London’s summer festivals

In 1969, occasional Notting Hill resident Jimi Hendrix, blasted out the American national anthem to half a million appreciative teenagers in a field in Woodstock and the rock music festival was born. It touched down here in the UK on the Isle of Wight and in Glastonbury with people willing to trek out to the countryside for a summer weekend of music, mung beans and mud. It took some time for the idea of an urban festival to take hold, but when it did, London, with its acres of green spaces and great transport links, was a natural choice.

Today’s technology means that P.A. systems don’t have to be as big as office blocks anymore. A smaller, yet better-sounding rig takes less time to set up, enhances sight lines and lessens anti-social noise overspill. The result is an improved urban festival experience that keeps the neighbours happy and has led to a boom in outdoor summer events in the capital.

Party in the park

Hyde Park has a long pedigree in outside shows, with arena veterans The Rolling Stones playing there as far back as 1969 and Live 8 ending poverty there (again) in 2005. In recent times the park has regained its festival mojo with a string of massive outdoor concerts promoted under the banner of British Summer Time that run throughout July. This year sees one of the most prestigious line-ups in recent times with Stevie Wonder, Massive Attack, Carole King and Florence and the Machine headlining on successive weekends. The Stevie Wonder and Carole King dates are of particular note in that they’ll both be performing their most celebrated albums in full. All that you need to know about classic pop songwriting is covered in “Songs in the Key of Life” and “Tapestry” and to witness them played live in Hyde Park by their legendary creators will be a very special occasion indeed.

The choice is endless

Other summer events in London are more mixed and take place over a much longer period. The Udderbelly Festival colonises a large part of the Southbank complex with its eclectic mix of live bands, stand-up comedians and contemporary circus acts. Apart from mixing entertainment disciplines, a festival may be an exciting blend of lifestyle interests like the Fork to Fork food festival in NW6 that combines artisan food stalls with cooking demos and local bands. It is important to realise that gatherings like this and the London Craft Beer Festival in Kennington focus more on the produce than the music, so anyone wanting a pure adrenalin rush had better stick to dedicated music events. Lovebox (dance), Wireless (hip hop/r’n’b) and Field Day (indie) are ideal for serious genre geeks and being held in Victoria Park, Hackney and Finsbury Park, North London, they’re also not difficult to reach.

Anyone who thinks that an urban festival may lack atmosphere would do well to check out a couple in London that have backdrops to die for. Greenwich Music Festival and Kew the Music are both sited right on the river which provides all round views, guaranteed to inspire artistes and audiences alike. The former, which is a celebration of classy, downtempo genres, with homegrown soul artist Seal topping the bill, will be housed in the Old Royal Naval College right across the river from Canary Wharf. Kew the Music takes place in the lush settings of The Royal Botanical Gardens, near Kew Bridge and features the smooth sounds of the newly reformed Simply Red.

The last three events on our shortlist have superseded the festival tag by becoming cultural pillars of the capital in their own right. Pride in London Festival, the BBC Proms and the Notting Hill Carnival may have started out as minority interests, but they have long since moved beyond their initial remit of promoting the LGBT, classical music and Caribbean communities. This year’s Pride will be the biggest yet and will include music, drama and arts from a wide range of influential artistes including  a climatic concert in Trafalgar Square in June. The 2016 Proms will pay tribute to David Bowie; perhaps not an obvious choice, but surely a popular one. It will also be expanding its range of venues and will incorporate the Camden Roundhouse and the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich in addition to its traditional HQ in Kensington’s Royal Albert Hall. At the Notting Hill Carnival, there will of course be a music stage, but the whole ethos of this giant street festival is to keep moving and have the music from the mobile sound systems and calypso bands wash over you.

It’s not over yet

All this music and culture takes place over a few short summer weeks, so what if you’re out of town on holiday? Happily there are two tail-end festivals that cater for those who miss all that June/July early August action. South West Four is a massive hardcore dance party that takes place on Clapham Common at the end of August. Almost everyone there will be back from sunning themselves in the Mediterranean and will be up for one last rave before getting back to normality. OnBlackheath combines retro indie favourites with left-field soul and also has an extensive food quarter, making it ideal for families. Blackheath Village, SE3 is the ideal setting for this mid-September coda to the London festival season.

Today, live music has grown up to such an extent that the urban festival calendar is a bona-fide attraction in its own right. The age range of festival goers has expanded dramatically and it’s not uncommon to see three generations watching a band while taking selfies and munching on artisan burgers. It doesn’t even seem to matter that much who’s on stage – the experience is what counts.

To cater for this family demographic, festivals have had to either diversify the activities or go niche.Live music is now often combined with craft beer tastings, book launches or child-friendly circus acts. There are folk festivals, reggae sound clashes, blues jam sessions and about half a dozen events catering for the seemingly endless number of dance genres. In London, these two trends have created a fertile atmosphere that, in summer especially, provides something for everyone, every weekend.

Time for a rest?

Summer isn’t just a time for splendid festivals; it is the time of year lots of people think about moving into a new home. If you have decided it’s time to move, take a look at our listings page or our latest residential developments. Who knows, we might just be able to find you a brand new home within a short distance of one of the festivals taking place.

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