10 Unmissable Things To Do In London This Summer
Our pick includes free festivals, spectacular outdoor events, new art stars & many more hot things to do in London this summer!
1. Greenwich + Docklands International Festival | 20-28 June 2014
Our favourite free festival returns with awesome outdoor spectacle aplenty. Highlights this year include Metro Boulot Dodo’s Safe House & the street arts spectacular Greenwich Fair.
2. Field Day | 7-8 June 2014
The uber-hip Field Day festival is often cursed by rain but the 2014 line-up is worth donning a clammy cagoule. Metronomy, Pixies, Simian Mobile Disco, Arthur Beatrice & Neneh Cherry to name but a few make for a super weekend in Victoria Park.
3. The Roof | Booking until 28 June
We caught an early show of this soon-to-be summer hit in Bristol – and can say it’s unmissable, unique & extraordinary.
4. 2014 More London Free Festival | All Summer
This lovely free festival in neo-amphitheatre The Scoop includes an epic retelling of Wagner’s masterpiece in ‘The Ring Cycles Plays – A Tale of Gods and Monsters!’. See the full programme including film, theatre & music here.
5. On Blackheath Festival | 13-14 September
Finally a decent festival which we can walk home from! The lineup is classy cool with Aloe Blacc, Imelda May, Massive Attack & some great newcomers like Ibibio Sound Machine… SOUND MACHINE
6. London Wonderground | Until 28 September
London’s magical cabaret kingdom returns to the South Bank with the wonderful Amy G (superstar satire), Briefs (male burlesque), Meow Meow (comedy chanteuse) & so many more.
7. Tour de France in London | 7 July
The Tour de France returns to the UK for the first time since 2007, and Stage 3 sees the peloton wind their way from Cambridge to London, finishing on The Mall at about 3:30pm. The route is pretty flat, so home favourite Mark Cavendish will be in with a shout in the inevitable sprint finish.
Away from The Mall, the route also passes through Leyton, Stratford, West Ham, Plaistow, Silvertown, Leamouth, Poplar, Wapping and Shadwell, past the Tower of London, and along the Embankment towards the Houses of Parliament, St James’s Park and the big finish in front of Buckingham Palace.
8. Digital Revolution: An Immersive Exhibition of Art, Design, Film, Music and Video Games | 3 July – 14 September
Interact with a three-dimensional laser light field, pet robotic snakes and see the future of wearable tech. Contribute to new commissions or go back in time to play classic video games and check out vintage music hardware.
9. Summer Degree Shows at all good art colleges
Forget paying for Frieze & all those art fairs, see the next generation of art for free – and why not buy some direct from the artist!
10. Festival of Love at Southbank Centre | 28 June -31 August
This festival celebrates the Same Sex Couple Act & features an exciting programme of free events, differently-themed weekends, performances, poetry, talks and pop-ups.
What did we miss? Leave a comment below with your tips for unmissable things to do in London this summer!
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.
Check out Lewisham People’s Day – Saturday 12 July, Mountsfield Park, SE6. Dreadzone and United Vibrations head up 100s of eclectic performers on 7 stages – plus street theatre. kids area and great food. It’s FREE and been going for 30 years!
We love Lewisham People’s Day as Lewisham locals it’s a real gem! Will defo write an article about it.