Stuck on what to do in London in the fine month of June? We got sci-fi, vintage and antiques, gardens and sculptures, plus photography, food and design. Enjoy!
At a glance...
- 1 From 31 May to 06 Jun: Sci-Fi London Film Festival
- 2 11 Jun: The Church Street Antiques Fair
- 3 Also on 11 Jun: Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion fair
- 4 From 10 Jun to 11 Jun: London Square Open Gardens Weekend
- 5 From 14 Jun to 18 Jun: Taste of London Festival
- 6 24 Jun: DIVA exhibition at the V&A
- 7 From 01 Jun to 25 Jun: London Design Biennale
- 8 Until 25 Jun: Maria Bartuszová at Tate Modern
- 9 Until 25 Jun: Yinka Ilori: Parables For Happiness
- 10 Until 02 Jul: Wildlife Photographer of the Year
From 31 May to 06 Jun: Sci-Fi London Film Festival
WHAT: The 23rd edition of the London Sci-Fi film festival, with several exclusive screenings. There are full length features, shorts, documentaries, and there’s even a pub quiz.
WHEN: from 31 May to 06 Jun
WHERE: 4 independent cinemas across London
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST: Varies, some screenings are free
More info here: https://sci-fi-london.com/
11 Jun: The Church Street Antiques Fair
WHAT: Promises 100+ dealers in antiques, vintage and design wares, as well as food and community stalls. A great way to visit the antique shops of Church Street and Alfie’s Antique Market while enjoying the sunshine [Sunshine not guaranteed. This is England.]
WHEN: 11 Jun, 11:00 – 17:00
WHERE: Church Street NW8 Marylebone
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST: free. (But expect wanting to buy lots of things.)
More info here: https://www.churchstreetantiquesfair.com/
Also on 11 Jun: Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion fair
WHAT: 50 fantastic dealers in upmarket vintage and designer pieces.
WHEN: 11 Jun, 11:00 – 17:00
WHERE: The Royal National Hotel, 38-51 Bedford Way WC1H 0DG Bloomsbury
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST: £5
More info here: https://clerkenwellvintagefashionfair.co.uk/
From 10 Jun to 11 Jun: London Square Open Gardens Weekend
WHAT: Like Open Houses…but for gardens. 117 gardens to be precise (most of them north of the river). The helpful website has a list by area and a map. It does include the Temple gardens, which I’ve written about before.
WHEN: from 10 Jun to 11 Jun
WHERE: all over London
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST: £20
More info here: https://londongardenstrust.org/whatson/log2023/

From 14 Jun to 18 Jun: Taste of London Festival
WHAT: “36 restaurants, 50 chefs, 150 artisan producers, and eight long sessions of deliciousness.” Or try some of the recipes on the website: Beer Can chicken, maybe? Or how about Wild Garlic Fazzoletti With Lemon Butter, Crispy Pancetta And Pecorino?
WHEN: from 14 Jun to 18 Jun
WHERE: Regent’s Park, Marylebone Green, Outer Circle NW1 4NR Paddington
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST: from £24
More info here: https://london.tastefestivals.com/
24 Jun: DIVA exhibition at the V&A
WHAT: From Cleopatra to Elton John to Lizzo, expect glamour, flamboyance and passion.
WHEN: 24 Jun
WHERE: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Rd SW7 2RL South Kensington
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST: £20
More info here: https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/diva

From 01 Jun to 25 Jun: London Design Biennale
WHAT: “a global stage for world-leading contemporary design and design-led innovation, creativity and research”. The “Multi-sensory bread-making workshop” certainly seems intriguing…
WHEN: from 01 Jun to 25 Jun
WHERE: Somerset House, Strand WC2R 1LA Temple
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST: from £25
More info here: https://londondesignbiennale.com/
Until 25 Jun: Maria Bartuszová at Tate Modern
WHAT: Maria Bartuszová’s early medium of choice was white plaster poured into rubber balloons, and who’d have thought that such humble material would result in such beautiful artifacts?
WHEN: until 25 Jun
WHERE: Tate Modern, Bankside SE1 9TG South Bank
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST: £16
More info here: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/maria-bartuszova

Until 25 Jun: Yinka Ilori: Parables For Happiness
WHAT: Such an apt exhibition title! There’s something immensely cheerful about the colourful works of London-born Yinka Ilori. His design look effortless, which probably means they’re anything but. Explore his world through this exhibition, and then maybe go and buy the socks as a souvenir.
WHEN: until 25 Jun
WHERE: Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High St W8 6AG Kensington
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST: Free
More info here: https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/yinka-ilori-parables-for-happiness
Until 02 Jul: Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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WHAT: Check out some extraordinary images from the animal kingdom and beyond.
WHEN: until 02 Jul
WHERE: Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, South Kensington SW7 5BD South Kensington
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST: from £15.50
More info here: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year.html