Posted 2 days ago
Fri 08 Aug, 2025 12:08 AM
August in London is a vibrant mix of sunshine, street festivals, and cultural buzz. Parks turn into picnic havens, historic streets host colourful parades, and galleries open their doors to stunning exhibitions. Best of all? So many of these experiences are completely free! From art and music to outdoor adventures and festivals, here’s your guide to making the most of London this August without breaking the bank.
Art & Culture
Future of Food an exhibition about how food must change to protect the planet. Discover the answers to these and many more vital questions in an exciting new exhibition exploring how science is creating more sustainable ways of growing, making, cooking and eating food. Science Museum open until January 2026.
Step into a world of imagination and resistance with Tai Shani: The Spell or The Dream, a captivating free exhibition celebrating Somerset House’s 25th birthday. Running from 7 August to 14 September 2025, this multi-sensory experience blends sculpture, sound, and live events to explore themes of dreaming as a radical act.
Outdoor Activities
Grab your picnic blanket and head to Canada Square Park for the Canary Wharf Film Club, a free outdoor cinema experience running until September! Every Tuesday and Sunday evening, plus Saturday mornings for families, you can enjoy a fantastic mix of recent releases, cult classics, Bollywood hits, and animated favourites, all under the open sky.
Kyoto Garden in Holland Park this serene Japanese garden is tucked away in Kensington and features waterfalls, koi ponds, and peacocks. It’s a tranquil escape from the city and perfect for a quiet stroll or a peaceful moment with nature
Special Events
Notting Hill Carnival Get ready for a dazzling explosion of colour, music, and Caribbean culture. Returning to West London on August Bank Holiday 24 – 25 August 2025! As Europe’s biggest street party, it draws over two million people each year to celebrate with steel pan bands, vibrant parades, and mouthwatering food stalls. With so much energy and excitement, it’s important to stay safe: wear comfy clothes, stay hydrated, and agree on a meeting point with friends in case you get separated. Stewards and first aid stations are dotted throughout the route, so don’t hesitate to ask for help if needed.
Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) is London’s leading festival of free outdoor theatre and performing arts. GDIF is committed to breaking new ground in outdoor performance and raising the ambition, quality and diversity of outdoor work produced in the UK. From August 22 to 6 September 2025.
This August, London proudly hosts the 20th anniversary of UK Black Pride, the world’s largest celebration of LGBTQIA+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American, and Middle Eastern descent. Taking place on Sunday 10 August 2025 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the event runs from 12 PM to 9 PM. With the powerful theme of “Becoming”, this year’s Pride is a love letter to transformation, resilience, and joy within the Black queer community.
King’s Cross Summer Sounds Music Festival, a free open-air event running from 7 to 17 August 2025 at Coal Drops Yard. This year marks the festival’s 10th anniversary, and it’s pulling out all the stops with an eclectic lineup of folk, jazz, classical, opera, and experimental music, plus dance, puppetry, and sculpture.
Hidden Gems
Sir John Soane’s Museum Discover the extraordinary house and museum of Sir John Soane, one of the greatest English architects, who built and lived in it two centuries ago. The museum has been kept as it was at the time of his death in 1837, and displays his vast collection of antiquities, furniture, sculptures, architectural models and paintings.
London in August is bursting with free adventures, from vibrant festivals to peaceful hidden corners. With another heatwave expected next week, grab your map, your curiosity, and maybe a friend or two, and let the city surprise you. The best things in London don’t cost a thing, just your time and a sense of wonder.
