Things To Do
Guide
Things to do in London This Week: 10 – 16 August
Looking for things to do in London this week? We've got you covered
If you’re in the English capital and looking for ways to pass the time, look no further. Whether you’re after a Monday night gig, a midweek matinee or an activity to keep the kids busy after school on Friday, this weekly guide is packed with fun activities to enjoy with your friends, family or on your own. Highlights from this week 10 August – 16 August) include new hits on the West End, up-and-coming comedy stars, and plenty of fun events for the entire family.
Best London Events this Week
Engage in Fatherless Behavior with Kail Lowry
- Where? Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7BX.
- When: 10 August
Over 13 years of reality TV, former Teen Mom Kail Lowry made a name for herself before turning her self-professed daddy issues into insightfully unhinged comedy – from social media influencing to three hit podcasts and a New York Times bestseller, Pride Over Pity. Get up close and personal with the influencer and undaunted mom of seven on her Fatherless Behaviour Tour this Monday as she discusses parenthood, absent fathers, unconventional partnerships and everyday chaos with unfiltered spark. This “open book” is all about true-life drama, but with a dark comic spin that really makes it pop.
Get tickets to the Fatherless Behavior Tour
Explode with excitement at Brainiac Live
Where? Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0HH.
When: 26 July – 30 August
Science has a license to thrill at Brainiac Live, the West End’s smartest, loudest, Olivier Award-winning show that will galvanise the whole family this summer. Where there is smoke, there’s undoubtedly fire with this brilliant, fun-loving crew of scientists in charge of jaw-dropping experiments, back-to-back explosions and silly audience interaction that will keep your brain alert and your adrenaline pumping. Just strictly come cheering ― learning shouldn’t be so much fun.
Get your science on at Brainiac Live
Dig into Ramses and the Pharaohs’ Gold at Battersea Power Station
- Where? NEON at Battersea Power Station, Circus Rd E, Nine Elms, London, SW11 8DQ
- When: Open daily
Tutankhamun may be the bigger name, but Ramses the Great and his influential 67-year reign catapulted Ancient Egypt to new heights 3000 years ago, through striking monuments, targeted military tactics and skilful diplomacy. Be transported back to the Valley of the Kings and Egypt’s golden age through 180 invaluable treasures, including the coffin of Ramses II, colossal sculptures, gold masks, animal mummies and priceless jewellery, that have travelled directly from the Egyptian Museum of Cairo to London. They will be displayed alongside virtual reality experiences that give the journey fresh depth, for a limited time only.
Get tickets to Ramses and the Pharaohs’ Gold at Battersea Power Station
Theatre & Comedy
Get transported back to the 90s at Trainspotting the Musical
- Where? Theatre Royal Haymarket, London SW1Y 4H.
- When: 15 July – 5 September
Based on the cult ‘90s novel by Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting was a decade-defining shocker of a film starring a group of drug addicts in Scotland – gritty, funny, raw, uncompromising. Three decades on, Trainspotting the Musical arrives in London, in a different world, to examine addiction and powerlessness that have taken a different shape, but are evermore present. Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, written by Welsh, with music and lyrics by Welsh and Stephen McGuinness, the musical’s world premiere in the West End doesn’t have all the answers but invites you to laugh about it – and sing your heart out.
Get tickets to Trainspotting The Musical
Live a global manga phenomenon at Death Note The Musical
- Where? Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS.
- When: 30 July – 12 September
Light is not your average student: when he discovers a notebook that will determine the fate of anyone whose name he writes down, he suddenly has power over life and death. But can he tell right from wrong? The stakes are even higher with the brilliant detective L on his trail. Catch the world premiere of this reimagined production of Death Note The Musical, based on Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s supernatural manga hit, at The Barbican for six weeks only. Can Light change the world, or will he fall into the rabbit hole of darkness?
Get tickets to Death Note The Musical at Barbican Centre
Attend stand-up’s funniest Sunday Service with Ed Byrne
- Where? Up the Creek, 302 Creek Road, London, SE10 9SW.
- When: 16 August
For over two decades, Ed Byrne has been a regular, comically comforting presence on TV shows like Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo and QI. But the brilliant Irish stand-up live on stage is a wholly different beast. After his hit stand-up show Tragedy Plus Time, finding comedy in the places you’d least expect it, he heads Up the Creek for The Sunday Service, another round of hilarious, acutely observed meditations on ageing, modern life and the all-round absurdity of existence. Sharp, self-aware truths are delivered with effortless warmth in a candlelit setting, strategically designed to soften the blow.
Get tickets to Ed Byrne’s comedy tour
Explore Taoist philosophy and puppetry at Tao of Glass
- Where? sohoplace, 4 Soho Place, Charing Cross Road, London, W1D 3BG.
- When: 25 July – 12 September
Where does true inspiration come from? Ιt’s an age-old question that acclaimed minimalist composer Philip Glass and Olivier Award-winning performer-director and co-founder of subversive theatre group Improbable, Phelim McDermott, attempt to tackle in Tao of Glass, a genre-breaking journey at the crossroads of ancient Chinese philosophy, music and puppetry. Conceived in a flotation tank — as you do — the show combines 10 studies on life, death and Taoist wisdom accompanied by original compositions, played live (although not by the great man himself). Part performance, part concert, it’s a wildly imaginative ride through creation itself.
Get tickets to Tao of Glass at sohoplace
Make the most out of life — and death — at Beetlejuice The Musical
- Where: Prince Edward Theatre, Old Compton Street, London, W1D 4HS.
- When: Six days a week
Are you possessed with Tim Burton’s ‘80s immortal comedy classic? Get ready to juice up your life this week, as the hit Broadway stage adaptation of the film has just crossed over to the West End. Enter broody, black-clad teen Lydia Deetz, who has just moved into a home haunted by newly-deads Adam and Barbara Maitland — and she’s the only one who can actually see them. The unfortunate couple decide to invoke bio-exorcist, aka the “ghost with the most”, Beetlejuice to drive the Deetzes out, unleashing side-splitting chaos and calypso-fuelled catastrophy. Let the haunting begin.
Get tickets to Beetlejuice The Musical at Prince Edward Theatre
Walk down Avenue Q with NYC’s most mischievous puppets
- Where? Shaftesbury Theatre, 210 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8DP
- When: Until 29 August
Puppet nudity. Lucy the Slut. Bad Idea Bear: multiple Tony Award winner Avenue Q is packed with outrageous comedy and irreverent characters — and, two decades on, it’s back in the West End for a felt-tastic revival. Follow young Princeton and his fuzzy neighbours on New York’s rundown Avenue Q as they face a triple whammy of work, love and paying the bills, brought to you by original Broadway director Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect, Shrek the Musical) and puppet designer Rick Lyon. Expect the gang to get down and dirty. The struggle is real.
Get tickets to Avenue Q at Shaftesbury Theatre
Music & Nightlife
Feast on King’s Cross free Summer Sounds
- Where? Coal Drops Yard, Stable Street, N1C 4DQ
- When: 13 – 23 August
Whether you’re after fresh jazz sounds or hyperpop merged with Beijing opera, King’s Cross has just the festival for you. Summer Sounds returns for its 11th year this Thursday, with Bowie Nights — a series of cross-disciplinary events celebrating the great rock chameleon — kicking off the festival with a surprise headliner. English folk, soul and a Chaps Choir will follow on a genre-surfing, 10-day open-air feast. Expect also Afro-Contemporary dance theatre, with performers leaping and swinging from a three-metre-high birdcage, and a parade starring a 12-foot Giant Wheel, accompanied by a live soundtrack.
Feel Mushroomhead’s masked alt-metal menace
- Where? O2 Academy Islington, Angel Central, 16 Parkfield Street, Islington, London, N1 0PS
- When: 10 August
A nine-strong force roaming the dark recesses of alternative, industrial and groove metal, Mushroomhead have been releasing records since the mid-90s. But it was their 2003 breakthrough XIII that climbed the Billboard charts and imprinted on the minds of a global fanbase; and they haven’t stopped delivering a barrage of nu-metal hooks and industrial detours in big, devilish doses since. With their latest LP, Call The Devil, in hand, “the beast of your nightmare” unleashes alt-metal hell in London this Monday in a theatre of masked horror to remember. Make sure you ‘Fall in Line’.
Get tickets to Mushroomhead here
Party like royalty with the King of Afrobeats, Davido
- Where? O2 Forum Kentish Town, 9 – 17 Highgate RD, Kentish Town, London, NW5 1JY & Crystal Palace Bowl, Fisherman’s Rise, London SE26 6UT.
- When: 11 & 14 August
Oriadé in Yoruba means “the head that wears the crown”; and Davido’s so-called sixth studio album, a smooth-rolling mix of Afrobeats, amapiano and R&B, is at the very heart of a live double whammy this week: head north to Camden this Tuesday for “A Royal Night Out in London” with one of the genre’s greatest global ambassadors; or make your way south to Crystal Palace Park this Friday for Davido & Friends, a massive open-air party starring the Nigerian hitmaker with guests Omah Ley, Black Sherif, Gabzy and many more. Heavy is the head that wears the crown – but the King of Afrobeats makes it delightfully light on the feet.
See a rotating cast of stars on London’s “Rusty Laptop”
- Where? Crystal Palace Bowl, Fisherman’s Rise, London SE26 6UT
- When: 31 July – 16 August
One of the capital’s most legendary outdoor stages, Crystal Palace Park’s “Rusty Laptop”, aka Crystal Palace Bowl, is a seemingly floating concert platform that, in its previous incarnation, has hosted from Bob Marley to Pink Floyd. Starting this Friday, it lives up to its fame with an electrifying summer line-up and a breeze of nostalgia, featuring Grace Jones, Tom Jones, Nas & The Roots, Davido, Lenny Kravitz and a whole lot more, trading from sizzling pop and rock bangers to hip-hop, Afrobeats, gospel and beyond. Japanese city pop master Masayoshi Takanaka’s headline show this August is already sold out; but the scorching jams keep on coming.
Get tickets to Roots Picnic at Crystal Palace Bowl
Explore a Sad and Beautiful World with R&B powerhouse Mavis Staples
- Where? Union Chapel, Compton Terrace, Off Upper St, London, N1 2XD
- When: 12 August
A Blues and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and a civil rights activist who has marched with Dr Martin Luther King Jr., Mavis Staples is a rare voice of beauty and intergenerational appeal, her lived experience consistently lifting her music to sweeping emotional heights. Even more so this Wednesday, as the grand dame of Rhythm & Blues and gospel will be taking fans on a journey back the decades at the atmospheric Union Chapel. Her 2025 roots-driven, socially conscious album, Sad and Beautiful World, including the Grammy-winning ‘Beautiful Strangers’ and ‘Godspeed’ among a cascade of timeless melodies, are just the beginning.
Call the ‘Night Nurse’ for an evening of Reggae Classics
- Where? Boisdale, Canary Wharf, Cabot Place, London, E14 4QT
- When: 12 August
‘No Woman No Cry’, ‘Pressure Drop’, ‘Night Nurse’: these infectious Jamaican hooks have lost none of their groove, the voices of Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals and Gregory Isaacs dominating dance floors across space and time. Backed by musicians who have played with the likes of Isaacs and Lee Perry, London-based vocalist Patrick Johnson is bringing a Caribbean breeze to Canary Wharf this Wednesday with a night of Reggae Classics, rotating roots and lovers rock, Desmond Dekker and Dennis Brown. Boisdale’s first-floor bar and garden terrace will be spreading the balmy island vibes further with pre- and post-show drinks.
Get tickets to Reggae Classics
Slow dance in the dark with Joji
- Where? The O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, Greenwich, London, SE10 0DX.
- When: 13 August
As Pink Guy or Filthy Frank, George Miller took the YouTube spotlight in the early 10s with shock humour and viral challenges. But as singer-songwriter-producer Joji, he dimmed the lights, shed the funny-guy facade and dug deeper into melancholy alt-R&B, lo-fi and trip-hop, capturing the zeitgeist with the synth-drenched ‘Slow Dancing in the Dark’. Fast forward to 2026 and Joji’s fourth LP Piss in the Wind is a brooding affair, melding the rage-influenced ‘PIXELATED KISSES’ with the shoegaze atmospherics of ‘LOVE YOU LESS’. They both lie at the core of his current Solaris Tour, entering London’s orbit this Thursday for a live heart-to-heart with a creator of many faces.
Step into Two Feet’s alternative soundscapes
- Where? KOKO, 1A Camden High St, London NW1 7JE
- When: 14 August
Bill Dess was a disenchanted cashier before finding stardom, literally overnight, after posting ‘Go Fuck Yourself’ online, a yearning, bass-drenched sizzler of a track powered by his signature bluesy guitar. Having dropped out of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, he poured his jazz and blues know-how into self-crafted electronic and trap, scoring Billboard hits like ‘I Feel Like I’m Drowning’. The recent ‘So lost’ finds the musician-producer back on his Two Feet after a life-threatening battle with addiction – his Next Steps Tour, landing in London this Friday, a springboard for ever-more soulful, seductive dives into the unknown.
Witness Stonebwoy’s landmark Afro-dancehall celebration at Wembley Arena
- Where? OVO Arena Wembley, Arena Square, Wembley, London, HA90AA
- When: 15 August
With at least 100 awards under his belt, Afro-dancehall trailblazer Stonebwoy is one of Africa’s most decorated artists, alchemising Ghanaian hiplife, Afropop and Jamaican riddims into contagious floor fillers contemplating romance, resilience and hope. This Saturday, the music juggernaut is also going to be the first artist from Ghana to ever headline Wembley Arena in the London edition of the major Ghanaian festival BHIM. The line-up also includes guest DJs and live acts like DopeNation, Jux, Kwabana Kwababa and more, celebrating the power of music to transcend styles, and borders.
Party with Stonebwoy – find tickets here
Embark on a pop-fuelled ABBA Voyage
- Where? ABBA Arena, 1 Pudding Mill Lane, London, E15 2RU
- When: Ongoing
ABBA’s last public performance took place on December 11, 1982. Sadly, we can’t send you back in time to see the pop supergroup in their prime, but we do have the next best thing. Blending state-of-the-art technology and some of the most beloved pop records in history, ABBA Voyage sees Sweden’s fab four return to the stage of a purpose-built arena, in truly spectacular fashion — as digital avatars. Join the glitter-studded gang and their 10-strong live crew on a jaw-dropping, 100-minute voyage, fuelled by back-to-back choruses that hit all the right notes for an evening of high-spirited singalongs and dancing.
Sport
Feel the pulse of summer at the Fulham Pier
- Where? Fulham Pier, London SW6 6HH.
- When: Ongoing
Craven Cottage has been the home of Fulham F.C. since 1896, but its recent revamp is not just for football fans. Fulham Pier last summer saw a once-inaccessible part of the riverside open to the community, which steadily flocks here for a raft of art, culture, fitness and family events. Apart from the free live football and Wimbledon screenings, their Summer at the Pier season amps up the energy every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as riverside DJs trade sunny grooves and searing floor fillers. Mixing street food with interactive digital art, the Riverside Market food hall will also make sure you never run out of fuel.
Family
Float with joy Round the Dock
- Where? Canada Water, 7 Blackthorn House, 7 Blondin Way, London, SE16 6BB
- When: Until 30 August
Looking for Nemo? Or just some hot street food and a Pint of Knowledge? You can find it all at Round the Dock, an open-air feast centred on Canada Water’s floating stage this summer, hosting a series of free, drop-in events with established artists and fresh faces in music, spoken word and beyond. Tuesdays belong to Spit Nights Poetry; Wednesdays to Pints of Knowledge, a set of pint-sized talks and lectures by authors, researchers and innovators. On Fridays, dive into Afrobeat, grime and more Sounds of the Diaspora. Pop-up food, vintage and craft markets and a Floating Cinema Club elevate the experience. Can you think of anything better than watching Jaws by the water?
Chill out on Costa Del Croydon
- Where? Costa del Croydon, Centrale Shopping Centre, Level 3A car park, CR0 1XT
- When: 7 – 31 August
This August, ditch Costa del Sol and take a short train ride south to Costa Del Croydon, the capital’s free rooftop beach escape that has completely transformed a shopping mall car park. Spirits are always high on the Croydon coast with splash zones, fairground rides, family games, a giant chessboard and a giant sandpit, with street food and sweet treats served against the dynamic cityscape. New for 2026, starting this Thursday, The Beach Club’s weekly adult-only socials will be taking al fresco post-work drinks to the next level with DJs and live music, themed activities, creative workshops and more.
Battle uncontrollable laughter at Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain
- Where? Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7EZ
- When: 31 July – 31 August
Queen Boudica? Dick Turpin? The Night Soil Men? If you’ve ever dreamt of meeting history’s famous dead people all in one place, we’ve got something for you. Forget the classroom and step into the Apollo Theatre this August to learn and laugh out loud, as wicked family show Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain – The Best Bits returns to the West End — and it’ll spare you no gory, nasty, putrid detail from the Isles’ glorious past. Experience the explosive adventures of Gunpowder Guy, the unpleasantries of the plague, funny misfortunes, and freaky facts. This history lesson will blow your socks off!
Get tickets to Horrible Histories at Apollo Theatre
Move, play and Be Like Blippi!
- Where? The Arts at Marble Arch, Marble Arch, London W1H 7DX
- When: 3-30 August
Go ahead and grab your orange glasses: this summer’s Be Like Blippi Tour! is landing in London with a brand-new interactive show for the whole family, a 60-minute theatrical adventure that invites you to play, learn and explore — and it simply thrives on audience participation. Unleash your curiosity with the bespectacled Blippi and his friend Meekah, and get to know your Pteranodons from your T-Rexs in an infectious “Dino Dance”. Like the song says, “there’s just so much to learn about, it’ll make you wanna shout.” And here, you can.
Get tickets to Be Like Blippi! at The Arts at Marble Arch
Indulge your illusions at Now You See Me Live!
- Where? London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4ES
- When: 31 July – 6 September
Four world-class illusionists. One film franchise — one spellbinding spectacle. Counting thousands of shows between them and sell-out residencies on Broadway, Las Vegas and beyond, Enzo Weyne, Andrew Basso, Gabriella Lester and Matthew Pomeroy join preternatural forces as The Horsemen for the London premiere of Now You See Me Live!, a maelstrom of high-tech illusions, solo stunts and mesmerising storytelling inspired by the blockbuster films. Special guests like Britain’s Got Talent’s Eden Choi, Fraser Penman and Rafferty Coope help take the magic to the next level. Ready to question your reality?
Get tickets to Now You See Me Live! at London Coliseum
Grab a seat for The Tiger Who Came To Tea
- Where? Theatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, London. SW1Y 4HT
- When: Until 5 September
It’s one of the most cherished children’s stories of all time, and it’s back this year for another West End run to light up your summer. Adapted and directed by David Wood, Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came To Tea leaps from the page to the stage in a musical chock-full with fantastical twists, sticky melodies and dramatic delights. Sophie and her mum one day receive an unexpected guest for tea — a big cat with an even bigger appetite. The only problem? The ravenous beast drinks and eats every delicious treat in sight. Let the roaring singalongs begin.
Get ticket to The Tiger Who Came to Tea at Theatre Royal Haymarket
Let your creativity blossom at Green Shoots!
- Where? Southwark Park Galleries, 1 Park Approach, Southwark Park, London, SE16 2UA
- When: Until 11 October
A Grade II-listed park with a 150-year history in Bermondsey, Southwark Park offers peaceful moments to enjoy any time of year. But, this week and every second Saturday of the month, families have a fresh reason to visit, beyond the beautiful spring scenery. Join artists Abigail Hunt and Alexa Lowe at the Southwark Park Galleries for Green Shoots!, their free, drop-in family sessions exploring the flora and fauna in the garden of the Lake Gallery, then inviting kids to get down and dirty by creating their own eco-friendly masterpieces. Recommended for children up to 11.
Find out more about Green Shoots
Immersive Experiences
Time travel to 19th-century Paris at CHAT NOIR!
- Where? The Lost Estate, London W14 9PL
- When: Until 20 September
What if, for one night this week, you could leave London behind and step into the bohemian playground that was 1890s Montmartre? Enter CHAT NOIR! the birthplace of the world’s first cabaret, recreated by UK immersive masterminds The Lost Estate. A candlelit, velvet-clad, secret society of dancers, illusionists, musicians and mimes, with impresario Rudolphe Salis, at its pulsing core. A three-course banquet of French haute cuisine and naughty cocktails await for a delicious taste of Parisian Belle Époque. Just seat back, take a sip and let an anarchic mix of art and absinthe capture your senses. What happens in Paris, stays in Paris.
Step into a multi-sensory art experience at FRAMELESS
- Where? FRAMELESS, 6 Marble Arch, London W1H 7AP
- When: Open daily
When you really love a painting, you don’t want to just look at it — you want to live in it. An immersive experience redefining the concept of art exhibition as we know it, FRAMELESS assembles 42 famous artworks by great masters like Cezanne, Kandinsky, Dali, Klimt, Van Gogh and many more, turning each classic into a full-blown, multi-sensory spectacle. Across four distinct galleries, you can now step into a world Beyond Reality, see Colour in Motion, learn The Art of Abstraction and see stunning new perspectives of The World Around Us in a series of eye-popping displays that take each artwork to a whole new level.
See London from above with an iconic Chimney Lift
- Where? Battersea Power Station, Circus Rd W, Nine Elms, London SW11 8DD.
- When: Ongoing
The Battersea Power Station is one of London’s most eye-catching landmarks, today sitting at the heart of a bustling new riverside neighbourhood. But how did it all really come to life? Find out at the striking Art Deco Turbine Hall A, where The Exhibition gathers a host of historic and hands-on treats, including the original 1920s office of the station’s architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and an interactive illustrated wall delving into the icon’s construction. The experience culminates with a fascinating ascent 109 metres high, to the top of the north-west chimney, where the breathtaking London skyline awaits — complete with a bird’s eye view of the Power Station itself, of course.
Get tickets for the Chimney Life at Battersea Power Station
London Museums and Galleries
Wander spaces of grief and possibility at the Wellcome Collection
- Where? Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE.
- When: 10 July – 7 February 2027
Rudy Loewe’s artistic meditations on Black people’s lived experiences with mental healthcare in the UK don’t come from a happy place. But, although their starting point is racist discrimination, his mission is to arrive to a place of hope. The sculptures, paintings, sound and more displayed in the free exhibition Intimacies of Care – Spaces of Grief and Possibility give glimpses of a system that is more equitable and supportive through alternative, more empathetic approaches to care, reflecting Loewe’s roots in resistance histories, African and Caribbean folklore. They are also powered by the community, in collaboration with grassroots organisations like ADHD Babes.
Walk into royal tutors’ shoes at Charlton House & Gardens
- Where? Charlton House & Gardens, Charlton Road, London, SE7 8RE.
- When: Open six days a week.
A south-east London Jacobean manor house with a history of over 400 years, Charlton House is one of the finest in England. And it’s free to explore, including its original 17th-century features, walled gardens, intriguing collections, from cooking to crafting, and the stories of its residents — royal tutors, baronets and prime ministers with ties to the monarchy, trade and two world wars. If you’re around Tuesday lunchtime, also keep an ear out for the free weekly concerts at the house’s Old Library. This week, harpist Llywelyn Ifan Jones will be effortlessly mixing Debussy and Philip Glass.
Discover gripping stories of Childhood in War
- Where? IWM London, Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HZ.
- When: 31 July – 28 February 2027
We often hear stories of children in conflict, but we rarely get the chance to go behind the scenes and experience the world through their eyes. The Imperial Museum London’s free, interactive exhibition Childhood in War looks back in time, from 1914 to the present day, highlighting little-known chapters and tales of adaptability and resilience in the face of extraordinary challenges. Step into an evacuee train carriage or a Cold War-era kitchen, and discover how children spotted enemy ships, as books, installations and rare objects bring their unique minds and voices vividly to life.
Find out more about the exhibition
