts, bilingual poetry, folk tales with Sally Pomme Clayton, creative workshops, and collaborative weaving and sculpture activities. Families are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy on the Serpentine Lawn.

Date: 19 July 2025. Time: 11am to 3pm. Location: Serpentine South and Pavilion, Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA. Price: Free, drop-in event. serpentinegalleries.org.

Food of the week

Pippin’s

Pippin’s Restaurant.  Image credit James McDonald.

Pippin’s in Earl’s Court is our food of the week for its dreamy garden terrace and expertly crafted modern British menu by Head Chef Liam Fauchard-Newman, featuring fresh, locally foraged ingredients from their own garden and nearby areas. Highlights include London three cheese soldiers, Hereford beef tartare, and Cornish sea bass with Ramsons green sauce, finished with a unique fig leaf ice cream. Paired with inventive cocktails from Sprout Bar, such as the Rhubarb Ramos and Green Chilcano, Pippin’s offers a perfect summer dining experience in a stylish, welcoming setting.

Click here for our full review.

Location: Pippin's, 1-15 Templeton Pl, London SW5 9NB. Website: pippinsrestaurant.com. Instagram: @pippinsrestaurant

Cause of the week 

Maytree

Maytree

Maytree offers a unique, free 4-night, 5-day residential stay for adults in suicidal crisis, providing a safe, non-medical and compassionate space where guests can talk openly and feel truly heard. Volunteers are at the heart of the service, offering time and support through one-to-one conversations, phone calls, outreach, fundraising, or skills-based roles.

Click here to discover more about volunteering with Maytree.