Top London Events for July 2018

July means long summer nights that you can fill with cinema screenings, rooftop bars and festivals celebrating the culture, creativity and diversity of the city!

Comida Fest Vol. 1  |  Greenwich

Food is the name of the game at this colourful festival, which is being held in two parts over summer. This first section is in the Cutty Sark Gardens in Greenwich and will have over 30 vendors serving up delicious Latin American Street Food. Over 50,000 people attended last year and this event is set to attract even more, so while there may be queues, the food will be worth it!

London Symphony Orchestra Open Air Concert

A rare chance to hear London’s oldest Symphony orchestra for free in an outdoor concert in Trafalgar Square! The performance is part of the Sounds Like London festival and features the full orchestra, 50 young musicians and a world premiere from Kate Whitley, founder of Peckham’s Multi-Story orchestra.

London Pride Parade

Get your rainbows ready for London’s annual Pride Parade—you can watch from the sidelines as flag bearers and dazzling outfits fill the streets. The route takes you from Baker Street to Trafalgar square via Whitehall, Oxford and Regent Streets, Piccadilly Circus and Pall Mall. There will be performances and speeches at Trafalgar Square.

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival

This unique performance art festival is a celebration of these two London areas, with theatre, dance and street arts. This year’s roster includes trained pigeon formations, a soundscape installation and a pedal-powered musical—so if that doesn’t peak your interest, nothing will!

Femini Festival

Femini Magazine is celebrating their second birthday with a mini-festival featuring feminist panel discussions, film screenings and a magazine launch party. Run by young women, the magazine focuses on real-life stories of women around the world and this event has a great selection of guests and events lined up.

Acton Depot Open Weekend

A rare opportunity to see the treasures of the working museum storehouse of the London Transport Museum. This is the second of three events this year and has a family theme so there will be plenty of activities and interactive events for the kids to enjoy. Costumed characters will introduce stories from the past and there will opportunities to see different exhibitions, so don’t miss your chance!

Vauxhall One Summer Screenings

As part of this annual outdoor film-screening event, the first three dates have been chosen but the final has been left up to the audience to decide! On the 10th you can watch Dirty Dancing, on the 17th is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and the 24th has Miss Congeniality. You can choose between Spice World, Bend it Like Beckham or Thelma and Louise for the 31st, so get your thinking caps on!

BP Big Screens at Trafalgar Square

The final screening of three held in Trafalgar Square this summer, you can watch the classic Don Giovanni on the 12th for free. We suggest you arrive early and bring something comfy, something waterproof and snacks to keep you going!

Lovebox Festival

A London music-scene institution, Lovebox may have started in a strip club with Groove Armada, but this year it’s in Gunnersbury Park and there are 12 stages to enjoy. Acts like Snoop Dogg, Major Lazer, Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem will be performing and there will be plenty of creative sidelines too!

Hyper Japan Festival

If Japan is your obsession or even just a vague interest, Hyper Japan has everything you could ever hope to see and then some. There’s shopping, entertainment, fashion, cosplay and plenty of food from the land of the rising sun.

Walthamstow Garden Party

A free festival with music, art, comedy, film, theater, circus acts and spoken word as well as plenty of family events, this is a calendar staple in the capital. There will be live performances from a whole host of local troops and teams, choirs and circus crews. Try out the workshops like printing and watch skateboarders compete as you sip on a pint from the Wild Card Brewery.

National Park City Week

A new week to celebrate London as a green city, this is a replacement for London Tree Week held in partnership with the National Park City Foundation. Over 280 events will take place over the week at parks across London and while most are free, a few will have charges and some need to be booked in advance so do check before going!

New Creatives

Don’t miss this free exhibition of some of the newest artists and designers in the UK, straight from their degree shows. Participants include the most promising graduates from the Cambridge School of Architecture, Arts University Bournemouth and the Edinburgh College of Art.

Ride London Freecycle

As part of the annual three-day festival, this event offers an opportunity for cycling and sightseeing in a car-free cycle route. Stretching out at eight-miles, you can join at any point and see sights including Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral and Waterloo Bridge. There will be entertainment along the route, a pedal-powered cinema and even a bling-your-bike area!

Last-chance events

Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year Exhibition | Until July 22nd | Greenwich | Free

Ongoing exhibitions and events

Zip Now  |  Until Sept 9th  |  Lambeth

Skylight Summer Opening  |  Until Sept 16th  |   Wapping

Free Tango Classes  |  Until Sept 16th  |  Spitalfields

Underbelly Festival  |  Until Sept 30th  |  South Bank

Midnight Apothecary   |  Until Sept 30th  |  Rotherhithe

Summer Season at Shakespeare’s Globe  |  Until Oct 10th  |  South Bank

Deptford Market Yard  |  Until December 22nd  |  Deptford

Votes for Women Centenary Exhibition | Until Jan 9th 2019 | Barbican | Free

Poster Women: A Century of Art and Design  |  Until Jan 2019  |  Covent Garden  |  Free upon entry

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