August is one of the best times to visit London, with some fantastic outdoor events as well as a whole array of indoor activities and places to visit. Whether you’re staying in the capital for a weekend or longer, our handpicked guide highlights the best things to do in London this month.
Electric Summer at Battersea Power Station
Running until 31 August, Electric Summer offers some fantastic traditional fairground rides along the banks of the River Thames at the iconic Battersea Power Station. The summer boardwalk includes a big wheel, dodgems and a wave swinger, and there is a roller rink where there are themed sessions and special events. With live entertainment, street food and cocktails, it’s the perfect place for a summer day out in London.
Anish Kapoor at the Hayward Gallery
We are really excited to see this major retrospective of Anish Kapoor’s works. The gallery explain: “Kapoor’s exhibition fills the entire gallery building with a series of immersive works, many of which press against the gallery walls and floors or descend from the ceiling to create an uncanny sensation of awe and wonder.
The exhibition features works from many of Kapoor’s most iconic series: flawless steel mirror sculptures that warp, distort and disorient; mysterious objects coated in Vantablack – the blackest known substance in the world – that mystify us with their extraordinary light-absorbing properties; and seemingly depthless voids opening within the gallery, drawing us in with a thrilling sense of vertigo.
The exhibition also introduces dramatic recent works: visceral paintings and sculptures that confront us with the fragility of human existence.”
Opera Holland Park
This three month summer festival, set in the beautiful grounds of Holland Park, includes Un ballo in maschera, Die Fledermaus, Music for a Summer’s Evening, Tchaikovsky: Child of Glass, Adnan Karim in London, Opera Prelude: Trouble in Tahiti & Seven Deadly Sins and Wild Arts: The Marriage of Figaro during August.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
This beautiful outdoor theatre was established in 1932 and provides seating for 1,300 guests. Set in picturesque Queen Mary’s Gardens, the season runs for 18 weeks each summer. During August, there will be performances of CATS and Anansi the Spider.
Buckingham Palace State Rooms and Gardens
The State Rooms and Palace Gardens are open until 27 September. Highlights include the ballroom, throne room, grand staircase and palace gardens.
Proms 2026 at the Royal Albert Hall
This annual series of classical music concerts offers a fabulous variety of music performed in the historic Royal Albert Hall. This month’s shows include Rachmaninov’s ‘Paganini’ Variations, Berlioz’s ‘Symphonie fantastique’, Elgar’s Cello Concerto, Bond and Beyond, Enchanted – Alan Menken’s Music for Disney and Relaxed Prom.
