What’s On In July 2019: Glorious Things To Do In London This Month
Things to do throughout July 2019 in London, from Wimbledon to major art exhibitions starring Olafur Eliasson and Cindy Sherman
The Championships, Wimbledon
More of a national institution than a sporting event, Wimbledon opens its hallowed gates once again this July for two weeks of tennis, accompanied by lashings of strawberries and cream, Lanson champagne and plenty of Pimms. Didn’t manage tickets in the ballot? Celebratory Wimbledon events are taking place across the capital, including a tennis-themed afternoon tea at No 50 Cheyne and live screenings in St James’s Park. Look out for our round-up on Luxury London.
How to guarantee centre court seats at Wimbledon
Date: 1-14 July Time: Varies Website: wimbledon.com
RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, Richmond Upon Thames
Head to Hampton Court Palace this July for the annual RHS Garden Festival. Set in the historic grounds of the Tudor palace, visitors at the world’s biggest flower show will be able to explore 20 innovative show gardens, including a verdant display co-designed by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge. Floral festivities are accompanied by an eclectic calendar of talks, music and workshops, hosted by esteemed chefs including Melissa Hemsley and Raymond Blanc and horticultural expert Joe Swift Alys Fowler. This year also welcomes a wellbeing tent, where expert herbalists from Handmade Apothecary will be running workshops.
Date: 2-7 July Time: 5pm-10.30pm on Monday, 10am-7.30pm on Tuesday-Thursday, 10am-5.30pm on Sunday Price: From £22.50 Location: Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, KT8 9AU Closest Station: Hampton Court
Website: rhs.org.uk
Richard Orlinski Gallery, Mayfair
Known for his contemporary sculpture, Richard Orlinski’s avant-garde work evokes reactions as divisive as Marmite. Following success in Paris, in June 2019 the French artist opened his first gallery in London as a ‘wink to my British customers and a way for me to tell them that I am very happy to be moving here’. At the launch earlier this month, new and seasoned fans of his style admired the primal qualities of his recognisable animal sculptures ‘Howling Wolf’ and ‘Wild Kong’, rendered in opaque resin, and celebrated his most recent collaboration with Swiss watch manufacture Hublot. The collection on show in the New Bond Street gallery includes his most beloved signatures – angular, faceted surfaces; chest-beating primates and teeth-bearing dinosaurs; and the recurring post-box-red that has become synonymous with his name.
Location: Galerie Richard Orlinski, 106 New Bond Street, W1S 1ED Closest Station: Green Park Website: galerie-orlinski.com
Frieze Sculpture at Regent’s Park
Frieze Sculpture returns to Regent’s Park this month, transforming the north-east corner of the park into a free outdoor gallery. 20 internationally-renowned artists are on display including Tracey Emin, Robert Indiana and Vik Muniz, putting thought-provoking pieces – including sleeping statues and full-size reproductions of toy cars – on display.
Date: 3 July-6 October Price: Free Location: South side of Regent’s Park, NW1 4LL Closest Station: Regent’s Park
Website: frieze.com
British Summer Time Festival, Hyde Park
Florence and The Machine, The National, Stevie Wonder and Barbra Streisand are among headlining acts playing this year’s British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park. Outdoor performances are supported by an array of food and drink pop-ups, while Open House weekend (8-11 July) will host a free-to-attend programme of al fresco film screenings, yoga with Lululemon and a live performance by Sigur Rós.
Date: 5-14 July Time: From 12pm Price: Varies (some events free) Location: Parade Ground, East side of Hyde Park, W2 2UH Closest Station: Marble Arch
Website: bst-hydepark.com
Olafur Eliasson: In Real Life at The Tate Modern, Southwark
Danish-Icelandic contemporary artist Olafur Eliasson presented The Weather Project at the Tate Modern 2003, transforming the Turbine Hall with a hypnotic semicircle of light, reflective of a burning sun. 16 years on, the artist returns for a landmark retrospective. The exhibition reflects pivotal moments in Eliasson’s career, including his investigations into space, motion and natural phenomena using light, colour and perception. Look out for Beauty (2007), a mesmersing indoor rainbow, and a special section devoted to the artist’s engagement with climate change. The Tate’s Terrace Bar has been transformed to resemble Eliasson’s kitchen in Berlin and is serving a new vegetarian menu for the duration of the exhibition.
Website: bbc.co.uk Date: 11 July-5 January Time: 10am-6pm Price: £18 Location: Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG Closest Station: Southwark
Website: tate.org.uk
Backyard Cinema presents LA Nights, Camden
This July, Backyard Cinema is transporting guests to the sun-kissed beaches of LA for an immersive cinema experience. Sip cocktails beneath waving palm trees while enjoying cinematic classics including Clueless, Grease, Dirty Dancing and Back to the Future, as well as recent hits including The Greatest Showman, Bohemian Rhapsody, Captain Marvel and A Star is Born. There will also be allocated family screenings, showing The Lego Movie 2 and Mary Poppins Returns.
Date: 18 July-26 August Time: Varies Price: From £18.99 Location: Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH Closest Station: Chalk Farm
Website: backyardcinema.co.uk
BBC Proms, Kensington
Enjoy eight weeks of daily live performances at the Royal Albert Hall, as BBC Proms returns for summer. The event – which has taken place at the Hall since 1941 – brings together the world’s greatest performers and orchestras for an eclectic array of stunning symphonies covering centuries of composition.
Date: 19 July-14 September Time: Varies Price: From £16 Location: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, SW7 2AP Closest Station: South Kensington
Cindy Sherman at the National Portrait Gallery, Charing Cross
A major retrospective of American photographer Cindy Sherman comes to the National Portrait Gallery this July. The exhibition charts Sharman’s work from the mid-1970s, showing her ability to challenge class, gender and identity through her powerfully posed self-portraits. Around 150 works, some never before seen in a public gallery, show the enigmatic Sherman playing roles spanning con-artist, clown, housewife and country girl.
Date: 27 June-15 September Time: 10am-6pm/9pm on Friday Price: From £18 Location: National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, WC2H 0HE Closest Station: Charing Cross
Website: npg.org.uk
