3 Great London Festivals: August Bank Holiday Weekend 2017

There is nothing better than a 3 day weekend. Especially when it looks like the British weather is going to be very kind indeed with warm sunshine predicted across London. Below is a guide to 3 fantastic festivals you can enjoy over the coming days.

Notting Hill Carnival

Since 1966, people have been celebrating the capital’s Caribbean community and culture on the streets of Notting Hill. Since then the Notting Hill Carnival has grown in size to become Europe’s biggest street festival with an estimated 1 million people expected to attend over two days (Sunday and Monday). Sunday is considered the ‘quieter’ family day, so if you have kids, this may be the best time to visit.

If you do decide to attend the carnival, you can expect great music, lots of feathers, sequins, and some seriously cool dancing. The centre piece of the carnival is a parade which starts on Great Western Road, slowly makes its way down Chepstow Road, before continuing to Westbourne and finally Ladbroke Grove.

The Parade officially starts at 9.30am with the judging of the various floats and displays continuing until around 6.30pm. The best way to see the action is to check out the location of the different sound systems and try to grab a spot near one which is playing the kind of music you like.

If you plan to get to the carnival on the tube, it is best to avoid stations which are very close by, as these are likely to be very busy or may be closed. Getting off at a tube station a little further out and walking into the carnival is a better option. Ideal stations include Holland Park, Queen’s Park, High Street Kensington, Bayswater and Shepherd’s Bush and Paddington.

Field Day at Dinerama

If you fancy spending your bank holiday Sunday enjoying fantastic food and great music, then Field Day at Dinerama is the place for you. Following the hugely successful Easter Sunday event, Field Day is back at this great in Shoreditch venue to offer festival goers a huge selection of music from DJs such as Simian Mobile Disco, Bugged Out, Snap Crackle & Pop, Throwing Shade and other special guests.

The event is hosted at the Dinerama food and drink market which means you can grab some halloumi fries, some BBQ chicken wings and a Tequila Colada slushy before dancing your socks off. The event runs from midday until midnight which means you can enjoy 12 hours of booze, beats and food. Tickets for this event are just £10, and that includes a complimentary beer when you enter. For more details and to buy tickets, check out the Field Day website.

Shuffle Festival

Since 2013, Shuffle Festival has been celebrating the interconnectedness of community and culture. This year’s festival returns to Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park on Saturday and Sunday, offering an excellent programme of films, installations, music, talks and food.

You can enjoy a Trainspotting double-bill, followed by a Q&A session with the director of both films, Danny Boyle, take yourself on a self-guided Sound walk which will allow you to explore the park or attend a talk about the Psychology of Space.

If you are planning to bring your kids, there are a selects of fun workshops which will keep them entertained for hours. Many local businesses will also be operating pop-up shops so you can buy the best that Tower Hamlets has to offer. Weekend tickets cost £37 while a day ticket is just £22.50.

For further details take a look at the Shuffle Festival page.

We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

Day out in London
Logo