Experience the Best of Summer in London
Something magical happens when temperatures rise and the sun shines in the British capital. Londoners emerge across the city, with parks, pavements, and pubs filling up with convivial drinkers, and smiles spreading across once-tight lips. Summer is prime tourist season, but the atmosphere and those long, balmy evenings make up for the crowds. Moreover, summer 2020 boasts an incredible amount of things to do.
Sporting Spectacles
London hosts a dizzying array of summer sporting events – many of them free – that perfectly reflect the city’s many faces. For a quintessentially English affair, you can’t do better than Wimbledon (29 June-12 July), featuring world-class tennis, strawberries and cream, fruit-laden Pimm’s, and a good dose of queuing. With London being one of the host cities of the Euro 2020 football championships (14 June-12 July), numerous matches will occur at Wembley Stadium. It’s a bit late to buy tickets now, but there will be great atmospheres in pubs showing the games.
Get the Party Started
In August, the Notting Hill Carnival (30-31 August) – Europe’s biggest street festival – celebrates Afro-Caribbean culture with flamboyant processions, food stands, and a string of superb sound systems.
Summer Soundtracks and Outdoor Cinema
Look out for music festivals this year, including: All Points East (22-31 May); Lovebox (12-14 June); 51st State Festival (1 August); and South West Four (28-30 August). Alternatively, attend an outdoor movie screening – Somerset House offers central and impressive settings for films al fresco, while The Luna Cinema pops up at various venues across London.
Park Life
With thousands of acres of lush parks, city farms, overgrown cemeteries, and leafy squares, London is far greener than most expect (47% green, to be exact). On the city’s western edge, Richmond Park’s wild expanse is an excellent place to see free-roaming deer, while nearby Kew Gardens, the world-renowned botanical collection, hosts various picnic concerts for its Kew the Music events.
For an exhilarating summer must-do, enjoy a bracing bathe with the ducks at Hampstead Heath’s ponds and follow it up by climbing Parliament Hill for one of the city’s best panoramas. Further south, in stately Regent’s Park, you’ll find beautifully manicured rose gardens and a magical outdoor theatre with productions such as 101 Dalmatians, Romeo & Juliet, and Carousel.
Visit the Olympic Park
London’s newest large park is the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which opened in 2014. This area, at the heart of London’s 2012 Olympics, boasts waterways, playgrounds, cafes, and sculpted grassland, adorned by stunning artwork and top sporting facilities. Zip up the ArcelorMittal Orbit for views across the 257-acre site and then slide down the coiling 178m slide to the bottom.
Take to the Thames
The Thames, London’s iconic artery, truly comes alive in the summer months. Spend a day strolling the Thames Path, from Battersea to the impressive Thames Barrier in the east, or meander along the South Bank, enjoying picture-postcard views of the city’s skyline and passing some of the most famous sights.
One of these, the roofless Globe, comes into its own in the summer with spectacular outdoor performances of Shakespeare plays, London’s most famous literary figure. There are also quality events at Southbank Centre’s Underbelly Festival (April-September), which combines circus, cabaret, comedy, and music.
Fill Up Al Fresco
Summer is the ideal time to discover some of the capital’s best street food. KERB pops up in various locations around town, including the Gherkin, London Bridge, King’s Cross, and a huge indoor market at Seven Dials in Covent Garden. A tantalizing parade of food stalls lines pretty Exmouth Market (Monday-Friday) in north London, while restaurants fling open their doors to crowd the cobbled street with sociable diners.
Drinking in the Sun
On warm summer evenings, drinkers crowd into pub gardens and spill onto pavements. Perfect places for a sundowner include the leafy gardens of north London’s Edinboro Castle, Garden Gate, and the Spaniard’s Inn, or, south of the river, the Avalon in Clapham. For brews with views, head to the city’s rooftop bars: favourites include Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden, Franks, Skylight, and the Queen of Hoxton.
Roam Along Regent’s Canal
To escape the crowds and see a more localized side of the city, head to Regent’s Canal, winding through north London. Consider hopping on a barge or cycling from Little Venice to Camden Town, stopping for coffee at the Towpath café before heading further east for the eclectic shops and stalls of Broadway Market, the green expanse of Victoria Park, and finally Hackney Wick’s Crate Brewery, serving freshly brewed ale and crispy pizzas with a canalside seat.
The article was first published in June 2014 and last updated in March 2020.
