London

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exhibitions">Exhibitions </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="671" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-11.45.25-1024x671.png" alt="Yinka Ilori at Cristea Roberts Gallery " class="wp-image-22948" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-11.45.25-1024x671.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-11.45.25-300x197.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-11.45.25-768x504.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-11.45.25-1536x1007.png 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-11.45.25-2048x1343.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Yinka Ilori at Cristea Roberts Gallery </figcaption></figure>



The hot ticket this month is a major new exhibition at Tate Modern dedicated to Cuban-born American artist <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/ana-mendieta" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ana Mendieta</a> (15 July-17 Jan). Featuring plenty of her iconic pieces alongside newly remastered films, early paintings and later sculptural work, you&#8217;ll get to see pieces that have never been shown in the UK before. 



We might be experiencing heatwaves this summer, but we&#8217;re still keen to browse <a href="https://thames-sidestudios.co.uk/news/exhibitions/2026/the-sunworshippers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Sunworshippers</a> (11-19 July) at Thames-Side Studios, where seven artists and a graphic designer have been invited to create work inspired by the sun.&nbsp;



<a href="https://cristearoberts.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pop Revisted</a> at the Cristea Roberts Gallery on Pall Mall also caught our eye. Bringing together an array of Brit and US &#8211; we’re talking David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein and Bridget Riley &#8211; it&#8217;s a great opportunity to see the work of artists who created some of the most influential works of the twentieth century. Or, currently on show is <a href="https://cristearoberts.com/exhibitions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joy Through Resistance: He Who Laughs Last, Laughs Best</a> (runs until 11 July), a vivid exhibition of more than 20 works by multidisciplinary British Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori, using paint, print, sound installations and sculpture. 



And if you haven&#8217;t yet seen <a href="https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2026/marilyn-monroe-a-portrait" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait</a> (runs until 6 Sept) at the National Portrait Gallery make July your month to browse the exhibition full of previously unseen pictures and items to celebrate the Hollywood star&#8217;s centenary. Muddy popped in recently and loved it. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-theatre">Theatre </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="511" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Unknown-1024x511.png" alt="Death note the musical " class="wp-image-22953" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Unknown-1024x511.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Unknown-300x150.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Unknown-768x383.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Unknown.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Death Note The Musical </figcaption></figure>



Big new musicals to make a song and dance about include&nbsp;<a href="https://muddystilettos.tixculture.com/london/shows/46365-death-note-the-musical" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Death Note: The Musical</a>&nbsp;(30 July-12 Sept) at the&nbsp;Barbican Centre, based on the legendary Manga books. We’re also looking forward to being transported back to the 90s when&nbsp;<a href="https://muddystilettos.tixculture.com/london/shows/46540-trainspotting-the-musical" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trainspotting The Musical</a>&nbsp;(15 July-5 Sept) opens at&nbsp;Theatre Royal Haymarket. 



Don’t miss&nbsp;<a href="https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/46613-the-oresteia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Oresteia</a>&nbsp;at the&nbsp;Bridge Theatre&nbsp;(2 July-19 Sept), a haunting story about a modern family who wake up in a Greek myth and can’t find their way out of a hellish destiny (sounds like an average day to Muddy).&nbsp;



Obvs July also means school summer holidays, but if you&#8217;re finding theatre ticket a bit punchy when you’re suddenly paying for the whole family to go, check out&nbsp;<a href="https://officiallondontheatre.com/kids-week/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kids Week 2026</a>&nbsp;(20 July-31 Aug) where children under 17 go FREE when accompanied by an adult at many top shows, plus you can take an additional two kids for half the price. For example, tickets for&nbsp;<a href="https://sohotheatre.com/events/the-cat-in-the-hat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cat in the Hat</a>&nbsp;at&nbsp;Soho Theatre Walthamstow&nbsp;are from £12 (adult &amp; child) while&nbsp;<a href="https://beetlejuicemusical.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Beetlejuice The Musical</a>&nbsp;costs just £40 (adult &amp; child). Mega savings.&nbsp;



Talking of kids, standout shows to take them to this July include&nbsp;<a href="https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/a-world-elsewhere/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A World Elsewhere</a>&nbsp;(25 July-30 Aug) at&nbsp;Shakespeare’s Globe, which follows the story of a boy named Cass who finds real life tricky so takes refuge in his imagination. Inspired by tales from Shakespeare, read to him by his gran, expect to see witches, shipwrecks, ghosts and ghouls.&nbsp;



<a href="https://zogonstage.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zog</a>&nbsp;at&nbsp;Cadogan Hall&nbsp;(ends 23 Aug) is another win if the kids are in their Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler phase, in which case you might also want to check out&nbsp;<a href="https://thelyrictheatre.co.uk/tickets/the-gruffalo-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Gruffalo</a>, which is playing at&nbsp;The Lyric Theatre&nbsp;(17 July – 6 Sept).



And at the end of the month <a href="https://london.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/dog-man-the-musical/">Dog Man: The Musical</a>&nbsp;(29 July-16 Aug) launches at the&nbsp;Southbank Centre&nbsp;which is sure to be a smash hit as so many kids are obsessed with Dav Pilkey’s multi-million selling books about a half-dog, half-man superhero who protects his city from all kinds of hilarious antics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-outdoor-theatre-amp-cinema">Outdoor theatre &amp; cinema </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="687" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-11.53.48-1024x687.png" alt="Vauxhall Summer Screen " class="wp-image-22957" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-11.53.48-1024x687.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-11.53.48-300x201.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-11.53.48-768x515.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-11.53.48.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens Summer Screen @beinvauxhall.com</figcaption></figure>



Clear all your Tuesdays in July as pop-up cinema, Summer Screen, returns to&nbsp;<a href="https://beinvauxhall.com/article/vauxhall-summer-2026/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens</a>&nbsp;for the 13th year in a row showing four films across four Tuesday evenings. Bookmark&nbsp;Cool Runnings&nbsp;(14 July) and&nbsp;Clueless&nbsp;(21 July). All screenings are free (woohoo) but you&#8217;ve still got to book tickets people.



<a href="https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shakespeare’s Globe</a>&nbsp;on the South Bank has launched a strong programme for its open air theatre this summer including&nbsp;A Midsummer Night’s Dream&nbsp;(runs until 29 Aug) and&nbsp;<a href="https://muddystilettos.tixculture.com/london/shows/24622-much-ado-about-nothing-or-globe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Much Ado About Nothing</a>&nbsp;(runs until 24 Oct). You can enjoy more Shakespeare at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/theatre-on-kew-24" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Theatre on Kew</a>&nbsp;in Kew Gardens, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/twelfth-night" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twelfth Night</a>&nbsp;(25 July-12 Aug),&nbsp;or there&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/theatre-on-kew-the-wind-in-the-willows" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wind in the Willows</a>&nbsp;(18 July-23 Aug) if kids are bored of the Bard. 



<a href="https://openairtheatre.com/whats-on" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Open Air Theatre</a>&nbsp;at Regents Park is always a magical night out, this year you can watch&nbsp;<a href="https://openairtheatre.com/production/a-midsummer-nights-dream" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A Midsummer Night’s Dream</a>&nbsp;(runs until 18 July) and&nbsp;<a href="https://openairtheatre.com/production/cats" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CATS</a>&nbsp;(25 July-19 Sept).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-music-amp-festivals">Music &amp; festivals </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/04/Alanis-Morissette-1024x1024.png" alt="Alanis Morissette " class="wp-image-20479" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/04/Alanis-Morissette-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/04/Alanis-Morissette-300x300.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/04/Alanis-Morissette-150x150.png 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/04/Alanis-Morissette-768x768.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/04/Alanis-Morissette-500x500.png 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/04/Alanis-Morissette-1100x1100.png 1100w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/04/Alanis-Morissette.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



‘It’s like RAAAAIINNNN on your wedding day’. Yep, <a href="https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/alanis-morissette-london-04-07-2026/event/37006378AAE34354" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alanis Morissette</a> is playing Crystal Palace Park (4 July) this month with Skunk Anansie, another 90s throwback, in support. Muddy will be front and centre ready to scream every lyric. 



It&#8217;s <a href="https://www.bst-hydepark.com/line-up/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BST Hyde Park</a>&nbsp;(27 June-12 July) this month too.&nbsp;Singer Lewis Capaldi’s headlining&nbsp;11-12 July&nbsp;and it’s going to be major. The rest of the BST gigs are really varied, including Mumford &amp; Sons, Garth Brooks and, err, Pitbull (bald head cap optional).&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="672" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-17-at-07.16.30-1024x672.png" alt="Somerset House Summer Series " class="wp-image-11804" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-17-at-07.16.30-1024x672.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-17-at-07.16.30-300x197.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-17-at-07.16.30-768x504.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-17-at-07.16.30.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Lots more live music to enjoy at the <a href="https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/somerset-house-summer-series" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Somerset House Summer Series</a>&nbsp;(16-26 July). Less a festival, more a series of amazing gigs in the open air courtyard of Somerset House, one of the most magical settings in the capital for live music in Muddy’s opinion. Who’s playing? Things kick off with Naïka (16 July) and end with Benjamin Clementine (26 July) and in between there’s everyone from The Lightening Seeds to Agnes Obel.&nbsp;



And don&#8217;t miss <a href="https://kaleidoscope-festival.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kaleidoscope</a> at Alexandra Palace (11 July), a one-day extravaganza with music (Rudimental, Groove Armada) pop-up theatre, circus and magic workshops, and comedy. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wimbledon">Wimbledon </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/CHGQ-uickServeTower_14May20260699-1024x683.jpg" alt="Wimbledon afternoon tea" class="wp-image-22757" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/CHGQ-uickServeTower_14May20260699-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/CHGQ-uickServeTower_14May20260699-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/CHGQ-uickServeTower_14May20260699-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/06/CHGQ-uickServeTower_14May20260699.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



The tennis Championships dominate the first week of July in the city, with <a href="https://london.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/whats-on/where-to-watch-wimbledon/">big screens</a> dotted around London so you don&#8217;t miss any of the action, and there are even tennis-themed lunches and <a href="https://london.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/whats-on/where-to-watch-wimbledon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">afternoon tea</a> if you really want to get into it. We fancy the Wimbledon Championship Afternoon Tea at the <a href="https://www.clermonthotel.group/our-brands/royal-horseguards-hotel" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Horseguards Hotel </a>which includes a knock-out strawberry &amp; clotted cream tart, served from 29 June12 July.

Oh hi July! The best things to do in London this month

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