10 Best Festivals in London

The Royal Horticultural Society has held the Chelsea Flower Show in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea for over 100 years. For 5 days each May, you can admire amazing garden designs, dazzling floral displays and the very latest gardening ideas. You might even spot members of the British royalty, as they are patrons of the RHS.

If you take the Tube to Sloane Square station, the showground is only a 10-minute walk away. Several bus lines also stop nearby. The show is extremely popular, and the number of tickets is limited by ground capacity, so we highly recommend booking yours early.

The Notting Hill Carnival, the largest street party in Europe, attracts around 2 million fans of Caribbean partying for a single weekend every August. Watch the 3-mile parade showcasing soca and calypso music and more or try the delicious offerings of hundreds of food stalls. The Jamaican sound systems are sure to get your feet moving when you listen to everything from reggae to house to samba.

One of the best things about the Carnival is that it is completely free. You should prepare to do some walking, however, as the roads of Notting Hill will be closed off during the weekend. Take the Tube to a nearby station and walk from there.

The BBC Proms is 8 weeks of musical treats for fans of classical music. Most concerts take place in the Royal Albert Hall in central London, but there are also events at other venues across the UK, even some for families with children.

You can listen to many accomplished classical orchestras from England and abroad as well as some contemporary musical talent. Tickets for most events are highly affordable, so you can binge on incredible performances throughout the summer. Queues for some popular events start forming early, so get there in time and prepare for changes in weather. Try chatting with your fellow Prommers in the queue to find someone to pass the time with and maybe share an umbrella.

The Marylebone Food Festival fills the streets of Marylebone Village in the West End with supper clubs, cooking masterclasses, tastings and themed menus. Your participation will help raise money for the London charity The Food Chain. The festival spots run from family-run cafes and casual restaurants to fine dining and cocktail bars, so you’ll be sure to find something to alleviate your hunger and thirst.

If you’d like to have all the culinary action within easy walking distance, you can stay at The Marylebone Hotel. There’s an on-site gym so you can work off some of the calories you can’t help consuming while the festival is ongoing.

The Chinese New Year events in London are the biggest outside Asia and a feast for both your eyes and stomach. The main parade ending on Trafalgar Square is a vibrant experience, and there are also other performances and fireworks displays.

When you get hungry after watching the festivities, you should hit Chinatown and explore the Chinese restaurants there, trying dim sum, steamed or custard buns, dumplings or something else that strikes your fancy. Afterwards you could explore Chinatown’s shops to find some unique gifts to bring back home.

Trooping the Colour celebrates the British Sovereign’s official birthday with hundreds of soldiers, horses and musicians. This tradition goes back for more than 2 and a half centuries. You can watch the parade progression from the Buckingham Palace to the Horse Guards Parade ground near Whitehall, and back again. After you’ve appreciated fine horsemanship and listened to rousing fanfares, the event concludes with a Royal Air Force flypast.

Tickets to seated stands are available via an online ballot. You can also get tickets for the 2 rehearsal events, which might be easier, or you can watch the proceedings from St James’s Park or along The Mall.

Every November, the EFG London Jazz Festival draws more than 100,000 people to its dozens of venues across the capital. You get to enjoy the musicianship of international superstars as well as emerging local talent in big concert halls and intimate jazz clubs. The festival celebrates not only jazz but also cultural diversity and opportunity, giving spotlight time to underrepresented artists.

Some events are free, others you’ll need tickets for. Even though the music itself is improvised, with the enormous variety of shows you’d be smart to get familiar with the programme in advance and plan where to go and when.

The Wireless Festival rolls into London every summer bringing the best of urban music with it. Iconic stars Jay-Z, Rihanna, Cardi B and Nicki Minaj are just a small sample of performers who Wireless has hosted in the past. Big hip-hop party feels are guaranteed.

Wireless takes place outdoors so you should prepare and dress accordingly in case the English weather decides to spring a rainy surprise. As with any major festival, get your tickets in advance and be wary of resellers who might be hawking less than genuine tickets.

BST Hyde Park brings the biggest names in popular music to London for a few weekends every summer. That’s right, it’s not just one weekend, which makes it easier for you to find a suitable date. There are also midweek family activities, workshops, and cinema to add variety.

As Hyde Park is in central London, it’s easy to get to by public transport. There are several Tube stations nearby. The festival strives to make Hyde Park completely accessible and offers special tickets for people with disabilities.

All Points East is held over 2 weekends in Victoria Park. You get to enjoy one proper festival weekend, midweek free entry community activities and finally some standalone headline shows. All Points East is fairly new among festivals but has already won the award for Line-Up of the Year.

The festival aims to be as green as possible. For example, all paper cups, cutlery and food packaging are compostable, and all build set materials are reused. If you are a first-time visitor, you should know that if you leave the festival area, there is no re-admission, so you should plan for that and make use of the many services in the area.