Movies on the Lawn

The legendary summer film series is back with a trio of specially selected movies to be screened in Fulham Palace Gardens. Keep checking the website for updates.

Fulham Palace | September 6, 13 and 20 | 6.30pm
Bishops Avenue, SW6 6EA
Tube | Putney Bridge 
fulhampalace.org

London Live

This summer, there’ll be lots of chances to soak up some of the Olympic buzz. Screenings of the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be happening in Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Trafalgar Square. Hyde Park will show coverage of every Olympic medal event and while the ticketed opening and closing ceremonies are happening, the spectacles will also be screened in Victoria Park. Vicky Park is also going to be home to sports sessions anyone can take part in. Trafalgar Square will be taking over for the Paralympic Games with screenings and try-it-yourself sessions.

July 27-September 9 | Free
Trafalgar Square, EC2N 5DN; Victoria Park, E3 5SN; Hyde Park, W2 2UH
btlondonlive.com

Taste of London

Have a slice of affordable fine dining in the great outdoors (well, a London park). For the four-day event, chefs from London’s best restaurants, including Gaucho, Maze, Asia de Cuba, L’Anima and Le Gavroche will be dishing up their finest fare for an alfresco feast. Sample starter-sized tasting plates and signature dishes from Michelin-starred restaurants, starting at under a fiver.

June 21-24. Thu-Sat 12pm-4pm and 5.30pm-9.30pm, Sun 12pm-5pm | £24
Regent’s Park, Outer Circle
Tube | Regent’s Park
tastefestivals.com

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, an old favourite, is now in its 80th year. It’s keeping things pretty low-key, thanks to the Olympics, but is still hosting two major productions. On the bill will be the contemporary musical, Ragtime, which follows three families separated by race and destiny at the turn of the 20th century. And then there’ll be the Shakespeare classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

May 18-Sept 8; From £20.12  
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, NW1 
Tube | Regent’s Park

openairtheatre.com 

Rooftop Film Club

The group behind some pretty exciting summer night cinema trips, The Rooftop Film Club (pictured above), is even having a Best Of British season at The Roof Gardens in Kensington. Coming up, there’s The Queen on June 4 and rom-com Wimbledon on 10. or the ticket price of £25, you get a tasty fish or burger and chips dinner. There are also directors chairs to relax in and blankets are on hand to keep you toasty.

June 4 &10; £25
The Roof Gardens, W8 5SA
Tube | High Street Kensington
rooftopfilmclub.com

Foto8 Summershow launch party

Hit up an arty east London street party to celebrate the winners of FOTO8’s competition for images that show the world differently. Ticket price includes free drinks.

Fri, July 6. 6.30pm-10.30pm £12
Honduras Street EC1Y
Tube | Barbican
bookwhen.com

Curious: An Art Trail In A Cemetery

West Norwood Cemetery was the most fashionable in the country, and a hive for Victorian tourists. This summer, it is the home of works by 26 artists who were inspired by the site’s Gothic aesthetics.

June 22–July 20. 9am-4pm free
Norwood Road, SE27 9JU
Tube | West Norwood
westnorwoodcemetery.com

Epsom Derby Fest

Hats at the ready for two days of horseracing (Ladies Day first, then Derby Day). Get there at least an hour before the races to place a bet – pick a horse with a silly name and you might get lucky.

June 1-2. From 2.15pm £15
Epsom downs | Tattenham Corner Road, KT18 5LQ 
Tube | Epsom Downs
epsomdowns.co.uk

Fruit Sports Day

A fruity take on a sports day by Innocent Smoothies – with peach volley ball and cycling in a melondrome.

Sunday July 22. 11am-7pm £12.50

Regent’s Park
Tube | Regent’s Park
innocentdrinks.co.uk

Crystal Palace Garden Party

With rock on Saturday and Jubilee proms on Sunday, plus comedy, arts, a funfair and Shakespeare readings in a maze.

June 23-24. 1pm £20.50
Crystal Palace Park, Thickett Road, SE20 8DT
Tube | Penge West
crystalpalacegardenparty.com

Bloc

The festival usually happens in a holiday camp, but it’s getting promoted to a much cooler venue – the never-before-used London Pleasure Gardens. The gardens are a pop-up space, from the brilliant minds that created the beautifully hedonistic debauchery zone Shangri-La at Glastonbury. And it’s got a line-up to back it up, with (take a deep breath) Snoop Dogg (above), Richie Hawtin, Steve Reich, Orbital, Flying Lotus, Gary Numan, Ricardo Villalobos, Nicolas Jaar, Robert Henke’s Monolake, Jeff Mills, DOOM, Joy Orbison b2b Jackmaster, Four Tet and a hell of a lot more. Get your party on.

July 6-7 | From 2pm | £99+
Royal Victoria Docks, E16 2BS
Tube | Pontoon Dock
blocweekend.co

The Chelsea Flower Show

You don’t have to be green fingered to like this one – the show exhibits fresh, modern and innovative design. The cutting-edge displays get quirkier every year – whether that’s with references to far-flung climes or eye-popping architecture. Look out for plenty of nods to this year’s Olympic Games, as well as Queit Time: DMZ Forbidden Garden, designed by Jihae Hwang, mirroring Korea’s Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and Trailfinders Australian Garden – a modern luxe outdoor living space.

May 22-25. 8am-8pm | May 26, 8am-5.30pm | Sell-off at 4pm | £16+
Royal Hospital Chelsea, SW3 4SL
Tube | Sloane Square
rhs.org.uk

The Chap Olympiad 2012

Amid the Georgian beauty of Bedford Square, the lovely people behind The Chap will be hosting Britain’s most eccentric sporting event. Described as a true“celebration of athletic ineptitude and immaculate trouser creases”, the day of posh events ranging from the normal (afternoon tea, cocktails) to the bizarre (butler baiting, umbrella jousting, shouting at foreigners) stipulates a strict dress code of elegant finery, military wear, formal wear, dandy wear and no denim or sports clothing, except cricket whites. Take Heed.

July 7-8 | 12pm-11pm | £20
Bedford Square, Bloomsbury, WC1
Tube | Russell Square
thechapolympiad.com

World Pride

This year, London’s hosting World Pride. Taking over Soho, it’s going to bigger and better than the capital’s usual LGBT celebration and parade.

Sat, July 7 | 9am
Starts at Baker Street
Tube | Baker Street
pridelondon.org

Film4 Summer Screen

Watch fantastic movies, including Sexy Beast, in the lovely surrounds of Somerset House’s courtyard.

August 16-25 | Times vary | £14.50
Somerset House, The Strand, WC2R 1LA
Tube | Charing Cross
somersethouse.org.uk

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

Get patriotic and take to the streetsto celebrate Liz’s 60th year on the throne. Events are happening across London for the entire bank holiday (hello, four-day weekend), but Sunday 3 June is the big day. The Queen will be heading up a river pageant of more than 1000 boats – both historical vessels and modern passenger boats – so grab your space along the Thames to watch. One of the largest flotillas to ever hit the river, it starts at Battersea Bridge at 2pm and will float along to Tower Bridge to disperse to West India Docks by around 6pm. Worth making the effort for.

Sunday, June 3  | Free
Along the Thames
thamesdiamondjubileepageant.org

Vauxhall art car boot fair

Whether you’re just into looking at art or want to snare yourself a bargain, this is the arty place to head this summer. Admire pieces from established artists like Tracey Emin, Sir Peter Blake and Polly Morgan or snare a piece from an up-and-coming talent from just £10. It’s worth it just for a look – all the artists will be there in person, selling their wares from the boots of classic and vintage cars. And there’ll be food stalls from St John Bread & Wine and Nude Espresso. Other confirmed names are Bob and Roberta Smith, Jessica Albarn, Pure Evil, DavidDavid and Pamm Hogg.

May 27 |12-6pm | £3
Brick Lane Yard, 146 Brick Lane, E1 6QN
Tube | Liverpool Street
artcarbootfair.com

London Green Fair 2012

Celebrate all things green in the great outdoors, with live music, DJs, speakers, exhibitions and plenty of market stalls.

June 9-10 |12pm
Cumberland Green, Regent’s Park, NW1
Tube | Camden Town
londongreenfair.org