What's on in London August 2026
Looking for what's on in London August 2026? This page gathers the city's cultural highlights into one place — exhibitions, theatre, concerts, cinema and family activities — so you can decide what to do without trawling a dozen sites.
We list each event's venue and neighbourhood, its dates and how to book, and order the page so our editors' picks and the most notable events appear first. It's the quickest way to turn "I'm free August 2026" into a plan, whether you want a big night out or a quiet afternoon with a free exhibition.
Browse everything on August 2026 below and follow any listing for full details. Prefer to narrow things down? Jump into exhibitions, theatre, concerts or films, or see what's free this week.
All events August 2026
My Neighbour Totoro
16/05/2025 - 30/08/2026
Tue-Sat 19:00; Thu & Sat 14:00; Sun 15:00
Gillian Lynne Theatre
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art
28/03/2026 - 01/11/2026
Daily 10:00-17:45
Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A)
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style
10/04/2026 - 18/04/2027
Check website
King's Gallery, Buckingham Palace
In Other Worlds / Liam Young
21/05/2026 - 06/09/2026
Tue–Wed 11am–7pm; Thu–Sat 10am–9pm; Sun 10am–7pm
Barbican Centre (Various)Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait
04/06/2026 - 06/09/2026
Daily 10:30-18:00; Fri-Sat until 21:00
National Portrait Gallery
Monarchy: An Exhibition of Royal Fans
09/05/2026 - 26/09/2026
Tuesday to Saturday, 11am - 5pm. Final admissions at 4:30pm each day.
Fan MuseumAnish Kapoor
16/06/2026 - 18/10/2026
Tue–Fri 10am–6pm; Sat 10am–8pm; Sun 10am–6pm; Closed Mon
Hayward Gallery (at Southbank Centre)
Kulpreet Singh: Indelible Black Marks - FREE
16/06/2026 - 02/08/2026
Tue–Fri 10am–6pm; Sat 10am–8pm; Sun 10am–6pm; Closed Mon
Hayward Gallery (at Southbank Centre)Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles
07/08/2026 - 08/08/2026
Fri 19:30; Sat 14:30 & 19:30
St Paul’s Church (The Actors' Church)The Jonathan Larson Project
09/07/2026 - 10/08/2026
Mon-Sat 19:30 (+ Thu & Sat 14:30)
Southwark Playhouse BoroughWhatever the Weather
03/07/2026 - 16/08/2026
Tue-Sun 10:30 & 12:30 & 14:30
Unicorn Theatre (Clore Theatre)
Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures The Car Man
28/07/2026 - 29/08/2026
Tue-Fri 19:30; Thu & Sat 14:30; Sun 14:00
Sadler's WellsZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year
31/08/2025 - 31/08/2026
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00
National Maritime MuseumJeeves and Wooster in ‘Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves’
17/08/2026 - 04/09/2026
Various times (see booking page)
St Paul’s Church (The Actors' Church)Disruptors: Fractured Images and Migrant World
14/05/2026 - 04/09/2026
Wed-Fri 10:00-17:30
Ben Uri Gallery & MuseumProject a Black Planet / The Art and Culture of Panafrica - FREE
11/06/2026 - 06/09/2026
Gallery hours (varies)
Barbican Centre (Various)
Love’s Labour’s Lost
17/07/2026 - 13/09/2026
Various times: 19:30; Sun 18:30; matinees 14:00 & 13:00
Shakespeare's GlobeNhu Xuan Hua: Of Walking on Fire
16/04/2026 - 19/09/2026
Wed & Fri 11:00-18:00; Thu 11:00-21:00; Sat 12:30-18:00
Autograph
Benton End: A Paradise of Pollen and Paint
02/06/2026 - 20/09/2026
Generally daily 10:00-17:00, but check for closures
Garden MuseumJock McFadyen with Jem Finer: Underground (and Surface
27/02/2026 - 20/09/2026
Daily 10:00-17:00
Guildhall Art GalleryThe Comedy About Spies
01/08/2026 - 26/09/2026
Tue-Sat 19:30; Wed, Sat & Sun 14:30 (Sun eve 19:00)
Leicester Square TheatreSabrage
01/08/2026 - 30/09/2026
Fri 18:15 & 21:15; Sat 17:00 & 20:30; Sun 17:00
Menier Chocolate FactoryA Month in the Country
22/08/2026 - 03/10/2026
Mon-Sat 19:30 (+ Thu & Sat 14:30, from 29 Aug)
Donmar WarehouseEileen Cooper RA
03/09/2025 - 03/10/2026
Mon-Sat 11:00-18:00
Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery (Tower Bridge)Hepworth and Nicholson: The Hampstead Studio Photographs
06/06/2026 - 04/10/2026
Daily 10:00-18:00
Courtauld GalleryIn Focus: Nurse Catherine Pine
06/03/2026 - 04/10/2026
Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am – 5pm (last entry 4.30pm)
Florence Nightingale MuseumThe Mousetrap
15/05/2025 - 17/10/2026
Mon-Sat 19:30 (+ 15:00 Tue & Thu; 15:00 & 16:00 Sat)
St Martin's TheatreKyotographie Kawada Kikuji x Iwane Ai
03/06/2026 - 18/10/2026
Mon–Sat 10:00–20:00; Sun & BH 12:00–18:00
Japan House LondonAnish Kapoor
16/06/2026 - 18/10/2026
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00 (Sat 20:00, Sun 18:00)
Hayward Gallery (at Southbank Centre)Jane Eyre
24/08/2026 - 24/10/2026
Mon-Sat 19:30 (+ Thu & Sat 14:30, from 27 Jun)
Southwark Playhouse ElephantAs You Like It
14/08/2026 - 25/10/2026
Mostly 19:30; some matinees 14:00; Sun 13:00 & 18:30 (see booking page)
Shakespeare's GlobeRichard Dadd: Beyond Bedlam
25/07/2026 - 25/10/2026
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00 (Fri 21:00)
Royal Academy of ArtsHerbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026 - FREE!
25/06/2026 - 27/10/2026
Daily 10:30-18:00 ( Fri & Sat 21:00)
National Portrait GalleryHeritage Gallery Exhibition: America and London
02/05/2026 - 29/10/2026
Daily 10:00-17:00
Guildhall Art GalleryDoes my head look BIG in this? The art of portrait caricature
23/05/2026 - 01/11/2026
Saturday 23 May 2026, 10:30 – Sunday 1 November 2026, 16:00
Cartoon MuseumBeauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art - FREE
20/03/2026 - 01/11/2026
Daily 10:00-18:00
Imperial War MuseumVoyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures
01/06/2026 - 01/11/2026
10am – 5.30pm. Quiet Times: usually afternoons in term time.
Horniman Museum & Gardens
The Playboy of the Western World
28/02/2026 - 04/12/2026
Mon-Sat 19:30 (+ 14:30 Thu & Sat)
National Theatre (Lyttleton)
Healing Spaces: Healthcare Design Past, Present and Future
18/11/2025 - 31/12/2026
Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00
Florence Nightingale MuseumJean ProuvéMaison Démontable
16/05/2026 - 31/12/2026
Tue-Sat: 10:00-18:00; Sun: 11:00-17:00
Carpenters Workshop Gallery LondonFrequently asked questions
What's on in London August 2026?
The list above shows cultural events across London August 2026 — exhibitions, shows, concerts and cinema — updated day by day, with our picks first.
What free events are on August 2026?
London has free culture on every day of the week. See our free things to do page for everything on with no ticket required.
Can I find events suitable for children?
Yes — our for-kids page collects family-friendly events and activities across London, with dedicated round-ups during half-term and the school holidays.
How accurate are these dates and times?
Listings are refreshed continuously and all dates and times are shown in London time, so what you see reflects what's actually on.