London is notoriously expensive so keep an eye out for the fun festivals that take place throughout the year in the city.
ᴿᴹ New Year's Day Parade
If you are in London on the first day of the year, you can join in on the New Year's Day Parade where there are colourful floats, dancers, acrobats and other performers.
ᴿᴹ Light Festivals
In January, you can see a number of light festivals. I believe the most popular of these is the one that takes place in Canary Wharf. Recently, Battersea Power Station followed suite. You can watch the temporary art installation and see how beautiful the lights look against the night sky.
ᴿᴹ Chinese New Year
The largest celebration of Chinese New Year outside of China is held in London’s West End every year. According to Chinese mythology, a beast called the nien would go into villages on the first day of every year and distroy all crops and livestock. On one occassion, he saw a little boy wearing red and he was scared off by the colour. And so, on on the first day of the Chinese New Year, red lanterns and scrolls are a common sight as a way of warding off evil spirits from their homes and welcoming good luck and prosperity. The celebrations feature a parade of dancing lions and dragons.
ᴿᴹ St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day is about celebrating Ireland’s patron saint. Every 17th March, or thereabouts, a parade goes takes place in Trafalgar Square. You can watch live performances from famous Irish musicians and check out the market of craft stalls, as well as try traditional and modern Irish food.
ᴿᴹ The Boat Race
The Boat Race takes place each year where the students of Oxford and Cambridge universities compete against each other in the historic rowing race each. This usually takes place in March or April on the Thames River between Putney and Mortlake.
ᴿᴹ Pride London
Pride marches takes place sometime in June and July every year in London. It's a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. These are most notable for their colourful and vibrant displays and lot of rainbows.
ᴿᴹ Notting Hill Carnival
The last bank holiday of the year falls on the last weekend of August and this is when the Notting Hill Carnival takes place. The carnival celebrates all things Caribbean, including music, food (jerk chicken and rice and peas....yes please!), dancing and all round a very fun, chilled atmosphere. Definitely one to check out!
ᴿᴹ London Mela
Southall is home to a vibrant South Asian population. The London Mela is held each year in Southall Park in August or September. This is a weekend long event which is free to attend. It celebrates all things South Asian so you will find music, dance, food and activities from the South Asian culture.
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