Things To Do This August Bank Holiday Weekend In London: 26-28 August 2023

Things to do this weekend is sponsored by City Cruises.

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BANK HOLIDAY: It's a bank holiday weekend — the last one until Christmas (booooo!). Make the most of it with our guide to spending the bank holiday weekend in London, whether you're up for walks or cycle rides, heading to the cinema, taking part in sporting pursuits, or simply heading down the pub.

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL: The August bank holiday weekend goes hand in hand with Notting Hill Carnival, Europe's biggest street festival, celebrating Caribbean culture. The celebrations begin on Saturday with a steel pan band competition (£), followed by children's day at Carnival on Sunday, and the main event on Monday. Here's everything you need to know about Notting Hill Carnival, from how to get there and when to go, to what to do, see, eat and drink while you're there. FREE, 26-28 August

FOOD FESTIVAL: Feast your eyes on the surroundings of Hampton Court Palace, and your stomach on goodies from the Hampton Court Palace Food Festival, which is held in the palace gardens. Tuck into street food, and browse and buy artisan products including wine, rum, cakes, pastries, coffee and cheese. There's also live music at the bandstand, and face painting and shire horse and cart rides for kids. 26-28 August

BATTERSEA PARK IN CONCERT: Battersea Park hosts three evenings of open-air picnic concerts. Saturday is A Night At The Musicals and Sunday is Proms in the Park, both performed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, while Gabrielle headlines Monday night, with support from Yolanda Brown and the Ronnie Scott's All Stars. 26-28 August

CROYDON STANDS TALL: 30 giraffe sculptures have appeared in south London for Croydon Stands Tall, a free art trail with works decorated by local artists. In addition, a litter of 30 baby giraffe sculptures, decorated by local schools and community groups, will appear in Croydon shops. FREE, until 27 October

SPONGEBOB MUSICAL: Looking for a treat to end the summer holidays? The SpongeBob Musical at Southbank Centre stars Ru-Paul’s Drag Race legend Divina De Campo. It features the same citizens of Bikini Bottom as the TV show, who find out that their home is in danger of being destroyed by a volcano. Age 6+. Until 27 August

CAMDEN FRINGE: We're into the last weekend of this year's Camden Fringe, a performing arts festival taking place in venues all around the Borough of Camden. For one last hurrah, how about wanderlust-inspired spoken word show Wish You Were Here, or children's music show Cricket & The Freebugs? Until 27 August

ANIMALS: We loved current exhibition Animals: Art, Science and Sound at the British Library, and highly recommend you see it before it closes this weekend. It uses the Library's vast archive of books, magazines, video, ephemera and sound recordings to look at how different animal species have been recorded throughout history, with a few charming surprises thrown in. Until 28 August

SUMMER HOLIDAYS: Running out of ways to keep children and teenagers occupied? Take a look at our guide to things to do in London in the summer holidays. Tour a royal palace, play free mini golf, follow free art trails, or catch the latest stage shows or exhibitions for all ages.

ROLLER DISCO: Strap on your skates (or hire some when you get there) and head to Fairfield Halls in Croydon for a good old-fashioned roller disco, complete with lights, colours and tunes. Each day, the earlier session (3pm-4.30pm) is aimed at families, beginners, and anyone who's a bit wobbly, while the later session (5pm-6.30pm) is for more confident teenage and adult skaters. 24-28 August

GREENWICH AND DOCKLANDS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL: Free outdoor performing arts festival Greenwich and Docklands International Festival is under way, for two weeks of theatre, art, dance and circus in outdoor locations. Highlights this weekend include Greenwich Fair, which encompasses several events, performances and activities. Most events FREE, 25 August-10 September

DAY TRIPS: Fancy heading out of London for a day — or longer — over the bank holiday? Take a look at our Beyond London section, which is packed full of day and weekend trip ideas. How about visiting a castle where an unseen Star Wars scene was filmed, a picturesque street which residents have decorated with dozens of frog statues, or a picture perfect island home to pastel-hued beach huts, which gets cut off by the tide on a regular basis?

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Saturday 26 August

DOG FESTIVAL: Celebrate International Dog Day at The Big Woof, a free, dog-friendly festival in King's Cross. Take Rover and Fido along for dog shows, a fun zone, dog tarot card reading (yes, really), animal communication workshops and more, plus an array of stalls selling dog-centric food and fashion. FREE, 26-27 August

ROMAN FAMILY QUEST: Take your family time travelling back to Roman Londinium, via the Roman London Family Quest in the City. Follow a map highlighting Roman points of interest between the Mithraeum temple at Bloomberg Space and the Roman Amphitheatre, with child-friendly activities and quests along the way. FREE, 10.30am-3.30pm

CHARTERHOUSE FAMILY TOUR: Children go free on this family tour of The Charterhouse in Clerkenwell. As you learn about the building's history, including medieval monks and terrible Tudors, look out for the missing greyhounds, belonging to Thomas Talbot who first established a charity on the site in the 17th century, 11am

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY: The Montcalm East's resident photographer Riki Verma leads her latest fashion photography masterclass, in the form of a photo walk around the area of Old Street and Shoreditch. Take fashion-based portraits in a variety of locations, under Verma's expert guidance. 11am

ROALD DAHL: Take the kids along to The Cockpit Theatre in Marylebone for a performance of Roald Dahl and the Imagination Seekers. It's an interactive performance for ages 5+, where the audience participates in games and imaginary play to stop the words disappearing from Roald Dahl's books. 12pm/2pm

CHAMBER CONCERT: Mozart, Bruch, Alan Richardson and Paul Harris are among the composers whose work features in a lunchtime chamber concert at St Marylebone Parish Church, in aid of charity Lymphoma Action. 1.30pm

VICTORIAN VAUXHALL: A free fair pops up at the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, designed to resemble the park's former Victorian glory. Entertainment includes circus acts and a circus school, dance and music classes, crafts for children, vintage games and a static hot air balloon. FREE, 2pm-7pm

SPITTING IMAGE: Fans of satire, get yourselves to the Phoenix Theatre for the final performances of Spitting Image: The Musical, featuring over 100 puppet celebrity look-a-likes. 2.30pm/7.30pm

WE WILL ROCK YOU: Admittedly the opening reviews were... mixed. But if you're keen to see the 21st anniversary revival of Queen musical We Will Rock You, the final two performances are today. 2.30pm/7.30pm

ZQUENDA: New play Xquenda features three performers of different nationalities teaming up to tell (and sing) the story of a young woman and her search for justice after the disappearance and murder of her best friend in southern Mexico. See it at the Bread & Roses Theatre in Clapham— last performance today. 7.30pm

CLUB DE FROMAGE: Dance the night away to pop, rock, indie, power ballads, disco and classic r'n'b tunes at the bank holiday special of cheesy disco night Club de Fromage at O2 Academy Islington. Along with tunes by the likes of Madonna, Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift and Britney Spears, expect confetti cannons, balloons and sing-alongs. 10.30pm

Sunday 27 August

HOUSE TOUR: On the last Sunday of each month — including this bank holiday weekend — guided tours are offered of Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham. Explore the Georgian Gothic building, learning about its history and unique interiors, and hear stories of the people who have lived there — including the youngest son of the first British prime minister. 10am

BLACK POWER WOMEN: Learn about the Black Panther Women of Brixton, housing revolutionary Olive Morris, the segregation of Black children in the British school system, and more. All these topics are covered in Black History Walks' latest tour, Black Power Women of Brixton, which tells the often-overlooked story of the role Black women in Britain played in the fight for equal rights. 10am-12pm

PECKHAM SALVAGE YARD: Browse 70+ stalls at Peckham Salvage Yard, taking place at Copeland Park. Traders are selling 20th century furniture and homewares, lighting, industrial fixtures and more — with plenty of cafes and restaurants nearby. 11am-5pm

BRUNCHIN' IN VEGAS: Live music venue 100 Wardour Street hosts a Las Vegas and R&B themed brunch. Choose either two or three dishes (and add bottomless bubbles if it's that kind of Sunday) and tuck in while a DJ spins R&B tunes. The venue's had a makeover too, with a replica of the iconic Las Vegas sign, and a Little Wardour Chapel for photo opportunities. 12pm-5pm

WEST END DRAG BRUNCH: Or do this brunch instead. The Otherist in Liverpool Street is the place to head for a lively Sunday afternoon, as it hosts a West End Drag Brunch. Drag queens from the West End stage, do renditions of show tunes, lip-syncs, death drops and high-kicks — all while you dig into a two-course brunch — with the option to upgrade to 90 minutes of bottomless cocktails. 1pm-4pm

GOOD TIMES: Legendary DJ Norman Jay MBE parks up his Good Times soundsystem bus at The Terrace at Alexandra Palace for an open-air, all day bank holiday party. Beer and cocktail bars and street food stalls pop up at the venue too. 2pm

MINDFUL CRAFTS: Colour therapist and Londonist contributor Momtaz Begum-Hossain host a session of mindful crafts for adults. Take a break from the stresses of life and enjoy the pleasure of creating something with your own hands. Projects vary each session and could include anything from painting and collage to mindful sewing and embroidery. Takes place at Well Bean Co Café in Royal Docks. Age 16+. 4pm-6pm

NIGHT VOYAGE: Families with children aged 6-11 year old are invited to spend the night on board The Golden Hinde, the replica galleon ship dry-docked on Bankside. Become part of the ship's crew for the night, led by three characters in Elizabethan costume who'll teach you about the history of the vessel and the skills needed to sail it. 5pm-9am

Bank holiday Monday 28 August

FAMILY FESTIVAL: As part of the summer opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, there's a family festival for anyone visiting today. Head to the Family Pavilion for storytelling, or out into the Palace Garden for arts and crafts. 11am-3pm

BACK TO THE FUTURE: The wonderful Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square comes up trumps every bank holiday. Today, it's screening the whole Back to the Future trilogy back-to-back, so strap in for a triple DeLorean adventure with Doc Brown and Marty McFly. 11am-5.29pm

DOG SHOW: Pooch still got plenty of energy after the day out in King's Cross on Saturday? Take them over to Walthamstow today, where Big Penny Social holds a Pooches & Pints Dog Show, raising money for charity All Dogs Matter. Even if you don't have a dog yourself, you're welcome to head down and watch the fun over a drink or two. 1.30pm-4pm

FANTASY, MYTHS AND LEGENDS: Today at the BBC Proms, the BBC Concert Orchestra performs classic soundtracks from film, television and gaming's greatest myths and legends. Hear tunes from the likes of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, performed in the regal setting of the Royal Albert Hall. 7pm

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