What’s on in London – August

Created by children for children, the National Gallery’s Free Festival of Art will take place throughout the whole month, where families can admire the wonderful artwork from across the country before heading outside to Trafalgar Square to get creative themselves. Here, Summer on The Square is designed for families to get stuck in to daily programmes full of creative activities, set to inspire them to create their very own masterpieces, which they are then free to take home with them!

If you also weren’t quite lucky enough to get your hands on the extremely sought after Era’s Tour tickets, the Taylor Swift inspired Afternoon Tea Bus Tour may just be the next best thing. Take a seat as you tour around London’s famous landmarks, whilst indulging on delicious traditional treats, all whilst listening to Swifts best hits. Additionally, head to the Victoria & Albert Museum where there will be a free trail celebrating the artist, with some of her most famous looks on display.

Consider yourself to be a bit of a wine connoisseur? Crystal Palace Wine Club are hosting their annual wine festival in August, where you can truly test your knowledge. Located in the beautiful Crystal Palace Park Bowl, there will be over 100 wines to taste, made by a mixture of international wine makers. All you simply need is a wrist band and then grab a glass, and from there you can taste all the wonderful wine you desire, with the addition of tasty nibbles.

Seen by some as a slightly less grown-up version of Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’, Comedy of Errors is a fun, light hearted play, with story telling at its forefront. Directed by Sean Holmes, the play simplifies the tale of two twin brothers, who are separated as children and grow up in two completely different, rival city-states, only to be reunited under obscure circumstances. It is definitely worth a watch if you are after an afternoon of laughs in a beautiful setting.

The summer Olympics has returned, this time in the beautiful city of Paris. For those who weren’t quite lucky enough to secure a ticket, London fortunately has a flurry of places available for you to watch the games, in both comfort and style. Just around the corner in Eccleston Yards, to further afield in locations such as Coal Drops Yard in Kings Cross and Battersea Power Station, you will be able to get in on the action on the many big outdoor screens, promising guaranteed fun in the sun.

One of London’s most exciting and flamboyant annual events, Notting Hill Carnival is back this month, filling the streets of West London with music and pageantry. Taking place across the Bank Holiday Weekend, one of the oldest and biggest street parties in the world will be principally celebrating liberation and vibrant Caribbean culture, with an iconic parade showing off the best sound systems, steel bands and calypso. You won’t want to miss this!

A slightly closer alternative to the popular festival in Edinburgh under the same name, Camden Fringe Festival promises just as many laughs but at a fraction of the price. Returning for its eighteenth edition until the 25th August, the performing arts festival will be showing eclectic events all across Camden, encompassing everything from musicals, and opera to dances, sketch comedy and stand up, and much, much more! Make sure you swing by, even for just one show and join in on the laughs.

If you prefer to spend the August Bank Holiday in a more relaxed setting, the Concert Series at Battersea Park may be just the thing. The series will showcase the best of the West End, classical and jazz music, with The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra taking to the stage on Saturday, and music from popular musicals backed by The London Concert Chorus taking to the stage on the Sunday. The long weekend will then end with Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra on Monday!

The Garden Museum will be transformed this August, into a beautiful world of creativity and storytelling, that explores the magic that is growing! Designed to inspire and entertain children between the ages of 4 and 10, the Festival of Fairytales encourages imaginations to run wild with the help of creative art workshops, pop-up performers and live story telling.

Known as London’s leading festival of free outdoor theatre and performing arts, the festival collaborates with art organisations and artists all over the world to create mind-blowing theatrical performances for all to enjoy. Taking place from the 23rd August to the 8th September, The Greenwich and Docklands International Festival aims to bring public spaces to life and engage some of the most art deprived areas of the country.

Smiling clouds have arrived in Covent Garden this month, completely taking over the iconic market hall in a bid to create a ‘portal into a happy place’. Comprising of forty 4ft tall grinning clouds, the exhibitions principal aim is to spread happiness and joy to visitors as they enter, bringing a perfect end to a perfect summer.