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Best Things to Do Outdoors in London
The heat is on – so get out there with these 10 essential open-air events in London
Enough binge-watching under a blanket. The sun is out, London is humming to life, and your only problem is packing in all the al fresco thrills the city has to offer. Whether you want the tourist trail’s big hits, best-kept secrets or free outdoor events for the whole family, check out our guide and always be ready with a great answer to the dreaded watercooler question: “What did you do at the weekend?”
Clink glasses at a top-flight polo match
Where: Hurlingham Park
When: 5/6/7 June
After months of mud-spattered winter sports, there’s nothing more blissful than settling back under cloudless skies with your sunglasses and spritzer, watching eight immaculate horsemen do battle over a tiny white ball. It might be dubbed ‘the sport of kings’, but you’ll find no Pretty Woman-style snobbery at leafy Hurlingham Park. Instead, expect a warm welcome and a chilled afternoon as you sip and mingle amongst the thundering hooves and thwock of mallets.
Get tickets to Polo in the Park
Embrace the surreal at the Red Bull Soapbox Race
Where: Alexandra Palace
When: 20 June
Respect to the precision-tooled machinery of Formula One – but sometimes you just want to cheer on a go-kart that looks like a massive disembodied foot. Like a real-life take on retro cartoon Wacky Races, this mad relative of motorsport sees a fleet of homemade, self-propelled vehicles pelt downhill, trying to clock the best time while dodging haystacks and other obstacles. In past years, we’ve seen everything from butter blocks to a miniature London bus – who will catch the judges’ eye at Ally Pally in 2026?
Get tickets to the Red Bull Soapbox race
Awaken your inner scientist at the Great Exhibition Road Festival
Where: Exhibition Road, South Kensington
When: 6/7 June
You’ve walked down Kensington’s Exhibition Road a thousand times. But you’ve never seen it like this before, with the iconic stretch closed to cars and transformed with free interactive art and science displays, live music, technology demos and international street food that pulls you in by the nose. If you’ve ever wanted to play robot football, turn yourself into a 3D avatar or build an origami spacecraft – all without spending a penny – this is the festival for you.
Find out more about the Great Exhibition Road Festival
Check out the dream machines at the London Concours
Where: Honourable Artillery Company
When: 9/10/11 June
Every summer since 2017, in a secluded hideaway in the heart of the Square Mile, those who know have enjoyed London’s top-secret car show. Set in the tranquil emerald kingdom that is the Honourable Artillery Company, with vibes supplied by a resident DJ and rivers of champagne, the London Concours is an unbeatable summer garden party in its own right. But the main event is the display of 130 rare vehicles from the world’s greatest private collections, including purring vintage classics, blue-chip collectibles and gleaming gull-winged supercars. Come along and enjoy – but keep it to yourself.
Get tickets to the London Concours
Take a spin on the London Eye
Where: The South Bank
When: Booking all day
Why should pigeons have all the fun? The planet’s most iconic observation wheel offers views of up to 25 miles on a clear spring day, making you feel like the king of the world looking down on a sprawling toy town. From Buckingham Palace to Westminster – even as far as Windsor Castle for the eagle-eyed – there’s no better way to take the city’s pulse than from the London Eye’s 135-metre-high viewing pods, each one spacious, serene, air conditioned and designed for 360-degree panoramic gawping.
Get tickets for The London Eye
Adopt a furry friend at Golders Hill Park Zoo
Where: Hampstead Heath
When: Daily during park opening hours
London Zoo might be the big one, but this hidden gem within Golders Hill Park is free to visit and impressively well-stocked with critters and beasts. From showing your Madagascar-mad kids their first real ring-tailed lemur to stroking a donkey’s fuzzy muzzle, this Dolittle-worthy day out is definitely one for warmer weather. Plus, with the money you’ve saved on entry, you could even adopt a favourite animal and have your name displayed near its enclosure.
Find out more about Golders Hill Park Zoo
Watch Wimbledon free on the big screen
Where: Islington Square
When: June 29-July 12
Live sport is miles better when you’ve got someone to cheer (or yell at the umpire) with. While free XXL Wimbledon screenings are popping up all over London, this open-air boulevard in N1 is hard to beat for sheer chillaxation. Turn up daily for a deckchair, a coffee (or cocktail) and an unbeatable view of the action from the All England Lawn Tennis Club, as you watch your favourite player smash to victory in a golden sunset.
Watch the elite in action at the London Athletics Meet
Where: London Stadium
When: 18 July
Like an entire Summer Olympics packed into a single day, the London Athletics Meet is an all-thriller, no-filler clash between the greatest athletes on the planet. Check out the July 2026 schedule – from pole vault, discus and high jump to the adrenaline shot of the 100m sprint – and you’ll want to be in the sunshine at the London Stadium, watching those world records get smashed. But with the London Athletics Meet selling out for the past three years, you’d better move your ticket-booking finger faster than Usain Bolt.
Get tickets to the London Athletics Meet
Get a free culture fix at the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival
Where: Across South/South-East London
When: August 23 – September 8
Your budget shouldn’t stop you enjoying the soul-boosting benefits of culture, so put your wallet away for the free outdoor performing arts festival saluted by The Guardian for its “unrivalled contribution to the happiness of the people of London”. With events spilling all over town – from eye-popping stilt-walkers and out-there sculptures to epic sound ‘n’ light spectaculars – this 30th anniversary edition of the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival will leave your brain and senses fizzing.
Find out more about the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival
Enter automotive heaven at the Concours Of Elegance
Where: Hampton Court Palace
When: 4/5/6 September
Autophiles assemble! Arguably the biggest date in the four-wheeled calendar, this Hampton Court Palace event showcases the near-mythical vehicles you won’t find anywhere else. With last year’s show featuring everything from a 1914 Bugatti Type 13 Eight Valve to a one-off Rolls-Royce Phantom Of Love, we can’t wait to pop the bonnet on the 60 ultra-rare models at the Concours Of Elegance 2026. Meanwhile, for those less obsessed with pre-war carburettors, there’s the champagne bar, luxury shopping, pop-up boutiques and gardens literally fit for a king (this is Henry VIII’s former pad).
