Things To Do In London This Bank Holiday Weekend: August 23-26
You’ve got four nights and three days to fill, here’s how to make them count
THE BIG ONE: Notting Hill Carnival
We’ll begin with the biggie: an event that really needs no introduction. What’s that you say, you’d like one anyway? OK, how about: sound systems, dance troupes, rice n’ peas, trumpeters, masquerade, street food, steel drums, dancehall, feathers galore, DJs, curried goat, Red Stripe, samba dancing with strangers and one great. Big. Almighty. STREET PARADE? But really we could have done it in one word: CARNIVAL.
So now you want the hot tips for 2019? Oh, go on then... Always worth a look is the Red Bull Soundsystem at Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park, where the likes of Jourdan Dunn and Neelam Gill are regulars and this year dancehall queen Spice tops the bill. Elsewhere Disco Hustlers bring, well, disco to Powis Square; and the legendary Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues is peddling ska and rocksteady on Talbot Road. As for the king of Carnival, Norman Jay? He’s taking his Good Times (gasp) north, with a huge show at Alexandra Palace. Do ’em all, we dare you.
Notting Hill, W11, and Alexandra Palace, N22
THE JAZZY ONE: Maiden Voyage
Q: How many festivals is too many festivals? A: There’s no such thing. And it is with this truism in mind that we say fair welcome to this, the latest addition to London’s busy day-festival scene – run by the Jazz Café, no less. Taking a funkier, hip-hoppier approach to bank holiday Sunday, Maiden Voyage is setting out its stall in fine style, with Roy Ayers, Gilles Petersen, Charlotte Dos Santos, Awesome Tapes from Africa and Nabihah Iqbal (pictured) all taking the stage at Three Mills Island in Stratford. Throw in talks, workshops, wellness, and an after-party that rolls into the wee hours over at Studio 9294, and this is one Maiden Voyage we'll be getting aboard.
25 Aug; from £35
Maiden Voyage, Three Mills Island, London, E3 3DU
THE HEADS-DOWN ONE: The Hydra Bank Holiday Weekender
There are times when you want to dispense with frippery and just get down to some serious dancing in a former industrial printworks. And for such times, we give you, well, The Printworks. Back in the Press Halls after a short hiatus, and ready to reclaim the bank holiday in the name of alternative electronic music is The Hydra. And boy do they mean business, bringing us three days of mighty beats variously featuring the king of cosmic Jeff Mills, Berghain resident Ben Klock, tech queen Helena Hauff, and Detroit icons Carl Craig, Moodymann and Theo Parrish. Kicking off with a Friday night party followed by two huge day-to-night sessions, there’s no need to see daylight all weekend. That’s surely what vitamin D supplements are there for.
23-25 Aug; from £32.50
Hydra, Printworks, Surrey Quays Rd, Rotherhithe, London SE16 7PJ
THE OUT-OF-TOWNER: Lost Village
The word ‘immersive’ gets thrown around a lot these days, but at Lost Village festival they mean it. BIG time. Just an hour and a half from London, the woodland has been transformed into a surreal world full of special effects, creative lighting and wild and whimsical characters; with narrative, theatrical ‘happenings’ and mini productions aplenty. Oh, and dressing up. LOADS of it. Tribal style... There’s music too – from Maribou State, Bicep, Richie Hawtin, Jon Hopkins and Little Dragon – plus lakeside banquets, an Abandoned Chapel and a Lost Theatre. But mainly dressing up. Better start fashioning your headdress from household items now.
22-25 Aug; £195
Lost Village, near Newark Northgate, Lincs
THE PARTY IN A PARK: South West Four
We hereby posit the theory that, in a weekend when there's no work on Monday, you may feel the need to dance in a park. And dance hard. Well good news! Clapham’s humdinger of an electro/rap/bass fest is back to fill the Common with rumbling beats once more. Hit the ticket resale sites then strap in for sets from Example, Tinie Tempah, Plan B, Andy C, Wiley, Pendulum Trinity, The Magician and Armand Van Helden. BOOM.
Clapham Common, SW4 9DE
THE BIRTHDAY BASH: Secretsundaze Turns 18
OK, so Secretsundaze is neither secret nor on a Sunday. But set aside any worries about false advertising, folks – because, in honour of the club night’s 18th birthday, this is set to be a celebration of the highest order. We’re talking 16 hours (yes, SIXTEEN hours) of grade-A, top class beats, courtesy of the SS team James Priestley and Giles Smith, along with very special guests Floating Points and Chaos in the CBD. Bring comfy shoes, cake ’n’ candles (well, maybe) and shape-throwing stamina – this one goes from 2pm-6am.
24 Aug; from £19.50
Secretsundaze, Oval Space, 29-32 The Oval; Bethnal Green; London E2 9DT
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