Curious Things To Do in London in June 2016
We’re here to inspire you this June with the most unusual things to do in London that you might not have heard of.
This month there’s mad Japanese gig-theatre, free outdoor festivals, 50% off at La Bodega Negra & £1 cinema at Picturehouse Central.
Festivals
LIFT Festival | Various Venues | 1 June-2 July | Various Prices
LIFT scours the world for new performance experiences & we love the range this year. Highlights for us include:
- Miss Revolutionary Idol Beserker (22 June 2016 – 2 July 2016): A kaleidoscope of colour, banging music & choreography fuse to create the fireworks of this cult Japanese spectacular. (Pictured above in main image by @CYCOLNE_A & in the video above too!)
- Depart (16-26 June): Australian circus supremos Circa create a haunting show in a cemetery which straddles the plain between life & death.
Greenwich + Docklands International Festival | 24 June-2 July | Various Prices
Docklands and undiscovered East London comes alive with free visually inventive performances in our fave free festival. Here’s 2 which seem like a sure bet:
- Greenwich Fair (25-26 June): A mad mix of zany performances including: the chance to join in a massive tribute to ‘A Chorus Line’ in Audition Project, octogenarian music hall + hip hop artiste Ida Barr has a block party & see some men on very high stilts.
- The Clash of Drums by Les Commandos Percu & Deabru Beltzak (2 July): Drums + Fireworks. Nuff said innit.
Bestival at Goldsmiths | Fri 17 June | Goldsmiths, New Cross | From Free
A first of its kind collaboration between Rob Da Bank’s cult festival and hip uni Goldsmiths. Expect street food, lectures on how to make the perfect festival and a night time music fiesta with Ghostpoet.
Peopling the Palace Festival | Queen Mary University of London, Mile End | 7-19 June | From Free
Queen Mary’s Drama department shows its mettle with a 2 week festival of new performances, quirky lectures including on SHIT & a graduate showcase, First Flights.
Theatre & Shows
Barbu | London Wonderground, Waterloo | 15 June-25 September | Various Times | From £26
Bearded circus comes to London after a five star triumph at last year’s Edinburgh fringe. We loved the mix of skills including acrobatics, comedy & daring drops.
By The End of Us | Southwark Playhouse, Elephant & Castle | 7-11 June | 8pm | £24.50/14.50
They Say: Mia Culper is an assassin. Navigating her way through a series of underground chambers she must find and kill her target. Prepped with a camera and microphone Mia live streams her journey to a Contact, who guides and advises her through the mission, ensuring she achieves her objective.
Party Politics | Hackney Showroom, Hackney Downs | 8 / 15 / 22 June | 8pm | £8/5
EU confused? Join Scottee to discuss the EU referendum with a pint in one hand and politicians in sight.
With a Little Bit of Luck | Roundhouse, Chalk Farm | 14-18 June | 8pm | £12.50 + fee
Sabrina Mahfouz gives us a rave up of a show inspired by UK garage and what it meant to young people.
Comedy, Cabaret & Nighttime Fun
Lady Malcolm’s Servants’ Ball | Bishopsgate Institute, Liverpool Street | 24-25 June | 9pm | £20
Lady Malcolm’s Servants’ Ball was a notorious party on London’s queer scene in the 1920s & 1930s and Duckie is here to celebrate this hidden history with a series of interactive events & performances.
LonDADA | Cinema Museum, Elephant & Castle | Thu 23 June | 6.30pm | £5-15
They say: Come celebrate the Dada legacy in style with films, music, theatre, poetry and Brian Blessed!
Karaoke Court | The Yard Theatre, Hackney Wick | Thu 23 June | 7pm | Free
Settle a dispute and get a legally binding verdict through the medium of song. Genius.
Return on Investment by Adam Larter | Museum of Comedy, Holborn | Tues 21 June | 8.45pm | £5
A surreal comedy play set in the corporate stationery world.
Markets, Food & Drink
50% off La Bodega Negra | Soho | Throughout June | Sunday-Wednesday
Get 50% off the gorgeous underground Mexican food fiesta when you book with the codeword ‘FRIDA’ to eat from Sunday-Wednesday in June. Book via phone on 020 7758 4100.
Thames Lates | London Eye Millennium Pier | Various Dates from 9 June | 7pm | £39.50
Hold onto your hat and brace yourself for a white knuckle river ride on a Thames rocket and then get treated to a lovely cocktail by London Cocktail Club.
Wasted Chic South | John the Unicorn, Peckham | Sun 19 June | 12.30-6.30pm
Wasted Chic brings future fashion south of the river to the best named pub in Peckham.
Film & Music
£1 Cinema Day | Picturehouse Central, Piccadilly Circus | Sat 11 June | £1
Celebrate 1 year of the snazziest new central London cinema with £1 tickets (save £17 on the full adult price). Tickets go on sale online and in person on Friday 10 June. See what’s showing that day here
Campfire Club | Secret Location, East London | Thu 30 June | 7pm | £8 advance
Gather around a roaring fire to listen to the world’s finest music including in this outing the rather marvellous Veda Slovena Bulgarian Choir,
The Shortest Nights hosted by Short Sighted Cinema | The Yard Theatre, Hackney Wick | Sun 19 June | From £6.60
Get under the skin of short film with this eclectic midsummer celebration hosted by the wonderful Short Sighted Cinema.
Did we forget anything for our top things to do in London in June? Leave a comment below with your thoughts…
About Rupert Dannreuther
I am Joint Editor at To Do List. I like free, cheap & offbeat London, especially: cabaret, art, theatre, pop-ups, eating out, quirky films, museums, day trips, social enterprise & much more.