Unmissable Things To Do in London – Summer 2017
Festival season is truly upon us, so here’s a bumper Summer To Do List covering July & August to keep you busy in between Fringe frolics and the annual tent airing…
This summer’s top picks include a whole heap of Festivals including Greenwich+Docklands, Lewisham People’s Day, Postcards 2017, Latitude & MORE, plus the usual mix of kooky cabaret, nerdy exhibitions, live music, edgy performance and all the rest!
Briefs: Close Encounters | Underbelly Festival | From 14 July | From £20
A bulge-packed bonanza of boylesque on the South Bank.
Fantastic Beaver and Where to Find Her | Underbelly Festival | 22 August | 7:45pm | From £12.50
Miss Rosie Beaver sets the drag world alight with her debut rock odyssey.
The City is Ours | Museum of London | From 14 July | FREE
Post-Grenfell this exhibition at Museum of London should ask some important questions about our modern metropolis.
Art Night 2017 | Various Venues | 1 July | From 6pm | FREE
Free art experiences all over East London – check out the smaller galleries on the right.
Chorus | Southbank Centre | 1-2 July
A festival of choirs where 50% of the activity is free and the whole thing is full of talented women.
Greenwich+Docklands International Festival | Until 8 July
Our fave free spectacular is back with more oddities like this backless theatre bus.
Sagacity! | Oxford House | 3-4 July | FREE
Support Green Candle Dance in it’s mission to help older people discover the magic of dance.
Edinburgh Previews 2017 | Hackney Showroom | 8-28 July
Some great previews coming up including comedy queen London Hughes (pictured above), camp musical mayhem; Prom Kween and many more.
Lewisham People’s Day | Mountsfield Park | 8 July | From Midday | FREE
We’ve been championing Lewisham People’s Day as the pinnacle of free festivals for years now. This year is no disappointment with a HipHopera by Josephine and the Artizans, Margarita Pracatan and surely more free squash from religious stalls.
London Korean Festival | Olympia | 8 July | From 11am | FREE (£30 for Evening K-Pop Concert)
A festival of K-pop, food and culture from Korea including a gig with the marvellous girl band Exid (pictured above).
Postcards Festival 2017 | Jacksons Lane | 11-29 July
Circus, cabaret and entertainment collide in this festival in a former church.
Latitude | Henham Park | 13-16 July | Times | £197.50
Live music, sheep, lake-swimming, theatre in the woods and so much culture are packed into the epic Latitude line up. Get thee to Suffolk.
Alexandra Palace Summer Festival | 22 July | From Midday | FREE
A giant water slide awaits at Ally Pally.
AFROPUNK London 2017 | The Printworks | 22-23 July | Times | £45/£90
A diverse celebration of live music and good vibes in London’s most amazing new venue.
River Stage Festival | National Theatre | From 28 July | FREE
Free fun by the river curated by the likes of gay pub The Glory, world music buffs WOMAD and Manchester’s HOME (arts space).
Camden Fringe | Various Venues | From 31 July
A twisted pick and mix of theatre and comedy. Take a leap of faith and see something unusual
Kenneth Anger Films (Live Score By Tomaga) | Moth Club | 2 July | 7pm | £10
Broody, sexy films from Kenneth Anger are shown with a live score at Hackney’s MOTH CLUB.
Lost In Vagueness | Lost Rivers Elephant | 13 July | 6pm | £12
Missed Glasto? Get the insider track on the weird and wonderful world of art punks Lost in Vagueness in this doc.
The Multi-Story Orchestra: In Colour | Bold Tendencies | 6 July | 6:30pm | £5
Orchestra in a car park.
UEL MA Contemporary Performance Practices – Final Show | GAS Station | 1 July | 5pm | FREE
Take part in some gloriously game-changing performance.
Prurience | Southbank Centre | 18-30 July | 7:30pm | £18
‘An experiential entertainment about our private pleasures…’ basically a self-help group for porn addicts by alt performer extraordinaire Christopher Green..
Who Do You Think You Are? Barbara Brownskirt | Royal Vauxhall Tavern | 21 July | 7:30pm | £6
‘Shrouded in iconic anorak, knees bulging from pop socks, Barbara Brownskirt is the unsuccessful lesbian Poet-in-Residence at the 197 bus stop, Penge. ‘
Odyssey | The Scoop | From 9 August | 6pm | FREE
Free forum theatre for the people. Phil Wilmott and his company never disappoint at the riverside amphitheatre.
Piñata | The Montague Arms | 5 July | 7:30pm | £4
An eclectic night of quirky fun from top rising comedy geniuses including Marny Godden and Elf Lyons.
Werq: A London Voguing Ball | Barbican | 5 August | 10pm | £15
You betta WERQ! Or at least watch at this drag balls a la Paris is Burning.
Did we miss the perfect summer event or opening? Let us know and we’ll do our best to add it in!
About Stuart Wilson
I am Joint Editor at To Do List. I like: nice pubs, film marathons, not doing real marathons, bad comedy, plays/musicals with shorter second halves, and the Oxford comma.