Annual Events in London
January
New Year’s Day Parade: A fun and multi-coloured, traditional celebration in the capital welcoming the New Year. This is one of the biggest events in London's calendar, drawing a street audience of close to one million people.
London International Boat Show: Europe’s biggest boat show taking place at Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre
Charles I Commemoration: On the last Sunday in January cavaliers march through Central London dressed in 17th-century attire to commemorate the anniversary of King Charles' execution,
February
Great Spitalfields Pancake Day Race: In commemoration of Shrove Tuesday which proceeds the period of Lent
Chinese New Year: Head to Chinatown in Soho and experience Chinese dragon dancing and feast on dim sum at an authentic eatery.
March
St Patrick’s Day Parade: Colourful floats and marching bands make their way through central London to celebrate all things Irish in one of the capital’s liveliest celebrations.
Mother’s Day: A day dedicated to mothers!
Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race: In late March, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge race their boats along a 7-km stretch of the River Thames, between Putney Bridge and Mortlake
April
Easter: Easter in London promises fun for all the family. One can experience the Easter egg hunt at Kew Gardens, experience the hatching of real eggs and fluffy ducklings at the London Wetland Centre, embark on the rather gruesome Easter head hunt in London Bridge, or simply relax at home over the holiday weekend.
London Marathon: This world famous running event sees thousands of people run 26 kilometres in the name of charity.
May
RHS Chelsea Flower Show: The Chelsea Flower Show is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, The show is one of the most famous flower shows in the world, attracting thousands of visitors from all over the world.
June
Trooping the Colour: To celebrate the Queen’s official birthday, join her as she inspects the colours of her regiments as they parade their colours around Whitehall.
AEGON Championships (Stella Artois Tennis Championship): This male tennis tournament, is held every year in the week after the French Open at Queen’s Club in West London. Outside Wimbledon, this is the grass-court tournament with the largest draw size. This precedent to Wimbledon, and has been dominated by Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic in recent years.
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition: Running from June to August, the Summer Exhibition is the largest and most popular open exhibition in the United Kingdom. Each year, around 1,000 works are selected for the exhibition from about 10,000 entries. Nearly all the works are available for purchase.
Kenwood Lakeside Concerts: Bring a picnic, hire a deck chair and head to Kenwood House in Hampstead and enjoy an outdoor classical music concert and a firework display or two on a warm London summer evening.
Father’s Day: A day to celebrate fathers!
July
Wimbledon: Head to South West London and experience some world- class tennis at the most famous championship of all.
BBC Proms: This eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events take place predominantly at the Royal Albert Hall. Each season consists of more than 70 concerts in the Albert Hall, a series of chamber concerts at Cadogan Hall, and additional concerts in outside spaces.
RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show: The flower show at Henry VIII’s former residence is the largest annual garden and flower show in the world. The showground covers 33 acres.
Opera @ Holland Park: The park, well known for its peacocks and Kyoto Garden, puts on a season of operas in the open air
Summer sales
August
Summer opening of Buckingham Palace: Head to Buckingham Palace and get a glimpse of the State Rooms which are opened for the public during the summer months
Notting Hill Carnival: Flocking to the streets Notting Hill to experience the bright and colourful costumes, impressive floats, and loud music to celebrate all things Caribbean in Europe’s biggest and most popular street festival.
September
The Mayor's Thames Festival: The Mayor’s festival is a free celebration of all things London. It features arts events, theatre, circus and fireworks.
Open House London: For one weekend in September, over 700 buildings from all walks of life, usually closed to the public, open their doors. Highlights include government buildings, national landmarks and a specialized tour of the Bank of England
October
Turner Prize exhibition at the Tate Britain: The Turner Prize is awarded to a British artist under 50, for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work. This exhibition shows work of the shortlisted artists.
Trafalgar Day Parade: Parade and service at Trafalgar Square to commemorate the anniversary of Lord Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Halloween: Themed events take place all over the city in celebration of all things scary.
November
Fireworks /Guy Fawkes Night: Head to one of many London locations to watch the wonderful firework displays in commemoration of the day when Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up Parliament in 1604. Popular venues include
- Primrose Hill
- Ravenscourt Park
- Victoria Park
- Clapham Common
- AEGON Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall
December
Ice Skating: In the spirit of winter and Christmas, pop up ice rinks open all over the city. Notable venues include:
- Natural History Museum
- Kew Gardens
- Hyde Park
- Somerset House
- Tower of London
- Hampstead Heath
Christmas in London: Christmas in London is taken very seriously and naturally, there are a plethora of things to do. Activities might include:
- Carol singing under the huge Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square
- Shopping under the Christmas light on Oxford Street and Regent Street
- Visiting Santa’s Grotto in Harrods, Selfridges or Westfield White City
- Going to see a pantomime
- Visiting a traditional German Christmas market
- Post- Christmas sales
New Years in London: New Year celebrations take place all over the city with a huge firework display around the Thames to bring in the New Year.