Study, work or travel in the UK. British
culture and life.
Things to do in the UK in August 2008
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Study, work or travel in the UK. British
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Things to do in the UK in August 2008
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AUGUST
2008
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 Seaside fun (Brighton) |
 Harvest time (Somerset)
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| Fri 18 Jul - Sat 13 Sep 2008 |
Proms, Central London The BBC Sir Henry Wood Promenade Concerts. A series of classical concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall. See: For full details, see the BBC's Proms website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms. * Further information: Life/Entertainment/Concerts |
| Mon 28 Jul - Sun 3 Aug 2008 |
Robin Hood Festival, near Nottingham Medieval festival in Sherwood Forest - according to legend, Robin Hood was based here during the reign of King John, robbing from the rich to give to the poor. Entertainment includes displays of archery, falconry and jousting, as well as storytelling, music, juggling and jesting. For details, see: http://www.robinhood.co.uk. * To book a place on a day-trip to the festival from London, click: here |
| Mon 28 Jul - Sat 27 Sep 2008 |
Houses of Parliament Summer Opening, Central London During the summer break for Parliament it is possible to buy a ticket for a 75-minute guided tour of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. * Further information: Travel/Tours/London/Parliament |
| Thu 31 Jul - Mon 29 Sep 2008 |
Summer opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace,
Central London While the Queen visits Scotland each summer, it is possible to buy a ticket to see the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. * Further information: Travel/Tours/London/BuckinghamPalace |
 Summer Opening of Parliament |
| Fri 1 Aug - Sat 23 Aug 2008 |
Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Edinburgh A daily show outside the walls of Edinburgh Castle - a mixture of marching bands, dance and spectacle. * Photos/further information about this event: Ideas/Album/Tattoo |
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| Sat 2 Aug - Sat 9 Aug 2008 |
National Eisteddfod of Wales, Cardiff A week-long Welsh festival of singing, music and dance, including competitions between the various categories of Welsh choir. Each year this event takes place in a different part of Wales: in 2008 it will be in the Cardiff area. For full details, see: http://www.eisteddfod.org.uk/english * Guide to Wales: Travel/Tours/Wales |
| Sat 2 Aug - Sun 3 Aug 2008 |
innocent village fete, London An event in Regent's Park involving many of the aspects of a traditional village fete: homemade cakes, a big farmers market, welly-throwing, coconut shies, fruit and veg competitions, Morris dancers, fancy dress, arts and crafts, places to rest and relax, a knitting tent, space to put down a rug and enjoy a family picnic. Entertainment will be provided by unplugged bands (there will be no big stage), comedians and local theatre groups. For further details of how to register to buy tickets, see: http://www.innocentvillagefete.com. |
| Sat 2 Aug 2008 | Brighton Pride: Carnival Parade, Brighton A free event in Brighton organised by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. The Carnival Parade starts at Madeira Drive at 11am and finishes in Preston Park. See: http://www.brightonpride.org * Photos from the Pride London event: Ideas/Album/Pride * Guide to visiting Brighton: Travel/Tours/England/Brighton |
| Sun 3 Aug 2008 | Carnaval del Pueblo, South London Free Latin American festival. The event starts with a street procession from City Hall (nearest Tube: London Bridge; map) to Burgess Park (nearest Tube: Elephant & Castle; map) from 11:30am to 3pm (the route followed is: Potters Field - Tooley Street - Borough High Street - Newington Causeway - Walworth Road - Camberwell Road - Albany Road - Burgess Park). This is followed by concerts from 3pm-9pm in Burgess Park, where there will also be food and craft stalls. See: http://www.carnavaldelpueblo.co.uk * Photos from this event: Ideas/Album/CarnavalDelPueblo |
| Sun 3 Aug - Mon 25 Aug 2008 |
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Entertainers perform shows in hundreds of venues across Edinburgh. For details, see: http://www.edfringe.com. * Photos of Edinburgh: Travel/Tours/Scotland/Edinburgh |
| Mon 4 Aug 2008 | Summer Bank Holiday, Scotland A public holiday in Scotland, but not in England or Wales. |
| Tue 5 Aug - Sat 9 Aug 2008 |
Great British Beer Festival, West London Drink, music and other entertainment. This is held at Earls Court (nearest tube station: Earls Court on the District line). See: http://www.gbbf.org (or http://www.camra.org.uk). * British pubs and drinks: Britain/Food/Pubs |
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 Great British Beer Festival |
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| Thu 7 Aug - Sun 10 Aug 2008 |
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, Bristol Europe's largest hot air balloon festival, with over 100 balloons taking part. For details, see: http://www.bristolfiesta.co.uk |
| Fri 8 Aug - Sun 31 Aug 2008 |
The Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh A major annual festival of classical music, theatre, opera and dance in Edinburgh. For details, see: http://www.eif.co.uk. * Photos of Edinburgh: Travel/Tours/Scotland/Edinburgh |
| Fri 8 Aug - Sun 24 Aug 2008 |
Olympic Games, Beijing International amateur sports championship in China. For details see the official website: http://en.beijing2008.cn. The next summer Olympics (in 2012) will be in London. |
| Sun 10 Aug 2008 | London Mela, West London A free celebration of Indian subcontinent cultures in Gunnersbury Park, Ealing (nearest Tube: Acton Town; map). There is music and dancing on several stages around the park. There are hundreds of stalls selling food and other goods. See: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/asian_london or http://www.londonmela.org or http://www.ealing.gov.uk |
 London Mela: a celebration ... |
 ... of the cultures of the Indian subcontinent |
| Thu 14 Aug 2008 | A Level results, England & Wales A Level results are published. Students who have received offers from universities but whose grades are not high enough can enter a process known as clearing, which tries to match them with available places. See: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/qualifications and http://www.ucas.ac.uk/students/importantdates |
| Sat 16 Aug - Sun 17 Aug 2008 |
V Festival, Chelmsford and Birmingham Weekend music festival at Hylands Park near Chelmsford and Weston Park near Birmingham. See: http://www.vfestival.com * UK rock festivals: Life/Entertainment/Festivals |
| Sun 17 Aug 2008 | KlezFest in the Park, London Free afternoon event: Klezmer bands, Yiddish song and dance at the bandstand in Hyde Park (near Hyde Park Corner). See: http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/hyde_park/event.cfm?id=1035 |
| Wed 20 Aug - Tue 26 Aug 2008 |
International Beatle Week, Liverpool An annual Beatles music festival in Liverpool. See: http://www.cavern-liverpool.co.uk/beatleweek/BWprogramme.htm * More information about The Beatles: Britain/Music/Beatles. * Visitor guide to Liverpool: Travel/Tours/England/Liverpool |
| Fri 22 Aug - Sun 24 Aug 2008 |
Reading Festival / Leeds Festival, Reading &
Leeds Weekend music festival both at Reading and at Leeds. See: http://www.readingfestival.com and http://www.leedsfestival.com. * UK rock festivals: Life/Entertainment/Festivals |
| Sat 23 Aug - Sun 24 Aug 2008 |
Metro Weekender: South West Four / Get Loaded in the Park
/ Cardiff Calling, South London & Cardiff Music festival on Clapham Common and in Cardiff. See: http://www.metroweekender.com * UK rock festivals: Life/Entertainment/Festivals |
| Sun 24 Aug - Mon 25 Aug 2008 |
Notting Hill Carnival, West London A free colourful street festival in London, from 12 noon to 7pm both on Sunday and on Monday (a public holiday in the UK). This is one of Europe's largest carnivals, attended by up to a million people each year. Sunday is known as Children's Day. This day is less crowded, so you may be able to get a better view of the procession and find it easier to leave afterwards. The main event is on Monday: it can get extremely crowded. The procession route is along Great Western Road, Chepstow Road, Westbourne Grove and Ladbroke Grove. Bus and Tube services in the area will be disrupted on Sunday and Monday. For details, check the Transport for London website: http://www.tfl.gov.uk Some hints: - Take a map of the area, so that you can go there and get back easily (note that many of the bus and Tube services in the area will not stop in the carnival area). Check the maps on the carnival websites for the route of the march and for the location of toilets (these will be quite basic; take your own toilet paper). - Use sunscreen (you may be in the sun a long time) - Consider protecting your ears, as the music can be loud (tissue paper can work well) - Be very careful with your belongings, as there will be pickpockets there. If possible, just carry a small amount of cash and your travel tickets. Leave credit cards and mobile phones at home. - The less you carry, the less tired you will feel at the end of the day. - When it is crowded, the police may need to direct you in a certain direction. - Allow plenty of time to leave the area. It may be slow moving through the crowds, some exit routes may be closed, and you may need to walk quite a long way to get to a Tube or bus station which is open. For more information, see: http://www.nottinghillcarnival.biz * Photographs from the Notting Hill Carnival: Ideas/Album/NottingHillCarnival |
 Notting Hill Carnival: steel drums |
 Notting Hill Carnival: street parade |
| Mon 25 Aug 2008 | Summer Bank Holiday A public holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (but not in Scotland). Transport services often run to a timetable similar to those on Sundays. * To check timetables use the links in: Travel/Transport |
| Fri 29 Aug 2008 | Switch-On, Blackpool There is a special event in Blackpool to celebrate the start of the nightly illuminations along the seafront (between now and early November). For details, see: http://www.visitblackpool.com/events. * Photos of Blackpool: Travel/Tours/England/Blackpool |
| Sat 30 Aug 2008 (date to be confirmed) |
Liberty - London's Disability Rights festival, London Free event in Trafalgar Square featuring performances by disabled artists, musicians and dancers plus a variety of stalls and displays. For details, see: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/equalities/liberty/index.jsp * Photos from this event: Ideas/Album/Liberty |
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