Buckingham Palace Summer Opening – until Sept 30
If you’ve ever stood outside Buckingham Palace and found yourself wondering what it’s like to be on the other side, now is your chance to find out.
The Queen’s official London residence is opening its State Rooms for summer 2016, giving visitors the opportunity to get a glimpse of the Royal Family’s lavish lifestyle. Inside the 775 room palace, you can find artwork by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin, and Claude and sculptures by Canova and Chantrey.
Tickets for the summer tour of Buckingham Palace have to be booked in advance, and you’ll only be permitted to visit for a specified amount of time. Adult tickets are priced at £21.50. Those with a valid student ID will receive a discount of £1.90.
Colour and Vision – until Nov 6
Colour and Vision is the Natural History Museum’s latest exhibition, offering the chance to explore how vision evolved, and how animals’ lives came to depend on their colours.
This 565-million-year journey through the eyes of nature will teach you how colour has evolved over the years to be used as warnings, disguises and even invitations. The exhibition features over 350 rare species, including fossils of the first organisms with eyes.
Tickets to the exhibition are priced at £10.80 – students can receive 50% discount. The Natural History Museum is opening the exhibition as a part of its popular After Hours sessions, and the exhibition also features several workshops available at an extra cost.
Fire! Fire! Great Fire of London exhibition – until Apr 2017
Some 350 years ago a disastrous fire swept through the city of London, setting buildings ablaze and destroying the skyline. The story of 1666’s Great Fire of London is one still told today, and the Museum of London’s Fire! Fire! exhibition is now here to bring that story to life.
This interactive exhibition filled with immersive displays is a fantastic way to discover what it was like to experience the destruction first hand, and learn how the city re-emerged from the ashes. Museum of London is also offering fire themed walking tours and afternoon lectures for the duration of the exhibition.
Tickets cost £8 and must be booked in advance. Fire! Fire! will run until April next year.
The Entertainer – from Aug 20
Set in post-war Britain, Kenneth Branagh (Valkyrie, Henry V) is set to star in John Osborne’s The Entertainer at the Garrick Theatre from late August.
Directed by Rob Ashford, The Entertainer tells the story of a failing music hall performer who fights to stay in the business and keep his career alive.
The final show in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company season, Branagh plays Archie Rice (a role famously played by Laurence Olivier in the 1950s). Starring alongside him are John Hurt (V for Vendetta, Hellboy), Greta Scacchi (Flightplan, Emma) and Phil Dunster (Shadows, The Rise of the Krays). Tickets range from £17.50 to £112, and the show will run until November 12.
Kew the Movies – 24 – 25 Aug
Where better to enjoy a movie in summertime than the grounds of Kew Gardens? Kew the Movies is screening two films for guests to enjoy under the stars on the Palace Lawn this month.
Working in partnership with The Luna Cinema, Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be screened on August 24, followed by Jurassic Park on August 25. There’s a bar and food stalls at the venue, but you’re also welcome to bring along your own picnic.
Tickets prices range from £18 to £32, and can be purchased on the official website, along with picnic hampers, food vouchers, blankets and backrests.
BBC Good Food Festival – 27 – 29 Aug
This coming bank holiday, the beautiful Hampton Court Palace will once again host the BBC Good Food Festival. The show will open its doors from 10am to 6pm over the three days, giving you plenty of time to see everything it has to offer.
Besides a wealth of stalls for purchasing food and drink, you can book slots to see celebrity chefs show off their skills at the Summer Kitchen Theatre. There’s also an interview stage, hosting regular conversations with the industry’s finest foodies, and family entertainment.
Standard advance tickets cost £18 per day (£14.50 for those with student ID), with Summer Kitchen Theatre show tickets starting from £4. The cost of your ticket also covers entry into Hampton Court Palace itself.