London

One of the world’s most exciting and dynamic cities, London is a veritable treasure trove of notable attractions, iconic landmarks and must-do experiences.

Life's A Beach

London boasts an enviable selection of urban beaches to bring the coast to the heart of the capital including Neverland on the banks of the Thames, Urban Docks in the east and a popular temporary beach outside the Southbank Centre.

The hundreds of tonnes of golden sand at the award-winning Beach Brent Cross (among the most popular), welcoming families in droves to enjoy the summer sun until September 2. The temporary resort promises a tempting array of activities and attractions to entertain visitors of all ages including a splash and paddling pool, a new balloon challenge called Water Wars, rollicking Punch and Judy shows, and fairground rides for thrill seekers big and small. Keeping with the seaside theme, plentiful food and drink options include traditional fish and chips, ice cream, doughnuts and an ocean of ice cold juices, cocktails and alcoholic tipples.

Dinosaurs In The Wild

Venture back in time around 67 million years and encounter creatures from the late Cretaceous period in the thrilling safari adventure Dinosaurs In The Wild, which is booking until September 2 at Greenwich Peninsula. Experience the awe and wonder of entering your own Jurassic World in a spectacular fusion of live-action theatre, cutting-edge audio-visual effects, animatronic creatures, dramatic storytelling and theme park excitement. During the journey, you might glimpse Triceratops or Alamosaurus in the wild, witness the dissection of a Pachycephalosaurus in the Autopsy Lab or stare a rampaging Tyrannosaurus Rex in the eye.

Don't Miss Kids Week

London’s theatreland is heaving with fabulous shows for families but ticket prices can be expensive. Thank goodness for the annual Kids Week initiative run by the not-for-profit organisation Society of London Theatre (SOLT). For the whole of August, children aged 16 or under go free to any participating show when accompanied by a full paying adult, and up to two additional children’s tickets can be purchased at half price. Crucially, there are also no wallet-busting booking fees. Advanced booking is strongly advised for a tempting array of shows including the enchanting musical play The Tiger Who Came To Tea based on the book by Judith Kerr, hit musicals Wicked, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and Kinky Boots, and madcap comedy Horrible Histories Live On Stage - Barmy Britain Part Four!.

Camden Fringe

Elsewhere in theatreland, the 13th edition of Camden Fringe boasts the best in boundary-pushing and experimental arts from July 30 to August 26 in 22 venues. This year’s edition boasts around 300 shows, which generally last one hour or less. Highlights include comedian Andrew Bird (July 30 & 31), who has supported Rob Brydon and Michael McIntyre on tour, an irreverent new musical dedicated to Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill (August 11-13), and Soccer AM host Lloyd Griffith improvising laughs on a stage for an hour (August 20-23). There are no physical tickets. You need to present a proof of purchase at the venue such as a printed receipt or booking confirmation on your phone to gain admission to each show.

Kaleidoscope Festival

If music be the food of love then London serves up a feast of festivals to satisfy the heartiest appetite. Kaleidoscope Festival on July 21 at Alexandra Palace boasts the likes of The Flaming Lips, Ghostpoet, Mystery Jets, The Go! Team and Beth Orton.

Rock, Don't Stop

Let’s Rock London! is a one-day feast of retro delights from the 1980s and 1990s, taking place on July 28 on Clapham Common. Step back in time in the company of UB40, The Boomtown Rats, Kim Wilde, Big Country, Go West and Tiffany.

Elrow Town

There is a jungle carnival theme for the London edition of Elrow Town on August 18 and 19 in the Queen Elizabeth Park. Tickets are sold out for Saturday but on Sunday, you can still catch Fatboy Slim, Idris Elba, Claptone, Shy FX and Dynamite MC.

South Water Four Weekender

Then the South West Four Weekender makes its mark on Clapham Common on the Bank Holiday weekend of August 25 and 26. Big names playing on Saturday include Marshmello, Dizzee Rascal, Armin van Buuren, Oliver Heldens, ML and Benny Benassi while Sunday boasts the likes of Chase & Status live, Craig David, DJ EZ and Hype playing back to back with Hazard.

The Proms

BBC Proms returns to Hyde Park on September 8 hosted by Michael Ball. He welcomes a dazzling array of special guests including Gladys Knight, Josh Groban, Joseph Calleja, Matt Goss and Lisa Stansfield plus the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Richard Balcombe.

OnBlackheath

That same weekend, September 8 and 9, OnBlackheath turns up the volume on Blackheath Common. Squeeze, The Divine Comedy and Billy Bragg reign supreme on Saturday while Sunday’s line-up includes Paloma Faith, De La Soul, Corinne Bailey Rae and Lighting Seeds.

Radio 2 Live

The summer music festival season in the capital closes with a bang courtesy of Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park on September 9. The guest list is always exceptional and this year’s glittering acts swing effortlessly between pop, rock, country, folk and disco. The line-up includes age-defying national treasure Kylie Minogue, Manic Street Preachers, Boyzone, Carrie Underwood, All Saints, Rita Ora and Lenny Kravitz.

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