Every June, we hand-pick the best of London for the design leaders joining us for the last module of our Executive MBA for Design Leaders. June is when London really opens up, longer evenings, packed programme, the city at its most alive. We've pulled together the highlights from Harry Styles curating Meltdown at the Southbank, Frida Kahlo's first major London show in eight years, Anish Kapoor taking over the Hayward to Garth Brooks opening BST Hyde Park.
When: Friday 5 – Sunday 7 June 2026
Where: 130+ galleries across London (Central Fri / South Sat / East Sun)
Ticket Price: Free
London's world-class gallery scene throws open its doors for three days, with 130+ participating galleries presenting special exhibitions, talks, tours and events across Mayfair, Peckham, Shoreditch and beyond. Venues include Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the National Portrait Gallery, V&A, Hauser & Wirth and White Cube — with artists including Tracey Emin, Francis Picabia, Eileen Agar and Henry Moore all represented.
When: Saturday 6 – Sunday 7 June 2026
Where: 110+ gardens across 12 London boroughs (Zones 1 & 2)
Ticket Price: £24 (adult weekend pass) / £10 (ages 12–17) / Under 12s free
For one very special weekend, over 110 of London's normally locked and private green spaces, from Kensington garden squares to rooftop sanctuaries and community allotments, open their gates to ticket holders. Highlights include Battersea Roof Gardens, Charterhouse, Middle Temple and 25 Cannon Street. All proceeds support London Parks and Gardens charity.
When: Saturday 13 June 2026, 10:30am – 12:25pm (rehearsals: 30 May & 6 June)
Where: Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall, London SW1A 2AX
Ticket Price: Free (standing on The Mall) / £10–£30 (seated grandstand, ballot only) / £5–£15 (rehearsals)
Britain's most spectacular royal ceremony marks the King's official birthday with over 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians parading from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards and back. The day ends with an RAF flypast over Buckingham Palace at 1pm, broadcast live on the BBC.
When: Thursday 11 – Sunday 21 June 2026
Where: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Waterloo, London SE1 8XX
Ticket Price: Free terrace events; ticketed concerts from approx. £20+
Harry Styles takes the reins of the world's longest-running artist-curated music festival for its 31st edition — bringing together Warpaint, Kamasi Washington, Yussef Dayes, James Murphy and more across the Royal Festival Hall. Styles himself headlines on 16 June in a highly anticipated intimate show, with free community events running throughout the 10-day programme.
When: 16 June – 18 October 2026
Where: Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX
Ticket Price: £22
Nearly 30 years after the Hayward hosted his first major UK show, Anish Kapoor returns with his largest UK exhibition to date — part of the Southbank Centre's 75th anniversary celebrations. Monumental mirror sculptures, void-like pigment works and mind-bending installations using Vantablack-like nanotechnology fill the entire gallery and its terraces. A spectacular and disorientating experience not to be missed.
When: 25 June – 4 January 2027
Where: Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG
Ticket Price: Ticketed (TBC); Tate members free
London's first major Frida Kahlo exhibition in eight years, showcasing over 130 of her most iconic works — self-portraits, garments, jewellery and personal memorabilia — alongside works by more than 80 artists she inspired, from Kiki Smith to Judy Chicago. The show traces her many identities as wife, intellectual, political activist and global icon, and dives deep into the worldwide phenomenon of "Fridamania."
When: Saturday 27 June 2026
Where: Hyde Park, Park Lane, London W2 2UH
Ticket Price: From £74.95 + booking fee
The opening night of BST Hyde Park 2026 sees country music legend Garth Brooks headline the Great Oak Stage in what promises to be a career-defining open-air performance. One of the best-selling music artists of all time, Brooks makes a rare UK appearance in what is set to be one of the most in-demand shows of the summer.
When: Saturday 20 – Sunday 21 June 2026
Where: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
Ticket Price: Free
The West End comes to Trafalgar Square for a spectacular free outdoor showcase, with cast performances from the biggest musicals and plays currently showing in London's theatre district. A much-loved summer tradition and the perfect introduction to the magic of West End theatre — no ticket needed, just turn up and enjoy.
When: Tuesday 23 – Sunday 28 June 2026
Where: Horse Guards, The Mall and key ceremonial venues, Central London
Ticket Price: Largely free in public spaces
An annual celebration of marching bands, concert bands and wind symphonies from across the world, with ensembles from the UK and internationally performing at some of London's most iconic ceremonial locations. A unique and colourful event rooted in London's tradition as the cultural home of the marching arts.
When: Wednesday 17 – Friday 26 June 2026
Where: Various central London venues, West End
Ticket Price: Individual screenings from approx. £12–£15; festival passes available
The UK's largest independent film festival returns for its 34th edition, showcasing bold features, shorts and documentaries from first- and second-time filmmakers around the world — all with West End premieres. Oscar and BAFTA qualifying, Raindance has championed independent cinema since 1992, attracting over 16,000 visitors including industry buyers, distributors and press.
When: 12 June – 5 July 2026 (London: SF1 30 Jun & SF2 2 Jul at The Oval; Final 5 Jul at Lord's)
Where: The Oval, Kennington, London SE11 5SS & Lord's Cricket Ground, St John's Wood, London NW8 8QN
Ticket Price: From £15
The landmark 10th edition of the Women's T20 World Cup returns to England for the first time since the inaugural 2009 tournament, now expanded to 12 nations across 33 matches. London hosts the climax of the competition, both semi-finals at The Oval and the grand final at Lord's on 5 July, making this the most important women's cricket event held in the capital in a generation.
When: From 3 June 2026; booking open to April 2027
Where: Aldwych Theatre, 49 Aldwych, London WC2B 4DF
Ticket Price: From £30
This West End premiere brings Frank Sinatra's extraordinary life to the stage — charting his meteoric rise from a New York club stage in 1942, a scandalous affair with Ava Gardner, and one of the greatest comebacks in showbusiness history. Joel Harper-Jackson stars as Ol' Blue Eyes, featuring over 20 classic hits including That's Life, Come Fly With Me and The Best Is Yet to Come, directed by three-time Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall.
When: Every Monday from 8 June – 2 November 2026
Where: Duchess Theatre, 3–5 Catherine Street, London WC2B 5LA
Ticket Price: £25–£40
Celebrating its 15th anniversary, this internationally acclaimed theatrical experiment sees a different star open a sealed envelope on stage each Monday, performing a script they have never seen before — with no rehearsal and no director. June dates feature David Tennant (8 Jun), Sharon Horgan (15 Jun), Riz Ahmed (22 Jun) and Adjoa Andoh (29 Jun). Every Monday night is a completely unrepeatable one-off event.
When: 4 June – 6 September 2026
Where: National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London WC2H 0HE
Ticket Price: £25
Marking what would have been Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday, this exhibition explores her life, career and legacy through works by Andy Warhol, Cecil Beaton, Eve Arnold, Richard Avedon and more. Personal belongings — books, scripts and clothes — reveal the woman behind the image, tracing her trajectory from her earliest modelling photographs to her final sessions in Malibu in 1962.
Our Executive MBA for Design Leaders brings its first module to London in June every year. 9 weeks of business, strategy and leadership taught by CEOs, CFOs and Creative Directors from the world's best design companies. If you want to spend time in London like this every summer alongside 30 of the world's best creative leaders, apply here: bauhaus.futurelondonacademy.co.uk
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