London art guide August 2026 – quick links
Theatre on Kew
The Australian Shakespeare Company (ASC) is back at Kew Gardens for a new season of Theatre on Kew.
There’s a magical 40th Anniversary revival of Glenn Elston’s critically acclaimed The Wind in the Willows, along with the UK premiere of ASC’s Jack and the Beanstalk.
There’s also ‘Shakespeare under the Stars’ featuring Twelfth Night, promising laughter, love and lyrical mayhem for audiences of all ages.
ArtsHub UK took our 10-year-old reviewer Evie along to see Wind in the Willows. She loved the lakeside setting and that it was very interactive, with young audience members encouraged to join the Chief Rabbit and take part in the story. She also loved the colourful costumes.
Tickets to the daytime shows include general entry to the stunning Kew Gardens so you can pack a picnic and spend the day exploring. It’s also a great opportunity to see Henry Moore: Monumental Nature, a landmark exhibition of his major sculptures.
The Wind in the Willows and Jack and the Beanstalk run to 23 August 2026; Twelfth Night to 30 August at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Established in 1932, the multi-award-winning Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre really is a ‘must-see’ London event.
Last year, it welcomed an incredible 176,000 people across the 20-week summer season. The headline show this year is a brand new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s timeless musical CATS, playing here ahead of a national tour.
There’s also Anansi the Spider for young theatre-goers, a few one-night-only special events, and a live music week in September. There are in-house restaurants, a beautiful picnic lawn and the West End’s longest bar, all in the magical setting of Regent’s Park.
Cats runs to 19 September 2026, and Anansi the Spider to 6 September 2026, at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
West End Woofs (and Meows)
Head along to The Actors’ Church (St Pauls) in Covent Garden on 15 August for a fabulous day with your furry friends.
Following the success of last year’s West End Woofs (And Meows), two of our most loved stage icons, Dame Elaine Paige and Bernadette Peters, return as co-hosts for the day.
There will also be guest appearances by stars of various West End shows. This is a dog and cat adoption event supporting eight shelters and rescue groups. You can also buy pet paraphernalia or just spend the day having dog and cat cuddles.
All proceeds from the event benefit the animal shelters. Paige and Peters first teamed up for the virtual edition of West End Woofs during lockdown in 2020. It is now a real highlight in the West End theatre calendar.
Across the pond, Broadway Barks continues to be a howling success after 28 years. It’s a really popular event, so book your £10 ticket online now.
The Actors’ Church, Covent Garden, runs from 10.15am on 15 August 2026.
Edinburgh Festivals Frenzy
Yes, August brings all the mayhem and madness that is the Edinburgh International Festival and Festival Fringe, but did you know there’s a whole range of other arts Festivals on in Edinburgh at the same time?
There’s the 79th edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, including the highly competitive £50,000 Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence; the Edinburgh International Book Festival, with over 600 writers from 41 countries; the Edinburgh International Art Festival, the UK’s largest annual festival of visual art; the Edinburgh TV Festival where you can connect with more than 2000 TV industry leaders from around the world and attend over 70 talks and masterclasses.
There’s all the pomp and ceremony of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo; and there’s even the Foodies Festival, billed as the UK’s biggest celebration of food and drink.
So, book your ticket north and join arts lovers and cultural connoisseurs from around the world in Edinburgh this month. If you are heading for the Fringe, plan your visit carefully as there are 3,649 shows across 258 venues making up almost 54,000 performances. And don’t forget to visit the Half Price Hut for same day tickets at the Fringe Box Office on High Street.
The Edinburgh Fringe runs from 7 to 30 August 2026.
Camden Fringe
Closer to home, the Camden Fringe offers an affordable alternative to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, giving performers the opportunity to experiment with new material and fresh ideas in a supportive environment.
Established in 2006, the Camden Fringe celebrates its 20th birthday with more than 450 theatre, comedy, dance, improve, opera and music shows across 30+ venues. The festival is dedicated to offering everyone a platform to perform and showcase their talent, from highly experienced artists and companies to emerging newcomers.
Program themes for this year include true stories, retellings of classic tales and interactive shows.
Camden Fringe is at venues across Camden and North London from 3 to 30 August 2026.
The Kilburn High Road Festival
Take part in 16 days of art and performance on Kilburn High Road this month, including four unique theatre performances, art exhibitions, and live music with many free events. The Festival is the culmination of three years of workshops, events, and performances that have formed Celebrating our Stories: The Kilburn High Road Project.
It celebrates the diverse heritages of the people of Kilburn. Every performance and artwork has been developed through collaboration and partnerships with residents, artists, and organisations. Since January 2024, more than 2000 people have taken part in workshops and events.
The Kilburn High Road Festival runs to 15 August 2026.
Film Nights Under City Lights
Summer in the city means it’s time for some outdoor cinema at the Barbican. From cult classics to international gems, enjoy world-class cinema with a street food market, drinks from the bars, and seating under the stars in the iconic brutalist Sculpture Court.
The season opens with an exclusive preview screening of Pedro Almodóvar’s new film Bitter Christmas. Next up is Denis Villeneuve’s epic sci-fi hit Arrival, followed by some anime, football, Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan, Janet Jackson in Poetic Justice, a French New Wave classic from Jean-Luc Goddard, and even (some might say) the best Godzilla title of all time.
There’s also the perfect gay summer rom-com, with Beautiful Thing celebrating its 30th anniversary. Don’t miss closing night on 30 August with Spike Lee’s American Utopia.
Outdoor Cinema at the Barbican from 18 – 30 August 2026.
Opera Holland Park
Opera Holland Park is one of London’s unmissable summer events.
Surrounded by the beautiful formal gardens and wilded woodlands of Holland Park, the canopied open-air auditorium is the perfect place to enjoy opera in the wild.
This month, you can see Un Ballo in Maschera, Verdi’s 1859 tragedy of illicit love, political unrest and regicide in the court of Gustave III, King of Sweden; a sparkling production of Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss; and Tchaikovsky: Child of Glass, a new dance-infused musical drama about the life and gay loves of the composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in its UK debut performances.
There are also some excellent one-night-only shows, so see the website for full dates and details.
Opera Holland Park runs throughout August.
Famous faces on London stages
There’s always an opportunity to see a famous face from film and television live on stage in London. This month, see Tamzin Outhwaite in Mike Leigh’s classic play Abigail’s Party at Harold Pinter Theatre from 12 August; Boy George plays Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar from 3 to 15 August, followed by Layton Williams from 17 to 29 August, then Julian Clary to the end of the run on 5 September, all starring alongside Sam Ryder in his West End debut as Jesus at the London Palladium; Stephen Mangan and Sarah Hadland star in The Truth with Ardal O’Hanlon and Janie Dee at the Apollo Theatre; and Adrian Lester is powerful as Cyrano de Bergerac at the Noël Coward Theatre.
