Just as the summer returns to London, so do some of the world’s best festivals and shows. In one month you can celebrate the Queen's birthday, view the garden of the Prime Minister's residence, and marvel at the color and sounds from the annual dragon boat festival. Mix that in with warm days and your summer is off to a great start!
3 June 2019
This fantastically free event is a true spectacle of sporting culture, and takes place every year at the London Regatta Center. Find your ideal spot along the banks of the Thames and watch around 40 different teams compete in various races across the day. At the same time, you can try Asian street food and watch the colorful entertainment.
Website: www.lhkdbf.co.uk/
5 - 6 June 2019
For true British pomp and ceremony, this pageant of horses, cannons, and fireworks certainly ticks many boxes. Located at Whitehall, featuring the Queen’s foot guards and the Household Cavalry, this event takes place every year before the Queen’s birthday parade and is a fun-filled spectacle of music, fireworks, and entertainment.
8 - 9 June 2019
If you’ve ever wanted to have a sneak peak into some of the most beautiful gardens in London, then this particular weekend event is for you. There are more than 200 private gardens in the capital and for one weekend per year they open their doors to the general public. This year you can check out the green spaces of Downing Street, Belgrave Square, and the Royal College of Physicians Medicinal Garden.
Website: www.opensquares.org
8 June 2019
Although Trooping the Color is also known as the Queen's Birthday Parade, this prime piece of pageantry doesn't take place on Her Majesty’s actual birthday (that's on April 21), but on her official birthday, as a Saturday in June is more likely to provide beautiful weather for the proceedings. You can watch along the Mall or from the edge of St James’s Park for free. Limited grandstand seating is highly sought after so you need to arrive well before events begin at 10 am to get a good view.
15 – 16 June 2019
Fabulous new shows, old favorites, and performances old and new, Trafalgar Square is the place to be during West End LIVE. Every year the hottest shows in the capital come together in one place, allowing visitors to enjoy snapshots of theater, mostly for free! 2016 saw shows including The Bodyguard, The Lion King, and Phantom of The Opera, and this year looks set to be just as action-packed.
Website: www.westendlive.co.uk
22 – 23 June 2019
Don your tuxedo or your fanciest hat and attend one of horse racing’s most prestigious evens. Spot a celebrity, bet on a race, and enjoy all the perks of high society, as well as enjoying the daily horse drawn procession, which runs from Windsor Castle to the Ascot Racecourse itself. This is sporting pomp and ceremony at its best.
Website: www.ascot.co.uk/royal-ascot