August in London is here and there are plenty of reasons to be excited about it. But, the main one? Notting Hill Carnival is back, baby. After two years of cancellations and live streams, sound systems will again take over west London streets for the bank holiday weekend. 

When you’re not having a riotous time dancing to a tinnitus-inducing dance hall with a pocket full of Red Stripe, there are plenty of other ways to get your fill of live music this month. All Points East, Field Day and Eastern Electrics will all be pitching their tents and blasting music across various parks in London, plus electronic maestro Four Tet will be hosting his very own all-day fest. UK Black Pride is also back this year with its first-ever dedicated DJ tent and an afterparty at Fabric carrying on into the early hours. 

Fill your peepers up with even more culture as big fixtures on the summer arts and theatre scene like Greenwich + Docklands International Festival come back for another year of experimental fun. Or, catch Sadler’s Wells’ much-anticipated production of ‘South Pacific’ and the National Theatre’s ‘All of Us’. 

Before September hits, let’s hope there’s enough sun for a London lido swim, lazy days in the city’s parks, beer-garden pints, outdoor cinema sessions and all the other alfresco pleasures that summer in London has to offer. 

August is a month for long holidays, a time for winding down, lying around and discovering that mint Cornettos are just as delicious as you remember. But it’s also a time for making memories, so make the most of your days off with the help of this Big List of things to do in August in London 2022.

August 2022 highlights

Dance in the streets at Notting Hill Carnival’s glorious return

Europe’s biggest street festival hasn’t been able to go ahead IRL for the last two years, so see Notting Hill Carnival’s triumphant return, as it fills the streets of west London with sound systems, steel bands, jerk chicken, feathers, Red Stripe and plenty of dancing.

An estimated 2.5 million attendees will make their way to W10 and W11 over the long weekend so it’s a natural spectacle with floats, trucks and music.

If you’re after a chilled NHC experience, bank holiday Sunday is family day, while Monday is the more hard-partying parade. Watch this space for more details about the parade route, sound system map and food stalls. 

Greenwich + Docklands International Festival is back and better than ever

Head south for this free art festival filled with treats for all the senses: like the giant vertical zoetrope of skeletons, or ‘Wheel of Charon’, in Canning Town, or the ‘Island of Foam’ on Greenwich Peninsula. 

All Points East is back in Victoria Park with a wonderfully eclectic line-up

All Points East is back next year to take over Victoria Park for six (hopefully sun-kissed) days. The line-up is as eclectic as ever, featuring some seriously hot acts including Greentea Peng and Remi Wolf, as well as long-cemented favourites like Gorillaz, Disclosure, and James Blake. 

Line-up includes: Kraftwerk, Gorillaz, Tame Impala, The National, Disclosure, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, James Blake, Greentea Peng, Joy Orbison, Remi Wolf and more. 

See game-changing African fashion at a blockbuster V&A exhibition

The V&A’s ambitious new exhibition is a triumphant attempt to complete the near-impossible task of capturing an entire continent through its fashion. Incorporating textiles, design and still and moving images, ‘Africa Fashion’ takes visitors on a compelling journey from the 1960s to the present day in a bid to reshape existing geographies and narratives of style.

It feels like a glorious celebration. You leave this beautiful show with its vision for the future, an Afrotopia, where ‘Fashion is a space for imagination, for hope, for pain, for aspiration. African fashion creatives use their work to actualise a more equitable and sustainable future in which we all thrive.’ Satisfyingly, this exhibition is cut from the same cloth.

Can’t get to Edinburgh? Hit up Camden Fringe instead

Edinburgh isn’t the only place with a bursting, brilliant fringe, and indeed as the Scottish capital’s iconic event becomes ever more expensive, the once scrappy outsider Camden Fringe looks ever more like a serious contender. It’s smaller than its Celtic counterpart, but still boasts hundreds of events all over Camden, taking in everything from stand-up sets and experimental theatre to kids’ shows, dance, and even magic. 

Chow down and boogie at the Black-Owned Hackney Night Market

London’s best Black-owned street food purveyors, artisan traders and many more of the best Black-owned businesses in the capital will be selling everything from meaty barbequed treats and plant-based burgers to sustainably-made clothing and skincare in a former tram shed. Grab a glass of rum punch and shop the night away.

Participate in a pub crawl in London

During the summer you will also be able to try out many bars and party with the London bar crawls. The principle? To visit multiple pubs or bars in a single session, and after to finish in a super fancy night club.
And if you enjoy this experience we advise you to participate in the best pub crawls in Tel Aviv, very famous there. I’ts the best way to explore Tel Aviv’s nightlife and meet international people.