The best things to do in London this August bank holiday weekend
As the final bank holiday before Christmas approaches this weekend, it's the perfect time to make the most of the summer. Despite the unpredictable weather, iconic events like the Notting Hill Carnival and festivals like Field Day will be happening. To help you enjoy this last hurrah, here is our guide to some of the best ways you can spend the bank holiday in London.
If you are escaping the city, click here for our guide to must-see European exhibitions happening right now.
Notting Hill Carnival 2024
Notting Hill Carnival 2019. Photo by Nike Akinfenwa.
#FLODown: The Notting Hill Carnival is back this weekend for the August bank holiday. With roots in the 1960s as a response to racial tensions, it has evolved into a vibrant celebration of West Indian culture, history, and contributions, attracting thousands of visitors. Sunday, 25 August, is Family and Children's Day, while Monday, 26 August, is Adults' Day.
Date: 24 August – 26 August 2024. Location: Notting Hill. Click here for all you need to know about this year’s festival.
Greenwich + Docklands International Festival 2024
THAW by Legs On The Wall - Sydney Festival 2022. Performer Vicki Van Hout. Photo by Prudence Upton.
#FLODown: Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) 2024 kicks off this week with the striking performance THAW by the Australian physical theatre company LEGS ON THE WALL. This eight-hour spectacle features a performer suspended on a 2.5-tonne block of ice high above London, symbolising the urgent need for global climate action. Created in response to the 2019/20 Australian bushfires, the production's intensity builds as the ice gradually melts, highlighting the precariousness of survival. THAW is supported by various UK and Australian organisations, including the
Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) 2024 will showcase over 50 free outdoor performances of theatre and performing arts. Click here for information about the upcoming GDIF 2024 programme.
Date: 23 August - 8 September 2024. festival.org/gdif.
BBC Proms 2024
BBC Proms returns to London until 14 September 2024.
#FLODown: This bank holiday weekend, the BBC Proms offers a diverse lineup of performances. Prom 44 features Lahav Shani both conducting and performing Prokofiev’s challenging Third Piano Concerto with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, alongside pieces by Debussy and Ravel. Prom 45 sees Dalia Stasevska conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Julius Eastman's Symphony No. 2, followed by Mahler's songs on love and Sibelius' awe-inspiring Fifth Symphony. Additionally, the Doctor Who Prom returns with Prom 48, showcasing Murray Gold's music performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, complemented by special guest appearances, visual effects, and scenes from the series. All performances are broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, with Prom 48 also scheduled to air on BBC television later in the year.
Location: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP. Click here for the full programme of performances.
Camden Fringe
Camden. Photo by zexplorer.
#FLODown: This weekend is the final chance to catch a show at the Camden Fringe festival, which offers a variety of performances including new writing, opera, musicals, and stand-up, with each show lasting about an hour. The festival, created as an alternative to the Edinburgh Festival. Click here to discover the full line- up of events this weekend.
Date: until 25 August 2024. Location: Camden.
Tavares Strachan: There Is Light Somewhere
Installation view of Tavares Strachan_ There Is Light Somewhere. Black Star, 2024. Photo by Mark Blower. Courtesy the artist and the Hayward Gallery
#FLODown: Don’t miss the final chance to see There Is Light Somewhere at the Hayward Gallery, the first mid-career survey of New York-based Bahamian artist Tavares Strachan. The exhibition features monumental sculptures, large-scale collages, and installations that explore cultural visibility, remembrance, and historical biases. Strachan’s work highlights unsung explorers and cultural trailblazers while addressing themes of colonial legacies, racism, and the quest for belonging.
Click here to read our review of ‘There Is Light Somewhere’.
Date: 18 June — 1 September 2024. Location: Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX. Price: £18. Concessions available & Southbank Centre Members go free. Book now.
Click here for more art exhibitions to see in London this weekend.
Music Festivals
Hospitality in the Woods. @khaliphotography.
#FLODown: In continuation of London’s summer festival season, this weekend will see a fantastic line up of festival including All Points East from 17-25 August, RALLY on 24 August, Battersea Park in Concert 2024 from 24-26 August and Field Day on 24 August.
Click here for more on London Festivals this summer.
Hampton Court Palace Food Festival
Hampton Court Palace Food Festival will take place from 24 - 26 August 2024.
#FLODown: Join the annual Hampton Court Palace Food Festival for a perfect summer bank holiday weekend in Henry VIII's beautiful gardens. Enjoy more street food than ever, pop-up bars with craft beers and wines, and over 150 fantastic brands offering a variety of delicious foods. Your ticket also grants access to explore the historic palace.
Date: 24 - 26 August 2024. Location: Hampton Court Palace, Hampton Ct Way, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9AU. Price: adult/child £27.20/£13.60. Book now.
Rooftop Silent Disco
Roof East.;
#FLODown: Celebrate the bank holiday weekend at s Rooftop Film Club at Roof East, Stratford with a DJ-hosted silent disco by House of Dinosaur, following a screening of Clueless. Guests can request their favourite 90s tunes via a "request line" phone and dance the night away. Open all summer, Roof East also offers a range of games like archery, batting cages, and crazy golf, along with street food, colourful cocktails, and views of the Olympic Park.
Date: 25 August 2024. Location: Rooftop Film Club Roof East, Great Eastern Rd, London E15 1BB. Price: £29.95. Book now.
Barbican Outdoor Cinema
The Barbican Cinema returns from 21 August - 1 September 2024.
#FLODown: The Barbican’s outdoor cinema experience is back, offering a perfect bank holiday weekend activity. This weekend’s lineup includes the period drama Marie Antoinette, Godzilla vs. Hedorah, and an electrifying film of Prince’s 1987 tour, featuring his Grammy-nominated album Sign O’ the Times. Enjoy street food and drinks while you watch.
Date: 21 August - 1 September 2024. Location: Barbican Centre, Silk St, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS. Price: £18+BF. Book now.
Chromatic River Walk by Kitty Joseph
Chromatic river walk by kitty joseph, greenwich peninsula. © vivid squad.
#FLODown:London-based print and fashion designer Kitty Joseph brings her vibrant technicolour designs to Greenwich Peninsula's riverside walkways and Tide Square. The installation, her largest to date, features prismatic fabrics and reflective surfaces that evoke the natural elements of wind and water, creating a calming and reflective atmosphere. Click here for more public art to see in London this bank holiday weekend.
Date: 18 July to September 2024. Location: Greenwich Peninsula’s riverside walkways and Tide Square.