Turning tips into memories

Things to do in London: July 2017 edition

By Lucy Brooks on 30/6/2017

Feminist theatre, a-list letter reading and a multi-sensory gin-soaked adventure: this summer is full of surprises. Here’s where to go and what to do in London this July.

See Sienna Miller's Southern Belle

Sienna Miller stars in Tennessee Williams's sultry play about about a Mississippi family in crisis. It's a smouldering story about a marriage in crisis, with promising potential for Bourbon-soaked, Southern-fried chemistry. With iconoclast director Benedict Andrews at the helm, expect an intense, edgy take on this classic drama.

WHEN

13 Jul 2017 – 07 Oct 2017, Times vary

WHERE

Apollo Theatre
31 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7ES

Detail: Frank Bowling, Who’s Afraid of Barney Newman 1968, Tate. © Frank Bowling, Black Power exhibition

Celebrate the art that sparked the civil rights movement

What did it mean to be a black artist in the US at the height of the civil rights movement? Explore the paintings, photo-montages and fashion designs from artists pushing for racial equality in this pertinent exhibition charting race and indentity in America from 1963 -1983.

WHEN

12 Jul 2017 – 22 Oct 2017, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

WHERE

Tate Modern
Bankside, London, SE1 9TG

Sing along and soak up the sun at outdoor gigs

Cider, songs and the setting sun: enjoy the best bits of a festival in the more decorous surroundings of Somerset House's open air courtyard with 11 nights of topnotch gigs. Our highlights include decadent synthpop duo Goldfrapp, Malian desert punk/blues trio Songhoy Blues and up-and-coming English indie-folk star Birdy.

WHEN

06 Jul 2017 – 16 Jul 2017, Doors open at 7:30pm

WHERE

Somerset House
Strand, London, WC2R 1LA

Letters Live: Will Benedict Cumberbatch be there again? We think he might. Photo: Pari Dukovic for Variety

Spot the stars at this epistolary celebration

Boasting more heavyweight A-listers than the average red carpet, Letters Live puts the art of letter writing back in the limelight. A surprise selection of celebrities read aloud from history's most fascinating correspondence, conjuring intimate relationships, private moments and historical intrigue. Past readers include. Past readers include Benedict Cumberbatch, Jude Law, Sophie Dahl, Gillian Anderson, and more - so get ready for a star safari.

WHEN

14 Jul 2017 – 15 Jul 2017, 7:45 PM – 9:00 PM

WHERE

Union Chapel
Compton Terrace, London, N1 2XD

Gingerline are returning with Juniper Manor

Immerse yourself in a gin-themed foodie surprise

Gingerline are the masters of immersive dining. They conjure up multi-course foodie experiences, in a secret location somewhere on the orange (or Ginger!) Overground train line. This summer, you can lose yourself in a new multi-sensory, gin-themed adventure, created in partnership with Sipsmith. Just promise to keep the secrets of Juniper Manor.

WHEN

20 Jul 2017 – 12 Aug 2017, 4.00pm - 11.00pm, Daily

WHERE

Secret Venue East London
-

Vicky Jones, Amy Morgan and Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Laugh along at new feminist play by creators of Fleabag

You may not have heard of DryWrite Theatre, but there’s no way you missed their breakthrough hit Fleabag, which skyrocketed from one hour of Fringe theatre to a full BAFTA-winning TV series… Writer-director duo Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Vicky Jones return to the Soho Theatre with Touch, another unapologetic comedy about one woman’s sexual escapades and self-discovery. If it’s even an iota as sharp as Fleabag, you’ll be laughing, cringing and sobbing your way home.

WHEN

06 Jul 2017 – 12 Aug 2017, matinees on selected dates

WHERE

Soho Theatre
21 Dean Street, Soho, W1D 3NE

Let Sofia Coppola, Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning beguile you

‘WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME, YOU VENGEFUL B*TCHES?’ screams Colin Farrell in the trailer for this star-studded Civil War melodrama, directed by Sofia Coppola. Telling the story of a lost soldier recuperating in an all-girls boarding school, The Beguiled is just as lusty and punitive as the trailer promises.

WHEN

14 Jul 2017 – 14 Sep 2017, Times vary

WHERE

Various Locations

Go gourmand with the most Michelin-starred woman in England

Ever since Clare Smyth became the first female chef in the UK to earn three Michelin stars, we've been waiting for her to step out of Gordon Ramsey's shadow and go solo. Core is everything we hoped, with opulent 10 course tasting menus, 400 fine wines and champagnes and a luxe Kensington Park Road location. The doesn't open until late July and the best tables are already being booked up. All you need is a suitable excuse to push the boat out.

WHEN

Opens late July; booking open now

WHERE

92 Kensington Park Road
W11 2PN

Grant Llwellyn. Photo: Michael Zirkle, courtesy of NC Symphony

Bop along to pop by classical orchestras

The BBC Proms at the Royal Albert are the height of high culture and a showcase of world class musical talent. Sound intimidating or - dare we say it - dull? The first ever relaxed Prom is here to bring all that classical clout to popular, toe-tappingly good, hum-along songs. You’re made of stone if you don’t want to dance to Pharrell Williams’s Happy, and the Doctor Who theme is an outright invitation for tum-te-tum-te, woo-oo-oo responses, especially when played by 80 musicians.

WHEN

On 29 Jul 2017, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

WHERE

Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP

Lose yourself in a WWII epic with an almighty cast

Director Christopher Nolan eschews the mind-bending sci-fi and inter-dimensional travel of Inception or Interstellar for a good old-fashioned war movie. Dunkirk boasts an a-list troop of soldiers, including Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh and - of course - former One Directioner Harry Styles. We predict an army of fan girls...

WHEN

21 Jul 2017 – 21 Sep 2017, 12:00 AM

WHERE

Various Locations

Things to do in London: July 2017 edition

Feminist theatre, a-list letter reading and a multi-sensory gin-soaked adventure: this summer is full of surprises. Here’s where to go and what to do in London this July.

See Sienna Miller's Southern Belle

Celebrate the art that sparked the civil rights movement

Sing along and soak up the sun at outdoor gigs

Spot the stars at this epistolary celebration

Immerse yourself in a gin-themed foodie surprise

Laugh along at new feminist play by creators of Fleabag

Let Sofia Coppola, Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning beguile you

Go gourmand with the most Michelin-starred woman in England

Bop along to pop by classical orchestras

Lose yourself in a WWII epic with an almighty cast

July Highlights

Summer

Things to do

We Love

Hot Ticket

July's best foodie adventures

London Theatre Guide: best plays on now in London, 2020

Things to do in London this weekend: 30 October - 1 November

The best TV on now: July 2017 highlights

Best films out in July

Summer Holidays London 2017