Despite the weather, the show must go on especially in the run up to the Olympics when millions of visitors will be descending upon London. Here are just a few of the events taking place this month before The Olympics begin.
1) BBC Proms
The word “Proms” stands for Promenade concert which are informal and inexpensive concerts where people pay just £5 for a ticket. The central arena at London’s Royal Albert Hall has a capacity of 900 Prommers to stand and 500 in the Gallery. This year the BBC Proms are part of the Cultural Olympiad 2012 which is a four year programme of cultural events leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games which are soon here. Today is the first night of the Proms and it lasts until the 8th of September with different performances during this time. Next Friday for a week, there will be Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra performing the Beethoven symphony cycle.
2) Outdoor Concerts
Although a few have been called off due to the wet weather such as PWL Hit Factory Live in Hyde Park, there are still summer concerts taking place this month. Bruce Springsteen will be headlining Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park which starts today and runs until Sunday.Epsom Downs is the setting for many concerts this July, next week RazorLight will be playing at the Queen’s Stand and next month there will be the Last Night of The Proms
3) Shakespeare Exhibition
The British Museum is presenting a brand new exhibition “The World and Works of William Shakespeare”. It is a major exhibition and the staff are working round the clock to ensure all historical objects such as the paintings, jewels, rare manuscripts are ready for the opening next Thursday, the 19th of July. The exhibition is a collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company and is part of the World Shakespeare Festival and the London 2012 Festival.
4) Olympic Walks
Get set for the Olympics, it is only 47 days away. If you are lucky enough to go to the Olympics, you may want to take a tour beforehand to orientate yourself with the area. There has been a lot of new buildings and many apartments in this part of London built as part of the redevelopment project of this area. The professional Blue Badge Guide will be leading the group through the Olympic and Paralympic Games venues. The walks take place in East London daily, leaving at 11am and 2pm from Bromley-by-Bow underground station. Prebook online if you would like to take part. Online pre-booking is essential for walks during the Games.
5) London 2012 River of Music
As part of the London 2012 Festival, the Scissor Sisters will perform at the BT River of Music next weekend, the 21st and 22nd of July . This is a once in a life time weekend of free music taking place at landmarks along the Thames. Musicians will be represented across 6 stages, the musicians being from the major continents of the world. If you want to have guaranteed entry for the event, it is free, but you will have to pay the £3 processing fee. (So not 100% free).
Let’s hope the rain stays away long enough for everyone to enjoy the outdoor concerts over the next couple of weeks.
Written by Jo Turnbull