Things To Do This Weekend In London: 21-22 June 2025
Make the most of your Summer Solstice weekend.
All weekend
TASTE OF LONDON: Foodies will want to head to Regent's Park for Taste of London, the huge, food-based festival which brings dozens of London's best-known restaurants together to feed hungry visitors. It's also a chance to discover up-and-coming London chefs and food businesses, take part in tastings and watch masterclasses on topics including firepit cooking and cheese-infused dishes. 18-22 June
DREAM BALLETS: The scores of Rodgers & Hammerstein's dream ballets provide the soundtrack to new dance pieces created by three of the UK's leading musical theatre choreographers. The 26-piece orchestra of the Sinfonia Smith Square perform the score for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Dream Ballets: A Triple Bill at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. 19-22 June
VIA CRITERIUM: Two wheels is the way forward at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross, as the VIA Criterium and The London Cycle Festival return for the weekend. The VIA Criterium is a closed-roads racing circuit, with plenty of places for spectators to watch along the route. New for 2025 is the VIA Gravel Race, a 70km or 120km loop out into the Hertfordshire countryside. Alongside it all, the London Cycle Festival has stalls and demos aimed at cyclists of all abilities. 20-22 June
WEST END LIVE: Musical theatre fans: shimmy over to Trafalgar Square for West End Live, a free, two-day festival starring the cast of various West End shows. This year that includes Back To The Future, Cabaret, The
Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Hercules, The Lion King, Fiddler On The Roof, Hamilton, Les Misérables, Mamma Mia!, Matilda The Musical and Wicked. Best get there very early: long queues have formed in previous years, and note that there are new accessible viewing areas and procedures for using them this year. FREE, 21-22 June
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE FESTIVAL: Alex Scheffler, Cressida Cowell and Adam Kay are among the names on the programme at Barnes Children's Literature Festival, which features talks from authors and illustrators, live readings and performances at various venues around the area. 21-22 June
GIFFORD'S CIRCUS: Roll up, roll up! The circus is in west London. Gifford's Circus brings its new show Laguna Bay to the gardens at Chiswick House until the end of this week. It's set in 1950s America, with acrobats, magicians, musicians and clowns from all over the world taking part. Until 22 June
MELTDOWN FESTIVAL: The UK's longest-running artist-curated music festival, Meltdown, is underway at Southbank Centre with London rapper Little Simz at the helm. A free DJ takeover on the Riverside Terrace, a concert by singer-songwriter Jon Batiste, and a joint performance between Little Simz herself and Chineke! Orchestra are on the weekend's programme. Until 22 June
WANDSWORTH ARTS FRINGE: Now in full swing, the Wandsworth Arts Fringe programme offers a varied final weekend, including an exhibition about the heritage of St George's Hospital, an evening of experimental film, a South Asian cultural festival, a live performance by blues singer Melissa James, and the Wandsworth Masquerade on Tooting Broadway, among many other events. Until 22 June
DITA VON TEESE: Burlesque star Dita Von Teese presents the world premiere of her new show Diamonds & Dust at brand new venue the Emerald Theatre near Temple. Set in a hazy saloon, the show is the story of a notorious card dealer in the Wild West, featuring top West End performers, burlesque stars and cirque artists. Note that Von Teese herself doesn't feature in every performance — check ticket details when booking. 16 June-28 September
96 FESTIVAL: A celebration of the Pride party which took place on Clapham Common in 1996, 96 Festival is a combined celebration of queerness and theatre. Head to Omnibus Theatre for a programme of theatre, comedy, cabaret, music, art and activism — including some rehearsed readings and first public performances of new works. 17 June-12 July
ROYAL ACADEMY SUMMER EXHIBITION: A highlight of the London art calendar every year, the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition opens this week, bringing together established and rising artists to display their work. Prints, painting, film, photography, architectural works and sculpture all feature among the pieces, coordinated this year by architect Farshid Moussavi RA. Note that this first weekend is likely to be very busy. 17 June-17 August
TALKING BUILDINGS: The work of late architect Richard Rogers is the subject of the latest exhibition at Sir John Soane's Museum. Talking Buildings showcases him as a thinker, campaigner, humanist and activist, as well as the designer of iconic buildings including Lloyd's of London, the O2 dome, and Paris's Pompidou Centre. 18 June-21 September
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A free afternoon of fun at the Brentford Canal Festival
Free this Saturday afternoon? Head to west London for a packed programme of free events at this year's Brentford Canal Festival.
Organised by Brentford Voice, the festival returns to The Brentford Project, to celebrate the town's waterways through events both on and off the water. Live locally? Great, the fun's right on your doorstep! From further away? Use it as a chance to explore the local area and see what Brentford has to offer.
Wander among market stalls, enjoying food and drink from pop-ups, and sit on the water's edge watching live performances, with music to enjoy on six stages dotted around the area. Feel like getting even closer to the water? Take part in a (free!) kayaking session, or browse the floating market.
Also swing by the Duke of London's classic and supercar car boot sale, with vintage clothing, automobilia, artwork and vinyls sold from some seriously impressive sets of wheels.
Check out the Brentford Project website for a map of where to find the fun around the waterfront neighbourhood, and explore the event line-up here. This event is free to attend and does not require a ticket, however visitors can register their interest via Eventbrite
Saturday 21 June
GREAT WILD WALK: Sign up to take part in a five- or 10-mile walk through Epping Forest, raising money for the World Wildlife Fund. The Great Wild Walk is a family-friendly event, and dogs are welcome, with a fundraising target of £150 per person, and money raised going to the WWF's conservation projects around the world. 10am
WINDRUSH DAY: The National Maritime Museum marks Windrush Day 2025 with a day of creative workshops, talks and discussions, about the legacy and significance of the Windrush generation. The Caribbean Social Forum leads board games, the Migration Museum pops up to collect and share people's stories, and a model of the Almanzora, which travelled from Caribbean to Southampton in 1947, before the Empire Windrush, is on display. FREE, 11am-4pm
HORNIMAN PLANT FAIR: Got green fingers? Buy plants from small and independent nurseries at the Horniman Plant Fair, taking place in the grounds of the Forest Hill-based museum. Speak directly to the growers to get tips and advice, hear a series of gardening talks and take a tour around the Horniman's own gardens. 11am-4pm
WOMEN IN ART FAIR: A new initiative set up to address the gender imbalance in the art industry, Women in Art holds an art fair in gallery@oxo, at the base of the OXO Tower, showcasing works by female artists. Today's the final day. 11am-6pm
BLOOMSBURY CASK SOCIAL: Pubs The Perseverance and The Lady Ottoline team up for the Bloomsbury Summer Beer and Cider Showcase, offering an array of beers and ciders from local and national brewers, accompanied by guided tastings and tasting notes for each pour to help you choose. 12pm-11pm
A WOMAN'S WORLD: Women's history is highlighted through an afternoon of talks at Conway Hall, spanning topics including murderous early modern women, traitorous wives, greedy mistresses and spiteful witches. Paula Akpan discusses the queens and warriors who ruled vast swathes of the African continent, Blessin Adams talks about female killers in early modern Britain, and Sarah Lonsdale delves into how women reclaimed their place on expeditions to remote parts of the planet. 1pm-5pm
REGENCY RECITAL: Keats House in Hampstead offers a string quartet recital of music from the late 18th and early 19th centuries — music which Keats may have heard in his lifetime. Tea, coffee and cake are available during the performance. 2pm-3.30pm
LITTLE BROTHER: Last chance to see Little Brother, a moving stage adaptation of Amets Arzallus Antia's award-winning memoir, at Jermyn Street Theatre. Set in Guinea, West Africa, it's the story of Ibrahima who drops everything to follow his little brother when he learns he's left to follow one of the migrant routes to Europe. 3pm/7.30pm
CLOWNFEST: Soho Theatre hosts three shows today as part of the ongoing London Clown Festival. Watch a faux magic show by puppeteer and clown Freddie Hayes, award-winning performer Simon Kane presents his divine comedy about the extremist in all of us, and clowning/stand-up/dance combine in Slug in a Club. 6.45pm/8.30pm/10.15pm
MAHLER: Can't wait for the Proms to start? Mahler's Symphony No. 7 gets an airing at Westminster's Smith Square Hall, courtesy of the Fulham Symphony Orchestra. There's also music from Roxanna Panufnik. 7.30pm
BEXUAL HEALING: Comedian Bex Turner flits between four awkward females from the 1920s-1990s, all struggling to find love, in her show Bexual Healing, on at Canal Cafe Theatre near Warwick Avenue. 7.30pm
SUMMER SOLSTICE PARTY: Mark the Summer Solstice at a rooftop party at Madison at One New Change. Soul artist Zoe Kypri gives a live DJ set, accompanied by golden hour light, and views across London. 8pm-1am
COWBOY CARTER: Salute farewell to Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour with the Clapham Grand's end-of-tour party. Boogie the night away to Queen Bey's songs through the ages, from the Destiny's Child days to the most recent Cowboy Carter album. Live performers include drag queens Tayce, Kara Melle and Kiki Snatch. 10.30pm-3am
SCARED TO DANCE: Comedian Rose Matafeo is the guest DJ at this week's Scared To Dance, an alternative club night where you'll hear music by the likes of Belle and Sebastian, David Bowie, Phoebe Bridgers, Franz Ferdinand, The Clash, New Order and The Velvet Underground. Takes place at The Shacklewell Arms in Dalston. 11pm
Sunday 22 June
BRIDGES OF LONDON WALK: Sign up to walk seven miles across 10 London bridges in aid of charity Lymphoma Action. Join the route in person and walk from Vauxhall Bridge to Tower Bridge, or sign up to walk a similar distance remotely, in your own local area. 10am-4pm
BUS MUSEUM FESTIVAL: Venture a smidge beyond the London border into Surrey for Summer Festival at the London Bus Museum. View a range of heritage vehicles, take tours of the local area in a 1950s/1960s RT or Routemaster bus, and shop for books, models, old uniforms, badges and memorabilia. 10am-5pm
GROOVE ONTO THE MOON: ArtsDepot in North Finchley has two showing of kids' show Groove onto the Moon today. You and the kids (aged three-seven) are invited to follow a trio of intrepid astronauts on a mission to discover the first lunar footprint left by a certain Neil Armstrong. 11am and 2pm
SUMMER IN THE PARK: Danson House in Bexleyheath hosts Summer in the Park, a free-entry fun family day out with live performances on a main stage, craft tents and stalls, games and a tombola. FREE, 11am-4pm
VINTAGE FASHION FAIR: Frock Me! Vintage fashion and jewellery fair returns to Kensington Town Hall, with 100 exhibitors selling rare vintage and antique clothing, and jewellery and textiles dating from the Victorian era to more recent decades. 11am-5.30pm
MITCHAM CARNIVAL: For the first time in 12 years, a parade takes place as part of Mitcham Carnival. The mile-long route starts in the town centre and finishes at Three Kings Piece, where you'll find live performances, wrestling demos and funfair rides. 11am-6pm
THE STORY OF CYMANDE: As part of the Windrush Caribbean Film Festival, Picturehouse Hackney screens Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande, a documentary about the rise of the British funk band and their cultural significance as Black British pioneers in music. A programme of short films is also shown. 2pm
LIVE JAZZ: A double bill of jazz is going down at 59 De Ville and WestSideJazz this afternoon, courtesy of bebop and blues quartet 59 De Ville, and mellow takes on swing, blues, ballads and Latin from WestSideJazz. 3pm
BLUES AT THE BEDFORD: Blues musician Giles Robson presents Up Close With The Blues, featuring soulful performances of classics by legends like Muddy Waters, as well as original material. Takes place at the Bedford in Balham. 7pm