The Best Things To Do in London This June

It’s been a long time coming. This month, Clerkenwell welcomes the UK’s first-ever public arts organisation dedicated to illustration, named for Sir Quentin Blake who has spent a lifetime drawing the fictional worlds of authors into existence – particularly those imagined by Roald Dahl. Blake’s archive will be on display, and the space’s inaugural exhibition – Murugiah: Ever Feel Like – explores the work by the Welsh Sri Lankan artist known for drawing on anime, sci-fi and pop culture.
Opens June 5. Murugiah: Ever Feel Like runs from June 5 until 31 August, 2026.
qbcentre.org.uk

RuPaul’s Drag Race winner and Broadway star Jinkx Monsoon stuns in this revival of Peter Quilter’s 2005 play, set in 1960s London, not long before her tumultuous life would come to an end. Monsoon has drawn rave reviews for her portrayal of Garland, from her idiosyncrasies to her unmistakable singing voice.
Until June 21.
sohotheatre.com

More than 130 artists and creatives will take over 60 Hackney venues in the second-ever edition of Hackney Art Week. Catch shows like the maximalist group exhibition, Pink Chaos in Prokofiev Studio, inspired by east London’s nightlife; explore open studios and workshops across Ashwin Street in Dalston; check out an Asian art and food-led programme curated by Mei Hui Liu at the Old Bath House; and lots more.
June 4–14.
@hackneyartweek

Far from your average school fete, the Soho Food Feast was set up by Rochelle Canteen’s Margot Henderson 17 years ago to raise much-needed money for Soho Parish Primary School, the last remaining school in the area. A handful of the neighbourhood’s best restaurants will set up stalls, with the likes of Mountain, The Devonshire, Lina Stores and Gunpowder selling small plates.
June 6 & 7.
sohofoodfeast.co.uk

If you missed the 2023 run of Waleed Akhtar’s Olivier Award-winning play, then you’re in luck: it’s back at the Bush Theatre for a limited run. This big-hearted, intensely moving play is co-produced this time by Queer Eye’s Tan France, and charts the parallel lives of two gay Pakistani men in the UK, living in an increasingly hostile environment towards migrants.
Until June 27.
bushtheatre.co.uk

Science and art come together at South Kensington’s free annual summer celebration. The weekend-long programme is packed with free and ticketed events across the neighbourhood’s museum precinct, including an adults-only, after-hours takeover of the Science Museum on June 5, a pop-up cabaret stage with live performances, and talks and workshops about everything from the science behind love to myth-busting the immune system.
June 6 & 7.
@sciencemuseum

For one night only, buzzy Victoria Park wine bar Bruno will welcome Fitzrovia bistro Elsa for a kitchen takeover. Chef Holly Hayes will cook her much-loved Alsatian seasonal dishes using British produce, paired with wines from Bruno’s extensive list. The feast will begin with poppyseed bread and cured roe devilled eggs, then move onto dishes including rabbit and prune terrine, spaetzle (egg pasta) with creamed nettle and for dessert, khugelhoph madeleines.
June 8, from 5pm.
@bruno__london

Throughout June and July, the third floor of Fortnum & Mason will hum with events that explore how food intersects art, literature, film, photography and design. Londoners will have the chance to learn food photography by celebrated photographer David Loftus; enjoy a supper club with writer and cook Kate Young inspired by food in queer literature; and hear from baker and writer Juliet Sear about cooking for stage and screen, sharing behind-the-scenes stories from productions like Matilda the Musical.
June 9–24.
fortnumandmason.com

Harry Styles has curated this year’s Meltdown festival at the Southbank Centre – and the line-up reflects his eclectic influences. Alongside ticketed shows by the likes of LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, Warpaint and Devonté Hynes, there are free parties including Don’t Keep Hush, a five-hour dance party on the Riverside Terrace on Friday June 12 by dance music platform Keep Hush, in support of its mental health awareness project.
June 11–21.
southbankcentre.co.uk

It’s three weeks of big-name chefs, agenda-setting food writers and academics chewing over the food scene at the annual British Library Food Season. Now in its eighth year, the upcoming programme features Jay Rayner discussing Anthony Bourdain’s legacy, an exploration of food in Tudor England and an in-conversation event between the River Cafe’s Ruthie Rogers and Rambutan chef-restaurateur Cynthia Shanmugalingam.
June 13–July 2.
events.bl.uk

Peckham restaurant Levan – a favourite among locals for its seasonal European dishes and natural wine – is welcoming renowned Parisian restaurant Les Enfants du Marche for a one-day Sunday lunch takeover. It’s the fourth edition of Levan’s The French Connection series, which sees lauded French restaurants cook long, leisurely Sunday feasts. Expect signature dishes from Les Enfants du Marche, including its smoked langoustine with hay, sweet onions, trout roe and truffle vinaigrette. Afterwards, guests are invited to head next door to Bar Levan for a party, complete with DJs and cocktails.
June 14.
@levanlondon

There’s nothing like free live music under the sun; and this year, East Bank – Stratford’s new cultural quarter in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – is getting four weekends of it. The Music is Black festival series is inspired by the newly opened V&A East Museum’s debut temporary exhibition, The Music Is Black: A British Story. The first weekend focuses on east London’s sound system legacy, curated by musician Footsie and saxophonist and composer YolanDa Brown.
June 13 & 14.
queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk

As far as surveys of influential living contemporary artists go, it doesn’t get much bigger than the Hayward Gallery’s Anish Kapoor exhibition. Filling the entire gallery building, the showcase will feature many of the British sculptor’s most famous works (including objects coated in Vantablack, the blackest known substance in the world), plus new installations that flip the world upside down.
June 16–October 18.
southbankcentre.co.uk

Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. This year, it falls on June 19, so to celebrate, Abby Lee – chef-owner of Clapton’s modern Malaysian restaurant Mambow – will be serving a limited number of zongzi. Inspired by her Chinese-Malay heritage, Lee will serve a Hokkien (southern) version of the dish – a sticky rice dumpling filled with pork belly, salted egg yolk and mushrooms, then marinated in oyster sauce, soy, five spice and garlic.
June 17–20.
@mambow_ldn

If you’ve got a list of must-try restaurants longer than you could possibly manage, then Taste of London is your answer. This five-day festival in Regent’s Park brings together more than 30 of the city’s best-loved restaurants, so you can graze across the city without having to leave the park. Highlights include Italian stalwart Sale e Pepe, modern Georgian restaurant DakaDaka, Chinese favourites Dumplings’ Legend and Tofu Vegan, and more. There’s also live demos and masterclasses from big-name chefs (Teal’s Sally Abé, Big Zuu and Helen Graham, for a start).
June 17–21.
london.tastefestivals.com

Possibly the most hyped exhibition of the year, Frida: The Making of an Icon explores the life, work and legacy of the singularly influential Mexican artist. Get up close to 30 of her best-known works, as well as some of her garments, jewellery and photographs. There’ll also be more than 200 works by her contemporaries and artists she inspired, and a section about the so-called Fridamania that has built up around her and spawned countless commercial objects. Tate Modern will also host a pop-up restaurant by Kol chef Santiago Lastra, with a Mexican menu inspired by Frida Kahlo.
June 25–January 3, 2027.
tate.org.uk