FeaturedGet ready to explore the City of London’s rich array of ancient and modern buildings for free during Open House Festival 2026.
12.09.2026
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20.09.2026
This article relates to August 2026. To find out about the latest events happening across the City now, you can view our What's On page to search by date and topic.
The City is bursting with activity this August, from sports in the street to rooftop views, bottomless brunches and world-class cultural events. With the sun bringing us a truly warm summer (shocking?!), why not get out and about on a walk, or enjoy a movie under the stars? Plus, introduce the kids to new worlds this school holiday and give them experiences they’ll take with them forever.
Without further ado, start filling the diary with world-class experiences and discover everything you can do in the City of London this August.
1. Take the kids on a journey of discovery this summer
The school holidays are in full swing, and the City has a HUGE range of activities for all ages to take the little (or big) ones on a journey to discover ancient and modern worlds across the Square Mile.
- Roman London Family Quest, 14 & 15 August (5–11 year olds)- Head forth and conquer Londinium as the London Museum, London’s Roman Amphitheatre and London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE join forces to explore Roman London on this interactive family day.
- Play Make Do Festival, 14–16 August (all ages)- The Barbican invites visitors of all ages to take part in this three-day festival bringing together families, friends and communities together through creativity, play and participation. Make sure to view the full programme and pick out your highlights.
- London Sports Festival, throughout August (all ages)- Get out and get active with London Sports Festival. You can enjoy giant volleyball, padel, table tennis and more across the Square Mile. Check out the London Sports Festival website to see dates and times and get booked in.
- Second Saturday at Guildhall Art Gallery, 8 August (ages 3–13)- Join the Guildhall Art Gallery for a Saturday programme of family fun from story time to hands-on activities exploring the artworks across the gallery and Roman history.
- Monster Art Club, every Saturday (all ages)- Get hands-on and creative with Monster Art Club. Aimed at all ages, all you have to do is turn up and get ready for a session of creating, drawing, colouring and fun.
- F1 Arcade, every day (7 and up)- Bring the little ones into the heat of the driving action at the F1 arcade where they can give driving a go, get them practising early!
- Rhyme Time, every Thursday (under 5s)- Bring the tiny ones every Thursday to the Artizan library for a morning of action songs, musical instruments and puppets.
- Tower Bridge summer programme, across the holidays (all ages)- Tower Bridge are offering a huge range of activities this summer, from reduced ticket prices to Ask the Expert drop-in sessions, family activities and marking the 50th anniversary of switching from steam power.
- Bank of England Museum writing competition, across the holidays (all ages)- Alongside their regular events, the Bank of England Museum are hosting a temporary exhibition on honey, as well as a Summer writing competition open to all ages.
Ask an expert at Tower Bridge
2. Enjoy a cinematic experience under the stars with the Barbican Outdoor Cinema (18–30 August)
The famous Barbican Outdoor Cinema returns for 2026 as a giant screen takes over the Sculpture Court and invites visitors to enjoy a movie under the stars.
This year's programme features anime, sci-fi, queer coming of age, French New Wave and much more, so there’s bound to be something for everyone.
3. Get out and about and enjoy the sunshine with a guided tour or a visit to one of the City’s green spaces
While the sun has decided to stick around and give us the summer we all wanted, why not get out and about and make the most of it with a guided tour?
Join the City guides on a journey through history and intrigue, or take yourself on one of these guided tours of the Square Mile.
You can also explore the green spaces to sunbathe, take a picnic, or unwind with a book.
4. Giant volleyball takes over Guildhall Yard (17–27 August)
How about something unique? This is your chance to take your hand at giant volleyball, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. A volleyball court will be taking over Guildhall Yard, and you can have a go and fulfil your childhood desires, so make sure to reserve your court.
If volleyball isn’t your thing, you can also take your hand to padel, or pickleball across August as part of London Sports Festival.
@centrallondonalliance
5. Get your cultural fix and explore world-class exhibitions this summer
The Square Mile is rife with some of the best cultural and artistic institutions around the world, so escape the heat this summer and get stuck into a world of art.
- Hypha Galleries 1, 2, & 3: Taking over One Poultry, Hypha Galleries has brought together contemporary collectives, artists and curators into one of London’s most iconic postmodern buildings.
- The Barbican Art Gallery: Project a Black Planet explores the impact of Pan-Africanism on artistic and cultural production from the 1920’s to present. The exhibition has over 250 works including paintings and installations, so expect to be guided through a intricate journey of culture and history.
- The London Archives: Explore the history of Londoners on Trial from 1244–1924 and how crime and punishment have shaped London. The London Archives are located just outside the City boundary in Clerkenwell.
- Guildhall Art Gallery: Underground (and Surface) is an immersive exhibition capturing the sounds and sights of London’s Underground system by Jock McFadyen RA and Jem Finer of The Pogues.
- Guildhall Library: The Guildhall Library’s exhibition dives into the history of Broadsides, the medium which plastered the walls of London sharing news, gossip, advice and more. As a first-hand witness to London’s history, the Broadside has a lot to share about the centuries of our city.
- Whitechapel Gallery: Located just outside the City’s boundary, a short walk from Aldgate Square, Whitechapel Gallery stands as an internationally renowned cultural institution, and this summer they’re bringing their Backyard Biennial, an 8-week free festival in collaboration with 40 local partners across East London.
Whitechapel Gallery
6. Join a free lunchtime talk exploring the history of the City (Every Friday, every other Saturday)
Tucked in the West Wing of Guildhall are two huge models of Greater London and the City of London.
You can take in the scale of our wonderful city while appreciating it from a new angle, and you can even get a free guided tour of the models too.
Every Friday and every other Saturday an expert from The London Centre will walk you through the history of London using the models as a guide. Certainly a great use of a lunchbreak if you ask us!
7. Don your dancing shoes at The Bishopsgate Institute (various dates in August)
The Bishopsgate Institute is world-renowned for its archival collection, but did you know they also host regular events?
This August, they’ll be inviting you in to take on a new challenge with their range of dance classes. From queer line dancing to swing and ballroom, you can try out anything.
Dance class at Bishopsgate Institute in the City of London.
8. Explore the history of the everyday Londoner (throughout August)
London has always been a magnet for those looking for work, and this new outdoor exhibition from The London Archives explores the history of London’s workers through photographs, prints and drawings.
Taking you through the famous and the forgotten, the exhibition will be taking over St Paul’s Churchyard between 27 July and 24 August, so head on down and have a mooch around.
The Londoners Exhibition
9. Experience live music across the City
Summer is the perfect time to get out and soak in live music, and this August there’s a range of live music taking place around the Square Mile.
- Aldgate Sounds: Returning for 2026, Aldgate Sounds brings weekly live music across the open spaces in the Aldgate area. Starting on 11 August with events every Tuesday and Thursday, you can expect chilled lunchtime classical jazz, after-work upbeat pop and much more across the month.
- Live Music at Citypoint Pavilion: Citypoint are bringing free weekly music until 20 September across Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. From emerging new talent, spotlights from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and a queer DJ series, there’s a lot in store this August!
- Live Music across the Eastern City: Join Eastern City BID as they take you across the hidden outdoor gems of the City with live music performances. Spots include Jubilee Gardens, Seething Lane, Fen Court and others; you can get outdoors and get a dose of live music with some gorgeous green spaces.
Mickey Lee
10. Experience Roman history at the Billingsgate Roman House & Bath (Saturdays)
Holding nearly 2000 years of stories, this ancient Roman site has survived centuries of construction, politics, fire and building across the City, and has now been preserved in the basement of an office block.
You can pay a visit and join a guided tour to hear the history of this fascinating site every Saturday this August.
11. Uncover the connection between honey and fraud
The Bank of England Museum present their latest temporary exhibition ‘The Power of Honey’. Across August they’re inviting visitors to explore the connection between bees, honey, and financial fraud.
They’ll also be hosting two unique museum lates across the month, so why not pay a visit to an iconic museum at dusk?
12. Grab a frozen cocktail, take in the breeze on the waterfront, or grab a cut-price bottle on a Monday
Who doesn’t love a cheeky drink after work? We all know the City offers some of the best spots around for a post-work pint, but why not lean into this gorgeous summer we’re having and check out some of these offers taking place throughout the month:
- Frozen cocktails on Engel Terrace: Tackle the heat with this frozen special from Engel. The big question: are you going to choose a frozen margarita or a frozen espresso martini? Okay, we won’t judge if you end up with both.
- The Waterfront pop-up: The Westin London City are hosting a new pop-up for the summer, and you’ll be able to take in the breeze from the river while sipping on your favourite drink. We’re already en route!
- Retail Mondays: Humble Grape are inviting you in to soak in the atmosphere, but with online wine retail prices! Every Monday you’ll save uo to 52% on bottles, so you may as well make it two instead of one.
13. Get a spectacular view of London
What better thing to do in the sun than get up high and take in the whole of London basking in the rays?
Now is a great time to get out and visit one of the Square Mile’s many viewing platforms, all of which are totally free!
- Horizon 22: Europe’s highest free viewing platform.
- The Lookout: Giving you panoramic views from the 50th floor of this Bishopsgate tower.
- The Sky Garden: London’s highest public garden.
- One Leadenhall: A brand new terrace overlooking Leadenhall Market. You can also view our experience of The Terrace on our Instagram.
- The Garden at 120: A gorgeous primmed garden atop 120 Fenchurch Street.
- One New Change: For those that want the best view of St Paul’s.
14. Take home a once-in-a-lifetime find at Leadenhall Market (8 & 30 August)
Each month, Leadenhall Market hosts two weekend markets, one is a vintage furniture and flea market, the other is the SoLo Craft Fair.
At both of these you can find hidden gems that you won’t find anywhere else, offering you the chance to explore a unique market in an iconic space, and take something home you’ll want to keep forever.
SoLo Craft Fair.
15. Walk through history first hand at Dr Johnson’s house
Dr Johnson’s House have a bumper August lined up, from walking tours to museum lates and a children’s creative writing workshop exploring the history and legacy of Samuel Johnson.
They also host themed talks where you can unpack the space which made history and continues to impact today’s literary scene.
Dr Johnson's House, City of London.
16. Explore an architectural giant with the Barbican Architectural Tours (Daily)
The Barbican stands strong as a much loved (and much hated) architectural landmark of London.
Whether you love it or hate it, we can all appreciate the impact the space has had on the area of the City, and you can dive further into this on one of the daily Barbican architectural tours.
The tour will take you from Roman times, to the times of Kylie and Harry Styles, so prepare for an eye-opening 90 minutes.
Photo Credit: Max Colson
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