All events in London
Music festivals in London
London's festival year runs from late May to the August bank holiday in its parks, then moves indoors: day festivals in Brockwell Park, a run of big concerts in Hyde Park, two weekends in Victoria Park, Carnival in the streets of Notting Hill and ten days of jazz in November.
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Festivals · London
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Music festivals in London
The season opens in south London. Field Day, the electronic day festival, moved to Brockwell Park in Herne Hill and runs there in late May, and Mighty Hoopla - pop, dance and one of the largest LGBTQ+ music festivals in Europe - takes the same park around the end of May and the start of June. In June the Southbank Centre hands Meltdown to a different artist-curator each year, who fills the Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall with their own picks. From late June into mid-July, BST Hyde Park puts a string of large headline concerts in the park, each day its own show rather than a single festival weekend.
August belongs to the east and the west. All Points East takes Victoria Park in Tower Hamlets across two weekends, with electronic, indie, hip-hop and pop line-ups and free community days in between. Then on the August bank holiday weekend Notting Hill Carnival fills the streets of west London: Panorama, the steel band competition, on the Saturday, a family day on the Sunday and the main adults' parade on the Monday, with mas bands, soca, calypso and static sound systems on corners all afternoon. After the parks close for the year, the EFG London Jazz Festival brings ten days of jazz to halls and clubs across the city in November, from the Barbican to small rooms like Ronnie Scott's and the Vortex.
A few things first-timers learn quickly. The park festivals run under licence and finish in the late evening, so plan the journey home rather than the afterparty, and expect queues at the nearest stations: Hackney Wick and Mile End for Victoria Park, Herne Hill and Brixton for Brockwell Park, Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner for Hyde Park. At Carnival, stations near the route close or go exit-only, so walk in from further out. British summer weather changes by the hour - bring a light layer and something waterproof even in July.
Common questions
When is festival season in London?+
Mostly late May to the end of August. Field Day and Mighty Hoopla open it in Brockwell Park, Meltdown runs in June, BST Hyde Park fills late June to mid-July, and All Points East and Notting Hill Carnival close the summer in August. The EFG London Jazz Festival follows in November. Mood shows what is on sale right now.
Is Notting Hill Carnival free?+
Yes, the street parade on the August bank holiday Sunday and Monday is free to attend. Sunday is the family day and Monday the main adults' parade, with steel bands, soca and sound systems along the route. Ticketed parties and concerts around the weekend are listed on Mood.
Where is All Points East held?+
In Victoria Park in Tower Hamlets, east London, across two weekends in August, with free community days between them. Hackney Wick and Mile End are the closest stations. Check Mood for current dates and tickets.
What time do London park festivals finish?+
Park shows in Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Brockwell Park run under licence and end in the late evening, well before midnight. Plan the tube or overground home in advance, as the nearest stations get crowded at close. See the current festival listings on Mood.