Table of Contents
Summer is a special time in the British capital as its outdoor spaces come to life with folk flocking to its many parks, lakes and suntraps.
Indeed, the city is blessed with some lovely verdant areas and some equally lovely watery spots – lakes and lidos where visitors can spend a lazy summer day boating, punting and open-air swimming.
But that’s not all.
Visitors can now enjoy a range of one-of-a-kind and fun-packed activities in addition to more traditional park-based pursuits and festivals.
Boules, a game popular on the continent and played with big shiny balls, is one of the most recent arrivals on the list of things to do when the sun shines.
Our list (compiled in no particular order) features this latest import from the continent along with eight other thrilling activities to be enjoyed in London in summer.
They’re fun for all the family, reasonably priced and in some cases completely free of charge.
1. Open Water Swimming at the Serpentine Lido
The Serpentine Lido will not open for public swimming as planned this weekend following tests which have confirmed high levels of blue-green algae present in the water. The Lido will remain closed until the levels have reduced. Boating on the Serpentine remains open. pic.twitter.com/gRblI9vzcy
— The Royal Parks (@theroyalparks) May 24, 2024
The Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park is famous for its open-water swimming, especially its Christmas-day event that sees hardy souls enter the icy waters in a bid to win a race that dates back to 1864.
During the rest of the year – May to September – less hardcore crawlers and backstrokers get to use the Lido as an open-air pool.
The 100×30-metre pool is perfect for swimmers of all abilities.
It has both a deep and a shallow end, which means both seasoned swimmers and less-practised paddlers can find somewhere to enjoy the waters.
Lifeguards are always on hand, but it should be borne in mind that all children must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years old and can swim well.
In addition to the pool, swimmers can enjoy the fare at the Lido Cafe Bar, a relaxation point where they can refuel after a hard day’s swimming.
Swimming sessions can be booked here.
Opening Times
The Lido is open for public swimming on weekends from mid-May and every day between June and mid-September.
Opens: 10:00.
Closes: 18:00.
Prices
Adult: £7.50.
Child: £3.75 (3 to 15 years old).
Family: £16.30 (2 adults and up to 4 children).
Concessions: £4.30.
Address
Serpentine Lido
Hyde Park
London
W2 2UH.
2. Interactive Fountains at Southbank
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When the mercury rises, there’s no better way to escape the heat than to immerse yourself in this water-based art installation in South Bank.
Jeppe Hein, a Copenhagen-born visual artist, first brought Appearing Rooms to Southbank back in 2007 and it has since become a firm favourite of families looking to cool down on a hot summer’s day.
Hein’s fountain installation consists of water jets installed in the floor of the Riverside Terrace that have been programmed to spurt and spritz at random intervals, immuring those caught in the jets in ephemeral ‘rooms’ of refreshing H2O.
Opening Times
The fountains can be accessed Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 (subject to weather conditions and maintenance).
The installation runs from 5 June to 8 Sept 2024.
Price
Free of charge.
The Southbank Centre offers much more entertainment and culture for all ages indoors and outdoors with venues like the Southbank Centre Food Market, The Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden, The Riverside Terrace (free summer concerts), and The Undercroft Skate Space. This and its prime central London location by the Thames River make it the perfect hangout spot in the summer.
Address
Southbank Centre
Queen Elizabeth Hall Stage Door
Riverside Terrace
Level 2
London
3. Open Air Theatre in Regents Park
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Every year, over 22 weeks of summer, this 1,034-seater open-air theatre in one of London’s most beloved green spaces hosts over 150,000 people for a festival of theatre.
The theatre can trace its origins to 1932, and over the preceding 90 or so years, its productions have taken home a raft of awards.
Being an open-air venue, the elements can – and often do – play just as important a role in the productions as the human players.
This summer Fiddler on the Roof is the main attraction.
Tickets can be booked online and in person.
To find out more click here.
Prices
Ticket prices have been held at £25 for the past ten years.
The BREEZE scheme allows 18-25-year-olds to buy tickets for £10.
Opening Times
Fiddler on the Roof is performed Monday through Saturday at 19:45.
A matinee performance is given on Thursdays and Saturdays at 14:15.
Address
The Regent’s Park
Inner Cir
London
NW1 4NU.
4. Spitalfields City Farm
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London is known for many things, but farming isn’t one of them. This urban farm close to the Square Mile seeks to put that right.
The farm can trace its origins to 1978 when locals came together to find a patch of green space where they might pitch allotments, having lost their backyard plots to London’s urban sprawl.
It wasn’t long before chickens, rabbits and geese appeared on the scene.
Today, the farm welcomes 18,000 visitors each year and occupies over 1.3 acres of land.
Visitors will find not just an interesting menagerie of animals (goats, donkeys, a cat and even a couple of ferrets) but small patches of arable land and garden plots where herbs, wildflowers, plants and crops are cultivated.
The farm also hosts different workshops throughout the summer with an emphasis on introducing youngsters to handicrafts.
Opening Times
The Farm is open from Tuesday to Sunday, between 10:00 and 16:30.
Price
Free.
Address
Spitalfields City Farm
Buxton Street
London
E1 5AR.
5. Boating in Victoria Park
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You can’t beat a bit of boating on a cool lake on a hot summer’s day.
Victoria Park is London’s oldest and one of its most popular parks – over nine million people visit it each year
The park is in fact split in two, Grove Road separating the halves.
The boating lake, and its three islands, can be found on the west side.
Boaters will also find an ornamental fountain and an oriental pagoda as they navigate the waters.
Pedalos and boats can be hired for thirty minutes at a time.
The nearby Pavilion Café sells refreshments and a Sri Lankan-themed breakfast.
Opening Times
The park opens each year roughly from Easter to the end of October.
Monday to Friday: 12:00-17:00.
Sunday: 12:00-18:00.
Price
£10 per boat per half hour.
Address
Victoria Park
Grove Road
Bow
London
E3 5TB.
6. Petanque at King’s Cross
The French Riviera’s favourite sport has arrived at King’s Cross and it’s FREE to play!
After last year’s success, King’s Cross Pétanque is back with two 15-metre pétanque courts in Pancras Square. Find out more at: https://t.co/Zh3GYJI7yE pic.twitter.com/nCP79Cstyb
— King’s Cross, N1C (@kingscrossN1C) June 21, 2024
Petanque or boules as it is otherwise known is a favourite of beret-wearing continentals, who like to play the balls-like game under a baking Côte d’Azur sun.
The popular ball game has finally made it to these slightly less sunny climes.
The action typically takes place on a 12-15 metre pitch – a rectangular sandbox-type pit – in which players pitch big silver balls at a smaller white one, the jack, at the far end.
There are no prizes on offer but great fun to be had.
Petanque fans can find the specially constructed 15-metre pit in the newly built Pancras Square at the entrance to Kings Cross station.
Boules is just one way Kings Cross has elected to go with the French Riviera theme this year
From July to August, it also hosts its own mini-Cannes film festival, Screen on the Canal, a free-of-charge, open-air cinema on Regent’s Canal.
Film fans are invited to vote in a weekly poll for the film they want to be screened via the King Cross app – the poll favourite is then shown that Thursday.
Visitors can also take home a souvenir of their stay in Coal Drops Yard’s version of the Côte d’Azur by visiting its Riviera-themed gift shop.
The pop-up shop stocks a trove of one-of-a-kind souvenirs, the handiwork of some of the capital’s hippest artists, including Real Hackney Dave, MaxMadeMe and Lucy Loves This.
Opening Times
The pit is open from 19 June to 1 September.
Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 21:00.
Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 – 17:00.
Screen on the Canal runs throughout the months of July and August at 19:30.
Price
Free of charge.
Address
Pancras Square,
King’s Cross
N1C 4AG.
7. Sleepover at London Zoo
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In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.
And now visitors to London’s most-famous zoo can bed down with Simba in one of the zoo’s guest lodges, all of which are situated close to a pride of Asian lions.
The sleepover includes a sunset saunter through the zoo once day-time visitors have cleared out and an overnight stay in a private lodge, each with an en-suite bathroom and a private veranda, which allows guests to soak up the sounds made by zoo’s nocturnal inmates.
A two-course dinner is served in the evening once the tour is over and guests enjoy a buffet breakfast in the morning before embarking on another tour of the enclosures and meeting a real-life zoo keeper.
Free entry to the zoo for two days either before or after the sleepover is also included in the price.
Lodges can be booked here.
Prices
For adult parties, prices start at £202.50 per person (based on twin room share). Add another adult to the stay and the price is reduced to £175 per person.
For stays involving adults and children, prices start at £160 per person (based on two adults and a child sharing the same lodge). Add another child, and the price is reduced to £138.75 per person.
More info on prices can be found here.
Address
London Zoo
Outer Cir
London
NW1 4RY.
8. Adventure Golf at the Lost Jungle
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London’s not short on traditional golf courses, but finding one where the holes are guarded by venomous snakes and hidden among dense jungle can be tricky.
Luckily, this 36-hole course in Edgewater has two courses that cater for the more adventurous golfer: Explore the Amazon and Brave the Congo.
On the Amazon Course, players must contend with huge fountains and waterfalls as they pitch and putt.
There is also an Aztec tomb and thick Jungle wildlife to negotiate.
On the Brave the Congo course, golfers must put up with hissing snakes, spitting spiders, and a super swingy bridge as they negotiate the course.
For non-golfers, there is a foot golf course available that uses a giant football and nine holes.
Opening Times
Between June and September, the courses are open from 09:00 – 19:00.
Golfers are advised to arrive one or two hours before closing time if they wish to complete 18 or 36 holes.
Price
Adult prices: £12 for 18 holes. £18 for 36 holes. 9 holes for £10.
There are concessionary prices for senior citizens, children and students.
More info on pricing can be found here.
Address
The Lost Jungle Adventure Golf
Watford By-Pass
Edgware
HA8 8DD.
9. The Dare Skywalk at Spurs Stadium
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Fittingly, this climb of one of London’s latest and most spectacular edifices takes around 90 minutes to complete.
Climbers are accompanied by a friendly sherpa who is always on hand to keep them safe and point out interesting bits of the city’s skyscape.
At the summit, daredevils reach a height of almost 50m above the pitch, which gives them a chance to take an up-close view of the famous Spurs emblem, a golden cockerel.
For footy fans, the climb can be paired with a tour of the stadium itself, which gives behind-the-scenes access to areas such as the changing rooms and the players’ tunnel.
For an extra frisson of fear and trembling, climbers can opt to take the quick route back to ground level by going over the lip of the walkway in a controlled rappel down the side of the stadium to a podium below.
How to Book
To see a list of available dates and book a climb visit here.
Prices
Prices start at £43.
Opening Times
Climbs take place throughout the day – from 10:00 to 17:00.
Address
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
782 High Rd
London
N17 0BX.
Final Thoughts
There’s no better way to spend the dog days of summer than partaking in one of the London-based activities we’ve listed here.
Of course, our list just scratches the surface of the many cool activities you can do on a hot day in London so make sure to check our lifestyle or hospitality section for more inspiration.
The city has over 11,000 acres of green space at its disposal.
Space enough for all kinds of joy, fun and seasons in the sun.
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