June 2018: Top Cheapo London Events

June is a fantastic month to be in the capital—with international, creative and foodie events to be enjoyed every weekend!

Grab your sunscreen (and maybe pack your umbrella just in case) and make the most of the month’s offerings. There are a whole host of cultural screenings—choose from opera, ballet and West End musicals—art events, and even a naked bike ride! This is the month for trying something new so be adventurous and see what London has to offer!

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival  |  Silvertown

For a change of scenery without the long-haul flight, head to the London Regatta Center in Silvertown for a taste of vibrant Hong Kong culture. Dragon Boats race past, street food is cooked up to entice you over and there’s plenty of entertainment including martial arts, dance and face painting. The event raises money for Chinese Schools in the M25 area and is hosted by the London Chinatown Lions Club. If you want to experience the real thing, see our Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival guide on Hong Kong Cheapo.

London Naked Bike Ride  |  Clapham Junction

Love cycling, protesting and being naked? In the unlikely event that you want to combine all three on the streets of London, this is the event for you! Protesters will be cycling around the city for the day, mostly naked and with various slogans painted on themselves to garner attention for the cause. Full nudity is not a requirement, so if you prefer, some clothes can be worn!

Trooping the Colour  |  Westminster

An excellent chance to see some more pageantry following the wedding, the Trooping of the Colour is an impressive event held at The Mall. Over 1,400 officers and men from the queen’s personal guard parade from Buckingham Palace to Hore Guard’s Parade in Whitehall and back again. There is a fly-past by the RAF at 1pm, so keep an eye on the sky!

Open Garden Squares Weekend  |  Various locations

A rare chance to enter some of the secret gardens of London for two days of adventure in the capital. Over 200 gardens are participating across 27 of London’s boroughs including hospital gardens, barges, museums, schools, churchyards and even skips! There will be activities, cycle routes, art, music and tours all included in the ticket price.

HF Artsfest  |  Hammersmith and Fulham

An annual festival which takes places in Ravenscourt Park, this event is a celebration of culture in all its facets. There are 200 events to choose from including music, theater, literature, dance, comedy and circus acts and exhibitions too. Plenty of the events are free but some require tickets to check in advance—potentially by hailing the Big Red Festival Bus which will be touring the city with information.

West End Live  |  Charing Cross

See some of the city’s best West End shows for free this summer with over 30 performances in Trafalgar Square! While this year’s lineup hasn’t been announced yet, previous years have featured shows like Phantom of the Opera, Lion King, Wicked and Les Mis, so you’re guaranteed the big-sellers. Arrive early as entry is first come, first serve, and bring something to wrap up in!

London Tech Week  |  Shoreditch

If you’re into tech up to your eyeballs, this is the event for you, with a whole host of summits, dinners and meet-ups held across the city. Tickets are available for different events and a Gold Pass is an option, but will set you back more than £2,000.

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!

Merge Festival  |  Black Friars

Illuminate Productions are curating this annual celebration of the history and culture of Bankside and its medieval streets. Home to Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and the Tate Modern, it’s handily located next to Southbank. There will be plenty of free events alongside the charged entry ones.

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival |  Greenwich

A fantastic (and partly free) performing arts festival spread out over the Greenwich and Docklands area, this event will feature theater, dance and street art. There will be a real variety of shows including a formation of trained pigeons, a sound installation and a pedal-powered musical!

BP Big Screens at Trafalgar Square |  Charing Cross

Bringing cinema to the masses, the BP Big Screens event is back to take over Trafalgar square with live opera and ballet performances. With screenings from the Royal Opera House, the audience is always huge so arrive early to nab a good spot—and bring something comfy to sit on as it can last a while. Swan Lake is being screened on the 12th of June and La Bohéme is on the 26th.

Ongoing exhibitions and event

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

Skylight Summer Opening  |  Until Sept 16th  |   Wapping

Underbelly Festival  |  Until Sept 30th  |  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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