12 Things You Should Do in London Before August Ends
August is almost over.
And if you feel like you've somehow made it through most of summer without doing half the things you wanted to do in London, you still have a few days left.
In fact, the final week of August is one of the more interesting times to be in London.
There's Notting Hill Carnival, major concerts, food festivals, theatre, outdoor performances, special dining offers and even some unusual experiences that disappear completely once August is over.
So instead of giving you another list of things you can do in London at any time of the year, here are 12 things actually worth doing before August ends.
Some are events.
Some are food and drink experiences.
Some are limited-time experiences.
And a few are perfect for the August Bank Holiday weekend.
1. Experience the 60th Notting Hill Carnival
30–31 August
If you're going to do just one major London event before August ends, make it this.
Notting Hill Carnival is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2026, making this year's edition particularly special.
Sunday 30 August is Families and Children's Day, with J'ouvert beginning at 6am, the Children's Day Parade, Dutty/Fun Mas, sound systems and stages.
Monday 31 August is Adults' Day, with the main parade beginning at 10:30am and sound systems and stages running from midday until 7pm.
The main Sunday and Monday Carnival celebrations are free to attend.
Saturday 29 August is different: it is the ticketed UK National Panorama Steelband Competition, taking place at Emslie Horniman's Pleasance Park.
And because this is the Carnival's 60th anniversary, you're not just attending another August Bank Holiday event.
You're seeing a major piece of London's cultural history.
2. Spend an evening at All Points East
28–30 August
If Carnival isn't your thing, there's another major event taking over East London.
All Points East returns to Victoria Park for the final weekend of August, with three major shows across 28, 29 and 30 August.
Friday 28 August
Tyler, The Creator
with Rex Orange County, Turnstile, Mariah the Scientist and more.
Saturday 29 August
Tyler, The Creator
with Daniel Caesar, Baby Keem, Dijon and more.
Sunday 30 August
Twenty One Pilots
with Wunderhorse, Ren, Gang of Youths, bbno$ and more.
The current official ticket page lists general admission from £89.95 plus booking fees for the Tyler, The Creator dates, although prices vary by ticket type and availability.
So if you've been waiting for a big concert to finish off your summer, this is one of the final opportunities.
3. Try the Hampton Court Palace Food Festival
29–31 August
If your ideal Bank Holiday involves eating rather than dancing in the streets, head to Hampton Court Palace.
The Hampton Court Palace Food Festival runs from 29 to 31 August, from 10am to 6pm.
More than 150 independent food and drink brands and producers are taking part, with street food, drinks, sweet treats and products you can take home.
There is also a new feature for 2026:
The Regina Kitchen
You'll be able to watch live cooking demonstrations from chefs including Harry Maguire and Cyrus Todiwala.
And this is what makes the event particularly good for a day out.
Your ticket gives you access to the palace and gardens as well as the food festival, so you can spend part of the day eating and the rest exploring Henry VIII's former home.
There are also family activities, including face painting, a silent disco, arts and crafts, garden games and character appearances.
So yes, you can basically turn the Bank Holiday into a food-and-palace day out.
4. Eat your way through Plated before it ends
Until 31 August
This is one for people who would rather discover restaurants than attend a massive festival.
Plated is London's new August dining festival, running throughout King's Road and Knightsbridge from 1–31 August.
Participating restaurants, bars and hotels are offering special menus, pairings, limited-time experiences and other offers.
The current participating list includes places such as:
The Cadogan Arms
Harvey Nichols
Rabbit
SETTE at Bvlgari Hotel London
Sticks'n'Sushi
CLAP London
and others.
There is no festival entrance ticket.
Instead, you choose the restaurant and offer you want and book directly where required.
So if you've been saying:
“We should go somewhere nice for dinner.”
This is your last week to actually do it as part of Plated.
5. See Gaia beneath the Earth at Royal Festival Hall
28–29 August
Here's something a little more unusual for the Bank Holiday weekend.
Luke Jerram's Gaia, a huge replica of Earth, will be suspended above the stage at Royal Festival Hall for two special performances.
Friday 28 August
Gaia x BBC Concert Orchestra: Sounds of the Earth
7:30pm.
Saturday 29 August
Gaia x Eric Whitacre: Eternity in an Hour
7:30pm.
These are ticketed concerts, rather than simply a free installation you can walk into.
The combination of the enormous Earth artwork and live music should make for a pretty spectacular evening.
So if you're looking for something more atmospheric than another summer party, this is worth considering.
6. Catch the final days of Camden Fringe
Until 30 August
If theatre and comedy are more your thing, you still have time to catch Camden Fringe.
The 2026 festival runs from 3 to 30 August, with shows taking place across Camden and other London venues.
It's not one particular type of performance either.
The festival covers things such as:
Theatre
Comedy
Cabaret
Dance
Opera
Musicals
Improv
Poetry
New writing
The idea behind Camden Fringe is also quite different from simply seeing a West End production.
It gives established performers and newcomers a place to try out new material and ideas.
So if you've never tried a fringe festival before, the final days of August are a good excuse.
7. Have a summer evening at Battersea Park in Concert
28–31 August
If you want a more relaxed Bank Holiday evening, head to Battersea Park.
Battersea Park in Concert returns from 28 to 31 August with four different open-air performances.
The programme includes:
Friday 28 August
Sounds of South Africa
Featuring Jeremy Loops and the London African Gospel Choir performing Paul Simon's Graceland live.
Saturday 29 August
Pop Symphonic
The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra reworks pop classics from artists including Britney Spears, ABBA, Elton John, Spice Girls, Take That, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars.
Sunday 30 August
Movies & Musicals
Monday 31 August
Ronnie Scott's Jazz Orchestra
Monday's show also features the Amy Winehouse Band, alongside other performers.
It's a very different Bank Holiday atmosphere from Carnival or a huge festival.
Think Battersea Park, live music, picnic and a summer evening.
8. See giant animals take over the Tower of London
Until 31 August
This is probably one of the strangest things you can do in London before August ends.
Imagining Animals is taking place at the Tower of London until 31 August, excluding 25 August.
The experience brings animals to life through puppetry, music and movement, with visitors encountering creatures including a bear, butterflies and a giant serpent around the Tower.
Performances take place at different times and locations between 11am and 4pm.
There are also specific family participation moments, including a beetle dance and a chance to collectively imagine a giant animal.
The experience is included with Tower of London admission, so you don't need a separate event ticket.
It is inspired partly by the history of the Tower's Royal Menagerie, but this isn't a historical reenactment it's an artistic performance using puppetry and movement.
So if you've visited the Tower before, this gives you a completely different reason to go back.
9. Go to the Cider & Sausage Festival in Deptford
28–31 August
Sometimes you don't need a huge festival.
You just need sausages and cider.
The Dog & Bell Cider & Sausage Festival is taking place at The Dog & Bell in Deptford from 28 to 31 August.
Expect:
sausages
fresh-pressed cider
craft beer
and a relaxed pub atmosphere.
And unlike many of the big events happening over the Bank Holiday weekend:
entry is free.
So if you want a much more relaxed alternative to Carnival or a huge concert, this could be your kind of Bank Holiday.
10. Try the final days of Experimental History at Hampton Court
Until 31 August
You don't actually have to attend the Food Festival to have a reason to visit Hampton Court before August ends.
Experimental History is running throughout August until 31 August, from 10am to 4pm.
The Historic Kitchens team recreates historical recipes and explores food from the past inside Henry VIII's Kitchens.
It is included with palace admission.
So if you're interested in history, food or both, you can combine it with a visit to Hampton Court's palace and gardens.
And if you are already going to the Food Festival over the Bank Holiday, it's an easy extra experience to add to the day.
11. Go to the Quince Bakery Pie Party
31 August
If your idea of a perfect Bank Holiday is simply eating an unreasonable amount of pie, save 31 August.
Quince Bakery in Islington is hosting its annual Pie Party on Bank Holiday Monday, bringing together independent bakers for a day centred around pies and pastries.
It's a very different proposition from a major London festival.
No huge parade.
No massive stage.
Just a celebration of one of the best things you can put in pastry.
If you're looking for a food-focused Bank Holiday activity in London, this is one to have on the radar.
12. Make the final days of August about food
If you're not interested in paying for a major event, there is another way to make the most of the final days of summer.
Go out specifically to eat and drink somewhere you haven't tried before.
And August gives you a few particularly good excuses.
You could:
Try one of the Plated restaurants in King's Road or Knightsbridge before 31 August.
Go to the Hampton Court Food Festival and spend the day trying different producers.
Head to Deptford for cider and sausages at the Dog & Bell.
Go to the Quince Bakery Pie Party on 31 August.
Or simply find a restaurant with outdoor seating and make the most of one of the last warm evenings of the month.
Because sometimes you don't need another attraction.
You just need a really good meal.
If you only have one weekend left, here's what I'd do
With so much happening between 28 and 31 August, you obviously can't do everything.
So here's one way to plan it.
Friday 28 August
Battersea Park in Concert
Start with an early dinner nearby and then head into the park for Sounds of South Africa.
Or, if you're after something much bigger:
Tyler, The Creator at All Points East.
Saturday 29 August
Start with Hampton Court Palace Food Festival.
Then, if you're in the mood for music, head back towards London for All Points East or Gaia at Royal Festival Hall.
Sunday 30 August
This is the day for Notting Hill Carnival.
Sunday is the family-focused day, with J'ouvert, the Children's Day Parade, sound systems and stages.
Alternatively, there's Twenty One Pilots at All Points East if you're going for music.
Monday 31 August
Finish August with:
Notting Hill Carnival or Hampton Court Palace Food Festival or Battersea Park in Concert
or, if food is your priority,
Quince Bakery Pie Party.
And don't forget: August doesn't end quietly in London
That's probably the biggest takeaway from this list.
The final few days of August aren't simply a quiet period before September arrives.
You've got:
60 years of Notting Hill Carnival
Tyler, The Creator
Twenty One Pilots
Hampton Court Food Festival
Plated's final days
Gaia at the Royal Festival Hall
Camden Fringe
Battersea Park in Concert
giant puppets at the Tower of London
cider and sausage in Deptford
and plenty of opportunities to eat something you haven't tried before.
Some of these are gone after 30 August.
Others disappear on 31 August.
So if there's something on this list you've been meaning to do, this is the week to actually go.
You don't have to do all 12.
Just pick one.
Or two.
Because September will arrive soon enough.
Planning your next London day out? Discover more neighbourhood guides, hidden gems, food spots and things to do on LondonYaar.com.
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