A fresh guide to the top events, seasonal activities, and memorable things to do in London this July
July is when London feels at its most alive. Long sunny evenings pull people outdoors, and the city fills with energy. Parks, rooftop bars, beer gardens, open air dining spots, and lidos all come into their own, making it one of the best times to enjoy the capital.
This month also brings a packed calendar of standout events. Big artists are set to perform at BST Hyde Park, while dance music fans can look forward to major festival moments at Junction 2 and Labyrinth by the Thames. Across the city, outdoor cinema returns with a mix of family favourites, classic films, and live sport shown under the summer sky.
For something a little different, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre welcomes back Cats, adding a playful and unusual touch to London’s summer line up. July is also ideal for slower days out, with lavender fields and sunflower spots around the city and beyond looking especially beautiful in full bloom.
From live music and theatre to open air screenings and seasonal escapes, London in July 2026 offers plenty of reasons to get outside and make the most of summer.
1. Go to gigs from massive stars at BST Hyde Park
BST will be back again next summer, bringing some of the world’s biggest pop stars to Hyde Park for its 13th edition. Already announced as headliners for 2026 are Maroon 5, Lewis Capaldi, Pitbull, Kesha and Garth Brooks, with more to be confirmed. Taking place across weekends in June and July, Hyde Park will host an upmarket festival vibe complete with food, drink and a posh VIP area.
2. Catch all the nail-biting drama from the World Cup knockout stages
After four years of waiting, the World Cup is back, and following the group stages in June, this month will feature an ever more high-stakes carnival of heroic performances, career-defining cock-ups, and TV camera cutaways to fans on the edge of euphoria (or despair), as the knock-out stages get underway in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The bookies have the Three Lions among the top five favourites, so here’s hoping we’ll still be cheering our lovely lads right til the end of the tournament. But whatever happens, practically every pub and bar in London will be getting in on the action and vying for your attendance during the World Cup’s biggest games (some of which will be kicking off as early as 5am BST). Click through for our pick of the best screenings around the city. Come on England!
3. Explore an eclectic line-up at Somerset House’s atmospheric outdoor gig series
Somerset House Summer Series is back for another year. Held in the Edmond J. Safra Fountain court, in the enclave of the iconic Neoclassical building, this ten-day open-air gig series has long held space for an ecclectic range of acts including both exciting up-and-comers and well-known trailblazers from the UK and beyond. Breakthrough pop sensation Naïka, veteran indie band The Cribs, ascendent art-rock outfit Black Country, New Road and psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips are some of the big names on this year’s line-up. Also headlining are Palace, Thee Sacred Souls, Lightning Seeds, Agnes Obel , Venna, Raf-Saperra and Benjamin Clementine.
4. Take the kids to outdoor family show ‘A World Elsewhere’
Shakespeare’s Globe loves a good family summer show, and this year, the team behind previous outings Rough Magic and Midsummer Mechanicals has written a completely new story that’s not based on one of the bard’s works. Rather, it follows Cass, a young boy whose childhood has been filled with adventures inspired by his grandmother’s love of Shakespeare. But he’s losing interest – can he find it again? Directed by Lucy Cuthertson, it’s aimed at ages five plus.
5. Dance by the river at Labyrinth On The Thames
The Old Royal Naval College is normally a tranquil, historic spot bordered by the peaceful Thames. But it’s getting a little bit noisier this July, thanks to promoter Labryinth – which will bring electronic artists from across the world to take over the historic digs for six days of unmissable performances. Headliners for 2026 include The Kooks, Dom Dolla, Peggy Gou, Prospa, Kelly Lee Owens, MPH; Overmono, Erika de Casier and Nick Leon b2b Verraco, Adriatique, Anjunadeep, Moby and Michael Bibi.
6. Get better acquainted with one of London’s most iconic landmarks as Luminiscence comes to Westminster Cathedral
With its 210-foot tower, and walls adorned with over a hundred varieties of marble, Westminster Cathedral is already a sight to behold, but it’ll be looking more spectacular than ever this July, when this visual show wuill shed new light on the iconic building, quite literally. Known for hosting dazzling immersive experiences at World Heritage sites across the globe, Luminiscence will take over the neo-byzantine cathedral this summer, with an visual experience journeying through the history of the Big Smoke, told using light projections mapped onto its grand interiors, plus a voiceover by Hugh Bonneville, and classical hits from the likes of Beethoven, Vivaldi and Bach, performed live by the Lux Aeterna choir. It promises to be a truly special opportunity to familiarise yourself with one of London’s most iconic landmarks.
7. Travel inside a black hole at the Science Museum’s new VR experience
With its real life spacecraft and other impressive extraterrestrial paraphernalia, Science Museum is about as close as you can get to going to actual space within walking distance of the Piccadilly line. And your proximity to the cosmos is about to increase a heck of a lot with the arrival of this 40-minute free-roaming VR experience, which will take you into the deepest and most spectacular parts of the galaxy.
Recently debuted in Washington DC, and developed in tandem with the US’s flagship Smithsonian Museum and its Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the Science Museum’s latest attraction has some real scientific credentials, so while the literally otherworldly scenes of space you find yourself stepping into are digitally crafted, they’re meticulously crafted on the backs of decades of real scientific data, rather than just AI slop.
Your journey starts off with a tour of our world’s observatories before heading up to the Hubble Space Telescope… and then far beyond. Diving headlong into the cosmos – we’re told you will ‘witness the birth and death of stars, explore distant galaxies, and come face-to-face with a black hole’. Just don’t go falling in.