Morning, London! Happy Thursday. Bank Holiday weekend incoming. The last one before Christmas, which feels unnecessarily dramatic to write in August. Make it count.

Notting Hill Carnival turns 60 this year and takes over west London this weekend. Carnival seems to split London into two very distinct camps: people who absolutely love it, and people who strategically leave the postcode for 48 hours. Very little in between.

The weather, naturally, has spotted the Bank Holiday on the calendar and might finally remember how rain works. After the summer we've had, we're really not allowed to complain.

And yes, the rumours are true. You asked, we listened. The Scoop’s first-ever hat is coming next week, with a limited number available to pre-order. Keep an eye. 👀

Let's go.

🎬 Don’t Panic, Parliament Isn’t Actually Under Siege. If you spot armed police and emergency scenes around Parliament this weekend, relax. Netflix is filming The Lords’ Day, a new drama about a siege at the Houses of Parliament. Probably worth knowing before your family stroll along the Thames gets unexpectedly dramatic. Full story

🦁 It’s Weigh-In Day at London Zoo. Every animal at London Zoo is being weighed and measured for its annual health check, from tiny insects to rather less tiny rodents. Some happily hop on the scales. Others require strategic bribery with snacks. So, basically the same technique we use with children. Full story

🎸 Denmark Street Is Throwing a Free Music Festival. London’s historic music street is turning into one big free festival on Sep 5, with 20+ live performances, talks and pop-ups taking over its guitar shops, studios, bars and venues. Basically, Denmark Street doing what Denmark Street does best, just louder. Full story

Gabriel’s Wharf is turning up the volume for two Saturdays this September, with live jazz, swing dancing and plenty of hands-on art and craft activities. It’s all free, suitable for all ages and surrounded by the Wharf’s independent shops and plenty of good places to eat!

📍 Date & Loc: Sep 5 & 19, 12–5pm, South Bank SE1
More Info

🎶 Storytelling and Music @ Royal Albert Hall
Date & Loc: Aug 27 (Thu), South Kensington SW7
A gentle 30-minute session designed especially for babies, toddlers and their grown-ups. Stories, songs, instruments and plenty of opportunities to sing, move and join in together in one of London's most iconic venues.
Age: 0-5yo | Price: £7 | Info

🎭 A World Elsewhere @ Shakespeare’s Globe
Date & Loc: Aug 27-30, Bankside SE1
An interactive family adventure following 11-year-old Cass into an imaginary world inspired by his Gran’s Shakespeare stories, with plenty of silliness along the way.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £18 | Info

🧸 Drop-in Design: Toy Lab @ V&A
Date & Loc: Aug 27-28, South Kensington SW7
Calling all tiny inventors. Dream up your own toy, then use simple materials to actually build it, with plenty of wiggling, giggling and creative problem-solving along the way.
Age: 5+ | Price: no cost | Info

🎨 Family Hub @ National Army Museum
Date & Loc: Aug 27-28, Chelsea SW3
Take a breather with colouring, uniforms to try on and a chance to hang out in the shadow of a Lynx helicopter. A handy summer-holiday pit stop.
Age: Families | Price: no cost | Info

🐱 Kaspar: Prince of Cats @ St Paul’s Church
Date & Loc: Aug 27-29, Covent Garden WC2E
Michael Morpurgo’s much-loved story comes to life in the garden of the Actors’ Church, with puppetry, original music and plenty of adventure.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £16 | Info

🌍 Around the World in 80 Days @ St Paul’s Church
Date & Loc: Aug 27-30, Covent Garden WC2E
Jules Verne’s globe-trotting adventure comes to life outdoors, with a troupe of actor-musicians racing across continents in a fun, fast-paced family show.
Age: 10+ | Price: from £19 | Info

🪄 The Sorcerer’s Apprentice @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: Aug 27-30, Islington N1
Goethe’s classic tale gets the Little Angel treatment, with handcrafted marionettes, runaway spells and a young apprentice discovering that magic comes with consequences.
Age: 6+ | Price: from £13.50 | Info

🐻 Imagining Animals @ Tower of London
Date & Loc: Aug 27-31, Tower Hill EC3
The Tower gets a little wild, with giant puppets roaming the grounds, including bears, butterflies and serpents, inspired by the animals once kept in the Royal Menagerie.
Age: All ages | Price: incl. with adm. under 5s no cost | Info

🎭 Jeeves and Wooster in ‘Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves’ @ Theatre in the Garden
Date & Loc: Aug 27-Sep 4, Covent Garden WC2E
P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster head outdoors for an evening of ridiculous mishaps, eccentric characters and live jazz. Very civilised chaos.
Age: 7+ | Price: from £19 | Info

🪆 Marionettes @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: Aug 27-Sep 6, Islington N1
Little Angel celebrates its 65th birthday with a free exhibition of beautiful string puppets, bringing together historic marionettes and brand-new creations from British makers.
Age: all ages | Price: no cost | Info

🎭 Baby Broadway @ Churchill Theatre
Date & Loc: Aug 28 (Fri), Bromley BR1
West End singers perform family favourites from musicals and films, with bubbles, puppets, actions and plenty of opportunities for little ones to join in.
Age: 0-7 | Price: from £16 | Info

🎵 Musical Magic Box @ Soho Theatre Walthamstow
Date & Loc: Aug 28 (Fri), Walthamstow E17
Interactive storytelling with live music, original songs and plenty of audience involvement for little ones. Officially sold out, but returns do pop up from time to time.
Age: 18 months+ | Price: from £8 | Info

🕺 Open Air Dancing @ Kensington Gardens
Date & Loc: Aug 29 (Sat), Kensington W2
Scottish country dancing by the Round Pond, with live music and an MC guiding beginners and children through the steps. No prior Highland credentials required.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🎵 Boppin’ Bunnies @ Woolwich Works
Date & Loc: Aug 29 (Sat), Woolwich SE18
An interactive music session for little ones, with live musicians, percussion instruments and plenty of singing, dancing and joining in. Sitting quietly very much not required.
Age: 0-5 | Price: from £7 | Info

⚔️ Hands on Armour @ Wallace Collection
Date & Loc: Aug 29 (Sat), Marylebone W1
Meet real-life knights, watch live armour demonstrations, try on replica kit and make a mini knight to take home. First come, first served.
Age: 5+ | Price: no cost | Info

🍴 Hampton Court Palace Food Festival
Date & Loc: Aug 29-31, Hampton Court KT8
More than 150 food and drink stalls take over the palace gardens for the bank holiday weekend, plus live cooking demos and plenty of tasty samples. Palace admission is included too, so you can pretend this is educational.
Age: All ages | Price: incl. with palace adm | Info

🎬 Mamma Mia Film Club @ Canada Square Park
Date & Loc: Aug 30 (Sun), Canary Wharf E14
Bring a picnic blanket and settle in for free outdoor movie nights under the stars.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

🎺 Summer Pop Up Proms @ Waterlow Park
Date & Loc: Aug 30 (Sun), Highgate N6
Pack a picnic and settle in for free live music in the park, with blues, ska and reggae this Sunday, followed by a trombone quartet next week.
Age: all ages | Price: no cost | Info

🎉 Summer Celebration Festival @ Mudchute Park & Farm
Date & Loc: Aug 30 (Sun), Isle of Dogs E14
A big family day with live entertainment, kids’ activities, games, culture stalls and even free food. A rare London outing where apparently nobody wants your wallet.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost, booking req | Info

🌳 Summer in the Park @ Brent Cross Town
Date & Loc: until Aug 30, Brent Cross NW2
A whole summer of free family fun, from skateboarding, football and parkour to arts, crafts and outdoor games. Drop in for as much or as little as you like, with activities for all ages.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🎉 Notting Hill Carnival Children's Parade
Date & Loc: Aug 30 (Sun), Notting Hill W11
The more family-friendly side of Notting Hill Carnival, with colourful costumes, steel bands, dancing and plenty of Carnival atmosphere. If you've always wanted to experience it with the kids, Sunday is the day.
Age: Best for 5+ | Price: No cost | Info

🎭 Twelfth Night @ Kew Gardens
Date & Loc: until Aug 30, Kew TW9
Pack a picnic and settle in under the stars as Shakespeare's Twelfth Night comes to Kew Gardens.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £12 | Info

🌍 Luke Jerram: Gaia @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Aug 30 (Sun), South Bank SE1
See Earth from an astronaut’s perspective as Luke Jerram’s seven-metre globe floats above the Royal Festival Hall stage, created from detailed NASA imagery.
Age: All ages | Price: from £9 | Info

🐰 Miffy Afternoon Tea @ Cutter & Squidge
Date & Loc: until Aug 31, Soho W1
Miffy has taken over afternoon tea, with themed sandwiches, cakes and scones, plus a limited-edition notebook to take home. Almost too cute to eat. Almost.
Age: All ages | Price: from £25 | Info

✏️ Tom Gates EPIC Adventure @ Kew Gardens
Date & Loc: until Aug 31, Kew TW9
Fans of Tom Gates can doodle, crack codes, enjoy live music and tackle creative activities inspired by Liz Pichon's bestselling books.
Age: Everyone | Price: Included w/ adm. | Info

👑 Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain @ Apollo Theatre
Date & Loc: until Aug 31, West End W1D
Britain’s gloriously gruesome past gets the Horrible Histories treatment, from Boudica and the plague to Guy Fawkes and some particularly unpleasant Victorians. Basically, a history lesson where the nasty bits are very much the point.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £19.50 | Info

🦁 Disney’s The Lion King Exhibition @ London Zoo
Date & Loc: until Aug 31, Regent’s Park NW1
The masks, puppets and costumes from Disney’s The Lion King have taken over London Zoo for the summer. Get a close-up look at the craftsmanship behind the West End hit and spot iconic characters.
Age: All | Price: incl. w. adm. | Info

☀️ Electric Summer @ Battersea Power Station
Date & Loc: until Aug 31, Battersea SW11
Summer has properly landed at Battersea, with a packed programme of outdoor entertainment, games, activities and plenty of reasons to hang around by the river.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🎨 Serendipity Island @ Tate Modern
Date & Loc: until Aug 31, Bankside SE1
A free, interactive art experience that turns the Turbine Hall into a giant maze of play, music and movement.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🎬 Floating Cinema Club @ Canada Water Dock
Date & Loc: until Aug 31, Canada Water SE16
Watch free films on a floating outdoor screen with the dock as your backdrop. Bring a blanket and catch family favourites like Elemental and Wonka, alongside feel-good classics throughout August.
Age: All ages (family films vary) | Price: no cost | Info

🏖️ Costa Del Croydon @ Centrale Shopping Centre
Date & Loc: until Aug 31, Croydon CR0
A rooftop urban beach complete with sand, splash zones, games, street food and daily family activities.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

👶 Design Baby: Leap then Look @ V&A
Date & Loc: Sep 2 (Wed), South Kensington SW7
A sensory play session for tiny designers, exploring shape, texture, balance and space with pom-poms, twisty tubes and plenty of things to poke and push.
Age: 0-3 | Price: no cost, booking req | Info

🌱 Horniman Plant Fair @ Horniman Museum
Date & Loc: Sep 5 (Sat), Forest Hill SE23
Browse specialist plants from independent nurseries, chat to expert growers and pick up some gardening advice.
Age: All ages | Price: from £3 child | Info

✏️ Rob Biddulph @ Queen’s Park Book Festival
Date & Loc: Sep 6 (Sun), Queen’s Park NW6
Bestselling author and #DrawWithRob creator Rob Biddulph brings his books to life, then teaches everyone how to draw one of his illustrations. Pencils at the ready.
Age: 6+ | Price: from £6 | Info

🕷️ Anansi the Spider @ Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Date & Loc: until Sep 6, Regent’s Park NW1
Anansi, the legendary trickster spider, takes over the theatre lawn in this lively retelling of classic West African and Caribbean folk tales. Bring a blanket, settle on the grass and see if the cleverest animal in the kingdom is perhaps a little too clever for his own good.
Age: 4+ | Price: £15 | Info

🦖 Dinosaur World Live @ Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Date & Loc: until Sep 6, Wembley HA9
Dinosaurs stomp, roar and come face-to-face with the audience in this action-packed live show.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £10 | Info

🐭 The Gruffalo @ Lyric Theatre
Date & Loc: until Sep 6, Shaftesbury Avenue W1D
If you've read The Gruffalo approximately 4,732 times, here's your chance to see it live instead.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £10 | Info

🧡 Be Like Blippi @ Arts at Marble Arch
Date & Loc: until Sep 6, Marble Arch W1
Blippi and Meekah are back on stage with a new interactive adventure designed to get little fans moving, playing and exploring along with them.
Age: 2+ | Price: £23 | Info

🎭 As You Like It @ Shakespeare’s Globe
Date & Loc: Sep 9-Oct 25, Bankside SE1
Shakespeare’s love-struck comedy heads to the Globe, where court life gives way to the Forest of Arden and romance, mistaken identities and general romantic chaos take over.
Age: 8+ | Price: from £5 standing | Info

🕵️ The Comedy About Spies @ Adelphi Theatre
Date & Loc: until Sep 26, Strand WC2
Mischief’s 1960s spy caper returns to the West End, packed with rogue agents, double agents and the sort of escalating chaos you’d expect from The Play That Goes Wrong team.
Age: 10+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🐱 Cats @ Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Date & Loc: until Sep 19, Regent's Park NW1
One of the world's most famous musicals returns to the magical setting of Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. If you've never seen Cats, this is probably the place to do it. Big songs, incredible dancing and a summer evening under the stars.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £15 | Info

💭 House of Dreamers @ Immerse LDN
Date & Loc: until Oct 31, Royal Docks E16
Wander through 16 surreal dreamscapes filled with giant pink ball pits, cloud swings, digital forests and interactive creatures. Subtle it is not.
Age: All ages | Price: from £16.90 | Info

🙏 If this makes your week a bit easier, pls think of two parents who'd love it, or drop it in a WhatsApp group. Takes 20 seconds. Please don’t ignore me 😂.
Appreciated, kind Londoner!

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