Things to do this August
August is the peak month of the summer. Warm nights, picnics outside, open-air film screenings, drinks with colleagues, music festivals and then its the Bank Holiday Weekend! With so many things to do, make sure you budget carefully and set aside money for the things you really want to do. I’m looking forward to this month and hope you are as well!
Rooftop Film Club
August, Various Locations
Drop it like it’s hot this August at Rooftop Film Club. I love watching films on the rooftop. I am really excited about going to one of the Hip Hop evenings at the Bussey Building in Peckham this month.
Highlights include:
- Blockbuster beats come to the roof this month throughout London
- Hip-hop classics will be showing every Thursday at Bussey Building
- Exclusive events include beat-boxing workshops, hip-hop dancing, and live DJ sets
- Grab a FREE ice cream at over 150 screenings courtesy of extrême
Find Rooftop Film Club’s open-air cinematic glory at Bussey Building (Peckham), Roof East (Stratford), and the Queen of Hoxton (Shoreditch).
Prudential Bike Ride
3-4th August, Various Venues
A weekend of cycling beckons courtesy of Prudential Ride London. You can take part in FreeCycle, a traffic-free 7-mile route through the streets of central London. Thursday 8th August is Cycle to Work Day. Read Crystal Evans top tips on what to wear on your bike commute in London.
Mr Black Espresso Martini Festival
7-11th August, Various London bars
Mr Black Espresso Martini Fest, now in its third year, is the first festival expressly dedicated to the Espresso Martini, celebrating the capital’s most famous cocktail. Top cocktail bars across the city will be pouring £6 variations of the renowned drink made specifically using Mr Black coffee liqueur throughout the 5-day festival.
My favourite cocktail. My favourite drinks festival. I even have my own Instagram dedicated to Espresso Martinis. Do put this date in the diary!
Film 4 Summer Screen
8-21st August, Somerset House
Somerset House is the perfect host to outside summer screenings for the Film4 Summer Screen. This year’s film festival includes Black Panther, Reservoir Dogs and This Is England. Top tips: bring something comfy to sit on and a jacket for those chilly British nights.
Spice Girl Drag Bottomless Brunch
Saturday 12th August, Bounce Farringdon
Bounce Old Street is launching a Bottomless Brunch special: SPICE GURL, dedicated to the Spice Girls Reunion this summer.
This non-stop party will feature unlimited prosecco, pizza, and ping pong… but wait for it; this is not your usual brunch. Prepare to SPICE UP YOUR LIFE, as this sing-along-ping-along-zig-a-zig-ah affair will get you all up dancing, singing your heart out to the greatest party tracks of the ’90s the noughties and of course the Spice Girls; served up by Shoreditch’s very own Hoxton Radio DJs. I love Bounce and work just around the corner from Farringdon’s finest, so this comes with my full recommendation to spice up your life!
All you need is your ticket, and Bounce will provide all the party props, prosecco and ping pong you’ll ever need. Also, get ready to meet a drag Spice Girl legend.
London Mithraeum, Bloomberg Space – Discover Roman London
Throughout August
Situated on the site of Bloomberg’s European headquarters, this cultural hub showcases the ancient temple, a selection of the remarkable Roman artefacts found during the recent excavations, and a series of contemporary art commissions responding to one of the UK’s most significant archaeological sites.
Archaeology at Bloomberg is an illustrated guide to the exceptional archaeology and history of the Bloomberg site. It’s FREE but you do need to book tickets ahead.
London Dessert Festival
17-18th August, Truman Brewery, Spitalfields
Eat your way around dishes from chefs from all over the country, including plenty of vegan and gluten-free options. The London Dessert Festival promises Instagrammable walls and themed rooms, food photography workshops, and make-up artists offering styles inspired by desserts. Sounds amazing.
Fleabag with Phoebe Waller-Bridge
20th August – 14th September, Wyndham’s Theatre Charing Cross, 4 pm & 7:30 pm
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s TV show Fleabag was a phenomenal success and so it’s no surprise that her one-woman stage show is a complete sell-out.
THREE WAYS TO GET YOUR HANDS ON TICKETS
Fleabag will be broadcast live to venues around the UK and internationally on 12th September at 7.30pm with National Theatre Live. For more information on where to watch and how to buy tickets, check out the NT live website.
A digital lottery will be available through the TodayTix app. A total of 50 tickets for each of the 30 performances (1,500 in total) will be available for £15. The lottery will be held weekly during the season, with the first one opening on Monday 12 August and closing on Wednesday 14 August, enabling users to apply for multiple performances at the same time. To enter the lottery, you need to download the free TodayTix app, and register. All TodayTix users will be notified when the lottery opens and winners will have the choice to purchase either one or two tickets. Seats allocated for the lottery will include prime positions in the front row.
There will also be a limited number of £10 tickets will be available to purchase each morning in person from 10 am at the Wyndham’s Box Office. Each person will be permitted to purchase one ticket each and are subject to availability.
South West Four
24-25th August, Clapham Common
South West Four festival is a London dance music festival which takes place in Clapham Common over the August UK bank holiday weekend. I love this festival, although it can get a bit messy. Revolution bars are just around the corner if you fancy a meet-up place beforehand. Check out places for an after-party beforehand as you will be wanting to carry on the party after an epic festival such as this.
Fulham Beach
From 31st July, Fulham
Fulham Beach provides guests with a stylish venue consisting of the brand’s signature beach, a large indoor jungle-themed pergola, two pop up restaurants, two bars, live Dj’s, weekly events and games for all to enjoy. Other offerings include bottomless brunches, Rose Saturdays, yoga sessions on the beach, cocktail masterclasses, glitter artists and an outdoor cinema on the beach, showing cult classics every Tuesday! Entry is free, but there are options to pay for a more luxurious experience so check the website before you go to see what’s on offer.
Notting Hill Carnival
August Bank Holiday Weekend
Notting Hill Carnival is amazing. The annual street party kicks off on the Saturday evening (6-11pm) with Panorama – a free open-air evening of competitive performance by national steel bands. The competition takes part in Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park.
Sunday morning opens with J’ouvert – a traditional procession before sunrise, where participants cover their body in mud to celebrate the start of carnival. The parade (Family Day) that follows showcases children in their flamboyant costumes who dance along the carnival route to the rhythms provided by mobile sound systems or steel bands.
The parade on Monday is the Grand Finale, otherwise known as the Adults Day. Notting Hill Carnival has had a bad reputation, but you can have loads of fun this weekend.