Yankee Burgers 

Tesco may have done a disservice to the face of the British burger of late, but this year is all about the all-American culinary mainstay.

Top US burger chains Shake Shack and Five Guys are set to open their first UK stores this summer.

Goodbye GBK, here comes the real McCoy.

Summer 2013 TBC  
shakeshack.com; fiveguys.com

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Parkstratford

The Olympic Park opens its doors once more, this time as a public-friendly outdoor space, on the anniversary of Danny Boyle’s world-stunning opening ceremony. 

Free, Jul 27, various times E20  
Tube |Stratford  
noordinarypark.co.uk

Red Bull Soapbox Racing

Creativity and nerves of steel are the order of the day for this madcap day of soapbox racing (pictured, left), which returns to the UK after a nine-year absence. Entries close on March 31, so get involved pronto!

July 14, times TBC  Alexandra Palace, N22 7AY  
Station | Alexandra Palace 
soapbox.redbull.co.uk

Itu Triathlon World Series

The same route as was used in the Olympics last year welcomes the world’s best swim-bike-runners for the World Triathlon series grand final.

Free, The legacy lives on.Sep 11-16
times TBC Hyde Park, W2 2UH  
Tube | Hyde Park Cnr  
london-triathlon.org

Louis CK

There are two reasons why this year will belong to this critically lauded, publicly adored New York-based comedian.

Firstly, his ace self-based TV show Louie is set to hit over here on the newly rebranded Fox channel (reason alone to get some Sky connections).

Also, he’s booked to play stand-up, sleb-loaded shows at The O2 and Hammersmith Apollo.

Don’t be the one left asking, “Louis who?”

March 20, 7pm 
The O2, SE10 0DX 
Tube | North Greenwich  
theo2.co.uk

March 21, 7pm  
Hammersmith Apollo, W6 9QH  
Tube | Hammersmith  
hammersmithapollo.com

Canalway Cavalcade

It doesn’t come more English than this 30th anniversary boaters’ gathering, complete with all the jolly nice pleasantries you’d expect.

here’s tea and cakes, real ale, Morris dancers, bands and upwards of 100 canal boats moored along a stretch of the Grand Union Canal, with a special boat illumination competition, too. 

May 4-6, Sat & Sun, 10am-6pm
Mon, 10am-5pm Little Venice
Paddington, W9 1ER  
Station | Warwick  
waterways.org.uk

Read more: Best of London 2013 - top arts, events and entertainment highlights in the capital this year

Bowie photo: design by Kansai Yamamoto, photograph by Masayoshi Sukita, © Sukita / The David Bowie Archive 2012; Joan Marcus