24 of the Best Summer Festivals in London

“There’s nothing better than summer in London, not least because London is one of the world’s best festival cities. With music festivals, foodie gatherings, art events and cultural happenings, London has one of the best summer festival calendars in the world . Here are 24 of the best summer festivals in London.

Hampton Court Palace Festival
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4-19 June

Three-week concert series set in the Tudor courtyard at Hampton Court Palace, featuring classic rock and pop acts like Lionel Richie and Dido in 2020.

Wide Awake
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5 June

Alternative, environmentally-friendly music festival held in Brockwell Park, and run by the people behind some of the best indie music clubs in London, including MOTH Club and The Shacklewell Arms.

Brockwell Park / No 1 pond by Images George Rex – https://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersg/23030760963 – Under CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)

Mighty Hoopla
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6 June

A free-spirited glitter-bomb of pop music in Brockwell Park. Past headlining acts have included the likes of Kate Nash, All Saints and Chaka Khan.

Lovebox
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12-14 June

Three-day music festival held in Gunnersbury Park, featuring mainly dance, electronic, hip hop and grime, as well as fringe and cabaret shows.

Meltdown
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12-21 June

Music, performance art and film come together at Southbank Centre under the curatorial guidance of a pop icon. In 2020, Grace Jones takes the helm.

Taste of London
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17-21 June

London’s top restaurants assemble in one spot for a five-day outdoor feast showcasing their innovative menus and the ideas of their leading chefs.

Greenwich + Docklands International Festival
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19 June-4 July

Free festival set mainly in Greenwich and Tower Hamlets that features outdoor theatre, circus shows, street performances, dance and acrobatics.

Pride in London
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27 June

The UK’s biggest celebration of the LGBTQ+ community takes to the streets of London for a parade through the West End and events around the city.

Wireless Festival
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3-5 July

Finsbury Park is the setting for this weekender featuring a massive lineup of hip hop and urban music acts. In 2020, Skepta, A$AP Rocky, Young Thug and Lil Uzi Vert are among the stars performing.

British Summer Time
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3-12 July

Held in Hyde Park over two weekends, the annual British Summer Time has been a fixture on the music scene since 2013. In 2020, Kendrick Lamar, Little Mix and Taylor Swift are among the big names performing.

_Hyde Park_Kew the Music
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7-12 July

A series of evening picnic concerts held in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. You can bring your own picnic basket or choose from street food stalls and bars. The 2020 lineup includes Bananarama, James Blunt and the Gipsy Kings.

Somerset House Summer Series
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9-19 July

Rock and pop headliners take to the stage backdropped by the Somerset House. Previous years’ lineups have included Adele, Blondie, Florence & the Machine, Queens of the Stone Age and Sigur Ros.

HYPER Japan Festival
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10-12 July

The largest Japanese festival in London celebrates all things J-culture with cosplay, Hello Kitty, anime and J-pop concerts at the Olympia.

Field Day
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11 July

One of London’s favourite electronic and DJ festivals moves to a new location at The Drumsheds in Enfield. In 2020, acts include Indira Jordan, Josey Rebelle and TSHA.

Lambeth Country Show
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18 July

The countryside comes to the city at this annual community gathering featuring horticultural displays, craft and food stalls and folk and world music.

Kaleidoscope Festival
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25 July

Live music, DJs, comedy and immersive theatre at Alexandra Palace, with 2020 headliners including Groove Armada and the Fun Lovin’ Criminals.

London Halal Food Festival
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25-26 July

The best and most international in halal cooking is showcased in a family-friendly day out at Tobacco Dock. In addition to food stalls, there are cooking demonstrations, a mocktail lounge and a dedicated kids’ zone.

Eastern Electrics
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1-2 August

Cutting edge dance music festival held at Morden Park, with a mainly techno and electronic lineup. Past acts include Goldie, Skream and Ocean Wisdom.

Great British Beer Festival
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6-10 August

More than 1,000 breweries, big and small, converge at the Olympia in west London to showcase their best brews and ciders.

Film4 Summer Screen
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9-22 August

The courtyard at the Somerset House turns into an open-air cinema for this annual outdoor film festival, which sees screenings of classic and recently released films, along with food and drink and seats on bean bags and picnic blankets.

London Craft Beer Festival
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7-9 August

Tobacco Dock will host this beer festival that brings together more than 90 breweries, along with DJ sets and food trucks.

Historic Royal Palaces Food Festivals
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29-31 August

Farmers market meets food festival at this series of foodie events held in historic royal palaces, including Hampton Court Palace. Festivities include food stalls, demonstrations and workshops with celebrity chefs, pop-up bars and children’s activities.

South West Four
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29-30 August

Held on Clapham Common, South West Four is one of London’s top dance music festivals. 2020 headliners including Major Lazer and The Streets.

Notting Hill Carnival
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30-31 August

This annual, world-famous celebration of Caribbean cultures takes over the streets of Notting Hill with colourful costumes, drinking, West Indian music and food galore.

_Di David Sedlecký – Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41526601_Find somewhere to stay by checking out our hotels in London.

#### Photo Credits

Cover pic: Notthing Hill – By David Sedlecký – Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41526503“