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FORTHCOMING MAJOR LONDON
EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS
Early June To Mid-August
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Thousands of
prints, paintings, sculptures and sketches,
most by amateurs and nearly all of them for
sale, are displayed at one of the city's finest
galleries. Information Phone:+44 (0)20 7300
8000; www.royalacademy.org.uk.
June
Fleadh Pronounced "flaa", this is
a raucous (by no means exclusively) Irish
music festival in Finsbury Park, North London.
Van Morrison has pitched up here on more than
a few occasions, but then so too have Bob
Dylan and the briefly reformed Sex Pistols.
Information Phone:+44 (0)20 8963 0940; www.meanfiddler.com.
June
Spitalfields Festival Classical music recitals
in Hawksmoor's Christ Church, the parish church
of Spitalfields, and other events in and around
the old Spitalfields Market for a fortnight
or so in June. Information Phone:+44 (0)20 7377
0287; www.spitalfieldsfestival.org.uk.
Second Saturday In June
Trooping of the Colour This celebration of the
Queen's official birthday (her real one is on
April 21) features massed bands, gun salutes,
fly-pasts and crowds of tourists and patriotic
Britons paying homage. Tickets for the ceremony
itself (limited to two per person) must be applied
for well in advance; Phone:+44 (0)20 7414 2479.
Otherwise, the royal procession along the Mall
lets you glimpse the nobility for free, and
there are rehearsals (minus Her Majesty) on
the two preceding Saturdays.
Mid-June
Royal Ascot A highlight of the society year,
held at the Ascot racecourse in Berkshire, this
high-profile meeting has the Queen and sundry
royals completing a crowd-pleasing lap of the
track in open carriages prior to the opening
races. The event is otherwise famed for its
fashion statements, and there's TV coverage
of both the races and the more extravagant headgear
of the female racegoers. Information Phone:+44
(0)20 1344 622211; www.ascot.co.uk.
Last Week Of June And First Week Of
July
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships This Grand
Slam tournament attracts the cream of the world's
professionals and is one of the highlights of
the sporting and social calendar. Tickets are
hard to get hold of, but as they are valid for
the whole day you could always hang around outside
in the hope of gleaning an early leaver's cast-off.
Don't buy from touts, even if you can afford
to, as the tickets may well be fakes. Information
Phone:+44 (0)20 8946 2244; www.wimbledon.org.
Late June To Mid-July
City of London Festival For nearly a month,
churches (including St Paul's Cathedral), livery
halls and corporate buildings around the City
play host to classical and jazz musicians, theatre
companies and other guest performers. Information
Phone:+44 (0)20 7377 0540; www.colf.org.
Mid-July
Greenwich & Docklands Festival Ten-day festival
of fireworks, music, dance, theatre, art and
spectacles at venues on both sides of the river,
plus a village fayre in neighbouring Blackheath.
Information Phone:+44 (0)20 8305 1818; www.festival.org.
Mid-July To Mid-September
BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Commonly known
as the Proms, this series of nightly classical
concerts at the Royal Albert Hall is a well-loved
British institution. Information Phone:+44 (0)20
7765 5575; www.bbc.co.uk/proms.
Mid-July
Doggett's Coat and Badge Race The world's oldest
rowing race, from London Bridge to Chelsea,
established by Thomas Doggett, an eighteenth-century
Irish comedian, to commemorate George I's accession
to the throne. The winner receives a Hanoverian
costume and silver badge. Information Phone:+44
(0)20 7626 3531.
Mid-July
Mardi Gras Gay and lesbian march through the
city followed by a huge (ticketed) party in
the park.
Third Week Of July
Swan Upping Five-day scramble up the Thames,
from Sunbury to Pangbourne, during which liveried
rowers search for swans, marking them (on the
bill) as belonging to either the Queen, the
Dyers' or the Vintners' City liveries. At Windsor,
all the oarsmen stand to attention in their
boats and salute the Queen. Information Phone:+44
(0)20 7236 1863.
Mid-August
Summer Rites Relaxed annual gay and lesbian
festival.
Last Bank Holiday Weekend In August
Notting Hill Carnival The two-day free festival
in Notting Hill Gate is the longest-running,
best-known and biggest street party in Europe.
Dating back 35 years, Carnival is a tumult of
imaginatively decorated floats, eye-catching
costumes, thumping sound systems, live bands,
irresistible food and huge crowds. Information
Phone:+44 (0)20 8964 0544; www.nottinghillcarnival.net.uk.
Saturday In Early September
Great River Race Hundreds of boats are rowed
or paddled from Ham House, Richmond, down to
Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs. Starts are
staggered and there are any number of weird
and wonderful vessels taking part. Information
Phone:+44 (0)20 8398 9057.
Third Sunday In September
Horseman's Sunday In an eccentric 11.30am
ceremony at the Hyde Park church of St John
& St Michael, a vicar on horseback blesses
a hundred or so horses; the newly consecrated
beasts then parade around the neighbourhood
before galloping off through the park, and
later taking part in show jumping. Information
Phone:+44 (0)20 7262 1732.
Third Weekend In September
Open House A once-a-year opportunity to peek
inside over 400 buildings around London, many
of which don't normally open their doors to
the public. You'll need to book in advance
for some of the more popular places. Information
Phone:+44 (0)20 891 600061; www.londonopenhouse.org.
Late September/Early October
Soho Jazz Festival Headed by Ronnie Scott's,
this is a week-long celebration of one of
Soho's most famous attributes - its jazz culture.
Information Phone:+44 (0)20 7437 6437.
First Sunday In October
Costermongers' Pearly Harvest Festival Service
Cockney fruit and vegetable festival at St
Martin-in-the-Fields Church. Of most interest
to the onlooker are the Pearly Kings and Queens
who gather at around 3pm in their traditional
pearl-button studded outfits. Information
Phone:+44 (0)20 7930 0089.
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London Events
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