14 Great Things To Do This Bank Holiday Weekend

Visit this epic chicken pop-up

Caviar-topped fried chicken? Sign us up! South London-born fried chicken institution Morley’s has partnered up with the kind of condiments Heinz to create a month-long pop-up chicken shop. 

Taking over The Standard’s hip bar, Double Standard, the pop-up showcases an exclusive menu curated by the team. 

Think boozy slushies; chicken drumsticks topped with caviar and Heinz truffle mayo; chicken fillet burgers with Heinz x Morley’s fried chicken sauce and chips; and an epic wing tower featuring 20 chicken wings, Heinz sauces and chips.

Book in for a terrace pizza party

When pizza is involved, you’ll usually find us hanging around and this weekend we’re making a beeline for The Botanist Party at The Gantry. 

The East London hotel is set to make way for a special pizza party pop-up, complete with refreshing tipples and bottomless pizza. Guests can enjoy two complimentary Botanist drinks and a food station brimming with slices from 7-9pm for just £35 per person. 

Unwind on one of the plush outdoor sofas, soaking up the views across the city’s sweeping skyline, cocktail in hand.

Enjoy 2-4-1 Aperol Spritz

Bringing the sunny Italian vibes to London this bank holiday weekend will be Eataly London’s Terrazza and their special offer on Aperol Spritz. 

Adorned with orange trees, the iconic Aperol Spritz van and foliage-filled backdrops, Terrazza’s Aperol Spritzeria pop-up will be serving up 2-4-1 Aperol Spritz all weekend long. 

Head down and order in your drinks, enjoying the 2-4-1 offer all day on Sunday 27th and Monday 28th August.

Dance into the night at Notting Hill Carnival

You know we’re nearing the end of summer when Notting Hill Carnival rolls around. Make the most of the bank holiday and celebrate Caribbean culture at the carnival. 

The whole weekend is set to be packed out with Caribbean flavours, live performances, vibrant parades, ruffled feathers and big crowds. To help you navigate the weekend, we’ve put together a guide to the best things happening in and around Notting Hill.

Celebrate National Dog Day

As if you needed any more of an excuse to pamper your little pooch, Notting Hill’s Los Mochis is bringing back its luxurious dog-friendly menu to celebrate National Dog Day. 

Available until Friday 25th August, the decadent three-course ‘doggy menu’ features pumpkin dog biscuits, chicken liver tacos and a special pupcake to finish. Priced at just £10, all profits will be going towards the Silver Fox Dog Rescue, the charity that helps to rehome and rehabilitate dogs in a foster home environment.

Catch a free outdoor theatre performance

Every August through to September, the Greenwich & Docklands Festival brings Londoners together with the very best of free outdoor theatre and performing arts productions. 

This year’s edition is no different, with performances set to take place across public spaces around the Royal Borough of Greenwich, East London and the City of London areas. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Acts of Hope’, so you can expect shows to be offering up moments of reflection and a true celebration of creativity.

Highlights include Ancient Futures, a ritual celebration that blends circus, West African folklore and Afrofuturism together; The Air Between Us, an aerial performance taking over Greenwich Park Hill; and Cygnus, a light and sound installation fusing robotics and romanticism.

Go bottomless at Arcade

Arcade Food Hall is home to endless vendors serving up delicious street food dishes, boozy cocktails and tasty treats, but it’s hard to know where to start. Here to help is the food hall’s new Arcade All In, a bottomless experience allowing you to eat your way through its signature dishes for just £35 per head. 

Running every Sunday until 24th September, you’ll be able to eat through as many burgers, samosas and shawarma wraps as you like in 90 minutes. Look forward to Mexa’s pork carnitas tacos; Hero’s sabzi samosas; Tipan Tapan’s steamed shiitake and cabbage mo:mo; Sushi Kamon’s crispy prawn tempura; and Manna’s smash burgers. 

Take your experience up another notch and go bottomless for drinks too for an extra £20 per head.

Get festival-ready curls at this pop-up

Whether you’re heading to Victoria Park’s All Points East or Notting Hill Carnival, get festival-ready hair at the first-ever UK Beachwaver pop-up. 

Taking over Shoreditch High Street until 5th September, hairstylists will be on hand to help you create the perfect beachy waves using the Beachwaver B1 Rotating Curling Iron. The pop-up looks as electrifying as you’d expect with plenty of hot pink, sparkles and neon lights. 

Hair styling is free when redeemed against the purchase of a Beachwaver which is currently half-price (£59.99) exclusively at the pop-up.

Book Ahead: Sky-High Yoga at Shangri-La The Shard, London

Rejuvenate after a busy bank holiday and book ahead for Shangri-La The Shard, London’s sky-high morning yoga class.

Created in collaboration with lululemon, escape to the clouds and reset your mind and body with this special class led by one of lululemon’s instructors.  The glass will be followed by a buffet breakfast, featuring sweet and savoury options.

Cool down at this frozen festival

After a sweltering week, we’re all in need of a refresh and where better to cool down this weekend than at a festival dedicated to frozen treats. 

Covent Garden’s popular Frozen Festival returns this bank holiday weekend, allowing Londoners the chance to get a scoop of the good stuff. 

Stalls will be popping up around the Piazza filled with frozen cocktails, ice cream and iced goodies. The line-up includes Kocktail, Bubblebros, Pan-n-Ice, Chill Gelato, Wave Artisan Gelato, The Proof and Vai. 

Other Covent Garden and Seven Dials Market spots will be getting involved including Avobar, Laudrée, Anita Gelato and Soft Serve Society.

Grab a bite at Hampton Court Palace Food Festival

Make your weekend royally fun with a trip to Hampton Court Palace Food Festival. The three-day event returns to the historic palace this weekend, bringing with it street food vendors, pop-up bars, artisan producers, drink masterclasses, live performances and fete games. 

Bask in the sunshine, strolling from stall to stall in the beautiful surroundings of the palace.

Try these limited-edition cocktails at Gleneagles

This year renowned Japanese spirits pioneer, the House of Suntory, is celebrating its 100th anniversary, inviting cocktail lovers across the UK to toast its centennial together. The brand has teamed up with 100 leading UK bars to create 100 cocktails and serves to commemorate a century of Suntory Whisky.

If you’re taking a trip up to Scotland this summer, make sure to make a pit stop at The Gleneagles Hotel and celebrate the House of Suntory’s centennial with a limited-edition serve.

The American Bar at Gleneagles will be serving up the Pineapple, a mix of Yamazaki 12 Years Old, tepache and lemon verbena to create a tropical number perfect for summertime.

Enjoy an interactive seasonal feast

Over at Hertfordshire’s The Grove, the hotel and spa has teamed up with Discover and the team at Nomadic to create an immersive foraging tour around the estate. 

Led by experienced chef Vanessa Marx, the experience will see you enjoy an interactive, seasonally-inspired feast cooked over the open fire in the Walled Garden. Discover the earthy flavours and herbal teas hand-picked straight from Jemima’s Kitchen Garden, toast marshmallows around the fire and a feast cooked up using locally foraged ingredients.

Dive into an Italian tasting experience

Bringing a taste of Italy to the UK this summer is Italian drinks brand, Birrificio Angelo Poretti and its summer tablescaped series. 

Landing in Manchester this bank holiday weekend, the event will see you gathering on a giant feasting table and served up classic Neopolitan dishes. From fried courgette flowers and stuffed olives to croquettes and an XL pan of seasonal pasta, all of the dishes will be paired alongside Poretti.