The August bank holiday weekend is – let’s face it – summer’s last hurrah. All grumbling aside, what better way to enjoy the last summer days of 2016 than a whole three days off?

If you’ve planned a Netflix marathon for the weekend, you need to scrap that now my friend, as we’ve complied a list of all the truly excellent things happening in our fair capital this bank holiday weekend – and there are many. Whether your idea of a good extended break involves a 3 day bender, some quality family time or somewhere in between, there are some much better alternatives here than sitting in front of the telly.

1. Notting Hill Carnival

The biggest event this weekend is Notting Hill Carnival. It’s Europe’s biggest street festival, celebrating the Afro-Caribbean community’s culture and traditions. The parade is full of elaborate floats, colourful costumes, Caribbean-influenced music (think steel bands, reggae, calypso, dancehall) and good vibes. There’s something for everyone – whether you want to take your kids to watch the parade on Sunday morning or party at one of the various sound systems (stages) into the wee small hours. It continues over the Sunday and Monday of the bank holiday weekend, and it’s free! We really recommend going, even if it’s just to grab some jerk chicken and plantain.

2. South West Four

South West Four is a huge dance music festival taking over Clapham Common this bank holiday. The line up includes Rudimental, Chemical Brothers, Carl Cox and MK – so not to be sniffed at, then. Tickets have been selling out fast leading up to the weekend, but they’ve just released the last remaining Saturday tickets, so you might be able to grab yourself one in the nick of time.

3. The Festival of Love

The Festival of Love at the Southbank Centre this weekend is packed with art installations, pop-ups and activities, all celebrating the most powerful human emotion through music, dance and performance. On Monday there’s even a free dance workshop paying tribute to Prince, which is open to the whole family, so everyone can learn moves and routines influenced by the purple wonder. The main theme this year is the Big Wedding Weekend which will include masses of couples being wed, as well as wedding-themed activities – enough to get you feeling warm and happy inside.

4. The Water Poet Cider Festival and Hog Roast

If you’re looking for a calmer daytime drinking vibe, The Water Poet has specialist apple-based ciders on tap. Pair that with a helping of an eight-hour slow-roasted hog and you’ve got a truly fantastic day. You can relax in the beer garden on a hay bale while you watch some live music. There are also cider-based cocktails available and cider-based ice-cream, if you feel that drinking cider is not enough. A hint from us: Hog & Pint: £10 – a special offer, so make sure you collect the flyer from the bar before queuing up for food.

5. Beach East

If the Olympics in Rio de Janiero gave you the serious urge to kick back on Copacabana beach, now you can (kind of) without actually leaving London. Queen Elizabeth Olympic park has created a huge urban beach with 2,200 square meters of sand, which also features a huge kid’s paddling pool (that’s a huge pool for kids rather than a pool for huge kids), funfair rides and two beach bars. There’s also live entertainment, DJs and activities to ensure the Rio carnival atmosphere at the Beach, even if the weather doesn’t necessary feel very tropical.

6. Camden Beach

Give yourself a little summer staycation this weekend in Chalk Farm. Not only is the pop-up beach on the roof of the Roundhouse nicely decked out with sand, beach huts and deck chairs, but they also have ping-pong tables, barbecues and beach bars. Entry is free but it does get busy, so make sure you get there nice and early to bag yourself a space.

7. Travel Photographer of the Year

Visit this exhibition to see some prize-winning, awe-inspiring and just downright magnificent photos taken from all over the world. The winning entries of the Travel Photographer of the Year 2015 are on display at the University of Greenwich, and you’ll definitely be leaving this place feeling primed to pick up your camera agin, so it’s worth noting the deadline to enter the 2016 competition is October 1st.

8. Mind Sports Olympiad

Also known as The Annual Board Game Festival. This is an international event, almost like Olympics for the mind, where you can win Bronze, Silver or Gold but without getting too sweaty. There are 60 different board game competitions ranging from classics such as Chess and Scrabble to newer games such as Settlers of Catan and Dominion. And as if that wasn’t enough, there are also card games, amateur poker world championships, computer-programming and metal-calculation tests. Anyone can sign up – we recommend registering early to bag yourself a seat in one of the competitions. The event is open to spectators free of charge and there’s also a free ‘learn to play room’ that will give your mind a new form of exercise.

9. BBC Good Food Festival

The third installment of the BBC Good Food Festival is set on the lavish and stunning grounds of Hampton Court Palace. Visitors can expect three days of fabulous artisan producers, a line-up of the best cooks and chefs, great entertainment and family fun. You can either buy tickets in advance or on the door.

10. Enfield Food Festival

The Enfield Food Festival at Forty Hall Farm is a celebration of the organic food produced in Enfield and the surrounding boroughs and counties. Get inspired through the masterclasses, cooking demonstrations and talks they have scheduled. You can also explore the organic farms, take part in outdoor yoga and some veg sculpture.

11. Live music at the Green Note

Last year’s winner of Time Out’s ‘London Venue of the Year’, a real gem, always has an interesting programme of events. Started over a decade ago by two friends with a passion for music, they’ve built a well-deserved reputation for providing a laid back and intimate spot for roots, world and acoustic music. Friday will see some New Orleans piano playing courtesy of Dom Pipkin, Saturday the very talented Gambian Kora player, Sura Susso. Sunday is Irish musician David Kitt and Monday Jacquelyn Hynes in what they describe as an ‘Anglo-Arabic-Celtic crossover project’.

12. Swedish beer at The Beer Shop

The Swedish Craft Bewery Dugges Bryggeri are visiting The Beer Shop this Monday. Not only are they bringing over their very rare barrel-aged barley wines, but their fantastic selection of beers will be on keg, there will be Scandinavian food available and they’ll be hanging around for a chat. Tickets cost £28, which includes four samples of the rare wine and samples of lunch provided by HYGGE smørrebrød.

13. The Gin Festival

If it’s one thing Londoners like, it’s gin. So it’s only right the UK’s largest gin event is held in London. The Gin Festival at Tobacco Docks will be showcasing over 100 gins including new gins, exclusive gins and new producers. The event also has talks from industry experts, food stalls and a variety of entertainment.

14. Outdoor Cinema

During the warm summer evenings nothing beats watching a film under the stars. There are plenty of outdoor cinemas that are showing great films over the bank holiday weekend. Pop-up Screens are showing The Breakfast Club on Friday, Dirty Dancing on Saturday and Back to the Future on Sunday in Hither Green; The Nomad is showing Jurassic Park on Saturday in Bushy Park, and The Rooftop Film Club is showing The Goonies at Tobacco Dock on Saturday 27th, Anomalisa on Sunday and Anchorman (“I’m Ron Burgundy?”) on Monday at the Bussey Building in Peckham.

15. Film4 Fright Fest

Maybe you feel like your bank holiday weekend could be spent more productively, and by productive you mean spending three days going through classic films. We know we said ditch Netflix, but FrightFest takes TV to another level, so we’ll give you a free pass on this one. They are showcasing a 60+ films extravaganza, specifically dedicated to the horror and sci-fi genre. It’s a whooping five-day event from the August 25th - August 29th at VUE Cinema, West 12 Shopping and Leisure Centre, Shepherds Bush Green. Those of us who have Monday to Friday jobs or can’t bear the thought of sitting for five days straight in a cinema can buy day passes. Either way, prepare to have the bejeezus scared out of you!

16. Sky Garden Yoga

There’s no better way to start your day than with a Yoga session, but a Yoga session 35 floors high and with a backdrop of incredible views takes some beating. Get yourself Shard-ward bound, bring your yoga mat, breathe in and get centred.

*The classes are now fully booked for the bank holiday weekend, but you can always spend a few minutes of the weekend booking yourself into the next available class.

17. Jazz Night

For the spontaneous and last-minute types, Oliver’s Jazz Bar in Greenwich, Brasserie Toulouse Lautrec in Kennington and The Nags Head in Walthomstow hold jazz events most nights of the week. Entry is either free or cheap and you don’t have to book in advance to get yourself a spot. Just turn your lapels up, start clicking your fingers and head on in.

18. Tunnel Slides for grown ups

Whether you’re looking to get your adrenaline running, or you’re on the hunt for a bit of a thrill, you should definitely check out this amazing contraption. Built in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, you will see the incredible views of London before you descend down the highest and longest tunnel slide in the world, which is sure to raise the hairs on the back of your neck. And if you think you’ll be hungry for more, you can pre-book to abseil off the very same structure. Amazing!

19. Family Fun at Pop Brixton

Pop Brixton, that rather super shipping container complex, have another PlayDay planned for Monday where for the princely sum of nothing – yup it’s free – you can take the kids for a day of workshops and general merriment. It’s open from 10am until 7pm and there are of course more details on the website. See the link above.

20. Sorting Stuff Out

OK. We know that sorting stuff out isn’t exactly the way you’d choose to spend a precious long weekend, but for many of us an extra day provides the extra time needed to finally get around to have a sort out at home. The good news is that whilst the task isn’t exactly a scintillating one, Boxman can make it super simple if you need someone else to store your stuff. We’ll deliver empty boxes to your door, leave you to pack them up at will and then pop back to whisk them away to our storage facility. It’s rather efficient, so you may just find you have time to sample some of the other treats listed here as well… Good luck to one and all!

Featured image via UncanD on Flickr