60 amazing things happening in London this July
[Photo: Undisclosed]
If you can tear yourself away from basking in the summer sun on one of London’s rooftop gardens, here’s a load of awesome things taking place elsewhere in the capital this month.
NEW TASTY PLACES TO EAT
July 3: Hawksmoor – now with the financial backing of Graphite Capital – is opening its sixth branch, this time in Knightsbridge.
July 5: Beavertown Brewery Tap Room launches with a new 10 percent Double IPA (IIPA) ‘No Dawn For Man’ and will feature food from Duke’s Brew & Que, Burger Bear and Hoxton Beach.
July 7: A Covent Garden branch of the very successful and constantly packed Barrafina tapas bar in Soho is to open, run by brothers Sam and Eddie Hart.
July TBC: Running months behind schedule, the Mondrian London hotel on the South Bank should be worth the wait, with fashionable bars and a brasserie.
July TBC: Chef Marcus Wareing’s experiment away from fine dining, Tredwell’s is taking shape at Seven Dials in Covent Garden.
July TBC: The seriously upmarket Peruvian restaurant Lima is opening a branch in Covent Garden.
TOP NOTCH COMEDY
July 1-5, 15, 16 and 18-20: The most anticipated comedy gig of the year, nay, century – Monty Python Live (Mostly) – takes up residency at the O2 and is broadcast live to cinemas across the world.
July 3: We’d be fools not to plug our own showcase of hot young comedy talents, Time Out Introduces, at Udderbelly.
July 10: Multi-talented Aussie superstar Tim Minchin joins the likes of Arcade Fire, Black Sabbath and, er, McBusted to headline his own British Summer Time gig in Hyde Park.
July 11-19: South and west Londoners are treated to annual shindigs the Balham and Ealing Comedy Festivals, which include line-ups featuring Reginald D Hunter, David Baddiel, Milton Jones and many more.
July 12: US TV talkshow host and celeb-bashing stand-up Chelsea Handler makes her UK debut at the glitzy Palladium.
NEW THEATRE
Until February 2015: ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time‘, Gielgud Theatre returns! The National Theatre’s smash-hit play overcomes disaster to re-open in a new, larger theatre.
Until September 2014: ‘The Crucible‘, Old Vic opens. In something of a coup, the loveable Old Vic kicks off its slippers, spits out its pipe, and calls on the ferocious South African director Yael Farber to direct this Miller classic.
July 1-September 27: Martin Freeman tries to shake off Tim from ‘The Office’ for good by taking on the most evil role in the theatrical canon, ‘Richard III‘, Trafalgar Studios.
July 1-12: At the very least ‘The Kindness of Strangers‘, Southwark Playhouse should be the curio of the season: a play about the NHS entirely staged in a moving ambulance.
July 2-30: Snap up half-price tickets for West End Wednesdays at TKTS in Leicester Square.
July 2-October 25: A formidable creative team hopes to translate the smash 1998 romcom, ‘Shakespeare in Love‘ to the London stage at Noel Coward Theatre.
July 14- September 4: Helen McCrory takes on the title role of the child butchering ‘Medea‘ in this spooky new production of the Greek tragedy, with original music by Goldfrapp at the National Theatre.
July 17-August 9: Headlong Theatre company follows up ’1984′ with the UK premiere of Jennifer Haley’s award-winning sci-fi crime drama, ‘The Nether‘, about a virtual reality wonderland of the near future at the Royal Court.
July 17- August 23: The Open Air Theatre‘s big seasonal musical is always a massive summer highlight – this year’s it’s George and Ira Gershwin’s all-black American folk opera, ‘Porgy and Bess‘.
July 19-August 24: Great British playwright David Eldridge bids adieu to his comfort zone with rollicking new drama ‘Holy Warriors‘ about Frankish knights at Shakespeare’s Globe.
July 23-September 6: Gillian Anderson stars as fading Southern beauty Blanche DuBois in the Tennessee Williams classic ‘A Streetcar Named Desire‘, directed by the visionary Benedict Andrews at Young Vic.
ART EXHIBITIONS OPENING
July 1-13: Fresh Faced+Wild Eyed-2014 showcases graduate work at Photographers’ Gallery.
July 3-August 24: Edward Thomasson is three narratives performed on a building site at Chisenhale Gallery.
July 5-September 28: Radical Geometry: Modern Art of South America from the Patricia Pelps de Cisneros Collection opens at Royal Academy of Arts.
July 10-October 26: Over 100 works celebrating writer Virginia Woolf: Art Life and Vision are on display at the National Portrait Gallery.
July 13-September 28: A diverse array of works dedicated to the late Shelagh Wakely are being showcased at Camden Arts Centre.
July 16-October 26: Kazimir Malevich‘s minimal and blunt art is on show at Tate Modern.
HIT FILMS COMING OUT
July 4: Melissa McCarthy’s comedy ‘Tammy‘ has an outstanding cast and high expectations.
July 10: Another explosive adventure with the robots from another world in ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’, this time starring Mark Wahlberg.
July 11: Hiccup’s back! ’How to Train Your Dragon 2‘ returns with more useful dragon training tips.
July 11: Absorbing Texas family drama ‘Boyhood’ comes out – we give it five stars.
July 17: After the rise comes the ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes‘.
July 18: ‘Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon‘ is viciously funny and a touch sentimental.
July 25: ’Jupiter Ascending‘ is a new sci-fi from the directors of ‘The Matrix‘.
MUSIC
Our top ten gigs in July: The Internet, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Robbie Williams, Hall & Oates, Conor Oberst, Chance the Rapper, Staff Benda Bilili, Tyler the Creator, Burt Bacharach and Samantha Crain.
July 3-13: Watch some big names such as Neil Young, Black Sabbath, and Arcade Fire at British Summer Time in Hyde Park.
July 10-20: Somerset House Summer Series gigs begin
July 18-19: Boutique festival Lovebox, Victoria Park is back with acts such as MIA, Nas, Chase & Status, Katy B, A$AP Rocky, Bonobo, Sub Focus, The Horrors and Crystal Fighters.
July 18-Sept 13: Orchestras and classical performers head to the Royal Albert Hall for The BBC Proms.
July 19-20: Celebrating 40 years this year, the much-loved Lambeth County Fair, Brockwell Park features musicians such as turbo-lunged soul singer Jocelyn Brown.
NIGHTLIFE
July 3-19: It’s a bit novelty, but it’s got a big following – Hot Dub Time Machine at Wonderground turns on its bubbles.
July 5-September 8: Biggest noise of the month is that Jackmaster takes over from The 2 Bears as XOYO’s resident this month. Our pick his special guests is the upcoming takeover from Dance Mania records. Keep your eyes peeled for that one.
SHOPPING & STYLE
Until July 13: Sperry Top-Sider‘s boat shoe pop-up is dropping anchor in Covent Garden for a month.
July 12-20: Ram Place Fashion Market pops up in a derelict building in Hackney with fashion events, workshops and – most importantly – shopping opportunities.
MORE COOL THINGS TO DO
Until July 17: Enjoy classical entertainment at City of London Festival, various locations.
July 3-Sept 14: Immersive exhibition Digital Revolution explores digital art, music, film, video games and more at the Barbican Centre.
July 5: Join the Second Annual Nunhead Beats the Bounds for day of both singing and walking.
July 5: House of Illustration opens its doors.
July 5: Check out 3D printed guns and Primark jeans at Rapid Response Collection, V&A.
July 12-October 4: Limber up for free coaching and games at Croquet East in Victoria Park.
July 12: Dust off your best tweed suit for this one: The Chap Olympiad returns to Bedford Square, Bloomsbury.
July 12-14: Clipper Round the World Race comes to end and meet in St Katherine Docks.
July 12-13: Regent Street is traffic free for the Big Dance Weekend. Get your groove on!
July 19: Imperial War Museum reopens, Lambeth North.
July 19: Break the Guinness World Record for the number of people dressed as Sherlock Holmes at University College of London.
July 25-27: Get a Japanese culture fix at Hyper Japan, Earls Court.
July 26-27: Two-day festival Walthamstow Garden Party will be a hit with live music, dancing art trails, tasty food and craft beer.
July 26-Feb 1: Discover the history of protest at Disobedient Objects, V&A.
July 28-August 22: Camden Beach returns with 150 tonnes of sand.
ENJOY!