Alfresco jazz at the Guildhall for the City Of London Festival

Is it just me or is the summer whizzing by? July means we’re half-way through and with school holidays starting, there will be even more going on in London this month. With the World Cup, Wimbledon and the Commonwealth Games on, there will be a host of outdoor pop-up screens to watch the action. Excitingly, the Tour De France will also be passing through London following the success of cycle races in the capital at the 2012 Olympics.

For a guide to open air music festivals in London this summer click here.

Or if you fancy checking out an open-air pop-up cinema, read our guide here.

For a list of places showing Wimbledon or the FIFA World Cup on the big screen outdoors, click here.

• 3 July – 14 September : Digital Revolution

An immersive exhibition of art, design, film, music and video games exploring the future of the arts through digital. 11am-8pm. Tickets: 12.50. Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS. Nearest tube: Barbican or Moorgate. For more information, visit the Barbican website.

• 6 – 12 July : Hampstead Summer Festival

Week long festival in and around Hampstead, including the Big Fair on Heath Street (6 July), open art competitions, poetry, art and literacy events, pub quizzes and more. Many activities are free. For more information, visit the Hampstead Summer Festival website.

• 7 July : Tour De France

Having started in Cambridge around midday, the cyclists will head for London, coming from the East through Poplar, Wapping and Shadwell, past the Tower Of London, along the Thames via Lower and Upper Thames Streets and Victoria Embankment, past the Houses of Parliament, around St James’s Park and finishing on The Mall between 15:30 and 16:00. Free for spectators. For more information, visit the TFL website.

• 8 – 13 July : Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Flower show in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace, featuring three zones Inspire, Grow and Escape. Celebrity guests include Toby Buckland, John Craven, Alys Fowler, Mary Berry CBE, Jonathan Moseley, Rebecca Laws and James Wong. Advance tickets range from £19 to £30 depending on full/half-day. Less for RHS members. Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 9AU. Nearest train: Hampton Court (from Waterloo). For more information and tickets, visit the RHS website.

• 9 – 25 July : More London Free Music Festival

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday lunchtimes (12.30pm) and evenings (6.30pm), there will be free music performances in The Scoop near Potter’s Field Park by the Thames. Acts include Cocktail Nation’s Chantelle Duncan, Louise Marshall, Roxanne de Bastion & Respect Music, Ronnie Scott’s Rejects & the London Swing Dance Society and much more. The Scoop, Queen’s Walk, SE1 2DB. Nearest tube: London Bridge. For more information and listings, visit the More London website.

• 10 – 17 July : London Indian Film Festival

Celebration of the hottest new Indian independent cinema, featuring screenings, premieres and masterclasses. BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XT. Nearest tube: Waterloo. For more information and tickets, visit the festival website.

• 10 July – 31 August : The Power Of Summer

Seven weeks of pop-up events in the grounds of Battersea Power Station. Featuring Street Feast food festival, screenings of films (Pulp Fiction, Drive, Jungle Book and more) and the World Cup final. Park open from noon daily. Tickets: free entry before 5.30pm on weekdays, general admission weekends and evenings: £5.50, screening tickets: £16.50. Battersea Power Station, 188 Kirtling Street, SW8 5BN. Nearest train station: Battersea Park or Queenstown Road Battersea. For more information, visit the Everyman Cinemas website.

• 11 July : Camden Lock Live

Urban boutique festival Camden Lock Live returns

One day, free urban boutique festival returns to Camden for a second year, featuring a range of entertainment. Live music from acts such as Whinnie Williams, Jake Isaac, Tigger Da Author, Youth Club and Sam Garrett. Festival also features street performers, dance workshops, cocktails, food, artisan shopping and more. 10am-10pm. Camden Lock, 217 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AB. Nearest tube: Camden Town or Chalk Farm. For more information, visit the Camden Lock website.

• 12 – 27 July : Festival Of Archaeology

Nationwide event with events taking place at the Museum Of London, British Museum, London Canal Museum and Thames archaeology. Many events are free. For listings, visit the Archaeology Festival website.

• Now until 13 July : Udderbelly Festival

Udderbelly returns to the Southbank for a sixth year, featuring three months of comedy, circus, cabaret and family shows at affordable prices (£10-£25.50) in an inflatable upside down cow venue. Jubilee Gardens, off Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX. Nearest tube: Waterloo. For more information and tickets, visit the Udderbelly website.

• 15 July : La Boheme on the BP Big Screen

Performance will be beamed live from the Royal Opera House to big screens around the UK, including Trafalgar Square, Victoria Park, Walthamstow Town Square and General Gordon Square in Woolwich. Free. 7.30pm. For more information, visit the Royal Opera House website.

• Now until 17 July : City Of London Festival

One month long festival across the City to entertain residents, workers and visitors. Features music, visual arts, dance, cabaret, film, walks and talks. Venues include St Paul’s Cathedral, Guildhall, The Gherkin, Unilever House and The Bowler Hat – a pop-up venue in the shape of the iconic headgear in Paternoster Square. A majority activities are free, but some performances cost up to £20. For more information, visit the City Of London website.

• 19 -20 July : Lambeth Country Show

Over 100,000 people are expected at this annual extravaganza of entertainment, food, drink, farm life, funfair rides and general revelry in Brockwell Park in Herne Hill, south London. Includes stages with live music, including headliners Aswad and Jocelyn Brown. Free. 11am-7pm. Brockwell Park (can be accessed from Norwood Road, Dulwich Road or Tulse Hill). Nearest train station: Herne Hill (9 minutes from Victoria) or a 15 minute walk from Brixton tube. For more information, visit the Lambeth Country Show website. For Metro Girl’s blog post on last year’s LCS, click here.

Live music at the Lambeth Country Show in Brockwell Park

• 20 July : Sunday Best Scooter Fest

Festival for enthusiasts of classic and modern scooters. Includes live music from ska bands and DJs spinning R ‘n’ B, Soul and ’60s. Stalls selling vintage clothes, Mod memorabilia and scooter parts. 10am-5pm. Tickets £6.50. Capel Manor Gardens, Bullsmoor Lane, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 4RQ. Nearest train station: Turkey Street (30 minutes from Liverpool Street). For more information, visit the Sunday Best website.

• 20 July: Carnaby Street Eat

One day food festival in Soho’s Carnaby Street. Live music, cooking demonstration by Hardeep Singh Kohli. Free entry. 11am-6pm. Carnaby Street, Soho, W1F. Nearest tube: Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus. For more information, visit the Carnaby Street website.

• 25 – 27 July : Hyper Japan

A celebration of Japanese culture and products in Earls Court. Includes cuisine, shopping, mix of pop and traditional culture. Tickets: £12-£15. Children under 10 are free. Earls Court Two, Lillie Road, SW5 9TA. Nearest tube: Earls Court or West Brompton. For more information and advance tickets, visit the Hyper Japan website.

• Now until 25 July (Fridays Only) : London Zoo Lates

Visit London’s iconic zoo after-hours on Fridays in June and July. All the usual fun… except with alcohol and no screaming children! Includes pop-up bars, live music, food market and other entertainment. Embrace your inner child and rent a costume or buy an animal mask. Metro Girl went in 2012 and a had a great time. Tickets are £28 and must be booked in advance, but sometimes early booking discounts are available. Located on Outer Circle (Regent’s Park), NW1 4RY. Nearest tube: Camden Town or Regent’s Park. For more information, visit the London Zoo website.

• 26 July – 23 August : Camden Beach

The ‘beach’ returns to Camden again this year, with 150 tonnes of sand, deckchairs, ping pong, BBQ and live music. Located in the grounds of the Roundhouse. Free. Open 12-11pm every day. Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH. Nearest tube: Chalk Farm. For more information, visit the Roundhouse website.

• 27 July : Great British Carnival
  

  Take a ride on the Starflyer at London Wonderground

Marking the halfway point between the London and Rio Olympics, the carnival in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will include dance, music, performances and parades. 12-9.30pm. Free. Queen Elizabeth Park, Stratford, E20 2ST. Nearest tube: Stratford. For more information, visit the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park website.

• 28 July – 25 August : Camden Fringe

The Camden Fringe returns for its eighth year, bringing over 180 productions to 17 venues across the borough of Camden, including Camden People’s Theatre, Canal Café Theatre (read Metro Girl’s review on the adjoining pub The Bridge House) and the London Jewish Cultural Centre. For more information and tickets, visit the Camden Fringe website.

• Now until 17 August : The Fashion World Of Jean Paul Gaultier

Exhibition of work by the acclaimed designer, including his iconic conical brasserie worn by Madonna, costumes for Kylie Minogue’s tour and from Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element. Tickets: £14.50, highly recommended to book in advance. Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS. Nearest tube: Barbican or Moorgate. For more information, visit the Barbican website.

• Now until 7 September : Gorilla Circus – Flying Trapeze School

Gorilla Circus returns to Regent’s Park for its summer season so you can learn to trapeze. Beginners classes start from £27 for two hours. Booking must be done in advance. For more information and booking, check out the Gorilla Circus website. Metro Girl had a lesson in 2012 and had a really good time – read what happened here.

• Now until 28 September : London Wonderground

The London Wonderground Festival returns to the Southbank for a third year – an entertainment extravaganza in Jubilee Gardens, near the foot of the London Eye and by the Southbank Centre. It includes cabaret, children’s show, comedy, burlesque, funfair (NB: which returns after Udderbelly ends) and alfresco drinking. For Metro Girl’s blog post on last year’s Wonderground, click here. Open all day until 11pm every night. Free to get in, but entry fee for shows. Nearest tube or train: Waterloo, Embankment or Westminster. For more information, visit the Wonderground website.

• Now until December : Bond In Motion

An exhibition of James Bond vehicles. Tickets – Adults: £14.50, Children: £9.50. Booking in advance highly recommend. London Film Museum, 45 Wellington St, Covent Garden, WC2E 7BN. Nearest tube: Covent Garden or Temple. For more information, visit the London Film Museum website.

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