Buckingham Palace State Rooms Summer Opening 2026
The State Rooms at Buckingham Palace open to visitors for the summer season, and it is worth taking the chance to experience the palace from more than just behind the railings. The route ends at the café and garden behind the palace, with a lake at its centre that most London visitors have never seen. At other times of the year, the palace can only be visited on guided tours held on selected days.
📍Buckingham Palace | 9 July – 27 September 2026
Henry VIII's Joust at Hampton Court Palace
Henry VIII's Joust at Hampton Court Palace brings Tudor court culture to life in a historic palace setting. The programme includes jousting displays in which teams compete against one another, as well as falconry and birds-of-prey demonstrations. The same ticket gives access to the palace's other attractions, such as the maze, the Great Hall and the Magic Garden play area. The displays take place outdoors in the very picturesque East Front Gardens.
📍Hampton Court Palace | 11–12 & 18–19 July 2026
Somerset House Summer Series with American Express
The Somerset House Summer Series takes place in the open-air courtyard of Somerset House, near Covent Garden. Running since 2003, the event brings together artists from across a range of musical styles. The 2026 line-up includes Naïka, Palace, Thee Sacred Souls, Lightning Seeds, The Cribs, Agnes Obel, Black Country, New Road, Venna, Raf-Saperra, The Flaming Lips and Benjamin Clementine. The location is magnificent and well worth seeing.
📍Somerset House | 16–26 July 2026
Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical
This immersive theatre experience takes visitors into the world of Rydell High, where film, stage and music come together. Danny and Sandy, along with the familiar songs and scenes of Grease, come to life in sets featuring live music, a summery funfair atmosphere, and touches inspired by American diner culture. The staff may welcome you "back to school" the moment you arrive. Most of the show takes place in the "school building" and its gym. Food and drink are available, as well as 1950s-style clothing.
📍Evolution London, Battersea Park | 22 July – 30 August 2026
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre 2026
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is an outdoor theatre set in the large expanse of Regent's Park. One of London's biggest theatres, its auditorium seats more than 1,300. It is known for its summer-season productions, which combine plays, musicals and other performing arts in a parkland setting. The 2026 programme includes A Midsummer Night's Dream, CATS and the family show Anansi the Spider.
📍Regent's Park | Selected dates, final performance 25 September 2026
David Bowie: You're Not Alone
Held at Lightroom in King's Cross, this exhibition explores David Bowie's artistic world through iconic performances, rare interviews and previously unseen material. It presents Bowie's creativity, thinking and career in his own words, combining a multimedia presentation with a personal perspective on the career of one of popular music's best-known artists. Lightroom is London’s premier venue for immersive exhibitions such as this.
📍Lightroom, King's Cross | until 10 October 2026
1996: 30 Years On
This free exhibition at the Barbican looks at the Cool Britannia phenomenon and British popular culture in the 1990s. On display are items such as Spice Girls stage outfits, Oasis-related material, photographs, and personal objects belonging to music producers and DJs. The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of talks with cultural figures from the 1990s.
📍Barbican Music Library, City of London | until 19 October 2026
Beetlejuice The Musical
This West End musical is based on Tim Burton's 1988 film. At its centre is Lydia Deetz, who moves with her family into a house also occupied by the recently deceased Adam and Barbara Maitland and a spirit named Beetlejuice. The story deals with family, grief and the supernatural through humour. The show features music, stage effects and a gothic visual style, and is recommended mainly for ages 12 and over.
📍Prince Edward Theatre | until 17 April 2027
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style
This exhibition at the Kings Gallery in Buckingham Palace examines Queen Elizabeth II's style and dress across the different stages of her life, from childhood to her public duties and major state occasions. More than 300 items are brought together, including clothing, accessories and archive material, some on display for the first time. The exhibition also opens up the design process behind the outfits through sketches, fabric samples and letters, and explores the role the Queen herself played in shaping her public wardrobe.
The King's Gallery, Buckingham Palace | until 18 April 2027
Julio Le Parc at Tate Modern
This exhibition presents the work of Julio Le Parc from the late 1950s to the 2020s. It includes installations, sculptures using light and movement, and large-scale geometric paintings. In Le Parc's work, the viewer's movement and viewing angle shape how a piece appears. The exhibition also brings out his interest in colour, optical effects and spatial compositions. Born in Argentina, Le Parc moved to France in 1958 and became part of the Paris art scene in the 1960s.
📍Tate Modern | until 3 May 2027
Summary
From the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace and Henry VIII's Joust to the Somerset House Summer Series, open-air theatre in Regent's Park and exhibitions on David Bowie and Queen Elizabeth II. There are plenty of great events to attend in London in July 2026.
