Festivals in London - Festivities and celebrations calendar

1. Before Arriving in London
2. How to get to London - Getting to London by plane, train, bus or car
3. Public Transport in London - Getting around London
4. Cost of Living in London
5. Save Money in London - Tips for Living in London on a Student Budget
6. London neighborhoods - The most important districts of London
7. London Nightlife - A guide to nightclubs and going out in London
8. Where to eat in London - British Cuisine and British Gastronomy Restaurants
9. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (1st part)
10. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (2nd part)
11. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (3rd part)
12. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (4th part)
13. Day Trips from London - Places to visit and excursions around London
14. Festivals in London - Festivities and celebrations calendar
15. London in 3 days - What to see in London in 3 days

Although it’s the capital, not all the best events are held in London, there are quite a few cool festivals which are easily accessible no matter how far they may be thanks to the great transport links from London.

Winter Wonderland

If you’re in London over Christmas then you can’t miss Winter Wonderland; it’s essentially a temporary theme park and Christmas market all rolled into one. They sell typical British Christmas time food and drinks such as mulled wine, the stalls sell all kinds of things so you’re bound to be able to buy some Christmas presents or souvenirs from there! After shopping around, you could go on some of the incredible rides which are installed there and finish you Wonderland experience by having a drink in one of the many bars. The Bavarian drinking hall is probably one of the most popular places to sit and have a beer whilst watching some live performances (not necessarily good ones, but funny nevertheless) whilst chatting with your friends.

Winter Wonderland is open every year from November-January until late. You don’t have to pay any kind of entry fee so it’s a really good way to spend your time in London if you’re trying to be thrifty. The wonderland is located in Hyde Park so there are 3 tube stations from which you can easily access the park:

• Knightsbridge station: Piccadilly line
• Lancaster Gate: Central line
• Marble Arch: Central line

Magical Lantern Festival

This festival is held every year in a different part of London to mark the end of the Chinese new year; it features dazzling illuminations which revolve around a different theme each year (in 2017 the theme was the Silk Road). Also included at the festival is an ice rink, funfair rides, virtual reality games as well as food & drink stalls.

Ticket prices for the event are as follows:

• Adults: Weekday (on the day): £18.50/(in advance): £16.50
• Adults: Weekend (on the day): £20/(in advance): £18
• Students: Weekday (on the day): £16.50/(in advance): 14.50
• Students: Weekend (on the day): £18/(in advance): £16

The festival isn’t held in the same place every year, so have a look at their website which tells you ticket prices for that year, as well as the theme of the festival and how to get there/where it’s being held that year.

Camden Rocks

Camden has, for a long time, been one of the principal places for London’s and the UK’s rock-n-roll scene, so to pay homage to this, Camden Rocks hosts a number of Rock bands in different venues around Camden. It’s a one-day festival so you’re in for a heavy day if you do choose to go!

To see information on ticket prices, past bands who played and general information such as venues, please visit their official webpage.

Junction 2

This is a one-day festival for all techno heads out there! Set across 5 stages, each of the arenas will be equipped with state of the art sound systems and light displays which enhance performances of already established artists as well as newcomers to the techno scene. The festival location is definitely a unique one as the M4 motorway towers above the festival grounds, so it really is an urban festival! If you haven’t danced away all your energy by the end of the day, don’t worry as there’s an official after party which is organised after! The event is fast becoming popular, tickets usually sell out, so make sure you buy your tickets early if you want to go!

The event is usually held at the beginning of June in Boston Manor Park in Brentford. You can get there by tube - take the Piccadilly line to Boston Manor station from which you can either walk to the event (8 minute walk) or take the number 198 or E8 bus routes which stop right by the park.

To buy tickets and for all other official information on the event, have a look at their website.

British Summer Time

British Summer Time (BST Hyde Park) is held over 2 weekends, once a year in London’s famous Hyde Park. The festival has really gained some momentum in recent years with big names such as Florence + the Machine, Stevie Wonder and Kendrick Lamar all headlining. This year (2017) huge names such as Justin Bieber, Greenday, Kings of Leon and the Killers are all headlining plus more! It’s a great vibe as it’s a family friendly event held in July which means great weather awaits all the festival goers.

As mentioned before, it’s held in Hyde Park which means that there is a bunch of tube and overground stations which you can use to get to the festival. The best tube/overground stations are:

• Marble Arch: Central line
• Hyde Park Corner: Piccadilly line
• Bond Street: Central and Jubilee lines
• Knightsbridge: Piccadilly line
• Green Park: Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria lines
• Lancaster Gate: Central line
• Paddington: Bakerloo, Circle & District and Circle and Hammersmith & City lines as well as the overground
• Victoria: Circle & District and Victoria lines as well as the overground

To look at ticket prices and line-up details for your year, check their website .

Lovebox

This is probably one of the most popular festivals catering to the cool-kids and party lovers. There is no set or defined genre for this festival which really makes it a popular one - no matter what your music taste, you’ll be able to find something that you like. Remember to check the smaller tents and stages where you’ll find some real hidden talents! A lot of big names have headlined or performed at Lovebox such as Major Lazer in 2016, Snoop Dogg in 2015, Chase & Status and M. I. A in 2014 and Azealia Banks and Crystal castles in 2013 and 2012 respectively.

Although the festival is only over 2 days, they manage to pack more fun into those two days than most festivals do in 3 days, so it’s really worth going to! The festival is held in Victoria Park in around mid July. To get to Victoria Park, you need to catch the tube to one of the following stations:

• Mile End: District & Central lines
• Bethnal Green: Central line
• Bow Road: District line
• Bow Church: DLR
• Stratford: Jubilee line

All information for the festival can be found on their website.

South West Four

Some of the biggest DJ’s from across the world are drawn to this festival located on Clapham Common in southwest London. Some huges names are returning to the festival including Tinie Tempah, Pendulum, Deadmau5, Eric Prydz and so many more! Expect to hear some great drops as well as some pumping club anthems; this is definitely the place to be if you couldn’t afford to go and spend your summer in Ibiza listening to the classic club anthems!

To get to Clapham Common, you can catch the Northern line to Clapham Common/Clapham South, get the overground/Victoria line to Clapham Junction or the overground to Clapham High Street.

To book tickets and find out who’s playing, check out the official festival website.

Wireless Festival

Wireless festival is definitely the best one to go to for any lovers of rap, hip-hop and r&b. Held in London’s Finsbury Park, they have a number of choice acts this year (2017) such as Sean Paul, Rae Sremmurd, Fetty Wap and The Weekend. There’s also a great line up of UK grime artists (grime is a UK genre of music, it’s not too well known outside of the UK but it’s especially known in London). Over your time in London, you will definitely hear some grime, so perhaps by the end of your time in London, watching famous grime artists will be something you’ll really enjoy.

To get to Wireless Festival in FInsbury Park, you need to either get the Victoria line to Finsbury Park tube station or the Piccadilly line to Manor House station - both are an equal distance from Finsbury Park. You can also catch an overground train from London King’s Cross to Finsbury Park station which only takes 6 minutes and it actually faster than the tube.

Notting Hill Carnival

Notting Hill Carnival has been mentioned earlier on in this guide - it’s London’s official carnival celebrating Afro-Caribbean culture over the August bank holiday weekend. The carnival consists of parades and floats with huge speakers blasting out a mix of dancehall & bashment, reggae and soca - picture carnival in Jamaica and it’s like that but in London. There are locals and companies alike who set up food stalls selling traditional Caribbean cuisine, but make sure to bring your own alcohol/drinks if you want them as the queues in shops are extremely long!

To get to the carnival, you need to go to Notting Hill station on the Central or Circle & District lines and then follow the music and crowds and eventually you’ll find the main parade. Official events for carnival can be found on Facebook by simply typing “Notting Hill carnival” followed by the year which you’re in London into the search bar.

Reading Festival

Reading is one of the most popular festivals in the UK and especially in the south of England. Reading isn’t actually in London or greater London, but it can take less than half an hour to get to from London Paddington! A huge variety of acts have performed such as Eminem, My Chemical Romance, Muse, Two Door Cinema Club and so many more amazing artists and bands. It’s advisable that you camp at the festival site as it would be easier than coming from London everyday.

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