20 Best things to do in August in London with family & friends

From Barbie-fests to open air concerts, here are the best things to do in London with family and friends this August.

 

1 UK Black Pride, Stratford

 

Marking its 18th birthday this year, UK Black Pride is the biggest celebration of queer people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American and Middle Eastern descent, and the organisation’s Pride Event celebrates, champions and advocates Britain’s diverse Black LGBTQI+ community. Expect performance and music, food and drink vendors, stalls and workshops all celebrating Black queerness. Please note, this event was originally scheduled for Sunday, August 20 but has now moved.

Date: Saturday, August 19

Address: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford

Website: ukblackpride.org.uk

2 Notting Hill Carnival

 

London’s ultimate street party will light up west London with dancing, floats and music, oh so much music once again. Bigger than Glasto, so they say, and with equally colourful outfits and positive vibes, get swept up in the raucous fun and roll along with the day. For families, there’s a stage that’s suitable for those with children in tow.

Date: August 27-28

Website: nhcarnival.org

3 All Points East & Field Day, Victoria Park

 

Stormzy, Aphex Twin, Bonobo, Erykah Badu, Fever Ray, Confidence Man, Tove Lo and Girl in Red; APE’s line up of world class music acts is long. In addition to the main day gigs, the festival will hold a free family-friendly festival during the week – an easy school holiday day out with the kids. On the programme, outdoor cinema, music, and wellbeing activities, as well as pop up bars and street food vendors.

Dates: August 18 – 28

Tickets: From free

Address: Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets

Website: allpointseastfestival.com

4 Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, London-wide

 

From a vertical dance performance held on the side of St Paul’s Cathedral, to a performance on a to-scale roof of a house submerged in the Thames, London’s biggest free theatre and arts festival returns to inject the capital’s streets with colour and fun. Performances respond to this year’s festival theme, Acts of Hope, and all in all there’s more than 35 events including two world premieres and 14 UK premieres, as well as the popular Greenwich Fair and Dancy City in Canary Wharf

Dates: August 15 to September 10

Tickets: Free, but check programme for ticketed events

Address: Various locations in Greenwich and London

Website: festival.org/GDIF-2023

5 Hampton Palace Food Festival, East Molesey

 

Spend the August bank holiday weekend wandering the ground of Henry VIII’s palace while you get stuck into the extensive selection of street food and artisan foodstuffs at this long weekend food festival. Pop up bars will keep you hydrated and refreshed, and there’s plenty of food-related masterclasses to try out as well. Catch some live music, and face painting, circus skill sessions and other family-friendly activities should keep the little ones entertained too.

Date: August 26-28

Tickets: From £29

Address: Hampton Court Way, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9AU

Website: hrpfestivals.com

6 Sunday BBQ at The Baring, Islington

 

The London newcomer (the pub recently celebrated its first birthday) and Michelin Guide pub, The Baring is cooking up a Sunday feast befitting of summer. A warm weather alternative to a Sunday roast, the Islington boozer is putting on a Sunday BBQ through August. Alongside a selection of popular signature starters, are mains of the likes of shawarma spiced poussin, salt marsh lamb rump, Tropea onion with fresh cheese and smoked almonds and hot smoked Loch Duart salmon. All mains come with bulgar wheat, chopped salad and chimichurri.

Dates: Runs Sundays, until August 27

Address: 55 Baring Street, Islington N1 3DS

Website: thebaring.co.uk

7 A Strange Loop, The Barbican

 

A Pulitzer Prize winning play and an award-winning musical on identity, race and sexuality, A Strange Loop tells the story of a young gay Black writer who hates his day job, writing a musical about a young, gay Black writer who is writing play about a queer black man. Nominated for 11 Tony Awards for its time on Broadway, Jennifer Hudson, RuPaul, Don Cheadle and Alan Cummings were among the multiple high-profile producers for the American stage show.

Date: On until Saturday, September 9

Tickets: From £25

Address: Barbican Centre Silk Street, Barbican, EC2Y 8DS

Website: barbican.org.uk

8 South Facing Festival, Crystal Palace

 

The string of outdoor concerts will take over Crystal Palace Bowl in various dates across July and August. This week, catch the last three gigs of the programme – Happy Mondays, Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit and finally the smooth, smooth tones of Craig David, who wraps the festival up on Saturday, August 13.

Date: Various dates, including August 11, 12 & 13

Tickets: From £36.30

Address: Crystal Palace Park, Thicket Road, Crystal Palace, SE20 8DT

Website: southfacingfestival.com

9 BBC Proms, South Kensington

 

The eight-week series of affordable classical concerts return to the Royal Albert Hall, and are a great introduction for those wondering if they like classical, or a sneaky little treat for those who know they do. The varied programming includes music from the greats such as Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart and Brahms, as well as a tribute to Bollywood icon Lata Mangeshkar, and the score from Stanley Kubrick’s hit, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Date: Daily until September 9

Tickets: From £8

Address: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, SW7 2AP

Website: royalalberthall.com

10 British Street Food Awards, Hackney Wick

 

Canalside Hackney Bridge plays host to the 2023 edition of the British Street Food Awards which is hosted by Sophie Ellis Bextor and Andy Beynon and Tom Brown chefs from Hackney three Michelin-starred restaurants, Behind and Cornerstone. Following regional heats, 15 traders are cooking up a storm for their chance to win, and this is your chance to feast on top nosh of the likes of  Cajun chicken bowls, Iraqi fusion dishes and pork and tiger prawn rolls by the next big thing. Previous winners include BAO, Wingmans and Meatliquor.

Date: Friday – Sunday, August 18-20

Tickets: From £8 includes a vote, welcome drink

Address: Hackney Bridge, Units 1-28, Echo Building, East Bay Lane, E15 2SJ.

Website: britishstreetfood.co.uk; hackneybridge.org

11 Double Standard’s Summer BBQ Series, King’s Cross

 

The Standard, London’s effortlessly hip ground floor bar, Double Standard, has launched a compact series of weekend BBQs featuring a different chef each week. Starting Saturday, July 22 and running weekly for three weeks until August 5, Riaz Phillips, Tom Zahir Browne and Rahel Stephanie will whip up Caribbean, New Orleans and Indonesian flavoured-BBQ feasts made up of dishes such as pulled jackfruit briskets, smoked maple glazed bacon cured pork chops with dirty rice and sate tempe maranggi. Munch on these while quaffing  a boozy soda or two such as a smoked strawberry syrup Scotch whiskey or a rose malt with malted rice milk.

Date: Saturday, August 5

Time: 2pm-8pm

Tickets: £35 per person, includes a welcome drink

Address: 10 Argyle Street, King’s Cross WC1H 8EG

Website: standardhotels.com

12 Bar Nana, Seven Dials

 

A new take on how to use an old banana warehouse, the recently opened Bar Nana serves up fresh juices and cocktails, if you’re lucky in a banana contraption. The venue comes with the activity you’ve always wanted, a ride on banana, as well as seriously fruity beverages – the Pina Tale (pineapple, green grape, white wine and rum), a Seven Dials Sour (hibiscus, strawberry, pink lady apple and gin), and the Karma Colada which is coconut, pineapple, banana and rum.

Address: Seven Dials Market, 35 Earlham Street, Seven Dials, WC2H 9LD

Website: sevendialsmarket.com

13 Power Up at the Science Museum, South Kensington

 

This hands-on gaming trip boasts 160 consoles and a stack of games spanning the last 50 years. Pong, Pacman, Minecraft and Mario Kart all represent, along with other childhood favourites and next-generation virtual reality experiences. Come for a look a vintage and retro games or to try and beat your family and friends at a game or two.

Date: Opens July 27

Tickets: Free entry to museum, £10 day pass, or an annual pass for £15.

Address: Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2DD

Website: sciencemuseum.org.uk

14 In conversation with Angus D Birditt and friends, Piccadilly

 

Author Angus D Birditt settles in for an evening of whey and culture at Fortnum & Mason’s new Food & Drink Studio.  In the event Supporting British Cheese, the author of A Portrait of British Cheese is joined by cheesemakers Oliver Hemsley (Hollis Mead), Martin Tkalez (Pevensey Cheese) and Wilma Finlay (Ethical Dairy), to discuss the threats facing UK farms and the artisan cheese industry – and why losing cheesemakers would not only deprive us of delicious products but would also cut us off from a key part of our traditions and heritage.

Date: Saturday, August 5

Time: 6.30pm-8pm

Tickets: £20

Address: 181 Piccadilly, St. James’s, W1A 1ER

Website: fortnumandmason.com

15 The Barbie Weekender at Rooftop Film Club, Peckham

 

Chanel your inner Barbie or Ken by dressing up in your best hot pink, glittery, neon outfits to watch summer’s biggest release in an all-pink rooftop in south London. Rooftop Film Club in Peckham will turn into a pink-hued Malibu-flavoured rooftop oasis that comes with a life size Barbie box, a pink chevy bar, palm trees, glitter balls and inflatables to mark Barbie the Film’s arrival. You can also order a hot-pink Barbie-Marg throughout August.

Date: August 10-13

Time: Film starts at sunset (around 9pm)

Tickets: From £16.95

Address: Roof A, Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, Peckham SE15 4ST

Website: rooftopfilmclub.com

16 SMOKESTAK’s 10th birthday street party, Shoreditch

 

Taking over the car park opposite the Sclater Street restaurant, smoking and open fire restaurant SMOKESTAK will throw a mega bash for its 10th birthday. Expect DJs and a 40ft shipping container bar and dishes such as pork rib tip burnt-ends, grilled greens with tahini and pomegranate and brisket buns. Crew from British-Afghan BBQ joint Que Point and live fire pop up Lagom and Eld Pizza will also serve up some special dishes for the event.

Date: Saturday, August 19

Time: Session times starting at 12pm, 2.30pm, 5pm and 7.30pm

Tickets: From £6.50

Address: 35 Sclater Street, Shoreditch E1 6LB

Website: smokestak.co.uk

 

17 London Craft Beer Festival, Tobacco Dock

 

The annual craft beer bonanza returns to Tobacco Dock, with more than 100 breweries represented. This includes Tiny Rebel, Lost and Grounded, Kelham Island, Unbarred, Beak, Mikkeller and Stone &Wood and more than 40 American breweries thanks to Brewers Association. ACME Fire Cult, Decatur, Bone Daddies and Tendril are among the food vendors whipping up a feast.

Date: Friday, August 11- Saturday, August 12

Time: 11.30am-4.30pm; 6pm-11pm, or all weekend tickets available

Tickets: From £52.50, includes all beers

Address: Tobacco Quay, Wapping Lane, Wapping E1W 2SF

Website: londoncraftbeerfestival.co.uk

18 Birdsong Exhibition, Mayfair

 

Contemporary art gallery Timothy Tayor is currently showing a group exhibition, showcasing a collection of eclectic works from significant players in contemporary British art. This includes Yinka Shonibare CBE, Paula Rego, Rachel Whiteread, Annie Morris, and Sahara Longe. Profits from the exhibition go to The Royal Marsden cancer research centre.

Date: Running until August 12

Address: 15 Bolton Street, Mayfair, W1J 8BG

Website: timothytaylor.com

19 Meatopia, Tobacco Dock

 

London’s big BBQ festival is back for its 10th year, with another superb line up. Over the course of the four-day line-up more than 100 chef will charr, grill, smoke and broil a stack of delicious food. International chefs include America’s Tuffy Stone, Thalía Barrios García from Mexico and Holy Smoke are driving their van and smoker from Sweden for the festival. New Notting Hill venue Empire Empire, Caribe’ and Decatur are among the British contingent.

Date: Thursday, August 31 – Sunday, September 3

Tickets: From £28.62

Address: Tobacco Quay, Wapping Lane, Wapping E1W 2SF

Website: meatopia.co.uk

20 Battersea Park In Concert

 

This weekend of music fills the August bank holiday with a string of open air concerts. The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra kick off the series, performing a Night at the Musicals that will feature classic tunes from West End hits featuring a host of guest star vocalists. Proms in the Park is next up, and the orchestra will return to present a programme of masterpieces from the likes of Tchaikovsky, Elgar and Puccini. Expect the concert to end with fireworks. For the last concert in the series, Gabrielle will take to the stage with a host of musicians and acts, 30 years after her breakout single, Dreams.

Date: Saturday, August 26 to Monday, August 28

Time: From 4.30pm; 2pm Monday

Tickets: From £18.85

Address: Battersea Park SW11 4NJ

Website: batterseaparkinconcert.com