London

Top 10 Annual Events in London

more than a year ago
Not a day passes in London without a major event, so narrowing the annual list to 10 is a difficult task at best. These are our favourites, with a couple of outliers found in amongst the world-famous events.

Trooping the Colour

Queen’s birthday parade © Wiki Commons / Carfax2
Trooping the Colour’ is the name given to the Queen’s birthday parade, and the June celebration is decidedly British. The Queen inspects her troops and the flags of the battalion are passed down the troops, as the royal orchestra soundtracks the whole thing. Rule Britannia, and all that jazz.

London Marathon

© IR Stone Shutterstock.com Marathon
© IR Stone Shutterstock.com Marathon
If running 26.2 miles in wacky fancy dress is your thing, then get yourself signed up for the London Marathon. It takes place every April.

Chelsea Flower Show

Elephants in London © Wiki Commons / Eva Rahman Nishi
Established in 1862, the Chelsea Flower Show is one of the world’s most famous flower extravaganzas. It is a true explosion of colour, with many of the finest products available for purchase at quite extraordinary prices.

University Boat Race

Oxbridge race © Wiki Commons / Pointillist 
Oxford and Cambridge collide on the Thames, although the hope is that the collision is only analogous. The boat race takes place in the first week of April.

Wimbledon

Wimbledon court © Wiki Commons / Me3154a
The most famous tennis tournament on the planet takes place across two weeks in August and is a picture of Britishness. Strawberries, cream, all white everything and a British player losing in the semi-finals are mandatory.

FA Cup Final

© PhotoLondonUK Shutterstock.com Wembley Stadium
© PhotoLondonUK Shutterstock.com Wembley Stadium
The centre of this piece will focus on sporting events, and few carry as much tradition as the FA Cup final in May. The tournament itself has lost importance over the years, but there is still something special about this day out at Wembley.

World Darts Championship Final

There is more to darts than booze and maths © sachab / Flickr.com CC license
There is more to darts than booze and maths, and the PDC World Championship final is now one of the most sought-after tickets on the London sporting calendar. It takes place every New Year’s Day, so plan ahead and bring your fancy dress.

Notting Hill Carnival

celebration of diversity © Rob Schofield / Flickr.com CC license
Originally intended to shine a light on the poor social conditions faced by London’s West Indian community, the Notting Hill Carnival is now a major event on the calendar. It is a celebration of the diversity that makes London so special.

The Proms

BBC Proms © Paul Hudson / Flickr.com CC license
London’s most famous cultural event is The Proms, an August celebration of classical and orchestral music. The Royal Albert Hall is the venue.

Christmas

Christmas in London © Alexey Fedorenko / Shutterstock.com
December is given over to all things festive, with traditional European markets and all manner of warm alcohol flooding the streets of London. Winter Wonderland is the epicentre of it all, a somewhat expensive explosion of Santa (not literally) in Hyde Park.

Comments

Connect via social media
google sign in button
Leave a comment using your email This e-mail address is not valid
Please enter your name*

Please share your location

Enter your message*
Put our app in your pocket
This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here. AGREE
Top