London is a great destination for a family holiday, but a lot of people keep asking us: “what are the main annual events and are they suitable for our children?”
That’s a totally legitimate question, and although there are a lot of interesting annual events happening in London, not all of them are 100% children friendly.
There are many things to see and do in London and Family Twist has taken a lot of time to design great activities that are exclusively dedicated to traveling families. But on your free time, it’s also good to get out there, leave the iconic historical monuments behind for a while, and share some of the magic of London.
The following annual events are very popular in London and are child friendly. Although they might not be entirely dedicated to children, there are ways to really enjoy them with your kids. As local experts, we have selected 1 major annual event for each month. So if ever you are in London during one of these 12 great annual events, be sure you and your family don’t miss it!
January: New Year’s Day Parade
With over 8,000 performers, London’s New Year’s Day Parade is the biggest event of its kind in the world, and the first great annual event of the year. On January 1st, many people gather in the heart of the city to watch dancers, musicians, acrobats, and cheerleaders marching in a colorful celebration. This exciting parade is an interesting mix of both traditional customs and eccentric modern performances.
Needless to say that this parade is an exciting event for children of all ages. Make sure you arrive quite early to have front row seats, because you are not the only one wanting to see the Parade. And don’t forget to cover up as it can get quite cold!
Hour: noon to 3:30PM
Route: Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street, Waterloo Place, Pall Mall, Cockspur Street, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall.
February: London Fashion Week
When it comes to fashion, there are 4 main cities: Paris, Milan, New York and London. In February, if you are traveling to London with your family, make sure you catch a glimpse of the London Fashion Week.
For the younger kids, you can head out to the best fashion stores and try to look for some trendy children’s clothing. The good news is, you’ll surely find something for you too!
If you have older children, it might be a good idea to try and book a front row seat to a designer catwalk show. The clothes might not be the most interesting part of the show for them, but the whole ambiance, décor and light shows will entertain them for quite some time.
Check out the London Fashion Week official website for more details.
March: Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race
On the last weekend of March (or occasionally on the 1st week of April), don’t miss the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race! This historic rowing event, held annually since 1856, is a set of rowing races between the Oxford University and the Cambridge University boat clubs, on the River Thames in London. The course covers a 4.2 mile (6.8km) stretch of the river in West London, from Putney to Mortlake. The race is very popular and more than 250,000 people watch it live every year.
The best place to enjoy the race live is from Putney Bridge. You’ll have to head there quite early in order to beat the crowd. Other great places to enjoy the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race are Craven Cottage, Hammersmith Bridge, Chiswick Pier, Saint Paul’s school boathouse and Dukes Meadow for the final stage of the race.
More information on the Boat Race official website
April: London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the most popular marathons in the world. There are two ways to enjoy the London Marathon:
The first option is you and your family have been training for 1 year, and have bought your way into participating in the London Marathon. It’s a possibility, but chances are… close to zero!
The other option to enjoy the marathon is simply to come and cheer the participants. You can head out early in the morning at the starting line in Greenwich, find a spot on the route or, even better, stand next to the finishing line in St James’s Park. The latter is probably what you and your children will find more interesting.
Find out all your need to know on the London Marathon official website.
May: Chelsea Flower Show
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the most famous flower show in the UK, if not in the world! This garden show is held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.
At the Chelsea Flower Show, you will discover a great quantity of flowers from all over the world, which is something that children of all ages (and the parents) will love!
Check the Chelsea Flower Show official website for more information
June: Trooping the Colour
If you have been on Family Twist’s A Royal Experience tour, don’t miss the Trooping the Colour ceremony! This major annual event, which has been going on since the 17th century, is a ceremony performed by regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies.
Also known as “the Queen’s Birthday Parade”, the celebration is held on a Saturday in June on Horse Guards Parade by St. James’s Park. The Queen travels from Buckingham Palace down The Mall. She then inspects the troops which in turn conduct a march past the Queen. There are also almost 400 musicians during this ceremony.
Place yourselves somewhere along the Mall to best enjoy Trooping the Colour.
Another highlight in June is the Motorexpo, which features the latest vehicles from the world’s leading automotive manufacturers. If you and your children are more into cars than royal parades, be sure not to miss Motorexpo!
July: Wimbledon
If you and your children are into sports, and particularly interested in tennis, than head out to the oldest tennis tournament in the world: Wimbledon. At the end of June and beginning of July, the most famous and talented tennis players compete to win the Wimbledon prize, widely considered as one of the most prestigious in the tennis world.
Attending a game is always an experience for both adults and children. And the tradition also states that you have to eat strawberries and ice cream!
In July, be sure to keep an eye out for the events organized during the City of London Festival. During three weeks each summer, extraordinary places and spaces are used to present a wide-ranging program of handpicked artists from across the globe, from comedy to classical, circus to cabaret, and more!
August: Notting Hill Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival has been going on every year since 1966. Just like it says in the name, this carnival takes place in the streets of Notting Hill, each August over two days (the August bank holiday Monday and the preceding Sunday). Because of its great ambiance, it attracts close to one million people each year, making it one of the world’s largest street festivals!
A great number of dancers, acrobats and other performers walk down the street in highly colorful parade.
Make sure you head out to Notting Hill as early as you can because front row seats are hard to get once the crowd gathers. Because of the music, the animation and the colorful costumes, this is one of the best children-friendly annual events in London.
Another noteworthy annual event is The Proms that takes place at the Royal Albert Hall. This is an annual event you won’t want to miss if you are a musical family! The Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events. Check out The Proms official website for the complete program.
September: Totally Thames Festival
If you and your family want to go off the beaten tracks and dig deep into the cultural riches of London, then make sure you enjoy what the Totally Thames Festival has to offer. During the month of September, this festival brings the river to life via an exciting selection of arts, cultural and river events throughout the 42-mile stretch of the Thames in London. From musical events to photography competitions, there are surely some events that your children will love.
To know what the different events of the Totally Thames Festival are, check out their official website.
October: London Film Festival
The London Film Festival, officially called the BFI London Film Festival is the UK‘s largest public film event. During this festival, more than 300 movies are shown, from every genre and every style (documentaries, shorts…). Almost 50 countries are represented which is a great way to discover movies that do not come from Hollywood! The London Film Festival has been going on for more than 58 years and is a perfect event to attend to if you and your family love going to the movies.
For more information on the exact dates and the movies shown, especially animated or kid-friendly movies, make sure you check out the London Film Festival official website for the program.
November: Bonfire Night
On the 5th of November 1605, an anarchist named Guy Fawkes plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Although he never succeeded, Bonfire Night (which is also known as Guy Fawkes Night) marks the anniversary of this attempt. Fireworks are lit all across London, which makes it one of the biggest fireworks show in the city.
Make sure you dress up in warm clothes and head out to some of London’s top attractions to see these fireworks. After all, seeing Big Ben in a sky full of colorful fireworks is always great, especially for the children. The main fireworks usually take place on a Saturday closest to the 5th of November, but related events run before and after that date.
To know more about Bonfire Night and the events taking place, check out the Time Out article on Bonfire Night.
December: Christmas Decorations and Activities
When December comes along, there is just one thing everyone has in mind: Christmas. London is an excellent place to spend Christmas and the attractions for parents and kids are numerous. If it is your first time traveling to London, try the Family Twist London Christmas Sightseeing tour, where you will see all the highlights of the capital and their magnificent Christmas decorations. You can also head out to the main Christmas markets and find some great gift ideas.
Family Twist also provides great hand-on activities for the whole family, such as the Christmas Chocolate Workshop or the Christmas Magic Lesson. All these wonderful activities will make your family vacation in Europe unforgettable.