Are you visiting London this summer? Or are you a local looking for the best that your city has to offer now the sun is (finally) out? Well, luckily for you, I’ve handpicked the best of everything the UK capital has to offer over the next couple of months. From <insert> to <insert>, there are so many fabulous things to do in London this summer.
So, when does summer start this year? Most people in the UK go by the astronomical seasons, which change slightly every year. This really surprised me when I first moved to London as I was used to the very structured meteorological seasons that set summer in the Northern Hemisphere as 1st June – 31st August every year. However, having lived now lived here for over a decade, the astronomical seasons definitely make more sense and this year the summer season in London will run from Friday 21st June to Monday 23rd September 2019.
Summer in London is usually a dreamy escape from nine months of cold and rain. The sun comes out and all the green spaces around the city suddenly become filled with people lazing around in its glow. There are so many things to do during these few short months that the weeks just fly by. There is an incredible array of festivals, outdoor cinemas and parties to enjoy. So pull on your short shorts and make the most of the season with these fabulous sunny things to do in London.
💃 Fabulous things to do in London this July
🎩 Fabulous things to do in London this August
👯 Fabulous things to do in London this September
🌈 Fabulous Pride in London parties
🌞 Fabulous August Bank Holiday weekend parties in London
🎨 Fabulous exhibitions in London this summer
🎭 Fabulous theatre and live performance in London this summer
🌟 Fabulous musicals in London this summer
🎥 Fabulous outdoor cinemas in London this summer
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Fabulous things to do in London this July
Cate Blanchett makes her National Theatre debut
Rumour has it that Queen Cate was originally lined up to play Gillian Anderson’s role in All About Eve (see below) when this new play, When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other, came her way. Having previously performed on the London stage at the Barbican and the Albery Theatre, this will be the first time she has appeared at the National Theatre. The bad news is that this very experimental play (that sounds quite kinky) is showing in their Dorfman Theatre, which only has 400 seats. The tickets were all sold by a ballot in November, so you can’t buy any in advance – but you can still call the theatre each day for returns. Worth a try, I think.
🎭 Click here for more fabulous theatre in London this winter.
📅 16th January – 2nd March 2019
📍National Theatre, Upper Ground, Lambeth, London SE1 9P
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Fabulous things to do in London this August
Do you disco?
With a line-up that includes Horse Meat Disco, The 2 Bears and Cassius, La Discothèque promises to be one of the most amazing dance-all-night kind of parties on this February. Plus, one of the godfathers of Chicago’s house music scene, Derrick Carter, is headlining the party – making this one of the best tickets you can score this winter. It is nearly sold out, so grab yours now.
📅 1st February 2019
📍Printworks London, Surrey Quays Rd, London SE16 7PJ
➡️ facebook.com
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Fabulous things to do in London this September
An evening with Angela Davis
Activist, educator, scholar, and politician. Angela Davis has been at the forefront of the civil right movement since the 1960s and is appearing at the Southbank Centre’s World of Women festival on International Women’s Day this year. What could be more amazing and empowering than seeing this legendary woman speak (on any day but especially this one)?
📅 8th March 2019
📍Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 8XX
📷: Getty/Bettmann Archive
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Fabulous Pride in London parties
The Bacchanalian immersive dining experience, Divine Proportions at The Vaults, are throwing a special NYE party complete with shows, dinner and fireworks. I went along to see the show in November and loved it, so this should be an unforgettable way to greet 2019. 📷: @minkaguides
30th December 2018
- §10.36 (Chapter 10) NYEEE @ Bloc
- SorryNotSorry’s Giggly Glam Girly New Years Eve Eve @ Dalston Superstore
31st December 2018
- Savage Disco NYE 2018 @ Metropolis Strip Club
- Hangar NYE: Horse Meat Disco x Honey Soundsystem @ Hangar London Fields
- Oval Space x The Pickle Factory Presents: NYE Double Venue Party @ Oval Space
- E1 & Percolate: NYE w/ Floating Points & Daphni @ E1 London
- Little Gay Brother’s Naughty New Year @ Bordello
- She N.Y.E @ She Soho
- Just May Does The Millennium @ K Hole
- New Year’s Eve 2018 Hosted By Diane Chorley @ Soho Theatre
- Mariah & Friendz: New Year’s Eve! @ BGWMC
- The Glorious NYE Party! @ The Glory
- Divine Proportions NYE + Fireworks @ The Vault
- Big Gay Songbook – A Groovy NYE Songfest @ The Glory
- New Year’s Eve with Sink The Pink @ Skate at Somerset House
- Moon and Mischief on New Year’s Eve @ Bush Hall
- Push The Button’s Huge NYE Party 2018 @ Popworld London
- Homostash NYE – All-Stars edition @ D Superstore
- New Year, New Queer! @ VFD
- NYE Pyjama Party @ The Apple Tree London
- Knickerbocker does NYE! with Lucy McCormick @ The Yard
1st January 2019
- Horse Meat Disco NYD Gymkhana @ Eagle
- Adonis ALL DAY New Years Day @ The Cause
- Annual New Years Day LOL-Over #4 @ The Glory
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Fabulous August Bank Holiday weekend parties in London
🎨
Fabulous exhibitions in London this summer
I caught the Dorothea Tanning retrospective (opening at the Tate Modern in February) when I was in Madrid in November and it was incredible! Really recommend catching this exhibition when it opens. 📷: @minkaguides
- Black Mirror: Art as Social Satire @ Saatchi Gallery ~ till 13th January 2019
- Night and Day: 1930s Fashion and Photographs @ Fashion & Textiles Museum ~ till 20th January 2019
- Ribera: Art of Violence @ Dulwich Picture Gallery ~ till 27th January 2019
- Modern Couples: Art, Intimacy and the Avant-garde @ Barbican ~ 27th January 2019
- Klimt / Schiele @ The Royal Academy ~ till 3rd February 2019
- Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt @ V&A ~ till 24th February 2019
- Time Out 50: 50 Years, 50 Covers @ Museum of Brands ~ till 3rd March 2019
- The Last Tsar: Blood and Revolution @ Science Museum ~ till 24th March 2019
- Staging Jackson Pollock @ Whitechapel Gallery ~ till 24th March 2019
- Sophia Al-Maria: BCE @ Whitechapel Gallery ~ till 28th April 2019
- Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams @ V&A ~ 2nd February – 14th July 2019
- Diane Arbus: In The Beginning @ Hayward Gallery ~ 13th February – 6th May 2019
- Dorothea Tanning exhibition @ Tate Modern ~ 27th February – 9th June 2019
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Fabulous theatre and live performance in London this summer
‘Seven methods of killing Kylie Jenner‘ was first commissioned as part of The Andrea Project at Royal Court Theatre and will be showing there from 4 – 27 July 2019 📷: Helen Murray
- Magic Mike Live! @ Hippodrome Casino
- Afterglow @ Southwark Playhouse ~ until 20 July 2019
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream @ Open Air Theatre Regents Park ~ 28 June – 27 July 2019
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream (starring Gwendoline Christie from Game of Thrones) @ Bridge Theatre ~ 3 June – 31 August 2019
- Seven methods of killing Kylie Jenner @ Royal Court Theatre ~ 4 – 27 July 2019
- Jean Paul Gaultier: Fashion Freak Show @ Queen Elizabeth Hall ~ 23 July – 2 August 2019
- Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet @ Sadler’s Wells ~ 7 – 31 August 2019
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Fabulous musicals in London this summer
I went to see Everybody’s Talking About Jaime a while ago with my friend Lucy and it was fantastic! I’m not normally a fan of new musicals but it was really well put together – and very fab! 📷: @minkaguides
- Tina: The Musical @ Aldwych Theatre
- 9 to 5 the Musical @ Savoy Theatre
- Everybody’s Talking About Jamie @ Apollo Theatre ~ till 28th September 2019
- Wicked @ Apollo Victoria
- Mamma Mia @ Novello Theatre
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Fabulous open-air cinemas in London this summer
Rooftop Cinema Film Club Peckham 📷: Belt and Braces PR
- Summer Film Nights (showing Little Shop of Horrors and Chicago) @ Southbank Centre ~ 24 July-21 August 2019
- Rooftop Film Club (showing Death Becomes Her and Spiceworld) @ Peckham, Shoreditch and Stratford ~ till 31 July 2019
- Film 4 Summer Screen (showing Clueless and The Piano) @ Somerset House ~ 8 – 20 August 2019
- The Nomad Cinema (showing The Favourite and Some Like It Hot) @ 16 locations across London ~ 18 June – 7 September 2019
- L.A. Nights – Backyard Cinema (showing Mamma Mia and Pretty Woman) @ Roundhouse, Camden ~ 18 July – 17 August 2019
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