Top 5 Outdoor Activities this Summer
Our finest pickings to keep you enjoying the great outdoors for the rest of the London summer.
An open-air season of events gets underway at Somerset House - the iconic building on the Strand - featuring arts and culture. This year’s Summer Series concerts include My Morning Jacket, Aloe Blacc and Imelda May. The venue also plays host to an exclusive open-air cinema, showing a range of films from classics to UK premieres to Behind the Scenes with BAFTA. This year’s film feast begins on 27 July and runs until 7 August. Arrive early to picnic on the stunning courtyard before the evening films start rolling.
Regent’s Park is one of London’s most popular green open spaces set in the historical Baker Street area, 10 minutes from Baker Street Underground. Inviting theatre-lovers to attend performances at their Open Air Theatre every year, summer productions this year include The Beggar’s Opera, Pericles (re-imagined) and Crazy For You. You can even pre-order a barbecue picnic before the evening show. Sunday music and comedy events can also be enjoyed at the venue.
London’s iTunes festival is set to be even bigger this year, running for the whole of July and showcasing new and established talent at the Roundhouse in Camden. The line-up includes Adele, Coldplay, Duran Duran and Linkin Park. And it’s free of charge. The catch? You have to win tickets by registering with iTunes and choosing the act that you wish to see live. There’s likely to be high demand, so register soon.
First held in 1966, The Notting Hill Carnival is London’s biggest annual street party, with lively parades, colourful costumes, steel bands, blasting sound systems and stalls tempting passers-by with popular Caribbean dishes. Sunday 28 August is a day for the children, with a shorter parade route and a quieter atmosphere, making it ideal for a family day out. Bank holiday Monday 29 August is the main event where people from all over the world gather together to enjoy the festivities. Roads and Tube stations tend to get incredibly busy, especially on the Monday, so plan your route carefully.
The BP Summer Screens in London is presenting a roofless cinematic experience, with performances transmitted live from the Royal Opera House and Royal Ballet onto screens set up in Canary Wharf and Trafalgar Square. The event kicked off with showings of the much-loved classics, Manon and Madama Butterfly, with Cinderella scheduled for 13 July. Opera and ballet fans will love this free spectacle in the sun. Arrive early to secure the best viewing spot.
The street entertainers of Covent Garden must first audition in front of the square's management before they are allowed to hit the streets - the only area in London where this happens.
