What to do in London in June
7. ☀ Summer Solstice – Longest Day of the Year June 21
The most glorious day of the year (weather permitting) is the longest day of the year. The sun rises around 4:42 am and sets around 9.21 pm and while it may fall on a Thursday it means you can catch a bit more sun after or before work and shore up those vitamin D winter reserves for as Jon Snow is so fond of saying “Winter is Coming”. The summer solstice is a special day that marks the sun appearing to travel the longest distance in our sky. Why not join one of the events we are mentioning here below that will be occurring on this day?
6. ? Summer by the River Festival – 1 June until 2 September
The London Bridge City/More London area is a very beautiful part of the river to walk along. It boasts great views of many of the City’s modern architecture that has been married to some buildings like the Tower of London that have stood for almost a thousand years. From here you can capture great views of the bridge many people who are not from London (and some people from London) think is London Bridge. No people, that is not The London Bridge, yes, it is A London bridge, but not The London Bridge. The bridge in question is Tower Bridge which stands over the bridge in majesty. This summer that view will be supplemented by the wonderful Summer River Festival. There will be several rotating street food stalls, many pop up bars and restaurants, lots of live music throughout and big screens to enjoy the summers big sporting events. With the World Cup around the corner and the Rugby Sevens winding up why not see if you can’t catch one of your favourite teams games in the area. You will definitely not regret it! Why not join our Tower Walk FREE Walking Tour which will take you through the heart of the festival?
For more details check out their website:https://londonbridgecity.co.uk/events/2018/june/summer-by-the-river-launch
5. ? Pride in London Festival – 9 June until 7 July
This wonderful festival explores, celebrates and highlights the LGBT+ community in London and is a beacon for people all over the world. There are several different activities to participate in or attend from theatre productions, to concerts, to awareness raising and community events, to health, wellbeing and political seminars all culminating in the fantastic Pride Parade that will be held on the 7th of July. A route map for the parade itself is still in the works but it is usually around the Westminster area and Trafalgar Square. This is a fascinating celebration of humanity and love and is a must see for everyone. Why not join one of our guided tours, Bohemian Soho Free Tour or Royal Westminster Free Tour that are both in the Westminster area.
There are several events at the Pride festival that are located at different locations, but for more information check out their website:https://prideinlondon.org/events
4. ? West End Live – 16 and 17 June
If you are a fan of West End musicals then this will be heaven for you! It is a wonderful event held in Trafalgar Square and is run over 2 afternoons and is full of fun , culture and music! It is essentially a snapshot of over 30 performances that run roughly 5 to 15 minutes each from some of London’s greatest theatre productions. Some of the best picks on offer this year include Disney’s Aladdin, Bat Out of Hell, Kinky Boots, Disney’s Lion King, Mama Mia, The Phantom of The Opera, Les Mis, Wicked and the Tina Turner show among many others. If the West End Theatre scene would be your ideal home then this is weekend was designed for you! Entry is free. Why not join our Royal Westminster Free Tour that run every weekend and ends at Trafalgar Square, the very location of West End Live!
For more info check out their site: https://www.westendlive.co.uk
3. ? Buskers Stage at The South Bank – 16 until 22 June
The South Bank is one of our favourite parts of London, resplendent with some of the best views of the river in London and some of the most beautiful and Iconic buildings along the River. It is a hub of culture with several theatres, galleries and museums along it, not to mention some of the greatest and older pubs in this area of London. There are also many great restaurants and a couple of brilliant food markets in the area. One thing that makes the South Bank so great is the musical culture that is strongly upheld by the many buskers you can find on the South Bank on a daily basis creating great music for people to enjoy as they take in the view. The Buskers Stage event celebrates this iconic part of London’s wonderful South Bank. It is part of Robert Smith’s Meltdown Festival and in it Robert Smith picks the buskers he thinks are London’s best to perform on Level 2 of The Riverside Terrace outside the Royal Festival Hall. Entry to the event is entirely free and it is something not to be missed, especially if you are a fan of music. Why not join one of our London free walking tours, London City of Sin Free Tour or Criminals in London Free Tour that both explore different parts of the area.
2. ? World Naked Bike Ride – 9 June
Haven’t been invited to the Queen’s birthday, perhaps you just don’t fancy cake or like me you won’t be attending because the Queen owes you a fiver, then have no fears, there is an alternative for you! The 9th of June marks the worldwide Naked Bike Riding event. I once had an interesting encounter with the ride some time ago (before I knew that the World Naked Bike Ride was a thing). I was leading a walking tour in Cambridge to a school group that was made up entirely of 15 year old Taiwanese girls from catholic school. I was in the process of pointing out the magnificent architecture of the Backs of King’s College when the students started giggling and screaming! I turned to the direction of their exasperation to find a bevy of naked men and women cycling through Queen’s road. When the students asked what was going on I just said “welcome to England.” The whole ride is, hover, not illegal so feel free to participate and feel the wind on your bits.
The event is perfect for cyclists as one of their aims is to “Obtain Real Rights for cyclists” on the dangerous and chaotic roads of London and the world. One of the central ideas of the event and it’s nakedness is to reflect the vulnerability of cyclists on the world’s many busy roads as well as trying to promote the celebration of body freedom. It is also great for those who are eco friendly as one of the causes they aim to shine a light on is humanity’s dependency on oil. And worry not, should you be concerned about riding a bike through London naked, it is not compulsory for riders to be completely naked. The 6 starting London locations are West Norwood, Kew Bridge, Tower Hill, Regent’s Park, Hyde Park and Clapham Junction.
For more information check out their site: https://wnbr.london
1. ? Zip Now London – 22 May until 9 September
This is something for people with a touch of the dare devil about them. Whizz above London on zip lines that are 225m long, at a height of about 35m and can reach top speeds of about 50 KPH. Admittedly there was that whole gross affair with Boris Johnson zipping over London but we, can say with a high degree of certainty that he won’t be there this time… although, knowing Boris… In any case, don’t let any nightmares of a bogey man deter you from this wonderful opportunity! Located at the Archbishop’s Park in Lambeth, about 10 minutes walk from Waterloo Station and 10 minutes walk from Vauxhall station and also close to Lambeth North underground station, it is a great place to see some wondrous views of London. Included in the views are the iconic Battersea Power Station and magnificent Houses of Parliament. Why not join our Spies & Intrigue in London Tour which ends by Vauxhall where you can take a short 10 to 15 minute walk and indulge the thrill seeker within you!
For more information check out their site: https://zip-now.co
There are several more things to do in June, but if the weather continues as it has been recently, the June looks like a promising month for London. We hope to see you at one of our FREE WALKING TOURS!