Fun in London this August 2013:

After the festivities of July, London tends to take a relaxing break in August to catch its breath before Autumn and Winter events start cropping up everywhere. But there are a (very large) bunch of intrepid events that set up for you throughout the hazy August weather all over London.

August is one of the best months to catch the quieter attractions on offer in London, and being the greenest city in the world, you can do no better than packing a picnic and heading out to one of our 8 royal parks or countless other green spaces.

Let’s say you’ve spent a lot of your trip seeing London’s central attractions. There is no better time than August to get a bit daring and start exploring what Greater London has to offer, including some stunning countryside and rural towns.

But if you are sticking to the centre, you won’t be at a loss. Ever fancied a trip round Buckingham Palace? Well you can in August. Or maybe you’re more or a partier. Well how about one of the world’s most famous carnivals? Yep, there’s that too. Perhaps you’ve got a bit of a yen for culture? The Camden Fringe Festival will keep you in kitsch for months to come.

August also seems to be the month for kids in London, so there’s no better time to plan your family trip!

Lollibop Festival – The UK’s most rockin’ festival for under 10s!

• A huge variety of live events and interactive play for kids

• The UK’s biggest festival for kids enters its fourth year and a new location at the world-famous Olympic Park in Stratford. With acts spanning every genre of kids’ entertainment, this year’s festival will have your kids jumping for joy with stars such as Rastamouse, Peppa Pig, Dick and Dom, Poppy Cat and the Transformers all making appearances.

• But it’s not just about spectator events. The festival prides itself on providing an enormous range of interactive learning and play for under-10s, with experiences provided by the Science Museum and more. There’s a theatre tent, a huge kitchen to make a mess of, arts and crafts in the various “imagination zones", a science zone, sports area, village green and an enchanted forest. Kids will never be at a loss in this incredible festival, and parents can relax knowing they’re having the time of their life.

• Address: Queen Elizabeth Park, Olympic Park, Newham, London E20 2ST

• Tickets: from £18 (under 12s are FREE)

Camden Fringe Festival – The most important theatre festival south of Scotland!

• 400 performance pieces in one month, including theatre, comedy and music, throughout Camden

• Theatre, stand-up comedy and music of a truly staggering variety take to the stage in this enormous and ambitious festival, housed mainly in the Camden People’s Theatre but taking place at more than 17 venues in and around Camden. While the festival is mainly theatre-focused, there are a huge amount of acts to see and take part in all over.

• The festival will play over 100 different experimental productions throughout its month-long circuit and includes venues throughout the borough; from Hampstead in the north to Covent Garden in the south. There’s something for everyone at this increasingly important festival, so don’t miss the chance to book your tickets, or just show up on a whim for shows that range from hilarious to the truly bizarre!

• Address: Camden (various), London NW1 2PY

• Tickets: £5 - £12

The Shed at The National Theatre – World-class theatre in an impromptu space!

• In place of the NT’s famous “Watch This Space" festival, The Shed houses London’s newest theatre

• While the famous Cottesloe Theatre at the National Theatre undergoes extensive refurbishment, the ever-innovative team in charge have built a theatre in the square on the river, lovingly dubbed “The Shed“.

• Expect the usual exceptional quality of productions and cheap ticketing from this prestigious venue and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Southbank either side of whichever of the 3 August productions you see.

• Address: National Theatre, Southbank, London SE1 9PX

• Tickets: £TBA

Kids Week – Thespians under 16 get to watch the world’s best productions for free!

• Kids-go-free ticketing for Theatreland’s sell-out productions

• Budding actors up to the age of 16 can have the theatrical experience of their lives at this wonderful free week of theatre in the most prestigious theatre venues in the world. As long as one adult pays full price for a show, one child under 16 can go for free and up to two others go for free.

• The shows available to see during this week are among the most coveted and famous anywhere on earth, so naturally tickets sell like hotcakes. Kids will also have the opportunity to take part in backstage tours, participate in workshops, learn how to sing with professional casts and take part in writing classes. There is no doubt that this event will spark a life-long love of theatre in your kids, and one day perhaps you’ll be sitting in the same theatre in 20 years, watching them tread the boards themselves as a result!

• Address: Theatreland, Soho, London WC2H 7BP

• Tickets: FREE for kids with purchase of 1 full price ticket for an adult

Buckingham Palace Summer Opeaning - Visit the home of the Queen and royal family this August!

• Buckingham Palace opens its doors to guests for two months this summer

• You’re not alone in wondering what it must be like to be the Queen and live inside Buckingham Palace. Well now’s your chance to get a glimpse into the life of the royalty as Buckingham Palace are selling tickets for you to see the inside of the impressively designed State Rooms, where the royal family still receive guests to this day.

• The décor of the State Rooms is sure to amaze, with is overstated design and works of art from Rembrandt, Rubens and others as well as classical furniture from the history of the British monarchy.

• Address: Buckingham Palace, Westminster, London SW1A 1AA

• Tickets: £19, £17.50 (concessions), £10.75 (under 17s), £50 (family), Under 5s go FREE

The Great British Beer Festival – Beer drinkers of the world unite in this mammoth festival of the amber nectar!

• A three day festival of British and global beers, as well as food, games and music

• From the days of prehistory, the British have been consistently concerned with a small handful of things: the Royals, the French, and beer – the latter most of all. There can be no greater festival of this iconic symbol of Britishness than the Great British Beer Festival at Kensington Olympia.

• Whether you’re a connoisseur or you’re totally new to the delights of ale, this event will tantalise your taste buds and slow your reactions in equal measure as you sample over 700 beers, lagers, ales, ciders and perries from the UK and worldwide. We can’t recommend having a pint of each though, as you will be amongst seasoned tasters from the beer world, some of whom are offering tasting sessions and classes so that you can make the most of this most British of events!

• There will also be traditional British pub-sports, such as darts and backgammon, and there’ll be traditional British pub food and live music throughout too.

• Address: Kensington Olympia, Kensington, London W14 8UX

• Tickets: from £8

Film 4 Summer Screen – Al fresco film festival in the heart of London

• Premieres and classic films outside London’s historic Somerset House

• Enjoy a balmy evening of film at this hugely prestigious film event. Complete with DJs before screenings, talks from some of the UK industry’s biggest directors, actors, writers and producers, drinks and all in a stunning location, this festival couldn’t be more entertaining.

• The event includes two premieres and hundreds of classic, cult and little-known films to cater for every taste. Perfect for a night out with friends or a date, these tickets need to be had fast, as these events are sure to sell-out fast.

• Address: Somerset House, The Strand, London WC2R 1LA

• Tickets: from £14.50

Film4 Fright Fest – Freak out at London’s biggest and best horror film festival

• Premieres and more await at Film4’s annual horror film extravaganza

• The annual Film4 Fright Fest is not for the fainthearted. A gory splatter of premieres, classics and previews of horror films, both darkly comic and not-so-comically dark, as well as fantasy and sci-fi, awaits the intrepid guest at this 4 day event.

• This is the 4th Fright Fest to be held at the Empire Leicester Square promises nail-biting, pillow-hiding fear and attracts notable guests from throughout the UK film industry. You’ll be shivering with anticipation at this unique – almost cultish – event.

• Address: Empire Leicester Square, 5-6 Leicester Square, Soho, London WC2H 7NA

• Tickets: vary

Notting Hill Carnival – Calypso music and Caribbean food fills west London

• London’s cosmopolitan carnival keeps up its 57-year tradition

• After the Empire Windrush arrived in the 1940s carrying the first large population of West Indians to British shores, Jamaican and West Indian culture has become an integral part of British heritage, and nothing is more of a testament to that than the Notting Hill Carnival.

• The carnival was started in 1966 to bring some of the homeland spirit of the West Indies to London, so be ready for brightly coloured and extravagant costumes, calypso music, steel drum bands, amazing live music of various associated genres, dance music and partying on a grand scale. There are floats that tour all around Notting Hill as well as parties and food stalls throughout, serving mainly West Indian food, but there are stalls for more or less whatever you want. It’s generally accepted that Sunday is the more adult party day and Monday is the family day, however this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule. Things tend to get very crowded very quickly, so be sure to arrive early and have a map to hand!

• Address: Notting Hill, London W11 3AG

• Tickets: FREE

Portobello Film Festival – The home of the Indie film movement in the UK

• A showcase of films from new and underground British film makers

• Independent (Indie) films have done exceptionally well in Britain in recent years, thanks in-part to festivals such as the Portobello Film Festival, which champions Indie films and gives a platform to new, often underground directors and a chance for audiences to see their work.

• Film buffs cannot miss this unique opportunity to catch films from the rising lights of Britain’s film industry at various interesting locations (due to the festival’s historic difficulty of getting cinemas to screen films) including parks, theatres and pubs. There will also be talks from some of the UK’s most interesting film directors and industry leaders.

• Address: Westbourne Studios, 242 Acklam Road, Notting Hill, London W10 5JJ

• Tickets: FREE

Jolly Day Out – Family farm fun in Hampton Court!

• All things rural are celebrated in the magical gardens of Hampton Court Palace

• This family festival on the green in front of the beautiful and historic Hampton Court Palace has such a range of activities that the whole family will be dancing to the live music and laughing in the theatre tent for hours. There are unique activities that you won’t get to see anywhere in London – or, probably the world – including pig-racing and sheep-dancing – as well as shops with arts and crafts and a food market. Overall, this is a splendid summer family day out.

• Address: Hampton Court Green, Farm Cottages, Hampton Court Palace, KT8 9AT

• Nestled between the bustle of Borough High Street and the serenity of Southwark Cathedral, tucked away behind the sounds, sights and smells of Borough Market, is Café Brood; a tiny, terraced eatery that offers simple Mediterranean food throughout the summer. Particularly good are their staple dishes: a massive, almost infinite tub of excellent paella, and a similar tub of rich, red Catalan stew. Get either or a mix of the two for £6.95 and enjoy a cool, European lager al fresco as the sun sets behind the spires of Southwark Cathedral.

• Every day, come rain or shine, the book market can be found unfolding its trestle tables early in the morning under Waterloo Bridge, outside the British Film Institute. You can’t miss this mass of paperbacks, hardbacks, historic maps and sheet music as you take a leisurely stroll down the Southbank; and if you browse the hundreds of titles on offer, find something you fancy and don’t have much on for the rest of the day, walk the 2 metres to the BFI terrace bar, get yourself something to sip on and relax in a deck chair with your new book. This is a magical place, and as the world tumbles by, you can’t feel more a part of London.

• Tucked away behind the stunning façade of the Royal Festival Hall is a small but bespoke food market, specialising in haute cuisine for a very affordable price. There is a stall for most of your favourite food types – from various European stalls, to staple British, American, Asia, African and South American – and as you stroll past on your way to Waterloo or London Bridge, get yourself a bite and then double-back or another. This food market really is one of London’s hidden treasures.

• Classical music fanatics will be chomping at the bit to catch one of Southwark Cathedral’s regular concerts from local choral, chamber and classical societies or groups.

• With exceedingly reasonable pricing, these concerts are a must for those with a hankering for little-known classical music, particularly choral, in a cathedral that was first built in AD606.

• No visit to London would be complete without buying a £5 groundling ticket to see one of the Bard’s plays in an exact replica of his famous Globe theatre on the Southbank.

• This year’s season includes The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Indian Tempest (a Malayam version of Shakespeare’s classic) and many others, including shows in the new “Sam Wanamaker" indoor theatre recently completed on site at the Globe.