The August bank holiday gives London three full days to play with, and the 2026 edition is a big one. From Saturday 29 to Monday 31 August the capital hands its streets over to the 60th anniversary of Notting Hill Carnival, fills Victoria Park and Battersea Park with live music, keeps the Proms running at the Royal Albert Hall and puts a food festival in the grounds of a Tudor palace. Here is our pick of what is on, plus a few practical notes so you spend the weekend enjoying it rather than queuing for the wrong thing.
Notting Hill Carnival turns 60 (29–31 August)
Europe’s biggest street party marks its 60th anniversary this year, and west London will be busier than on any other weekend of 2026. The shape of the event is familiar: Saturday belongs to the steel bands, Sunday is the family and children’s day, and Monday is the main carnival parade with the full sound systems, costumes and floats. Check route maps, road closures and timings on the official site, nhcarnival.org, before you set off.
Practical advice, learned the hard way. Crowds are enormous and mobile signal often fails, so agree a physical meeting point with your group and a time to regroup rather than relying on messages. Public toilets are limited, so note where the official facilities are and use a café or pub before you head into the densest stretches. Wear shoes you can stand in all day, carry water, take some cash as a backup, and travel by tube or on foot — several nearby stations run as exit-only or close entirely at peak times. If you are bringing small children, Sunday is by far the gentler day.
Official info: nhcarnival.org — official route maps, timings and road closures (free event; official site, not an affiliate link).
All Points East, Victoria Park (28–30 August)
East London’s big park festival runs across the bank holiday weekend in Victoria Park, with Tyler, the Creator and Twenty One Pilots among the headline names publicly announced for these dates. Each day is a separate ticket, and the site has the usual mix of stages, bars and street food. Hackney Wick, Mile End and Bethnal Green are the useful stations, and the walk out afterwards is often quicker than the queue for the nearest one. Day tickets sell out unevenly, so if a particular line-up matters to you, book rather than turn up.
Official tickets: allpointseastfestival.com (official festival site, not an affiliate link).
Battersea Park in Concert (28–31 August)
South of the river, Battersea Park hosts four nights of open-air orchestral concerts, and it is probably the most relaxed music option of the weekend — bring a picnic, sit on the grass and let the orchestra do the work. Saturday is a pop night with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. Sunday turns to musicals and movie scores and finishes with fireworks. Monday closes the run with the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra and the Amy Winehouse Band, which is as fitting a send-off to the summer as London offers. Seating types vary by night, so read what your ticket actually includes before you buy.
Official tickets: batterseaparkinconcert.com (official event site, not an affiliate link).
BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall
The Proms carry on through the bank holiday. On Saturday 29 August the Oslo Philharmonic plays a programme of Stravinsky and Prokofiev, and on Sunday 30 August it is Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust — a huge, theatrical piece that suits the hall perfectly. Promming (standing) places are famously good value, from around £8, with seats from about £19, but check the box office for current prices and availability as they vary by concert. Standing tickets are sold on the day and the queue forms early for popular nights.
Official tickets: royalalberthall.com/tickets/proms, full listings at bbc.co.uk/proms (official box office, not affiliate links).
Hampton Court Palace Food Festival (29–31 August)
If you would rather eat than dance, the Hampton Court Palace Food Festival takes over the palace grounds for all three days. Expect producers and street food traders, chef demonstrations, tastings and drinks stalls, with the Tudor palace as the backdrop. It is an easy train from Waterloo to Hampton Court, and the walk from the station is a couple of minutes over the bridge. Going early on Saturday, or on Monday, is usually calmer than the Sunday lunchtime rush.
Official info: Historic Royal Palaces event page (official venue page, not an affiliate link).
Family things to do
Dulwich Picture Gallery holds a family festival on the Sunday, with activities pitched at children and plenty of room in the gardens — a good, low-stress alternative to the carnival crowds. In south London, Costa Del Croydon’s rooftop beach runs until 31 August, with sand, deckchairs and food and drink above the town centre. Both work well as half-day outings you can combine with a park or a picnic.
AEW wrestling at Wembley Stadium (Sunday 30 August)
AEW returns to Wembley Stadium on Sunday 30 August for its annual British stadium show, with Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay among the names on the card. It is a stadium-scale night out and Wembley Park handles the crowds well, but expect slow exits afterwards, so plan your last train with a decent margin.
Official tickets: aewtix.com (AEW official ticketing), with venue details at wembleystadium.com/events (not affiliate links).
Tours and extras if festivals are not your thing
Not everyone wants a field or a crowd. The bank holiday is a good moment for the things Londoners keep meaning to do: a Thames river cruise, a walking tour of the City or Westminster, a day trip out to Windsor, Bath or Stonehenge, or timed entry to the Tower of London and St Paul’s. Booking ahead matters more than usual on a bank holiday, because the popular slots go first and the walk-up queues are long.
Tickets and tours
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Ready to book? These are the two places we would start.
For club nights, live music and one-off parties across the weekend, search Skiddle. For sightseeing, cruises, day trips and attraction entry, see Viator’s London experiences. Whatever you pick, confirm times and ticket details with the organiser before you travel — bank holiday timetables and road closures change plans quickly. Have a great weekend.