21+ SPECTACULAR THINGS TO DISCOVER THIS JULY

>SUBSCRIBE FOR THE BEST THINGS TO DO EVERY WEEKEND<

Summer fun

1 RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

2-7 July

Summer essential RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival returns this July with glorious gardens, fabulous florals, interesting horticultural talks, and family fun.

2 Fulham Palace Garden Tour

4 & 21 July

Take a stroll back in time and discover London’s second-oldest botanic garden with a guided tour.

Image credit: Linval Bartley

3 Joe Wicks Festival at Kew

Kew Gardens, 7 July

Experience the thrill of a brand new wellbeing festival with Joe Wicks, also known as The Body Coach, coming to Kew Gardens this summer.

4 Gatton Country Fair

Gatton Park, 7 July

Come along to the country fair. There will be animal displays including falconry, a dog show, live music, pony and tractor rides, country crafts, circus skills, and small children’s fairground rides. Plus a wide range of market stalls and food and drink.

5 BCA Barnes Fair

Barnes Common, 13 July

Enjoy live music, delicious food, and unique crafts from local vendors. This family-friendly event offers funfair rides including the much-loved steam powered Gallopers carousel, helter skelter and vintage swings.

6 Claremont Live!

Claremont Landscape Garden, 14, 20 & 21 July

Claremont Live! is back. On 14 July The Lord Chamberlain’s Men will be performing Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The following weekend will see musical entertainment from Ember Big Band on 20 July, then on 21 July Wild Arts Opera will be performing popular stage classics.

7 Ferns & Carnivorous Plants Show

RHS Garden Wisley, 20-21 July

Two Plant Societies, Fern and Carnivorous, are coming to RHS Garden Wisley for displays of tender, garden and aquatic ferns. Here’s your chance to explore the fascinating world of carnivorous plants from the UK and around the world.

More fab things to do:

Art & Culture

1 Thomas Pausz: Haunted Ecologies

Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston, until 13 July

Haunted Ecologies intersects the research fields of media, ecology, and ‘hauntology’ to propose immersive installations echoing the transformations of local ecosystems surrounding Stanley Picker Gallery.

2 Guildford Arts Summer Exhibition

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, 3-18 July

Visit the Mill Studio to experience a diverse collection of contemporary art: from paintings, photography, sculpture, prints, ceramics to glass work by local and national artists.

3 Dressed to Rule: Tudor Fashion for the Young and Curious

Whitehall Historic House, Sutton, until 5 October

Looking at fabrics, sewing techniques and how different garments were worn, this exhibition uses fashion as a way to see what life was like during the Tudor period. Ideal for younger visitors, there’s also a dressing up area.

4 Hosting Henry VIII

West Horsley Place, 27-28 July

You can immerse yourself in the history of Henry VIII’s visit to the manor house of West Horsley Place. Enjoy a weekend of jousting, falconry, traditional Tudor dancing and family fun.

5 Jo Holdsworth: City and Coast

Neptune Wimbledon, until 7 July

A solo show of stunning city and coastal paintings by award-winning London artist Jo Holdsworth. Known for her paintings of elongated and reflected figures, Jo Holdsworth’s work has featured on book, album and magazine covers. See Jo’s gorgeous paintings hung all around the stylish Neptune Wimbledon store.

See what’s on at your local theatres:

Theatre

1 Comedy Doubles

New Wimbledon Theatre, 1-6 July

A week of Comedy Doubles, where the best of the UK’s comedy scene perform on a double bill. Don’t miss these great value for money Edinburgh previews.

2 96 Festival

Omnibus Theatre, Clapham, until 13 July

A glittering line-up of artists have set up camp at Omnibus Theatre for a spectacular celebration of queerness and theatre.

3 How to Catch a Star

Polka Theatre, Wimbledon, 3 July – 11 August

Once there was a boy who was always looking up. He dreamt of having a star as a friend. This is the story of his adventure. Based on the beloved book by award-winning Irish author Oliver Jeffers.

4 Accolade

Richmond Theatre, 9-13 July

This dark and chilling look at trial-by-media and the price of success examines the fine line between truth and lies, good and evil, and one man’s past, present, and future.

5 Treasure Island

OSO Arts Centre, Barnes, 10-11 July

Popular local company Shadow Road’s exciting and emotional new adaptation brings Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic to life in a 50-minute show.

6 Much Ado About Nothing

Cannizaro Park, 24-27 July

Mayhem Theatre returns for Shakespeare in the park, in the gorgeous surroundings of Cannizaro Park.

7 The Gruffalo, the Witch and the Warthog with Julia Donaldson

Rose Theatre, Kingston, 27-29 July

Britain’s most popular children’s author presents a show full of magic, music and excitement. Julia brings six of her stories to life with songs, puppetry, and of course an appearance by the Gruffalo himself.

Music

1 Die Fledermaus

St Paul’s Church, Clapham, 4-6 July

St Paul’s Opera’s boisterous new production sees Strauss’ operetta reimagined in a vintage movie studio, with references to Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and other familiar characters in a new script by award-winning writer/director Jonny Danciger.

2 The Mysterines

The Boileroom, Guildford, 6 July

Having shared stages with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Royal Blood and The Amazons, The Mysterines have honed their craft on the road, earning a reputation for their explosive live performances.

3 New Moon – A Night of New Music

The Half Moon, Putney, 8 July

A night of brand new music… New Moon offers music fans the chance to see the best up-and-coming acts from the UK, Europe, and around the globe

>SUBSCRIBE FOR THE BEST THINGS TO DO EVERY WEEKEND<