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 Hyde Park reverberates to the sound of Hard Rock Calling in June, and London itself takes centre stage at the mayor's Story of London Festival, happening at venues across the capital. These are just two of the numerous festivals taking place in the city this month, read on to find out more.
 Story of London Festival Museum of London, EC2Y 5HN 1st June - 30th June 2009 This major festival organised by the mayor's office takes us on a tour of London's rich heritage from the city's architecture and art to its theatres, music, food, film and fashion. Taking place at many venues across London, the city is celebrated through exhibitions, blogs, podcasts and performances. Fans of the city's architecture can explore everything from the Roman amphitheatre at the Museum of London to modern glass and metal constructions at a special heritage Open Day. Choose from over 120 walks, explore the city's historic houses - including a Tudor Joust at Eltham Palace - or head to the BFI for a cinematic exploration of the city. The National Archives at Kew are here to help Londoners trace their family history and the heritage of the West End theatres is explored. A wonderful all-encompassing celebration of the city. www.london.gov.uk/storyoflondon Venue: Museum of London Address: 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN Date: 1st June - 30th June 2009 Time: Various Pricing: Various Nearest Station: Various Story of London Festival - Information   Hampton Court Palace FestivalHampton Court Palace, KT8 9AU 2nd June 2009 - 13th June 2009 The Hampton Court Palace Festival returns for its 17th year with over 10 nights of concerts featuring some top performers - and Lemar. One of the most prominent opera singers of his generation, Jose Carreras, gets the show on the road with an opening-night performance which will show just why the Catalan tenor is set to pick up a prestigious lifetime achievement award at this summer's Classical Brits. Pianist and charmer Jools Holland will play two gigs, while opera maestro Russell Watson, singer-songwriter James Morrison and jazz funksters Level 42 also get in on the act. Classical concerts come from The Four Seasons, RPO's Best of Broadway and the Beethoven Festival Finale, while Beverley Knight injects a bit of soul alongside Fame Academy's Lemar. Musically, there's something for everyone to enjoy while they enjoy an evening picnic in the spectacular 17th century gardens of the Tudor palace. Check www.hamptoncourtfestival.com for all times, prices and ticketing details. Venue: Hampton Court Palace Address: East Molesey, KT8 9AU Phone: 0845 658 6971 Date: 2nd June 2009 - 13th June 2009 Time: 5.30pm (Gardens open for guests), 7.15pm or 9pm (Concerts start) Pricing: £40-£115 Hampton Court Palace Festival - Information  Opera Holland ParkHolland Park Theatre, W8 6LU 2nd June - 7th August 2009 The Holland Park Theatre is located in West London's prettiest park, and the magical atmosphere of these productions owe a lot to their surroundings. It's also a tribute to a remarkable opera company that has defied expectations and budgets to produce productions of the very highest standard. As usual, they're mixing popular favourites - 'La boheme', 'Orpheus in the Underworld' (including the famous can-can music) and 'Hansel und Gretel' (sung in German with English surtitles) - with slightly less familiar fare. Donizetti's 'Roberto Devereux' - the Italian composer's take on the English Tudor period - is not often staged though critics say it contains some of his best music. Holland Park will become an enchanted garden for Verde's powerful tale of political intrigue, 'Un ballo in maschera'. The final opera in the season is Leos Janacek's 'Kat'a Kabanova', the darkest yet most lyrical of the Czech composer's nine operas. Venue: Holland Park Theatre Address: Holland Park, W8 6LU Phone: 020 7602 7856 Date: 2nd June - 7th August 2009 Time: Various Pricing: £10, £39.50, £47.50 & £54 Opera Holland Park - Information  Love London Green FestivalLaunch at WWT London Wetland Centre, SW13 9WT 4th June - 28th June 2009 If you drive a Zip Car, use Ecover washing up liquid and take a bag-for-life to the supermarket you'll love the Love London Green Festival (which replaces what used to be known as London Sustainability Weeks). Throughout June, there are many green themed events across town that promote ways in which we can be kinder to the planet. To mark the launch on 4th June, the WWT London Wetland Centre is hosting a Recycled Sculpture Show which features a heron made from rescued shopping trolleys by Ptolemy Elrington among the artworks made from reclaimed materials. Eco issues are debated and green living tips given at the various local food feasts, nature walks, talks and tours. And there's a strong focus on celebrating London's Green Places. Most events are free - welcome news in the current economic climate - and many of the green fairs will showcase green money saving ideas. There's even an eco vehicle rally for petrol heads with a environmental conscience. Venue: Launch at WWT London Wetland Centre Address: Queen Elizabeth Walk, SW13 9WT Phone: 020 7471 6794 Date: 4th June - 28th June 2009 Time: Various Pricing: Various, many FREE Love London Green Festival - Information  Spitalfields Music Summer FestivalChrist Church Spitalfields, E1 6LY 7th June - 19th June 2009 The delightful Christ Church in Spitalfields and the exquisite Wilton's Music Hall in Tower Hill combine to host two weeks' worth of classical music in the annual Spitalfields Music Summer Festival in June. Mixing music from masters such as Bach, Schubert, Brahms and Mendelssohn, the festival also showcases world premieres from some of the most exceptionally talented composers in the country, such as Jonathan Dove, Michael Finnessy and Diana Burrell. The festival is also a celebration of one of East London's best-loved neighbourhoods, offering the chance to explore Spitalfields' historic houses, its vibrant market and a specially adapted Routemaster Bus - all alongside a magnificent musical backdrop. For more information and to book tickets online go to www.spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk. Venue: Christ Church Spitalfields Address: Commercial Street, E1 6LY Phone: 020 7377 1362 Date: 7th June - 19th June 2009 Time: Various Pricing: Free-£32 Spitalfields Music Summer Festival - Information  Bike and Kite FestivalBlackheath Common, SE3 7AS 13th & 14th June 2009 A colourful collection of kites fills the skies over Blackheath on this midsummer weekend as the Bike and Kite Festival takes over the heath, timed to coincide with the start of National Bike Week. Following an impressive turn out of 15,000 people last year, the family day out is set to be even bigger this time around with kite fighting teams from around the world challenging one other. Look out for aerial tricks, demonstrations and kite ballet performances. As well as the kite displays there are kite-making workshops, stalls, sporting events and a bike arena where stunt riders and MAD mountain bikers put on a pedal power display. Dr Bike is also on hand to advise on how best to keep your own two wheels roadworthy. Once fit for travel, you can ride your bike on a guided cycle to The O2, Surrey Docks City Farm and the 2012 Olympic site. Note: there are no parking facilities on Blackheath. The nearest train stop is Blackheath, and it's around a 10-minute walk to the heath from Lewisham station. Or you can always bike there! Venue: Blackheath Common Address: Shooters Hill Road, SE3 7AS Phone: 020 8856 2232 Date: 13th & 14th June 2009 Time: 12noon-7pm Pricing: FREE Bike and Kite Festival - Information  Ornette Coleman's Meltdown FestivalSouthbank Centre, SE1 8XX 13th June - 21st June 2009 Jazz legend Ornette Coleman steps into Massive Attack's shoes as the artistic director of this year's Meltdown Festival. Meltdown has become the musical highlight of the Southbank's rammed summer catalogue. Each year it's curated by one of pop music's great innovators, and produces a wildly eclectic line-up of acts. Coleman follows the formidable choices of David Bowie, John Peel, Morrissey, Jarvis Cocker and Lee 'Scratch' Perry as well as many other top stars who've helped to make Meltdown a must-see event in the festival calendar. Highlights of this nine-day event include a first ever UK performance by Yoko One Plastic Ono Band and concerts by Patti Smith, Yo La Tengo, Moby, Baaba Maal and Cornelius. Meltdown will conclude with two unmissable concerts which will give the audience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the avant-garde Coleman perform some of the music that wowed the world in the late 50s. For full listings and details please consult www.southbankcentre.co.uk. Due to Meltdown's popularity and Coleman's sax appeal, it is advised to become a member of the Southbank Centre to ensure the best chance of obtaining tickets. Venue: Southbank Centre Address: Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Phone: 08703 808 300 Date: 13th June - 21st June 2009 Time: Various Pricing: Various Nearest Station: Waterloo Tube Ornette Coleman's Meltdown Festival - Information  Taste of LondonRegent's Park, NW1 4NR 18th June - 21st June 2009 Direct your rumbling stomach to Regent's Park for four days of al fresco gluttony as over forty of London's best restaurants, including a flurry of Michelin stars, show off their culinary handiwork. 'Taste of...' has become a nationwide phenomenon with events taking place in cities nationwide. The London event in Regent's Park must be one of the most enjoyable. Work your way through a range of miniature speciality dishes - visitors can sample seven or eight small courses in a meal - hot off the plates from upmarket places like Le Gavroche, Gordon Ramsay's Boxwood Cafe, L'Atelier du Joel Robuchon and Club Gascon. While tasting fashionable fare and shopping for fine wines, spirits and gourmet foods among the 120 stalls, the civilised sounds of live jazz and opera fill the air and aid the digestion. A gourmet grazing picnic extraordinaire, no restaurant lover should miss this tasty event which has already become a firm fixture in the foodie calendar. Venue: Regent's Park Address: Inner Circle, NW1 4NR Phone: 020 7471 1092 Date: 18th June - 21st June 2009 Time: Thu 12pm-4pm & Gala eve 5.30pm-9.30pm, Fri & Sat 12pm-4pm & 5.30pm-9.30pm, Sun 12pm-5pm Pricing: £22.50 (Adults), £13 (Children 6-14), £39.50 (Premium inc £20 in Crowns) | Prices include boooking fee Nearest Station: Regent's Park Tube Taste of London - Information  Paradise GardensVictoria Park, E9 7HD 19th June - 21st June 2009 Victoria Park is transformed into the Paradise Gardens for the third weekend in June. Almost all events are free at this family-friendly festival with live music, street arts, circus acts, impromptu performances and DJs. You can enjoy two days of live music across three stages featuring The Soothsayers, The Destroyers, Les Dynamiques and - from the Barbican's Cuba 50 programme - Orquestra Aragon and Changui de Guantanamo. This is a real family day out and the park gets filled with children's activities featuring not one but two circus shows. Circus Ronaldo presents the UK outdoor premiere of 'La Cucina dell'Arte' (suitable for ages 12 and over, tickets £12.50 from Love Theatre, 020 7907 7000). In addition, the beautifully old fashion Carters Steam Fair will be setting up their vintage stalls and rides in the park. Avant Garde Dance pick up the circus theme and, with help from Cicus Space, they've put together a new commission called 'The Silver Tree', a fusion of hip hop dance and circus. What with the Tea Dance Tent, food and craft market and village fete, there's lots of lively events to create your very own paradise in the park. Venue: Victoria Park Address: Approach Road, E9 7HD Phone: 020 8691 1372 Date: 19th June - 21st June 2009 Time: Sat 12pm-10.30pm | Sun 12pm-10pm Pricing: Mostly Free, Some performances ticketed Nearest Station: Bethnal Green Tube Paradise Gardens - Information  City of London FestivalSt Paul's Cathedral, EC4M 8AD 19th June - 9th July 2009 Set against the awe-inspiring architecture of the City of London this annual three-week event is dedicated to getting the cultural heart of the capital beating. With more than 50 ticketed performances and a further 100 free events outdoors on offer - from music to visual arts, films, walks and talks - this year's festival continues with its Trading Places theme (that is, linking the City culturally and commercially with its historic partners overseas as opposed to eulogising the 80s stock-floor caper starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Ackroyd). The best of London's contemporary and classical music performers will be joined by musicians from both countries in a fortnight of concerts across the Square Mile. Concerts take place inside many of the City's beautiful churches, the Guildhall, Finsbury Circus Gardens, the Barbican, Paternoster Square and many more City landmarks. As always, the heart of the festival will be the great dome of St Paul's Cathedral. But it's not all about music. The programme is extremely diverse, offering the chance to explore some iconic buildings in the Square Mile such as Mansion House as well as undergo guided walks that reveal the secrets of the area. Events also go on before and after the festival's three-week duration so it is well worth checking what's on at www.colf.org because you'll be surprised at how many things pander to your interest and curiosity. Venue: St Paul's Cathedral Address: St Paul's Churchyard, EC4M 8AD Phone: 020 7583 3585 Date: 19th June - 9th July 2009 Time: Various Pricing: Various (Many FREE events) City of London Festival - Information  A Grand Victorian FayreKenwood House, NW3 7JR 20th & 21st June 2009 Kenwood House hosts an old fashioned Victorian Fayre this summer, taking us back to the times when pig-sticking stood for family entertainment. The Grand Victorian Fayre is a great theme for a family day out, and from Kenwood House it's always worth leaving time to explore the green expanse of Hampstead Heath. At the Fayre, 19th century inspired events include ladies riding side-saddle, gentlemen playing polo, and the famous 'teapot dash'. You can also take part in the traditional Victorian games, meet the redcoat soldiers or try your hand at Victorian dance - a time when music halls, Tea Dances and morris dancing flourished. Venue: Kenwood House Address: Hampstead Lane, NW3 7JR Phone: 020 8348 1286 Date: 20th & 21st June 2009 Time: Weekends 11.30am-4pm Pricing: FREE A Grand Victorian Fayre - Information  King Henry's Tudor JoustEltham Palace, SE9 5QE 20th & 21st June 2009 See Eltham Palace as it was when Henry VIII lived here with jousting knights and an appearance by the king himself. Thundering hooves, courtly music and costumed characters show the palace and grounds as they would have been 500 or so years ago. Engaging in battle on foot and horseback was one of Henry's favourite pasttimes - he spent much of his reign at war with France - and this show of pagentry harks back to the Tudor way of life once seen here. Venue: Eltham Palace Address: Court Yard, SE9 5QE Phone: 020 8294 2548 Date: 20th & 21st June 2009 Time: Sat & Sun 11am-5pm Pricing: £12 (Adults), £10.20 (Concessions), £6 (Children) King Henry's Tudor Joust - Information  Greenwich and Docklands International FestivalVarious Venues in Greenwich & Docklands, SE10 9HY 25th June - 28th June 2009 The whole of Greenwich and East London come alive for a free weekend of street performance, art and dancing in the streets. This year, the theme is 'Water', the beginning of a four-year programme, 'Out for the Elements' which runs from 2009-2012, bringing 'Earth', 'Fire' and 'Air' to the festival over the next three years. This year's 'Water' theme is an appropriate one given the festival's dockside setting. The reflective water's surface provides a stunning backdrop for the colourful and crazy performers, stiltwalkers, fireworks and pyrotechnic displays. Highlights include a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Baroque composer Handel with an outdoor son et lumiere (sound and light show) inspired by the Thames entitled 'Water Music'. In addition, we're treated to the UK premiere of French company Ilotopie's 'Fous de Bassin', a poetic spectacle in which the performers literally walk on water. Venue: Various Venues in Greenwich & Docklands Address: London, SE10 9HY Phone: 020 8305 1818 Date: 25th June - 28th June 2009 Time: Various Pricing: FREE Nearest Station: Various Greenwich and Docklands International Festival - Information  Hard Rock CallingHyde Park, W2 3JA 26th June - 28th June 2009 The Killers headline Hard Rock Calling at Hyde Park on Friday 26th June with backing from The Kooks. This festival has become a summer favourite and the excellent line up this year looks set to make it a memorable one. Joining the list are old time favourites Bruce Springstein (still rocking) and Neil Young. Playing on Saturday, Neil Young shares the slot with Fleet Foxes, Ben Harper, Seasick Steve and The Pretenders. The expansive central Hyde Park is a wonderful location for live music festivals and these legendary musicians join the likes of Eric Clapton, The Police, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer and Starsailor who have all played at the park as part of the Hard Rock offering. With The Killers' third album selling over a million copies, you can be sure they'll get London's summer music festival scene off to a rocking start this June weekend. Venue: Hyde Park Address: Westminster, W2 3JA Phone: 0844 576 5483 Date: 26th June - 28th June 2009 Time: Fri gates 2.30pm, music 4pm-10.30pm | Sat & Sun gates 12.45pm, music 1.45pm-10.30pm Pricing: £45 (Standard day ticket) plus booking fee Nearest Station: Hyde Park Corner Tube Hard Rock Calling - Information  Kenwood House Picnic Concerts 2009Kenwood House, NW3 7JR 27th June - 22nd August 2009 There are few better locations for a summer Saturday night concert to be enjoyed with a picnic and champagne than Kenwood House. With its own lake and captivating view, the grounds of this magnificent stately home on Hampstead Heath have been a unique fixture in the capital's summer concerts calendar for 56 years and counting. This year's Kenwood House Picnic Concerts launches on 27th June with a performance by former Kinks frontman Ray Davies and his band. Highlights over the season include the award-winning singer-songwriter James Morrison (4th July), flamenco-latin stars The Gipsy Kings (11th July), the "people's tenor" Russell Watson (18th July), British soul legends Simply Red (1st Aug) and Jools Holland, the UK's most popular pianist and charismatic band leader (15th Aug). For more information and full line-up details please go to www.picnicconcerts.com. Venue: Kenwood House Address: Hampstead Lane, NW3 7JR Phone: 0845 658 6960 Date: 27th June - 22nd August 2009 Time: 7.30pm Pricing: £27.50-£36 Kenwood House Picnic Concerts 2009 - Information |
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