Summer is almost over, but London is going out with a bang.
The August Bank Holiday always offers a fantastic line-up of events, including festivals, family-friendly fun and parties galore.
We’ve put together a list of six of the best activities to take part in next weekend.
From enjoying Caribbean culture to outdoor cinema, there’s something for everyone.
Celebrate Caribbean culture at Notting Hill Carnival
The annual street festival returns on Sunday 25 August for two days of dancing, drinking and Caribbean food.
It’s a celebration of culture with performances from entertainers in glittering outfits and open-air BBQs where you can munch on jerk chicken and homemade fried dumplings, all while sipping a cold can of Red Stripe.
If you haven’t been before, a word of warning: it can get very crowded – both on the street and in the surrounding bars and pubs – so it’s worth deciding on a spot to meet up with friends, if you should get separated.
Parents with small children are also recommended to go along on the second day (26 August), which is considered the festival’s family-friendly day.
The festival is free, the jerk chicken is not.
Spend the weekend eating ice cream in Covent Garden
The weather is due to heat up next weekend and what better way to cool down than to eat copious amounts of ice cream?
Covent Garden is hosting a five-day event, aptly named ‘Cool Down’, where you can munch on all the frozen treats your heart desires.
Start off with iced macarons at Ladurée, then swing by Avobar for a superfood soft-serve and finish off with a classic Italian gelato at Morelli’s or Venchi’s. Vegans should pop into Amorino and try a sorbetto, like the Marwardi Pistachio.
Finish your feast off with a frosé at Dirty Martini.
Sadly, nothing here is free – but savvy customers can scoop plenty of complimentary samples before deciding which flavour to get.
Spend a whole day watching movies in Morden
Let’s face it, a lot of people will be hungover on Sunday morning.
We understand the urge to plant yourself on the sofa and spend the entirety of the day ordering carb-filled goodies from Deliveroo, but may we suggest an alternative plan?
Hop on the Northern Line and visit Morden Park House, where organisers have put together a 90s-themed pop-up cinema.
The event starts with the family-friendly Jumanji at 11am, followed by the cult movie Clueless at 1pm and an adaption of William Shakespeare’s tragic love story with Romeo+Juliet at 3pm. In the afternoon, watch a businessman fall in love with a charming prostitute as Pretty Woman comes on at 5.30pm, before finishing the day off with Pulp Fiction at 8pm.
The age ratings differ for each film, so look them up before taking the little ones or you might be turned away.
There’s no seating, but you’re welcome to bring camp chairs, blankets and cushions, as well as a picnic but no alcohol in glass bottles – though there is a licensed bar and classic cinema treats on sale.
Tickets cost £7.50 for kids and £10 for adults, and there is also a £30 family ticket that covers two adults and two kids.
Go back in time at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens
The gardens will be transformed on Saturday 24 August.
Organisers are turning back the clock and going back to Victorian times with a day filled with family-friendly activities.
Play vintage games or watch circus acts show off their skills, including tightrope and stilt walkers, as well as a ‘Victorian strongman’, who can ‘lift grown men above his head, bend solid metal with his bare hands, and smash a whole watermelon with his head’.
The Achro Chaps – three men with moustaches – will also put on a show with comedy and acrobatics on the schedule and music will be supplied by a three-piece jazz band.
And everything is completely free.
Have an all-day party with your mates in Stratford
How does seven hours of food, cocktails and games sound?
Grab your mates and head over to Pitch for ‘Day-cation’, an outdoor event where you can enjoy the sunshine on 26 August.
The fun starts at 3.30pm and there’s plenty to do besides drinking and eating. Challenge someone to a round of ping pong or spending a few hours playing Super Nintendo, Giant Jenga and Connect 4.
You’ll struggle to get the Monday blues here.
Tickets start from £5.
Take in a cabaret show in Bloomsbury
If you can’t make it to Notting Hill Carnival or the idea of being in a big crowd makes you feel anxious, this is a good alternative.
The London Cabaret Club is hosting a carnival-themed show on 23-24 August, described as a ‘tropical tour of immersive cabaret’ and will feature live performances from Brazilian carnival dancers.
In keeping with the theme, the venue is also offering special rum-based cocktails and a Caribbean food menu.
Guests must be over 18 and ticket prices start from £35.
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