Things To Do This Weekend In London: 12-13 July 2025

Festivals galore, plus a new dinosaurs exhibition and Wimbledon finals.

All weekend

WIMBLEDON FINALS: We're into the final weekend of Wimbledon 2025 — we've put together a guide to all of the London venues showing the action live on large screens. Many of them free. You could even treat yourself to a Wimbledon-themed afternoon tea to enjoy as you watch. Until 13 July

SUMMER IN THE PARK: Summer in the Park in Greenwich Park takes place across Saturday and Sunday, offering free entry to a programme of live music, circus performances, immersive theatre, art workshops, an Indian- and Persian-inspired outdoor pageant, ceilidhs, a Samba parade and more. Suitable for all ages. FREE ENTRY, 12-13 July

THE WISH THIEF: New opera The Wish Thief is performed by the RBO Youth Opera Company at the Royal Opera House. Set in a flawless town governed by stringent rules, the story unfolds as wishes start to come true in unexpected ways, following the arrival of a travelling conjurer. 12-13 July

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WHITECROSS STREET PARTY: Though it hosts a lively street food market most week days, Whitecross Street near Barbican really comes alive for the annual Whitecross Street Party. See live painting and street art, transforming the area until next year's festival, along with music, dance and spoken word stages, family activities, food stalls and more. FREE, 12-13 July

HAPPY PLACE FESTIVAL: Focus is on the feel-good, as the Happy Place Festival comes to a new venue — Gunnersbury Park — for a weekend of talks, live podcasts, yoga, as well as a shopping village packed with independent brands. 12-13 July

BASTILLE DAY: French restaurant Brasserie Zedel in Piccadilly Circus marks Bastille Day with special entertainment including a quartet from the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra performing in the brasserie and foyer across Bastille Weekend, and various other music, magic and cabaret shows. There's also a 'best-dressed' competition on a French theme, with prizes to be won. 12-14 July

PREHISTORIC PLANET: Lightroom in King's Cross opens its latest immersive exhibition, Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs, taking you inside scenes from seasons one and two of Apple TV+'s Prehistoric Planet series. Surrounded by 360-degree visuals of dinosaurs, find out what the planet was like 66 million years ago. 9 July-2 November

SUMMER SERIES: The annual open-air concert programme Summer Series is back at Somerset House. A stage is set up in the Courtyard, with Nigerian-born British singer songwriter Jacob Banks performing on Saturday, and Austrian musician, producer, composer and DJ Parov Stelar on Sunday. 10-20 July

KEW THE MUSIC: A stage and large screen is set up in Kew Gardens for a series of live music performances. Take your own picnic chair or blanket, pack a hamper or buy food and drink on site, and enjoy live music in a relaxed and (hopefully) sunny setting. It's Alison Moyet on Saturday evening, and Gipsy Kings on Sunday. 8-13 July

BUCKINGHAM PALACE: Take the opportunity to go inside Buckingham Palace at the annual summer opening of the State Rooms. The Throne Room, Ballroom Grand Staircase and Palace Gardens are among the areas open to the public for just a few weeks — we've been inside a few times, and it is spectacular. 10 July-28 September

IDLER FESTIVAL: A genuine Archbishop and a clutch of National Treasures are among the speakers at this year's Idler Festival, at Fenton House in Hampstead. Festival goers are invited to do "as much or as little as they please" in a laid-back environment — but with a chance to hear from the likes of Michael Palin, Emma Thompson, and comedians Stewart Lee and Sally Phillips, it's worth packing in as much in as you can. 11-13 July

HELIOS: Barely a month goes by without one of Luke Jerram's celestial sculptures popping up at a London venue, and this time it's Helios going on display at the top of Osterley House's 18th century portico. Each centimetre of the scale model of the sun represents 2,000 kilometres of the real sun's surface. 11-14 July

MORE THAN HUMAN: The More than Human exhibition at Design Museum explores how design can assist our planet alongside other living beings. It features over 140 works by more than 50 international artists, architects and designers, including a monumental seaweed installation and artworks aimed at octopuses. 11 July-5 October

ALICE IN WONDERLAND: Just in time for the summer holidays, Marylebone Theatre opens a production of Alice in Wonderland for ages five+, bringing Lewis Carroll's classic children's book to life through puppets, an original score, and eye-catching costumes. Have a browse of other family-friendly theatre shows coming to London for the summer holidays. 12 July-31 August

Saturday 12 July

BARNES FAIR: It's a rather special edition of Barnes Fair this year, as the event celebrates its 50th anniversary. Head over to Barnes Green for a funfair, live music, Punch & Judy shows, food and drink vendors, and 300+ stalls. 9.30am-5.30pm

HETTY FEATHER DAY: The Foundling Museum hosts its annual Hetty Feather Day, with author Dame Jacqueline Wilson in attendance. Her 2009 novel Hetty Feather, later made into a CBBC series, tells the story of a young girl who is left at the Foundling Hospital as a baby. Today's event for 7-13 year olds features a talk by Wilson, a Q&A session and a creative workshop — and includes museum admission. 11am-3.30pm

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LEADENHALL CRAFT MARKET: Solo Craft Fair pitches up at Leadenhall Market, with 100 makers and designers selling homewares, fashion and other items. Look out for special workshops where you can have a go at skills including tarot reading, candle decorating and tea blending. 12pm-5pm

COCKTAILS IN THE CITY: Boozy festival Cocktails in the City ends the first of its two events this summer, bringing together some of the most popular bars in London to serve up their concoctions in the private garden of Bedford Square, with live entertainment thrown in. Book for the afternoon or evening session, and enjoy live music, ice carving workshops and a silent disco. 12pm-4.15pm/5pm-10pm

KALEIDOSCOPE FESTIVAL: Musicians Faithless and Goldie, and comedians Shaparak Khorsandi and Andrew Maxwell are on the eclectic line-up at Kaleidoscope Festival. The one-day event takes over Alexandra Palace with live music, DJ sets, comedy and spoken word performances, plus magicians, games and workshops for families — all with incredible views over London. 1pm-10.30pm

THE CRUCIBLE: Arthur Miller's The Crucible ends another run on the London stage, this time at the Globe Theatre. The famous play is based on the Salem witch trials, telling the story of the mass hysteria which swept the town as local women were accused of witchcraft. 2pm/7.30pm

MY MASTER BUILDER: Last chance to see Ewan McGregor, Kate Fleetwood and Elizabeth Debicki star in My Master Builder, set in the Hamptons on the eve of American Independence Day. It's the story of a wealthy couple whose marriage is shattered by the unexpected arrival of Mathilde, a former student of the architect husband. See it at Wyndham's Theatre. 2.30pm/7.30pm

MINISTRY OF LESBIAN AFFAIRS: Feel-good musical comedy The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs is the story of the only lesbian choir in the country, who are trying to win their place on the Pride main stage. Today's the last day to see it at the Kiln Theatre in Kilburn. 2.30pm/7.30pm

BRIXTON MEMORIES: The Museum of Youth Culture wants your memories of going out around Brixton in the 1970s-80s. Take flyers, tickets, records, cassettes and anything else along to a scanning evening at Brixton House to share them — they could become part of an upcoming exhibition celebrating the women in dancehall, lovers rock and reggae. FREE, 4pm

NUCLEAR SCIENCE: Head to the Royal Institution (or watch online) as Frank Close, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Oxford, talks about the science of the nuclear age. Find out how an accidental discovery in 1896 sparked a chain of discoveries which unleashed the atomic age, and reveals some of the myths around the story. 7pm-8.30pm

LOCK UP YOUR DAUGHTERS: Lock Up Your Daughters is a new comedy night from award-winning Lorna Rose Treen, at MOTH Club in Hackney. Expect sets from Treen, alongside Lara Ricote, Samira Banks, Jodie Mitchell, Frankie Thompson, Jonathan Oldfield and more TBC. 7pm

MEMPHIS SOUL REVUE: As part of Barbican's Summer Jazz Series, relive the golden era of Memphis soul. STAX Records legend Carla Thomas headlines a live show, joined by Eric Gales and legends of STAX and Hi Records from their 1960s & 1970s heyday, including the Hi Rhythm Section — the band behind Al Green’s hits. 7.30pm

SUMMER IN THE DITCH: Two shows take place at Shoreditch Town Hall today as part of the Summer in the Ditch season of camp, queer and cult work. The Haddon Sisters offer a double bill of visceral cinema, sculptural performance, and slow transformation (7.30pm) followed by a work-in-progress performance of Pigs Fly Easy Ryan, about two flight fetishists illegally impersonating flight attendants. (9pm)

BALHAM COMEDY FESTIVAL: The final show of this year's Balham Comedy Festival, brings Rachel Parris, Eric Rushton, Jimmy McGhie, and Runi Talwar to the stage at the Bedford, showcasing the best of Banana Cabaret. 8.30pm-11pm

Sunday 13 July

NOTTING HILL HISTORY: Join Black History Walks for a guided walk through Notting Hill, focusing on pioneering African/Caribbean people from the area, beyond the well-known Carnival. Hear about the history of West Indian Freedom Fighters in London, the White Defence League, Bob Marley, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, the Second World War, Windrush and issues of segregation and discrimination. 10am-12.30pm

SCANDALS OF BELGRAVIA: Join Footprints of London guide Michael Duncan for a walking tour focusing on the scandals which have occurred in the upmarket area of Belgravia. Begin at Victoria station and hear about a murder which led to one of the most famous disappearances in history, links to the Krays, and a pub where an infamous crime was planned. 11am-12.30pm

CHESS FEST: Trafalgar Square hosts a free chess festival, open to all, whether you're a seasoned player or want to learn the game. This year's Chess Fest has a living chess set with 32 actors taking on the role of the pieces, recreating famous games of chess with live commentary, as well as free beginner lessons and a chance to challenge a master at speed chess. FREE, 12pm-7pm

DAYTIMERS: A series of events spotlighting and celebrating South Asian visual arts, DAYTIMERS - Mehfil comes to the Royal Albert Hall. Enjoy a programme of poetry, spoken word and music, followed by a special live performance from Baluji Shrivastav OBE alongside Vishnu Vijayan and Theo Archer Lees. Open mic slots are available too, with priority going to artists from marginalised groups. 2pm

SUMMER CONCERT: Join Out of the Shadows Choir for an uplifting afternoon of close-harmony music at Woolwich Works. Enjoy a range of songs from various genres, from Bohemian Rhapsody to The Greatest Showman to Gershwin. 3pm

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SOUL SUPPER: Groove to the sounds of Marvin Gaye, Temptations, Four Tops and the Supremes at Soul Supper at Between the Bridges. Enjoy drinks and a two-course meal as live performers pay tribute to the soulful beats of Motown. 3pm-7pm

HOLLYWOOD TO BROADWAY: Acclaimed Anglo-Italian soprano Carly Paoli leads Hollywood to Broadway, an evening of singing and dancing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane featuring special guests Al Bano, David Phelps and Charlie Stemp. See live renditions of beloved productions like Carousel, The Greatest Showman, and Gigi, showcasing the talents of musicians from the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra under conductor Jae Alexander. 7pm