Having trouble deciding on the best spots for photography in London?
Then check out the fantastic events in the London and Watford area this month. These events are more geared towards photography, fashion and art.
Welcome to one of the quietest months of the year. I hope you have been enjoying the hot summer weather. Looks like this sunny summer is set to continue, so lots of opportunities to get out and photograph your world.
In August, there is the solar eclipse in the UK, which is only 90% but the best for decades on the 12th. There is the Greenwich & Docklands International Festival and plenty of small events around the south east. More events are listed below.
More events are listed below.
You can check out my free Photography Journal on Substack for more in-depth on what I have been up to each week with photography. There is also a Substack membership, where I have been adding more Photography guides on various aspects of the industry to help photographers grow their business. You can find out what I will be adding in the next couple of months here.
Last Updated: 1st August
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If you’re a writer interested in fashion, I’m an editor on a publication on Medium called Fashion Police. I am looking for new writers; get in contact if you are interested.1s
The Ronnie Scott’s Street Party in Soho – 1st
Ronnie Scott’s takes over Frith Street for a free afternoon of live music in the heart of Soho. This year, two stages with lots of music.
Find out more here.
Fireworks Display at the Old Royal Naval College – 1st, 2nd & 16th
Fireworks displays will be held in the vicinity of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich Reach. The fireworks are due to begin at approximately 22:45 and will last for approximately 5 minutes.
Find out more here.
Walthamstow Colour Walk – 2nd
Meet outside Walthamstow Library E17 7JN (nearest tube Walthamstow Central) then peruse the charity shops, fabric shops and Sunday Social Market.
Find out more here.
Birds of Prey in Watford – 2nd
Visit The Parade event space (by the pond) between 10:30am and 3:30pm on Sunday 2 August for this incredible experience with Berkshire Birds of Prey!
Find out more here.
Urban Garden Fair at Canada Water – 8th to 9th
Showcasing the best of local creativity and talent. Their goal is to create fun, welcoming spaces where everyone feels at home and can enjoy what our traders have to offer.
Find out more here
HOME SWEET HOME at Mall Galleries – 8th
A morning of art, storytelling and family fun at Mall Galleries, London.10am till 12pm.
Find out more here.
Brixton Windmill Open Days – 8th to 9th
Brixton Windmill’s Open Days are a unique opportunity to learn more about this special landmark in our local history. On open days, Brixton Windmill offers guided walks and tours, and the café and shop will be open.
Find out more here.
YOKOSO WEEKEND at Japan Centre Westfield London – 8th to 9th
Celebrate the unveiling of our new store name at Westfield London. From Sat 8 – Sun 9 August, you can take part in the festivities and enjoy a range of exciting events and activities!
Find out more here.
Thamesmead festival – 8th
With a busy programme of creative workshops, craft stalls, street food vendors and a sensory zone, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at the free Thamesmead Festival 2026.
Find out more here.
Perseid meteor shower in Cassiobury Park – 12th
Bring a flask and a deck chair and watch the celestial light show. Or if you have a camera with a tripod, take some photographs of the night sky. This event is not only for photographers but for anyone who wants to watch the night sky with a group at night.
Find out more here.
Shōtengai Market at Kings Cross – 13th to 16th
Shōtengai are local street markets found in cities across Japan. Embodying the atmosphere of Shōtengai, a wide range of products will be available, with a focus on small businesses and independent retailers.
Find out more here.
King’s Cross Summer Sounds – 13th to 23rd
London’s much-loved FREE music and performance festival is back this summer. Now in its 11th year, King’s Cross Summer Sounds returns with its most exciting line-up yet, seamlessly blending the world’s best folk, jazz, soul, classical and indie rock music with dynamic dance performances and exceptional local talent, all set against the backdrop of the iconic Coal Drops Yard.
Find out more here.
Formula E at Excel Centre – 15th to 16th
The champions will again be crowned in the UK capital with a double-header weekend. It’s a sell-out, so get yourself in pole position for more wheel-to-wheel action at Excel London. Get the best seats for the final chapter of the season and the GEN3 Evo.
Find out more here.
Colourwalk in Spitalfields Market – 20th
It is an informal gathering of colourful, creative souls who meet, dressed in their finest, to walk, talk, and strut their stuff. It is excellent for photography. This happens on the 3rd Thursday of each month.
Find out more here.
Greenwich+Docklands International Festival – 21st to 6th September
This year’s theme is WE MOVE, and an extraordinary line-up of performances celebrates London’s spirit of resilience and community in the face of life’s myriad challenges.
Find out more here.
World Press Photo Exhibition London 2026 – 21st to 30th September
The exhibition is the world’s most prestigious showcase of photojournalism and documentary photography and is the widest-ranging annual photo exhibition worldwide. The World Press Photo Contest recognises and celebrates the best visual journalism produced over the past year, with the winning images forming a powerful global touring exhibition.
Find out more here.
African Fashion Week London – 22nd
Created by Queen Ronke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi to increase the visibility, awareness and sustainability of African and Black fashion brands through catwalk showcases, exhibitions and education.
Find out more here.
International Slavery Remembrance Day at National Maritime Museum – 23rd
International Slavery Remembrance Day commemorates the 1791 uprising in Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), a pivotal moment in the struggle against slavery that helped accelerate the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
Find out more here.
Notting Hill Carnival 2026 – 29th to 31st
The largest carnival in Europe takes place on the streets of Notting Hill, with the 29th as the Children’s Carnival and the main Carnival event on the Monday.
Find out more here.
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David Hockney at Serpentine North Gallery – till 23rd August
The exhibition is conceived in close collaboration with the artist and brings Hockney’s celebrated ninety-metre-long frieze A Year in Normandie to London for the first time. Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, which will be on display at the British Museum in 2026, this monumental work captures the changing seasons at the artist’s former studio in Normandy.
Find out more here
Fairy Tails at British Library – till 23rd August
Take your family on a magical adventure in a new interactive exhibition! Explore enchanted lands, magical creatures, iconic characters and timeless tales, brought to life through books, theatre costumes, puppets, pop-ups, artwork and illustrations. From the deep dark forest to the royal palace, set off on a journey through a fairy tale world. Sit down at the Three Bears’ breakfast table, tell the genie your wish, smell the wicked witch’s potions and discover lots more.
Find out more here.
Tracey Emin – A Second Life at Tate Modern – till 31st August
This landmark exhibition covers 40 years of Emin’s innovative work, featuring iconic pieces alongside previously unseen works. Through painting, video, textiles, neon, writing, sculpture, and installation, Emin persistently pushes boundaries, utilising the female body as a potent instrument to explore themes of passion, pain, and healing.
Find out more here.
Cecily Brown: Picture Making at Serpentine South – till 6th September
Known for her vigorous brushwork, vivid colour and dynamic compositions, Cecily Brown presents paintings inspired by Serpentine’s unique location in Kensington Gardens, a site of personal significance to the artist. Themes of nature and park life have long shaped Brown’s formal explorations. She experiments with scale, colour and recurring motifs, such as amorous couples, woodland scenes, and uncanny nature walks.
Find out more here
James McNeill Whistler Exhibition at Tate Britain – 27th September
A global figure, James McNeill Whistler was an influential artist of the 19th and 20th centuries. This retrospective brings together Whistler’s work from portraits, drawings, prints and designs.
Find out more here
Portrait of a City: A Century of American Photography exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery – 4th October
Step into a century of American city life through photographs that capture the people who built, inhabited, and transformed urban spaces into living, breathing communities. This exhibition takes place at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London.
Find out more here
Anish Kapoor Exhibition at Hayward Gallery – till 18th October
Celebrating 75 years of the Southbank Centre with a vibrant, inclusive programme that looks to the future. One of the most influential artists of our time returns to the Hayward Gallery with a landmark immersive exhibition.
Find out more here.
KyotographieKawada Kikuji x Iwane Ai at Japan House – till 18th October
Encounter two of Japan’s most exciting photographers – Kawada Kikuji and Iwane Ai – in a rare opportunity to see their thought-provoking works in the UK.
Find out more here
Serpentine Pavilion 2026 by LANZA atelier – till 25th October
LANZA atelier emphasises the role of design in everyday interactions and identifies the pursuit of beauty as a recurring theme in their work. The Mexico City-based architecture studio founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo, has anchored the 2026 Serpentine Pavilion on the English architectural feature known as a serpentine, or crinkle-crankle, wall.
Find out more here
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art at V&A – till 8th November
The UK’s first exhibition on Elsa Schiaparelli spans the 1920s to today, celebrating the innovative designer’s influence. It traces the fashion house’s groundbreaking origins and its evolution under current creative director Daniel Roseberry.
Find out more here.
The Last Princesses of Punjab at Kensington Palace – till 8th November
Discover the story of Punjabi princess and suffragette icon Sophia Duleep Singh, and of five women who shaped her extraordinary life, in a new exhibition at Kensington Palace for 2026. Sophia and her sisters, Catherine and Bamba, her mother, Bamba Muller, grandmother Jind Kaur and godmother Queen Victoria each expressed womanhood, power, and royalty in different ways. They infused their identities and heritage into the causes they devoted themselves to, becoming powerful changemakers in their own right.
Find out more here.
Frida Kahlo exhibition at Tate Modern – till 3rd January 2027
Discover the extraordinary story of how Frida Kahlo became one of the most influential artists of all time, a cultural phenomenon, and an internationally recognised commercial icon.
Find out more here
Julio Le Parc Exhibition at Tate Modern – 3rd May 2027
Discover seven decades of joyful works by Argentinian artist Julio Le Parc, which turn visitors into active participants.
Find out more here
Zineb Sedira Exhibition at Tate Britain – 17th January 2027
Sedira is a Franco-Algerian artist who has worked across film, photography and installation.
Find out more here
Ana Mendieta exhibition at Tate Modern – 17th January 2027
This major exhibition dedicated to Ana Mendieta presents many of her iconic works alongside newly remastered films, early paintings, and late sculptural pieces, many of which have never been seen in the UK before. The show will continue outside the gallery walls, embracing Mendieta’s deep relationship with the natural world.
Find out more here
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