London events in July 2023

London’s getting its annual helping of rainbow flags, fun-loving crowds, and LGBTQ+ spirit with the Pride in London Parade on Saturday July 1. If previous events are anything to go by, expect hundreds of floats and walking groups from across the LGBTQ+ spectrum, which will march through the heart of London. The day usually culminates in a big party in Trafalgar Square, with a line-up of pop-tastic entertainment. And all day long, Soho Square and the surrounding streets will be filled with members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies gathering to celebrate (and continue) the battle for equal rights.

A year after he blew our minds with a reprise of his jaw-dropping turn in Jez Butterworth’s ‘Jerusalem’ – aka possibly the greatest stage performance ever – Mark Rylance is back with the London transfer of ‘Dr Semmelweis’. Based on his own idea, the Tom Morris-directed show follows the career of maverick Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis, who revolutionised medicine and saved probably millions of lives by being the first doctor to really understand the importance of antiseptic procedures.

As sure as the sun will rise and winter will turn into spring, Hyde Park will play host to a new Serpentine Pavilion every year, and 2023’s has just hatched into the world. This one was designed by French-Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh and is inspired by the Mediterranean urge to sit around a dining table and put the world to rights. It’s a big, broad, light, open structure that’s intended to look at ‘food as an expression of care’ and be a ‘space for grounding and reflection on our relationship to land, nature and environment’. It also has a Benugos. 

Body Movements celebrates LGBTQ+ people in dance music, taking place across 16 east London venues, including Colour Factory, Crate, Number 90 and The Yard. The festival won Time Out London’s ’Best New Event’ in our 2021 ’Best of the City’ awards – make sure it’s on your bucket list for 2022. 

The line-up includes Adonis, Daytimers, Big Dyke Energy, Pxssy Palace, TechnoMate

Giving you more attitude than a 'Now That’s What I Call Punk' compilation, Dog Day Afternoon is the ultimate celebration of all things leather jackets and Doc Martens, taking place at Crystal Palace Park this July. You’ll hear classics from punk pioneer Iggy Pop with very special guests Blondie and the UK debut of punk supergroup Generation Sex (Billy Idol, Steve Jones, Tony James, Paul Cook), plus Buzzcocks and Lambrini Girls. 

Line-up includes: Iggy Pop, Blondie, Generation Sex, Buzzcocks and Lambrini Girls.

Contemporary African photography is being put under the lens at this group show bringing together a host of artists from different generations. The aim is to show how photography , film, audio, and more is being used to reimagine Africa’s cultures and historical narratives. Tate Modern promises something a little but more special that your usual photo exhibition promising to guide people ‘through dream-like utopias and bustling cityscapes viewed from the artists’ perspectives’.

A reincarnation of Zoo Lates (which ended in 2015), Zoo Nights brings ‘after hours’ fun to ZSL London Zoo. Explore the zoo without crowds or kids in the way (this is an adults only experience), hear the Birds and The Bees guided tour where expert guides reveal what animals get up to after dark, play animal-themed games, graze on delicious international street food (there’s plenty for herbivores and carnivores alike) or grab a drink at one of the bars. Time to unpack that elephant onsie?

Notting Hill Carnival’s biggest and most infamous soundsystem Rampage heads to the Barbican Hall for an evening of orchestral renditions of the most iconic songs from the past 30 years. Expect performances by Egypt, Damage, Donaeo, Gracious Kay, Kele Le Roc, Maxwell D, More Fire Crew, Mr Vegas, Omar and Terri Walker alongside a 30-piece orchestra conducted by Jules Buckley. 

Curator and art historian Aindrea Emelife is behind this exhibiton which brings together the work of 18 Black women and non-binary artists to explore how Black women have been perceived in visual culture thrughout history. From the Hottentot Venus and the Sable Venus, to the Jezebel, the show will look at these three lasting depections of Black women and how they’ve shifted and changed in visual culture to the complex lived experience that informs the work of cross-generational women and non-binary artists today. 

Architectural practice Herzog & de Meuron are the brains behind some of the most famous buildings in the world, including the Tate Modern, National Stadium Beijing, REHAB Basel and the Royal College of Art in London. The exhibition – a first in London for almost 20 years – will take a deep dive into the thinking and approaches and everything else that goes into creating these landmark structures. 

Glasweigen chef Nico Simeone launched their themed set six-course menu which changes up every six weeks back in 2017. It’s since spread from Scotland across the UK, to London. From now until the beginning of July at the Fitzrovia and Canary Wharf sites you can choose from either ‘The Chippie Experience’ – a menu of re-imagined chip shop classics – or ‘A World of Imagination’ – a menu of new smells and taste sensations. And for the rest of July? Enjoy the taste of ‘Sicily’. Book through Time Out and get all six courses and a glass of prosecco for £35.

Get six courses and a glass of prosecco at Six By Nico for £35 only through Time Out offers. 

Another year, another spectacular line-up of classical music, kicking off with a series of Nordic scores and and waving us off in the traditional flurry of Union Jacks and bow ties on September 9. In 2023 the BBC Proms will be treating us to a huge range of programming featuring orchestral collaborations with non-classical artists, including Rufus Wainwright, Self Esteem and Jon Hopkins, the first Bollywood Prom and Northern Soul Prom as well as unusual experiences like the late night Moon and Stars Prom and the Fantasy, Myths and Legends Prom featuring music from film, TV and gaming.

Queer electronic music festival Body Movements is back in Hackney Wick for a fourth edition on July 29, with another colossal celebration of queer community featuring DJ sets, performances and plenty of vibes from LGBTQI+ clubbing collectives from around the country who will be taking over Colour Factory, The Yard, Crate Brewery and various other warehouse venues around Queen’s Yard. Don’t miss it. 

Taking us back to the heady days of Nineties raving, Fabric is putting on a massive weekend-long party in a field just outside of London. It’s the first time the legendary London nightclub has put on its own music festival and the weekender promises back-to-back line-ups celebrating the most brilliant dance music artists from across the club’s 23-year history. Expect to see the like of Ricardo Villalobos, Seth Troxler, Djrum and Peach on the decks as well as ’an immersive sound and stage experience’. 

Nothing says summer like the tennis whites, strawberries and cream and Pimms of Wimbledon. Missed out on tickets in the Wimbledon Tennis Championships (July 3-16)? Can’t face camping out on the street for day tickets? No problem. London is a city that gives back and this summer it will be peppered with big screens showing all the Murray Mound (okay, Henman Hill) action in so much blown-up high-res glory that you might as well be court-side. There’s a screen for everyone, with some offering special-edition cocktails and finger food and coming with pop-up tennis lessons. 

Bored of the tangle of controllers at home? At Platform Canary Wharf you can play classic video games and top-notch multiplayer Nintendo Switch and Playstation 5 games like Mario Kart, Mario Party, Super Smash Bros, Overcooked 2, FIFA and Call of Duty. When your thumbs are throbbing, tuck into a pizza or nachos and wash it all down with bottomless beer, prosecco, or mimosas.

£24 for bottomless drinks, a pizza and video games at Platform only through Time Out Offers. 

Chef Tong Chee Hwee, who helped earn Mayfair Chinese spot Hakkasan its Michelin star is back on the London food scene cooking up elevated and refined dishes using techniques and ingredients from across China at Gouqi. Try the Angus tenderloin beef with black pepper sauce, sautéed crystal jumbo prawns with yellow chive in XO sauce, or clay pot silken egg tofu with wild mushroom and vegetable for yourself with this eqclusive deal letting you enjoy top-tier dining for just £45 per person.

Three courses and a drink at Gouqi by Tong Chee Hwee for £45 through Time Out Offers. 

Wireless returns to Finsbury Park for 2023 with a line-up that’s positively bulging with hip hop, R&B and grime talent. Spanning trap, grime, R&B and beyond, the line-up boasts more A-list talent than the Met Gala. From old-school rappers like 50 Cent to fresh stars such as Ice Spice, there’s a full breadth of prowess here. The main draws have to be American heavyweights like Playboi Carti and Travis Scott but you can't miss homegrown talent D-Block Europe, FLO and Headie One.

Line-up includes: 50 Cent, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Latto, Headie One. 

It’s been an exciting fixture in London’s musical calendar since 2013, and it’s back in Hyde Park with a line-up of some of the biggest stars on the planet across weekends in July. This month look out for sets from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (July 6 and 8), Billy Joel (July 7) and Lana Del Rey (July 9). 

If you’re unfamiliar with the long-running Nickelodeon cartoon ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’, it concerns the eponymous hyper-chipper, pineapple-dwelling anthropomorphic sponge and his really weird adventures in the underwater town of Bikini Bottom. It’s pretty weird, basically, as is this eccentric Broadway musical adaptation spin-off with songs by a genuinely gobsmacking collection of indie and rock musicians, including The Flaming Lips, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry and even a specially updated version of David Bowie’s ‘No Control’.

Embrace your inner Picasso and get your creative juices flowing with bottomless prosecco at this boozy painting class. Art Play is simple: you sip, paint, and socialise as you’re guided by talented resident artists who will take you through your masterpieces step-by-step so you can learn a new skill, make new friends, or simply have fun doing something a bit different. Save £40 on the experience by booking through Time Out offers. 

£20 for two hours of bottomless prosecco and painting session at Art Play only through Time Out offers.

Did a visit to see Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ at the National Gallery fail to provide your flower fix? Get neck-deep in heliotropic heaven at these golden fields full of custard-yellow blooms. 

Remember the indoor playgrounds of your childhood? Well, the humble ball pit has been given a grown-up makeover at Shoreditch’s Ballie Ballerson. Here you can drink cocktails, nibble on pizza and dance to DJs before getting eyeball-deep in, er, well balls. Now, through Time Out for just £6, you can enter at any time, get a two-hour session in the famous ball pits and your choice of a refreshing cocktail including their new Bacardi summer special.

£6 for tickets and a cocktail at Ballie Ballerson only through Time Out offers. 

When the sun’s out and the weather’s at its summery best, hiding away in a dark, stuffy room isn’t the most appealing option. Thank god then, for outdoor cinemas letting us get our film fix under the stars and with a sweet summer breeze in our hair.

London is home to some brilliant alfresco movie spots, which will be popping up all over the city in 2022, everywhere from docks and parks to rooftops and manicured gardens. Here’s a list of our favourites. 

It’s going to be very very hot indeed this week. So, there’s no better time to cool off in one of London’s brilliant outdoor swimming pools. Here’s a list of our favourite alfresco bathing spots, however, our desire to paddle around under a sunny sky does mean that it’s important to book ahead if you want your open-air swim fix. So no rocking up to try your luck. 

It may be known for its sleepy scent and soothing properties, but there’s nothing dozy about the explosion of colour happening right now in London’s lavender fields. Here are the best places to treat your eyes and nose to this year’s epic summer blooms.