July in London 2013

 
 
 
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Boston Ballet, London Coliseum

Boston Ballet in Polyphonia

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Boston Ballet, London Coliseum
Boston Ballet, London Coliseum
Henley Royal Regatta
Wimbledon Ladies' Singles Final
Jose Chavez Morado, 'Carnaval en Huejotzingo' (Carnival in Huejotzingo), 1939
Wimbledon Men's Singles Final
RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
The British 10K London Run
Opera Holland Park: L'Elisir d'Amore
The Ashes Urn (c) MCC & David Hares
Film still from 'Gandu'
The Chap Olympiad
Lambeth Country Show
Carlos Acosta, London Coliseum
Dance Al Fresco
A Season in the Congo
Cecil Beaton- Queen Elizabeth II in Coronation Robes, June 1953, Courtesy of V & A Museum
Indian Tempest
Horrible Histories: Spies and Secret War at the Imperial War Museum
London Anniversary Games, Olympic Stadium
Richard Rogers, Royal Academy of Arts
The Rolling Stones, Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park
Elton John, Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park
Elvis Costello, Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park
Wireless Festival
Open East Festival: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (Artist's impression)
Feast
Paul Weller, Kew the Music
Open East Festival: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Horrible Histories: Spies
Architecture Of War, Imperial War Museum
The Future Is Here, Design Museum
The Future Is Here, Design Museum
Lovebox
The Queen's Coronation 1953, Buckingham Palace
Henry VI: Three Plays, Shakespeare's Globe
Henry VI: Three Plays, Shakespeare's Globe
Lianne La Havas, Somerset House Summer Series
Glorious Goodwood
Jockum Nordström, Camden Arts Centre
Emma Hart: Dirty Looks, Camden Arts Centre
The Color Purple, Menier Chocolate Factory
Omer Fast: 5000 Feet is the Best, Imperial War Museum
Laura Knight Portraits, National Portrait Gallery
Tiesto, Electric Daisy Carnival London
La Rondine, Royal Opera House
Festival of British Archaeology
Traditional Crafts Weekend, London Wetland Centre
The Grandfathers, The Shed, National Theatre
The Hush, The Shed, National Theatre
The Paper Architect
Rushes Soho Shorts Festival
Rushes Soho Shorts Festival
Rushes Soho Shorts Festival
International Garden Photographer of the Year, Bankside Gallery
International Garden Photographer of the Year, Bankside Gallery
ElBulli: Ferran Adria and The Art Of Food
Miles Aldridge: I Only Want You To Love Me
Trafalgar Square: Katharina Fritsch: Hahn/Cock from 27th July 2013
The Bolshoi Ballet: 50th Anniversary Season
Circle Mirror Transformation
Go Local: McFly
The Tour de France Fan Park
Cirque du Soleil: Alegria, The O2
The Sound of Music, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Bush Theatre
 

© Gene Schiavone

The Coronation Festival celebrates 60 years since the Queen was crowned and the first stage of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park opens this month. July also sees the return of the patriotic BBC Proms with a focus on British composer Benjamin Britten. And the Wimbledon winner will be revealed as the tennis championship draws to a close.

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Boston Ballet: 50th Anniversary Season

The American dance company present two programmes to celebrate their anniversary.

London Coliseum - English National Opera (ENO), St Martin's Lane, Covent Garden, London, WC2N 4ES

Tube: Charing Cross Station , Leicester Square Station, Covent Garden Station, Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 03rd - 07th July 2013

 

The Boston Ballet returns to London for the first time in 30 years, appearing for a six performance debut at the Coliseum as part of a tour celebrating the ballet's 50th anniversary season. The American dance company, led by artistic director Mikko Nissinen, presents two programmes between 3rd and 7th July with a mix of classical ballet, neo-classical dance and cutting edge contemporary dance representing the company's diverse range. Programme 1 features Vaslav Nijinsky's 'Afternoon of a Faun', George Balanchine's 'Serenade' and 'Symphony in Three Movements' and resident choreographer Jorma Elo's 'Plan to B'. Programme 2, available for two nights only, includes 'Bella Figura', one of Jiri Kylian's most famous ballets which sets contemporary dance to a slow, hypnotic score of Baroque music.

 
 
 

Henley Royal Regatta

The historic sporting event returns to the quaint riverside village.

Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, London, RG9 2AQ

Tube: Amersham Station

 

Dates: 01st - 05th July 2015

 

The Henley Regatta is a historic occasion, set in a riverside village that has hardly changed in the last two centuries and bringing some serious competition to the water in one of Britain's most famous summer sporting events. It has been running since 1839, and has grown from a local event into one of the biggest meetings in rowing, attracting crews of international quality to an array of Challenge Trophies. The draw is still conducted on a knock-out basis with only two boats racing in each heat. Nineteen events take place over the five days including six classes of races for Eights and aces for Coxless Pairs and Double Sculls. But this is just as much a social event, with thousands gathering to eat picnics and drink Pimm's aplenty by the waterside. Expect lots of Tim Nice But Dims as the English upper class and middle classes descend in their hordes.

 
 
 

Feast

The street food festival comes to Brick Lane Yard for its fourth installment.

Brick Lane Yard, Buxton Street Gate, Shoreditch, London, E1 5ER

Tube: Aldgate East Station

 

Dates: 04th - 07th July 2013

 

In the past, they've taken over a sorting office in Islington and a warehouse once used to store tobacco but now the guys behind Feast are bringing their four-day food festival to Brick Lane Yard. Bringing some of London's best chefs, restaurants and market stalls to unusual places, Feast is more than just a food festival (it's been dubbed "Glastonbury for foodies" by future space magazine), there's music from new bands and DJs as well as art installations; truly a feast for all the senses. Run by the team behind the hugely successful Long Table, Feast brings together a mouth-watering selection of well-established eateries, market stalls and burger vans like Patty and Bun, Spuntino, Flat Iron and The Meringue Girls. Book tickets online at www.wefeast.co.uk, where you can view the full list of participants.

 
 
 

Wimbledon Ladies' Singles Final

The women's tournament comes to a close.

Wimbledon: The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Church Road, London, SW19 5AE

Tube: Wimbledon Park Station

 

Dates: 14th - 15th July 2018

 

Serena Williams still has a long way to go if she wants to equal Martina Navratilova's nine Wimbledon wins – but it will be six for the American defending champion if she prevails in July.

 
 
 

Wimbledon Men's Singles Final

The tournament comes to a close with what's likely to be a nail biting match.

Wimbledon: The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Church Road, London, SW19 5AE

Tube: Wimbledon Park Station

 

Dates: 14th - 15th July 2018

 

Could this be the year that Andy Murray finally wins Wimbledon? The Scot came agonisingly close last year but lost to the record-equalling Roger Federer. But with his Grand Slam luck now broken, Murray could well shine on Centre Court this July.

 
 
 
 

Mumford & Sons

The Grammy award-winning band play the Olympic Park in July.

The O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0BB

Tube: North Greenwich Station

 

Dates: 09th - 10th December 2015

 

The multi-platinum selling London-based indie-folk outfit led by singer Marcus Mumford, Mumford & Sons, plays its hits to 45,000 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London on Saturday 6th July 2013. Vampire Weekend, Ben Howard, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and Haim are also on the line-up which has been chosen by Mumford & Sons. The event is in addition to their Glastonbury appearance in June where they're co-headlining the legendary Somerset festival with the Rolling Stones, and their Gentleman of the Road festival in July in Lewes, East Sussex, before their Summer Stampede tour heads to America.

 
 
 

La Rondine

Puccini's Paris based love story returns to the stage.

Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD

Tube: Covent Garden Station , Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 05th - 21st July 2013

 

Puccini's passionate story of Magda, who falls in love with handsome newcomer Ruggero, is set in 1920s Paris in Nicolas Joël's production of Puccini's tender opera at the Royal Opera House. There's a quiet sadness to the opera's exquisite melodies as our heroine knows she can never be with her younger, naive lover because she is indebted to her elderly romancer Rambaldo. Can't afford tickets to the opera? Just want to sample some of it? Turn up at Trafalgar Square at 7.30pm on Thursday 11th July and you can also see La Rondine live and for free on the big screen as part of the Royal Opera House BP Big Screens where Alan Titchmarsh is the special guest presenter. The outdoor series concludes this month with Tosca, screened live from the Royal Opera House to the screen in the square on Thursday 18th July.

 
 
 

A Season in the Congo

The second of British director Joe Wright's plays to be staged this year.

The Young Vic, 66 The Cut, South Bank, London, SE1 8LZ

Tube: Southwark Station , Waterloo Station, Lambeth North Station

 

Dates: 06th July - 24th August 2013

 

Not one to do things by halves, British director Joe Wright is following his theatre directing debut in February - 'Trelawny of the Wells' at the Donmar Warehouse - with yet another theatre project this July. Best known for 'Anna Karenina', 'Atonement', 'Pride and Prejudice' and the Brad Pitt 'Chanel No. 5' adverts, Wright admits that these new projects are about as far away from his usual works as you can get: "I'm terrified. And that is another very good reason to do it". 'A Season in the Congo' tells the true story of the 1960 rebellion against Belgian rule and the fall of legendary leader Patrice Lumumba. With the play featuring about 50 characters, it is an ambitious project that Wright intends to portray with the use of only eight actors, three dancers and some musicians.

 
 
 

Mexico: A Revolution in Art, 1910-1940

The Sackler Wing hosts an exhibition that focuses on a period of profound political change.

Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Mayfair, London, W1J 0BD

Tube: Green Park Station , Piccadilly Circus Station

 

Dates: 06th July - 29th September 2013

 

In Mexico, the years between 1910 and 1920 ushered in a period of profound political change in which the arts were placed centre stage. That's the premise behind 'Mexico: A Revolution in Art, 1910-1940', an exhibition in the Sackler Wing of the Royal Academy of Arts which examines the thirty year period. The exhibition places works by national artists, such as the 'three greats' of Mexican art, Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros, alongside those of international artists affected by their experiences in Mexico. German-born artist Josef Albers is one such who, with his wife, wrote to Wassily Kandinsky in 1936 saying, "Mexico is truly the promised land for abstract art".

 
 
 

International Garden Photographer of the Year

The best garden, nature and outdoor photography from around the world.

Kew Gardens (Royal Botanic Gardens), Kew, Richmond, Bankside, London, TW9 3AB

Tube: Kew Gardens Station

 

Dates: 15th February - 13th March 2014

 

Hosted at a central London location, at the Bankside Gallery, for the first time, this exhibition gives visitors the chance to see the winning and finalist's images from the International Garden Photographer of the Year competition. Displaying the best garden, nature and outdoor photography from around the world, the images will offer an insight into the world of plants, gardens, landscapes, nature and the photographer's perception of this beautiful world. The exhibition will also take place in its usual home at Kew Gardens in the Nash Conservatory later in the year, in October 2013.

 
 
 
 

From Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 80s

Step back in time into a world of stone washed jeans and puffball skirts.

Victoria and Albert (V & A) Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2RL

Tube: South Kensington Station

 

Dates: 10th July - 16th February 2014

 

Stone washed jeans, bat wings, puffball skirts, if you're old enough to remember these 'fashions' then From Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 80s is for you. The Victoria & Albert Museum takes a step back in time to Thatcher's England when designers like Betty Jackson, John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood ruled the catwalks. In those days it was a short hop from couture to club wear as fashion magazines like i-D and Blitz promoted the trend for theatrical dressing.

 
 
 

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Specialists nurseries display their beautiful and complex works.

 

Henry VIII built one of the finest gardens in the world at Hampton Court Palace, so it is only fitting that the world's largest horticultural show should take place there. The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show includes displays from over 150 specialist nurseries. Some are beautiful, complex works of living art, filled with rare blooms and water features. However, many are on a smaller scale, and should give you ideas for improving your own garden. While show gardens compete for the RHS medals, the rose marquee is Britain's largest annual display of roses in full bloom; the sweet scent is overwhelming. The event opens with a special preview evening complete with fireworks and at the end of the show, on the final afternoon, many of the exhibitors sell off their plants at bargain prices - you can bet the gardening gloves come off for this free-for-all.

 
 
 

Kew the Music

The six day festival invites Blondie, Paul Weller and Jools Holland to perform.

Kew Gardens (Royal Botanic Gardens), Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AB

Tube: Kew Gardens Station

 

Dates: 10th - 15th July 2018

 

Blondie, Paul Weller and Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra are on the 'Kew the Music' line-up when it returns in July 2013. The six day festival offers a series of outdoor picnic concerts set against the backdrop of the Victorian Temperate House at Kew Gardens. In previous years these concerts have proved to be a great success with the likes of Status Quo, James Morrison and Gipsy Kings playing. For the ultimate package there is also the option to become a VIP for the evening with picnic hampers, a BBQ at the Pavilion Restaurant and reserved seating. For more events like this see the LondonTown.com feature on Summer Music Festivals.

 
 
 

British Summer Time Hyde Park

Bon Jovi, The Rolling Stones, Elton John and Jennifer Lopez play live in Hyde Park.

Hyde Park, Rangers Lodge, Hyde Park, London, W2 2UH

Tube: Knightsbridge Station

 

Dates: 03rd - 12th July 2020

 

A new event for London, Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park for the first time this summer, from Friday 5th July to Sunday 14th July 2013, with well known acts like Bon Jovi, The Rolling Stones, Elton John and Jennifer Lopez playing live in Hyde Park over two weekends. From Monday to Thursday there will be a more intimate midweek programme of entertainment including film, music, literature and sport. The music begins on Friday 5th July with Bon Jovi headlining followed by The Rolling Stones on Saturday 6th July and Saturday 13th July. Added to these headliners are top class support acts performing across 4 different stages including Kaiser Chiefs, The Vaccines, Palma Violets, Bush, Tribes, Jake Bugg and Tom Odell. Across Hyde Park there will be four themed zones, each with its own installations and entertainment including restaurants, salons, pubs, cocktail bars, cafes, bistros and food stalls. A top class mini festival without leaving central London.

 
 
 

The Color Purple

The Menier Chocolate Factory looks to have another musical hit on its hands.

Menier Chocolate Factory, 53 Southwark Street, Bankside, London, SE1 1RU

Tube: Borough Station

 

Dates: 05th July - 14th September 2013

 

The Menier Chocolate Factory's reputation for staging excellent musical dramas continues with the European premiere of The Color Purple which opens at the Southwark venue on Friday 5th July 2013. John Doyle, who previously worked with the venue on the Stephen Sondheim musical Road Show, directs this musical drama of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize winning novel. The drama tells the story of a young girl Celie and her journey from childhood, despair and horror to find enduring love. With music and lyrics by Grammy award winners Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, this adaption by Pulitzer Prize and Tony award winner Marsha Norman has all the right ingredients to give the Menier another hit.

 
 
 
 

Circle Mirror Transformation

Imelda Staunton stars in this Royal Court backed production at the Rose Lipman building.

The Rose Lipman Building, 43 De Beauvoir Road, Islington, London, N1 5SQ

Tube: Old Street Station

 

Dates: 05th July - 03rd August 2013

 

Imelda Staunton stars in Circle Mirror Transformation, Annie Baker's play which won the 2010 Obie Award for Best New Play and was voted one of the top ten plays of 2009 by the New York Times, Time Out and the New Yorker. Performaning at the Rose Lipman building, Haggerston, this Royal Court backed production features five people - including actors Toby Jones, and Danny Webb - who come together in a community centre class trying to find some meaning to their lives, and finding over the next six weeks, their lives become increasingly knotted together. James Macdonald, who last directed Imelda Staunton in A Delicate Balance at the Almeida, directs.

 
 
 

FreshFaced&WildEyed

Shortlisted works by recent graduates, displayed at the Photographers' Gallery.

Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, Soho, London, W1F 7LW

Tube: Oxford Circus Station

 

Dates: 09th - 21st July 2013

 

Twenty-two recent graduates have been selected from over 300 applicants for FreshFaced WildEyed, the annual competition and exhibition of photography by recent graduates at the Photographers' Gallery. Taking place each year since 2008, FreshFaced WildEyed showcases the work of around photographers who have recently completed BA and MA courses across the UK. This year's panel of judges included Eileen Perrier, Zoe Pilger - art critic for The Independent, Niru Ratnam and Brett Rogers, director of The Photographers' Gallery, who said, "The judges were overwhelmed with the exceptional range of work presented".

 
 
 

The Grandfathers

We follow eight young lads from training camp to the battlefields.

National Theatre, South Bank, South Bank, South Bank, London, SE1 9PX

Tube: Temple Station , Waterloo Station

 

Dates: 09th - 13th July 2013

 

Rory Mullarkey's drama, The Grandfathers, follows eight young lads into the battlefields of an unknown conflict. First seen in NT Connections 2012, this theatrical event which explores conscription into the armed forces is a Bristol Old Vic Young Company production created with St Brendan's Sixth Form College and returns to the National Theatre in July 2013, staged at The Shed for six performances only.

 
 
 

The Paper Architect

The tale of a lonely man told through intricate paper models, part of the Beyond Barbican season

Leytonstone Library, 6 Church Lane, London, E11 1HG

Tube: Leytonstone Station

 

Dates: 03rd - 21st July 2013

 

The Paper Architect tells the tale of a lonely man who longs for a life he never led. Created by Davy & Kristin McGuire, the winners of this year's Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust, this cross-genre craft and video projection bonanza brings to life the wistful desires of the lonely man. Secluded in his workshop, he builds intricate paper models that become vessels for his eccentric dreams and melancholic memories. The Paper Architect takes part on the corner of Leytonstone Library in east London. It is is part of the Beyond Barbican season - an exciting programme of events taking place outside the walls of the famous arts centre that includes pop-ups, commissions and collaborations across east London. For more information please visit www.barbican.org.uk/beyondbarbican.

 
 
 

The Press Photographer's Year

Free exhibition of 130 thought-provoking images which represent the best press photography of 2013.

National Theatre: Lyttelton Theatre, South Bank, South Bank, London, SE1 9PX

Tube: Temple Station , Waterloo Station

 

Dates: 08th July - 31st August 2013

 

The Press Photographer's Year returns to the National Theatre's Lyttelton Foyer on Monday 8th July 2013 exhibiting a selection of thought-provoking images which represent the best press photography of 2013. An edit of 130 or so photographs from a total of over 7,000 submitted have been picked out by the judges to arrive at the 'finalists' in each of the 16 categories. A short program of events, also held at the National Theatre, give the public an opportunity to hear directly from photographers about their work.

 
 
 
 

ElBulli: Ferran Adria and The Art Of Food

Chef Ferran Adria and his renowned restaurant elBulli are at Somerset House this summer.

Somerset House, Strand, Covent Garden, London, WC2R 1LA

Tube: Temple Station

 

Dates: 05th July - 29th September 2013

 

Get an insight into the workings of the influential Catalan-Spanish chef Ferran Adria and his renowned restaurant elBulli at Embankment Galleries West, Somerset House, from 5th July 2013. With Ferran Adria and The Art of Food the chef - whose influence in the UK has been most directly seen in Heston Blumenthal's cooking - invites visitors to take a behind-the-scenes look at his unique and legendary laboratory and kitchen which closed in 2011, having delighted diners for over 50 years. The multimedia display includes handwritten notes, plasticine models, menus, cutlery and archive footage of the chefs and clientele at elBulli. The London show could well be a taster of what is next for elBulli - Adria intends to reopen in 2015 with a foundation to safeguard the legacy of the restaurant and to provide research material for chefs around the world. In addition to the exhibition, which continues until 29th September 2013, there's the chance to meet the man himself at 'An Audience with Ferran Adria' on Friday 5th July 2013.

 
 
 

Miles Aldridge: I Only Want You To Love Me

Somerset House hosts a major retrospective of the London born photographer.

Somerset House, Strand, Covent Garden, London, WC2R 1LA

Tube: Temple Station

 

Dates: 10th July - 29th September 2013

 

Women and colour, Miles Aldridge's twin obsessions, feature heavily in a major retrospective of photographic prints by the London born photographer who studied illustration at Central St Martins, and briefly directed music videos before becoming a fashion photographer in the mid-90s. The exhibition at Somerset House coincides with the publication of the book, I Only Want You to Love Me, accompanied by storyboards, drawings, Polaroids and magazines.

 
 
 

Daytona

Maureen Lipman stars in this ballroom drama at the Park Theatre.

Theatre Royal Haymarket, 18 Suffolk Street, Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4HT

Tube: Piccadilly Circus Station , Leicester Square Station, Charing Cross Station

 

Dates: 28th June - 28th August 2014

 

Maureen Lipman stars alongside American actor and the voice of over 30 Simpsons characters, Harry Shearer, as a couple who share a love for ballroom dancing in Oliver Cotton's Daytona at the Park Theatre, north London's brand new local theatre. Ellie (Lipman) and Joe (Shearer) are determined to win the next competition. Unexpectedly, Joe's brother (played by John Bowe) arrives after a 30-year absence and the husband and wife dance partners are forced into confronting a moral dilemma.

 
 
 

Somerset House Summer Series

The courtyard is taken over by some of the best current live acts.

Somerset House, Strand, Covent Garden, London, WC2R 1LA

Tube: Temple Station

 

Dates: 09th - 19th July 2020

 

Lianne La Havas, Of Monsters and Men, Goldfrapp, and Basement Jaxx are just some of the live acts dropping into the central courtyard of Somerset House for this year's Summer Series. It's an idyllic, intimate, calming, escapist location for a concert on a summer's evening and as a breeze drifts in off the Thames you'll forget the city bustle outside and tune into some great music, surrounded by one of eighteenth century London's most spectacular buildings. South Londoner Alex Clare kicks the Summer Series off on Thursday 11th July while electronic dance music duo Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe, aka Basement Jaxx (who also hail from south London), play the closing party on Sunday 21st July 2013. For detailed information on this year's festival go to our Somerset House Summer Series feature.

 
 
 

Laura Knight Portraits

A temporary exhibition that draws on Knight's two autobiographies.

National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE

Tube: Leicester Square Station , Charing Cross Station, Piccadilly Circus Station, Embankment Underground Station, Covent Garden Station

 

Dates: 11th July - 20th October 2013

 

English impressionist Dame Laura Knight, known for her paintings of the London ballet and theatre scene, was the first woman to be given a retrospective at the Royal Academy with her 1965 exhibition. The artist who was an official war artist in the Second World War, and who recorded the Nuremberg Trials, is the subject of a temporary exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery which draws on Knight's own writing in two autobiographies to give an insight into her life and art.

 
 
 
 

The Coronation Festival 2013

The Queen's 60th anniversary is celebrated with a four day festival.

Buckingham Palace , Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1A 1AA

Tube: Victoria Station

 

Dates: 11th - 14th July 2013

 

A unique and special way to mark 60 years since the Queen came to the throne, the Coronation Festival is a four-day celebratory event showing the work of Royal Warrant holders. Over 200 companies who hold the Royal Warrant will be showcasing their crafts, industries, designs and innovations in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. Over the festival period, there will also be three evening Gala performances showcasing British performing art talent in a celebration of music and dance over the past 60 years. Katherine Jenkins, Russell Watson, Katie Melua, Laura Wright and rock band The Feeling top the festival's evening music programme which will also feature performances by the National Youth Orchestra, English National Ballet - including its artistic director Tamara Rojo - and Matthew Bourne's New Adventures. The evening opens with a fanfare of trumpets followed by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa singing the national anthem. The night ends with Russell Watson and Katherine Jenkins joined by Only Boys Aloud for what will undoubtedly be a rousing finale to a series of very special nights.

 
 
 

The BBC Proms 2013

This year's season focuses on composer Benjamin Britten in honour of his centenary.

Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AP

Tube: South Kensington Station

 

Dates: 17th July - 12th September 2020

 

The centenary of the birth of Benjamin Britten, one of the greatest ever British composers, will be the main focal point of The BBC Proms in 2013. Held yearly at the Royal Albert Hall, the Proms is arguably the most popular season of classical music the world over, featuring a varied but accessible programme of 100 concerts, concluding on the fabled last night where seas of Union flag-waving Brits belt out classics such as Jerusalem and the national anthem. The aim, for the past 100 years, has been to mix the popular and familiar with the surprising and innovative, so if you go to a concert to hear some favourite piece, you may leave having discovered a whole new composer (recent years have even included Doctor Who- and Wallace & Gromit-themed Proms). Between 500 and 1,400 standing tickets are available for each Prom on the door for just five pounds, so top international orchestras and soloists, programmes that mix the adventurous and the accessible, and a real sense of fun can all be had for half the price of a central London cinema ticket. There are also chamber music concerts and Saturday matinees in nearby Cadogan Hall and outdoor events throughout the country. The world-famous Last Night of the Proms brings everything to a thrilling finale - and tickets are like gold dust. Alternatively, join Terry Wogan and thousands of revellers in the annual Proms In The Park closing party in Hyde Park. See our full feature for highlights of The Proms.

 
 
 

Wireless Festival

Justin Timberlake and Jay Z headline the festival which moves to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Finsbury Park, Endymion Road, London, N4 1EE

Tube: Manor House Station

 

Dates: 04th - 06th July 2014

 

Celebrating its ninth consecutive year, the Wireless Festival moves from Hyde Park to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in July 2013 where the three day music festival will be held on the site once occupied by the Olympic hockey arena. Following his recent comeback, superstar Justin Timberlake will be joined by Jay Z to headline this year's festival. Timberlake will take to the stage on the Friday, when he will be joined by the likes of Snoop Dogg, Trey Songz, John Legend and Brit Award 2013 winner Frank Ocean, who will be making his Wireless debut. The Saturday will see Jay Z take to the stage, plus Emeli Sande, Rita Ora, Kendrick Lamar Miguel and special guest Calvin Harris. The Sunday will see the two headliners perform together as the 'Legends of the Summer', along with further acts A$AP Rocky, NAS, Porter Robinson and WILL.I.AM. Wireless has firmly established itself as one of London's major large scale live music events, attracting crowds of over 20,000 for each of the three days. The festival will be one of the first events to take place at the newly re-launched Olympic Park, which officially reopens on 27th July 2013 with a weekend of gigs to celebrate the first anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

 
 
 

Josephine & I

Mamma Mia! director Phyllida Lloyd directs Cush Jumbo's debut play, at the Bush Theatre.

Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, London, W12 8LJ

Tube: Shepherd's Bush Market Station (Hammersmith and City Line) , Goldhawk Road Station, Shepherd's Bush Station (Central)

 

Dates: 12th July - 17th August 2013

 

Olivier nominated actress Cush Jumbo stars in her debut play, Josephine and I, which is performed cabaret style at the Bush Theatre with live music and dance bringing the story of the 1920s performer and political activist, Josephine Baker to life. Jumbo is reunited with Phyllida Lloyd (The Iron Lady, Mamma Mia! on stage and on screen) who directed the all-female Julius Caesar at the Donmar Warehouse, in which the actress played Mark Antony. The play intertwines the story of a contemporary girl with that of Josephine Baker. Running time has been extended to 17th August before the play even opens due to demand for tickets, with extra Wednesday matinees added on 24th July, 7th and 14th August.

 
 
 

Osterley Weekend

A village fete complete with a fun fair, mini farm, archery, dance and music.

Osterley Park and House, Jersey Road, Isleworth, Middlesex, London, TW7 4RB

Tube: Osterley Station

 

Dates: 13th - 14th July 2013

 

Billed as a 21st century village fete in the city, the annual Osterley Weekend brings the grounds of the magnificent redbrick Tudor masterpiece Osterley House to life with a range of activities including a fun fair, mini farm, archery, dance and music workshops, family fun and a range of food and drink stalls.

 
 
 
 

Festival of British Archaeology

A nationwide festival to educate on local heritage and archaeology.

Museum of London, 150 Wall, City, London, EC2Y 5HN

Tube: Barbican Station , St. Paul's Station

 

Dates: 13th - 28th July 2013

 

Get to grips with London's local heritage and see archaeology in action at the Festival of British Archaeology, a nationwide festival which includes special events taking place all over London. With excavation open days, behind-the-scenes tours, workshops, guided walks, talks and family fun days, there will be something for everyone. Highlights include The Rose Revealed, a look at detailed plans to dig, conserve and display artefacts from London's most important Elizabethan theatre; a session on 'Londinium: the Roman city' in the Crypt Museum of All Hallows by the Tower which includes a visit to the Amphitheatre remains under Guildhall Art Gallery; and free, fun family events at UCL Institute of Archaeology including behind the scenes tours, art activities and artefact handling. Added to these are talks at the British Museum, activities at Eltham Palace and excavating Richmond, organised by the Museum of Richmond. Digging up the past, the Festival of British Archaeology promises to reveal there's more under your feet than mere concrete and soil.

 
 
 

The Chap Olympiad

Sporting ineptitude, buffoonery and Pimm's by the bucket load.

Bedford Square Gardens, Bedford Square, Bloomsbury, London, WC1B 5BL

Tube: Russell Square Station , Holborn Station

 

Dates: 14th July 2018

 

Not so much a sporting occasion as a celebration of buffoonery and sporting ineptitude, orchestrated by The Chap magazine, for gentlemen (and gentlewomen) of good taste, 'The Chap Olympiad' is a spiffing non-sporting event. Bedford Square Gardens, centred on one of the best preserved set pieces of Georgian architecture in London, is a fitting backdrop for such a distinguished gathering. All events can all be entered by members of the public - as long as they're not sporting sportswear. Zany showdowns include 'Umbrella Jousting', using bicycles and brollies instead of horses and lances, and the 'Tug of Hair' in which the rope is substituted with a lengthy handlebar moustache. Yikes! Good old fashioned fun for tweed loving chaps and chapettes - and if a second day like last year's is confirmed, the Olympiad will run over a full weekend with banjos, boaters and Pimm's by the bucket load.

 
 
 

Dance Al Fresco

Regent's Park hosts amateur dance classes and professional shows.

Regent's Park, Inner Circle, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4NR

Tube: Regent's Park Station

 

Dates: 13th - 14th July 2013

 

Dancers leave behind the safety of the ballroom and take their moves outdoors as 'Dance Al Fresco' returns to London's Regent's Park. Since making its debut back in 1998 with an emotionally charged open air Argentine Tango, 'Dance Al Fresco' has become a much loved summer highlight, capturing the minds of picnickers and dog-walkers alike with a great line-up of professional dancers, including, in the past, 'Strictly Come Dancing''s Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace. The shows are free for spectators, but if you're after a bit more excitement then get your dancing shoes on and join in with one of the ticketed dance classes: all proceeds go towards tree planting in the park. If you wish to be sure if an event is taking place, you may call the organiser on 07970 599445.

 
 
 

Gabriel

Alison Balsom, one of the world's leading trumpet players, appears at Shakepeare's Globe.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, Bankside, London, SE1 9DT

Tube: Mansion House Station

 

Dates: 13th July - 18th August 2013

 

Acclaimed English trumpet soloist Alison Balsom stars in Gabriel - an unprecedented musical and theatrical event created by the award-winning writer Samuel Adamson. Music by Purcell and Handel accompanies this exploration of the notion that the natural (valveless) trumpet was the supreme musical instrument of the Restoration. A combination of real and imagined characters including Mary II, Queen Anne and the protagonists of the teeming musical scene of the late 17th century London are brought to life on the famous Globe stage in what promises to be a glorious pageant of the Baroque period.

 
 
 

The British 10K London Run

Thousands of participants and some celebrities run through central London for this giant fundraiser.

Hyde Park Corner Tube, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, London, SW1X 7TA

Tube: Hyde Park Corner Station

 

Dates: 15th July 2018

 

Now in its thirteenth year, this huge annual fundraiser – which is expected to attract 30,000 runners - has made the second Sunday in July all its own. Starting at Hyde Park Corner the course heads down Piccadilly and Pall Mall to Trafalgar Square, along the Embankment to the City, taking in St Paul's and Tower Bridge, and finally back to Whitehall, looping past the London Eye on the way. The runners are joined by a bunch of celebrities and athletics champions; a number of Olympic Ambassadors took part in the 2012 race while Paula Radcliffe and Mo Farah helped bring the cheers with inspirational film footage.

 
 
 
 

Bastille Day Festival

Free festival on London's Bankside to celebrate France's national day.

Borough Market, Southwark Street, Bankside, London, SE1 1TL

Tube: London Bridge Station , Borough Station

 

Dates: 10th July 2016

 

On Sunday 14th July, Bastille Day, London's Bankside celebrates France's national day with a free festival at Borough Market and the surrounding streets. The Bastille Day Festival, a celebration of all things French, gives us Londoners an excuse to enjoy the culinary heritage of our French friends (yum) through tastings and a French themed demonstration kitchen. A fun filled programme of activities includes street entertainment, a traditional 14th July Waiters' Race, Petanque, an artisan craft market selling gifts and books, creative workshops, party games, bi-lingual story telling, face painting and (back to what the French do best) gastronomic film screenings, from the Kings of Pastry to Ratatouielle. The party continues into the night with live music, DJs, theatricalities, dancing and singing until 10pm. For more French themed events, see our full feature on Bastille Day in London.

 
 
 

The Tour de France Fan Park

All the Alpine stages from the Tour on a big screen in Canary Wharf, from 15th to 21st July.

Wood Wharf, Canary Wharf, Tower Hamlets, London, E14 9SB

Tube: Canary Wharf Station

 

Dates: 15th - 21st July 2013

 

Cycling fans, direct your two wheels to Canary Wharf from 15th to 21st July when the Tour de France Fan Park sets up a cycling themed 'village' in Wood Wharf with all the Tour de France cycling action played out on the big screen. Watch the Alpine stages of the race - with live broadcasts starting at 2pm and evening higlights from 7pm - see cycling demonstrations, take part in interactive cycling activities, browse the cycling stalls and stands selling French regional produce, or just relax at the cafes and bars while enjoying the atmosphere, entirely free of charge. With British cycling legends and well known sports stars scheduled to drop by, the Fan Park is the perfect place for cycling supporters to escape the office and watch the tour with a beer. The village will stay open later on the evening of 21st July when the race finishes on the Champs-Elysees. Who knows, if we cheer loud enough, we may even get to celebrate the performances of the British contingent.

 
 
 

Opera Holland Park: L'Elisir d'Amore

Gaetano Donizetti's work forms part of the 2013 Opera Holland Park season.

Holland Park Theatre, Holland Park, Holland Park, London, W8 6LU

Tube: Kensington (Olympia) Station

 

Dates: 16th July - 03rd August 2013

 

'L'Elisir d'Amore' ('The Elixir of Love') by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti is part of the 2013 Opera Holland Park season which includes a double bill of 'Cavalleria Rusticana' and 'Pagliacci,' Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly', 'Les Pecheurs de Perles' by Bizet, and 'I Gioielli della Madonna', Wolf-Ferrari's relatively unknown tale of passion, sacrilege and madness.

 
 
 

The Hush

Musician Matthew Herbert and writer Ben Power present part-gig, part-play, part-installation at The Shed.

National Theatre, South Bank, South Bank, South Bank, London, SE1 9PX

Tube: Temple Station , Waterloo Station

 

Dates: 17th July - 03rd August 2013

 

An investigation into the emotions and politics of sound, as this contemporary work created by composer, DJ and electronic music pioneer Matthew Herbert and writer Ben Power, promises that the truth is there, if only one listens hard enough. The Hush is part-gig, part-play, part-installation - something of a departure for the National Theatre which is using its temporary 225-seat space, The Shed, to stage more experimental theatrical events.

 
 
 

2nd Investec Ashes Test: England v Australia

The rivals compete in this crucial second test.

Lord's Cricket Ground , St. John's Wood Road, St John's Wood, London, NW8 8QN

Tube: St John's Wood Station

 

Dates: 18th - 22nd July 2013

 

Since 2009, England have generally bettered their old foe Australia in Test cricket - and Alastair Cook's side will enter the 2013 Ashes series on the back of two consecutive series victories in cricket's oldest rivalry. The 2010-11 series Down Under was manna from the cricketing heavens for England fans: the 3-1 series win was the only one in which a team had won three Tests by innings margins and the first time England has scored 500 or more four times in a single series. This second Ashes Test at Lord's comes just four days after the series opener at Trent Bridge and will therefore be crucial. In the last Ashes Test at Lord's in 2009, England won by 115 runs thanks to a five wicket haul by Andy Flintoff just days after he had announced his impending retirement. Can Cook's new look side continue the domination ushered in by Flintoff and co?

 
 
 
 

Cirque Du Soleil: Alegria

The second show of the year from the renowned entertainment company.

The O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0BB

Tube: North Greenwich Station

 

Dates: 18th - 28th July 2013

 

Entertainment company Cirque du Soleil provide Londoners with a second spellbinding show for 2013 - the first being Kooza in January. One of the company's most popular productions, Alegria focuses on power, the handing down of power over time and the evolution from ancient monarchies to modern democracies. Against the backdrop of these themes and through the use of contortion, synchronised trapeze, fire-knife dance and hand balancing - to name just a few - an array of characters play out the story: the Clowns, witnesses to the passing of the centuries, provide an endearing and child-like aura that turns the world into a circus; Nymphs, youthful and ethereal, they exude beauty as they glide across the stage; and the White Singer - whose alter ego The Black Singer also features - the storyteller who echoes what she sees in the form of song.

 
 
 

Rushes Soho Shorts Festival

Ten days of exciting shorts from UK and international film makers.

ICA Cinema 1, The Mall, Westminster, St James's, London, SW1Y 5AH

Tube: Charing Cross Station , Piccadilly Circus Station

 

Dates: 18th - 25th July 2013

 

Proving that great things come in small packages, the Rushes Soho Shorts festival celebrates UK and international film making with 10 days of exciting visual treats throughout Soho and beyond. London's screens will be graced by a variety of contemporary delights ranging from live action to animation, fiction to factual, and a whole lot of experimental action to boot. The festival awards new and established film makers for their work and also offers viewers the chance to join in a range of discussions and debates. Plenty of familiar faces and recognisable names feature in the programme and in the films themselves.

 
 
 

London Indian Film Festival

A celebration of 100 years of Indian cinema.

BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, South Bank, South Bank, London, SE1 8XT

Tube: Waterloo Station , Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 18th - 25th July 2013

 

There's cause for celebration at this year's London Indian Film Festival, which commemorates 100 years of Indian cinema. A century ago, on 3rd May 1913, the silent film 'Raja Harishchandra' was released, considered to be the first Indian feature film produced. 100 years on and India is now the world's largest democracy, second largest population and also the world's most prolific film producing nation (releasing around 1,000 pictures a year - that's twice as many as Hollywood). LIFF aims to dispel the myth that this is an industry confined to the Bollywood stereotype by putting on a far reaching programme of events that includes thrillers, dramas, comedies, short films, documentaries and - of course - its fair share of song and dance blockbusters. Also expect seminars, Q&As and live music events throughout the eight day bonanza.

 
 
 

Richard Rogers RA: Inside Out

The designer of the Millennium Dome (the O2) is the subject of a summer exhibition.

Royal Academy Of Arts at 6 Burlington Gardens, 6 Burlington Gardens, Mayfair, London, W1S 3ES

Tube: Green Park Station , Piccadilly Circus Station

 

Dates: 18th July - 13th October 2013

 

Internationally renowned Pritzker Prize-winning British architect, Richard Rogers, is the subject of a summer exhibition at the Royal Academy's Burlington Gardens exhibition space, timed to coincide with his 80th birthday on 23rd July 2013. 'Richard Rogers RA: Inside Out' will include previously unseen material, drawings and personal items from one of the most influential figures in contemporary architecture. Best known for his designs for the Pompidou Centre, the Lloyd's of London building, and the Millennium Dome (now the O2), he will add 3 World Trade Centre to the list when it is completed in 2013. The exhibition gives visitors an insight into Rogers' pioneering ideas about architecture, his influence on the way we think about cities and how we live in them.

 
 
 

Lovebox

Azealia Banks, Plan B, Goldfrapp and Lil' Kim play at one of London's best festivals.

Victoria Park, Grove Road, Tower Hamlets, Tower Hamlets, London, E3 5SN

Tube: Mile End Station

 

Dates: 18th - 19th July 2014

 

London's answer to Glastonbury is back for 2013 with three days of unadulterated partying. The Lovebox Weekender is the park party that comes closest to capturing the vibe of a proper festival, with a huge range of musical styles across multiple stages and a friendly, music-loving crowd. Vicky Park is a great festival venue, with loads of space and a sympathetic council who let them turn the music up really loud. Running from Friday afternoon through to Sunday evening, each day will have its own distinct musical identity. Friday's line-up includes Azealia Banks, Rudimental Jurassic 5; Saturday has Plan B, AlunaGeorge and D'Angelo; and Sunday boasts Goldfrapp, Hurts and Lil' Kim.

 
 
 
 

Go Local: McFly, Eddie Izzard, The Feeling

Celebratory show recognising the work of the volunteers during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Olympic Park, London, E15 2EE

Tube: Hackney Wick Overground Station

 

Dates: 19th July 2013

 

McFly head this celebratory show hosted by the London 2012 legacy charity, Join In, recognising the work of the volunteers during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Joining the pop quartet at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Friday 19th July 2013 are comedian and actor Eddie Izzard, pop group The Feeling, BOND Quartet, the Games Maker Choir, The James Riley Band, and more. Guest appearances from Sebastian Coe, Boris Johnson and members of TeamGB and ParalympicsGB add to the day, which will have Go Local members offering ideas on how to make a difference in future volunteering events, however local.

 
 
 

Traditional Crafts Weekend

A demonstration of ancient crafts that provided food, building materials and tools.

WWT London Wetland Centre, Queen Elizabeth Walk, Barnes, London, SW13 9WT

Tube: Ravenscourt Park Station

 

Dates: 20th - 21st July 2013

 

Shire horses and Morris dancers join a range of skilled craftspeople demonstrating ancient crafts at the award-winning London Wetland Centre. Many of the craft demonstrations and talks over the weekend focus on wetlands and how they provide people with food, building materials and tools. Watch an unusual coracle boat being constructed and check out the fascinating eel display.

 
 
 

Lambeth Country Show

A free family festival that offers live music, falconry shows, jousting and more.

 

The countryside comes to south London for a weekend, cows and all, as the leafy expanse of Brockwell Park welcomes herds of hairy visitors, accompanied by brilliant live music. The annual Lambeth Country Show is a weird and very entertaining mixture: city kids get to soak up a taste of rural England - falconry shows, jousting, sheep dog displays, a fruit and veg competition, steam engines and the like - then restore their urban cool with two days of top ska, soul and reggae with music from some of Brixton's finest sound systems. Local acts feature on the main stage while over on the Village Green stage you'll find acoustic and folk music followed by some jazz and classical groups. A fantastic free family festival and a tribute to the enduring spirit of London's liveliest borough.

 
 
 

Ealing Blues Festival

A one day blues festival curated by the Ealing Jazz Club.

Walpole Park, Mattock Lane, London, W5 5BQ

Tube: Ealing Broadway Station

 

Dates: 22nd - 23rd July 2017

 

Since 1987 Walpole Park in Ealing has played host to a one day festival of blues which returns to the west London park each summer. The location is an appropriate one to host such a festival, being the birthplace of British Rhythm and Blues, a scene that started in Ealing in 1962. They often have a high calibre of perfomers and listening to the blues, rock and boogie woogie musicians perform in the beautiful surroundings of Walpole Park is an appealing prospect on a lazy summer's day. The festival is organised by The Ealing Club (or Ealing Jazz Club), one of Ealing's legendary venues where the British R&B boom of the 1960s kicked off.

 
 
 

Electric Daisy Carnival London

Some of the top DJs in the world descend on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Olympic Park, London, E15 2EE

Tube: Hackney Wick Overground Station

 

Dates: 20th July 2013

 

A mainstay in the Las Vegas and Orlando music line-up and North America's largest dance music event, the Electric Daisy Carnival moves to London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for a one-day event on Saturday 20th July 2013, bringing some of the top DJs in the world and electro-madness with it. DJs like Tiesto, Goldie and Steve Angello will play at the London event, a spin-off of the three-day US event held annually at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. There's a carnival atmosphere to these dance events which typically include carnival rides, art installations, hundreds of costume-clad performers and giant puppets floating overhead. "EDC is ultimately about sensory overload, with booming bass, glowing creatures moving sculptures, carnival performers and pogoing dancers", said the Chicago Tribune on the event's recent debut in the city.

 
 
 
 

Opera Holland Park: I Gioielli della Madonna

The three-act opera concludes the summer opera season.

Holland Park Theatre, Holland Park, Holland Park, London, W8 6LU

Tube: Kensington (Olympia) Station

 

Dates: 23rd July - 02nd August 2013

 

Opera Holland Park concludes its 2013 season with 'I Gioielli della Madonna' ('The Jewels of the Madonna'), a relatively unknown tale of tumultuous passion, sacrilege and madness. This opera in three acts by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari will feature young, talented singers including Welsh soprano Natalya Romaniw. It's the final offering from Opera Holland Park which in 2013 includes a double bill of 'Cavalleria Rusticana' and 'Pagliacci', Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly', 'Les Pecheurs de Perles' by Bizet, and 'L'Elisir d'Amore' by Donizetti.

 
 
 

Henry VI: Three Plays

All three of Shakespeare's Henry VI plays are performed at The Globe this month.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, Bankside, London, SE1 9DT

Tube: Mansion House Station

 

Dates: 23rd July - 08th September 2013

 

The three plays of Henry VI, under their original titles, are performed at the Globe as part of a UK tour this summer, starring Graham Butler in the title role and directed by Nick Bagnell. The Bard did not set out to write a trilogy and each play can be enjoyed without the knowledge of the others. Harry the Sixth (24, 27 Jul, 25 Aug, 4, 8 Sep), sets the scene as divisions appear at the highest level following the death of Henry V. The Houses of York and Lancaster (24, 27 Jul, 25 Aug, 4, 8 Sep) charts the opposition to the saintly Henry VI by his nobles - and in particular the ambitious Richard, Duke of York - and by the Kentish rebellion, which opposed England's social inequality. A bloody power struggle ensues in The True Tragedy of the Duke of York (24, 27 Jul, 23, 25 Aug, 4, 6, 8 Sep), which pits the King's party, led by the fearsome Queen Margaret, against the Yorkists, led first by Richard and then his sons Edward and Richard of Gloucester. All three plays blend bold characterisation, black comedy, rhetorical power and touching pathos as Shakespeare creates a world devoid of ideology where the heroes are not kings but formidable women, such as Joan of Arc, or rebels, such as Jack Cade.

 
 
 

The Future Is Here

An exploration of our changing relationship with the design world.

Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, Bankside, London, W8 6AG

Tube: High Street Kensington Station

 

Dates: 24th July - 03rd November 2013

 

A live 'Factory' showing how 3D printing works will be installed at The Future is Here, the Design Museum's group show which looks at how the lines between designers, manufacturers and consumers are becoming increasingly blurred. The exhibition looks at revolutionary changes in manufacturing and technology which mean the end user is involved in the process as never before. Advances in manufacturing mean we can now customise everything from a pair of trainers to dolls, all available to order online at the click of a mouse. Looking to the future, there will be the chance to view emerging technologies that are set to become the growth sectors of tomorrow.

 
 
 

The Sound of Music

Rodger and Hammerstein's Open Air Theatre debut concludes this year's season.

Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, Inner Circle, Regent's Park, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4NR

Tube: Regent's Park Station

 

Dates: 25th July - 14th September 2013

 

Rodger and Hammerstein's classic production 'The Sound of Music' will provide the conclusion to this year's open air season - a Regent's Park Open Air Theatre debut for the masterful musical-writing duo. Based on the memoirs of Maria von Trapp, the heart-warming show was an instant hit when it took to the stage in 1959 and has since become one of the world's favourite musicals. Directed by Rachel Kavanaugh and choreographed by Alistair David, audiences can expect all the timeless scores such as 'Do-Re-Mi', 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain, 'My Favourite Things', 'Sixteen Going on Seventeen' and 'Edelweiss'.

 
 
 

English National Ballet: A Tribute To Rudolf Nureyev

Tamara Rojo's dance troupe presents a tribute to Nureyev, 20 years after his death.

London Coliseum - English National Opera (ENO), St Martin's Lane, Covent Garden, London, WC2N 4ES

Tube: Charing Cross Station , Leicester Square Station, Covent Garden Station, Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 25th - 27th July 2013

 

In July 2013, for five performances only, the English National Ballet dances A Tribute to Rudolf Nureyev, marking the 75th anniversary of Nureyev's birth, and the 20th of his death. Nureyev, "changed for ever the way we viewed the role of the male ballet dancer in the west" says English National Ballet's artistic director, Tamara Rojo who has put together this programme. The bill includes Mikhail Fokine's Petrushka, which Nureyev first danced in 1963, and Maurice Bejart's Song of a Wayfarer, created especially for Nureyev. The evening ends with the company premiere of Raymonda by Marius Petipa (creator of The Sleeping Beauty creator) which was staged by Nureyev himself in Italy in 1964, and again in 1969 when he adapted the third act, the wedding scene, for the Royal Ballet.

 
 
 
 

London Anniversary Games

World-class athletics returns to London's Olympic Stadium.

Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park, Stratford, London, E20 2ST

Tube: Hackney Wick Overground Station

 

Dates: 26th - 28th July 2013

 

After the biggest year of athletics the country has ever seen, world-class athletics returns to London in 2013, exactly one year after the Opening Ceremony, with the London Anniversary Games taking place at the scene of last year's drama, at the Olympic Stadium in the newly created Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Tickets have already sold out for this three day athletics event when a host of Olympic stars will be in action at what is considered one of the best IAAF Diamond League meets in the world. Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis are among the 29 Olympic medallists, including 12 champions and four world record holders, who have, so far, been confirmed for the competition which takes place one year on from the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Games. Let the memories come flooding back...

 
 
 

Jockum Nordström

Collages, watercolours, graphite drawings and architectural sculptures from the Swedish artist.

Camden Arts Centre, Arkwright Road, London, NW3 6DH

Tube: Finchley Road Station

 

Dates: 26th July - 29th September 2013

 

A major survey of work by artist Jockum Nordström arrives at the Camden Arts Centre in July. The work of the Swedish artist, in the words of New York Times critic Roberta Smith, %u201Cis a more or less truculent crazy quilt of images, styles and events%u201D. Delicately and elegantly constructed works include collages, watercolours, graphite drawings, and architectural sculptures which feel improvisational and spontaneous, yet are rich in detail. Nordström was born in 1963 in Stockholm, where he continues to live and work. In 2010, his fifth gallery show, titled 'Who is sleeping on my pillow', marked the first time he exhibited alongside his artist wife Karin Mamma Andersson in concurrent solo exhibitions.

 
 
 

Emma Hart: Dirty Looks

The critically acclaimed artist has work showcased in London for the second time this year.

Camden Arts Centre, Arkwright Road, London, NW3 6DH

Tube: Finchley Road Station

 

Dates: 26th July - 29th September 2013

 

London-based British artist Emma Hart, already part of a group exhibition at Camden Arts Centre earlier in the year, returns with solo show 'Dirty Looks' in July. The artist, praised for her %u201Cgleeful inventiveness and refreshingly daft sense of humour%u201D by The Guardian when reviewing her critically acclaimed 2010 solo show at Matt's Gallery, works with ceramics, photography, video and carving, creating products from her imagination.

 
 
 

Katharina Fritsch: Hahn/Cock

A 14ft blue cockerel roosts on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square from 27th July.

Trafalgar Square, Central, Westminster, London, WC2N 5DS

Tube: Charing Cross Station , Leicester Square Station, Embankment Underground Station, Piccadilly Circus Station

 

Dates: 25th July - 31st January 2015

 

A 4.7m (14ft) high sculpture of a cockerel in ultramarine blue is the latest sculpture to roost on the Fourth Plinth in the north-west corner of Trafalgar Square. German artist Katharina Fritsch says of her 'Hahn/Cock' sculpture that it is a comment on male posturing but also a symbol for regeneration, awakening and strength. Fritsch is known for her sculptures created in a single intense colour, and the larger than life blue cockerel certainly stands out from the grey buildings of Trafalgar Square. Born in 1956 in Essen, Germany, Katharina Fritsch represented Germany in the 46th Venice Biennale and has had many solo exhibitions including one at Tate Modern in London in 2001. 'Hahn/Cock' follows the statue of a boy on his rocking horse designed by the Scandinavian art duo Elmgreen & Dragset as the latest commission for the Fourth Plinth.

 
 
 

Open East Festival: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

The Barbican's ambitious event reopens the north section of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Olympic Park, London, E15 2EE

Tube: Hackney Wick Overground Station

 

Dates: 27th - 28th July 2013

 

The Barbican Centre's most ambitious off-site event this summer, Open East Festival reopens the north section of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on the first anniversary of the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Games. The weekend-long celebration includes live international music, the Real Food Festival and a Mini-Travelling Art Circus, presented by The House of Fairy Tales and featuring theatre, magic, music and games. The Art Car Boot Fair will showcase signed work by local artists; Caught By The River combines literature, angling, music and beer; Eco Design Fair put on an arts and fashion market, blending the best vintage and contemporary designs the capital has to offer. There's family storytelling from the Discover Children's Story Centre, performances and workshops from Theatre Royal Stratford East, Boy Blue Entertainment and Ida Barr, and family trails and riverbank picnics. A year on from the global sporting event that transformed east London, Open East Festival - which sees the Park work in partnership with the Barbican and Create London in part of the Beyond Barbican programme of events - aims to commemorate the creative legacy of London 2012, celebrate its landscape and bring it to life for everyone to enjoy.

 
 
 
 

The Queen's Coronation 1953

A special exhibition marks the Queen's 60 years at the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace , Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1A 1AA

Tube: Victoria Station

 

Dates: 27th July - 29th September 2013

 

In the year the Queen marks the 60th anniversary of her coronation, the palace ballroom at Buckingham Palace hosts a special exhibition during its Summer Opening, The Queen's Coronation 1953. The dress, robes and uniforms worn by the principal royal party will be brought together for the first time since 2nd June 1953 in a display which includes the Queen's Coronation Dress and Robe and the outfits worn on the day by two-year-old Princess Anne and four-year-old Prince Charles. Among the more personal items on display are the prince's invitation to Westminster Abbey and exquisite jewels worn by the Queen on Coronation Day including the Diamond Diadem, designed for George IV to wear at his coronation in 1821 and easily recognised as that shown on the Queen on postage stamps and banknotes. The exhibition is part of the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace and as visitors tour the State Rooms they will learn how they were used - for official portraits and state banquets - in 1953.

 
 
 

Horrible Histories: Spies

The Imperial War Museum re-opens on Monday 29th July with a new family exhibition.

IWM London (Imperial War Museums), Lambeth Road, Elephant and Castle, Southwark, London, SE1 6HZ

Tube: Lambeth North Station

 

Dates: 19th July - 04th January 2015

 

The IWM London (Imperial War Museum) in London reopens in July 2013, having closed its doors for redevelopment on 2nd January 2013, with a new family exhibition, 'Horrible Histories: Spies'. Based on the popular children's book series by Terry Deary, the display will immerse visitors into the world of World War Two espionage, including codes and ciphers, disguises, camouflage, forgeries and gadgets. The spy theme will continue in 'Secret War', an ongoing IWM London exhibition exploring the clandestine world of espionage, covert operations and the work of Britain's Special Forces. Over the next decade the IWM London flagship branch will be transformed by a Ł35 million project. The first phase will be launched in summer 2014 with the opening of new First World War Galleries to mark the 100 year anniversary of the start of the First World War.

 
 
 

Indian Tempest

Incorporating Indian poetry and culture, this play revolves around power and decline.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, Bankside, London, SE1 9DT

Tube: Mansion House Station

 

Dates: 29th July - 03rd August 2013

 

One of the season's most intriguing international tours to visit Shakespeare's Globe is the Footsbarn production of 'Indian Tempest'. The Footsbarn theatre company's home is in Auvergne, in rural France, but they travelled to Portugal to spend three intensive months creating this new imagining of the Bard's classic as part of the European Capital of Culture 2012 programme. The theatre company has deep set roots in Kerala, so musicians, actors and technicians travelled from across Europe and India to assist in the creation of this vibrant theatrical merging of the two continents. Set on a timeless imaginary island, the play revolves around themes of power and decline, forgiveness and regret and calls upon the richness of Indian poetry and culture.

 
 
 

Architecture Of War

The Imperial War Museum reopens on 29th July 2013 with Architecture of War.

IWM London (Imperial War Museums), Lambeth Road, Elephant and Castle, Southwark, London, SE1 6HZ

Tube: Lambeth North Station

 

Dates: 29th July - 05th May 2014

 

The Imperial War Museum reopens following a six-month closure on Monday 29th July 2013 with a large-scale exhibition which explores different ways that artists have recorded the impact of war, featuring works spanning nearly a century, from the first world war to the current day. Exhibits in Architecture of War include Henry Carr's 1944 painting 'Liberation' and Paul Hogarth's drawing for the Berlin Wall in 1981 as well as relative moments of calm as depicted in a watercolour by David Baxter of The Dining Room, Hotel Christol, Boulogne, 1918, which was once the headquarters of the Red Cross in France. More recent conflicts are also represented through Angus Boulton's photographs of abandoned Soviet military bases in East Germany and Paul Seawright's images documenting the aftermath of war in Afghanistan.

 
 
 

Omer Fast: 5000 Feet Is Best

Omer Fast is the first artist to feature in the new IWM Contemporary programme.

IWM London (Imperial War Museums), Lambeth Road, Elephant and Castle, Southwark, London, SE1 6HZ

Tube: Lambeth North Station

 

Dates: 29th July - 29th September 2013

 

Omer Fast is the first artist to feature in the new IWM Contemporary programme, with his film 5000 Feet is the Best getting its London premiere at the Imperial War Museum when it reopens on Monday 29th July 2013. The video artist is known for his war films including his 2003 Spielberg's List and The Casting, commissioned by the Museum Moderner Kunst Vienna where it was also on show in 2007. In his latest film a former drone operator gives his account of how he controlled unmanned planes over Afghanistan and Pakistan from a military base in the Las Vegas Desert, referring to the optimum height from which to fire at targets.

 
 
 
 

The Bolshoi Ballet: 50th Anniversary Season

The internationally renowned classical ballet company comes to the Royal Opera House for three weeks.

Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD

Tube: Covent Garden Station , Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 29th July - 17th August 2013

 

The Bolshoi Ballet returns to the Royal Opera House for a three-week season this summer, from 29th July to 17th August, to mark the 50th anniversary of its first visit to Covent Garden under the banner of impresario Victor Hochhauser. The troubled Russian company - which has recently been making the headlines for off-stage drama - comes to London with a season of five works: Swan Lake, La Bayadere, The Sleeping Beauty, Jewels, and The Flames of Paris - which gives audiences a chance to see star couple Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev perform a ballet created for them by former Bolshoi director, Alexei Ratmansky. The season opens with Swan Lake by renowned choreographer Yuri Grigorovich and includes the UK premiere of the Bolshoi's acclaimed new production of Balanchine's Jewels.

 
 
 

Glorious Goodwood

Fine thoroughbreds flock to the Sussex Downs for a garden party and racing.

Goodwood Racecourse, Goodwood House, Chichester, West Sussex,, London, PO18 0PS

Tube: Heathrow Terminal 4 Station

 

Dates: 30th July - 03rd August 2013

 

Edward VII famously described Glorious Goodwood as a "garden party with racing tacked on" and the former King of England certainly knew a few things about horses and socialising. A chain smoking, fashionable dandy renowned for his genial bonhomie more than his political nous, Edward's steed 'Ambush II' once won the Grand National but this five day meeting at one of the world's most beautiful racecourses was dearest to his heart. The Glorious Goodwood Festival remains to this day one of the highlights of the British summer sporting and social calendars, bringing together some of the finest thoroughbreds (both equine and human) to the picturesque Sussex Downs.

 
 
 

Carlos Acosta: Classical Selection

Five performances from the contemporary yet classical dancer.

London Coliseum - English National Opera (ENO), St Martin's Lane, Covent Garden, London, WC2N 4ES

Tube: Charing Cross Station , Leicester Square Station, Covent Garden Station, Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 30th July - 04th August 2013

 

The era-defining Cuban-born dancer Carlos Acosta, currently Principal Guest Artist with the Royal Ballet, is a phenomenon in the world of modern ballet; he's fresh, contemporary and captivating whilst maintaining the exquisite beauty of classical lines. In July he returns to the London Coliseum for five performances only, with a new show, 'Classical Selection', presenting highlights of his glorious career. He is joined by a supporting cast of world class dance partners with whom he has performed in the past to celebrate the year of his 40th birthday.

 
 
 

Camden Fringe

Catch some of the edgiest stand-up or witness a new twist on Shakespeare.

 

Dates: 29th July - 25th August 2019

 

Bringing together comedy, theatre, poetry, dance and much more, the Camden Fringe boasts over 180 different productions and (some very odd) shows across 17 venues in north London borough throughout August. Whether you want to catch some of the edgiest stand-up around or witness a new twist on Shakespeare or watch a group of OAPs rap, the Camden Fringe has become the metaphorical David, ready "to challenge the Edinburgh Goliath" (The Guardian). Now in its eighth year, this rapidly growing four-week festival is offering fresh opportunity for both new and established acts to get themselves noticed in a creative environment outside Edinburgh. Rather than being centred around the High Street venues cover the whole borough of Camden, from Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate Village to the Tristan Bates Theatre in Covent Garden and include the Etcetera Theatre - where the first Camden Fringe took place in 2006.

 
 
 

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