Summer 2021 London Classical Music Festivals
Give yourself something to look forward to this summer and support the return of live music by booking for a classical music festival. We’ve picked five happening around London (north, east, south, west and central) with a mix of music, art, dance and film. If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting us by buying us a cuppa on Ko-fi. Thank you 😘
28 June - 2 July, £25 (£12 students & children)
St John’s Church, Waterloo
Close your laptop, leave your bedroom and experience a week of music played by a full, live orchestra. Eight of Beethoven’s symphonies will be performed over the course of the week. Every pound from ticket sales will go directly towards supporting the musicians, freelancers in their 20s and 30s who are returning to work after a year of no live music. Go to just one concert (two symphonies per night) or book for the lot!
25-27 June, £30 (<25s free)
St Cuthbert’s, Earl’s Court
A festival of classical music, jazz and visual art as part of Kensington and Chelsea Art Week. Four live concerts are set alongside an exhibition of 100 artworks created by classical musicians during the Covid-19 pandemic when concert halls were silent. Concerts curated by ChamberMusicBox, exhibition curated by Alan Kluckow.
Artwork by Kirsty Matheson
24-26 June, free-£20
Manchester Square Gardens, Marylebone
Manchester Square Gardens which will be transformed into a covered, well ventilated concert venue for an eclectic programme including Sue Perkins conducting the popular children’s classic Peter and the Wolf; violinist Lizzie Ball playing a mix of jazz, folk and pop with a classical thread throughout; and soloists from the Royal Opera House and English National Opera performing in A Night at the Opera. You can also book a deli box for concert nibbles.
22-25 July, £8-£110 (free <26s)
Venues in Islington
15 events across 4 days, including 11 concerts in beautiful and inspiring buildings throughout the Borough of Islington. Our pick would be The Late Night Bach Series: a one-hour beer and Bach sesh at 10pm. Pick between The Old Queens Head pub, No 20 Arts contemporary art gallery or the Newington Green Meeting House. On the final afternoon of the festival there’ll be an art market in the gardens of Christ Church Highbury, where local artists and artisans display their crafts.
1-11 July, £15
Venues across east London
The Octagon, The George Tavern and Genesis Cinema are some of the venues playing host in this year’s Spitalfields Music Festival, which offers a mix of music, film and dance. Book for Aberdeen to hear cello with electronics, a place to call home for a sound and video installation exploring queer spaces over time, or Dancing with Apollo for a programme of music, dance and commentary centred on Greek myth.
Image by Marc Gooderham
Hannah Fiddy is a creative entrepreneur, developing new audiences for classical music. She has created and promoted numerous concerts outside of traditional spaces, including warehouses, pubs, clubs, museums, hospitals, prisons and even in Primark. Hannah also hosts monthly drinks for the classical music industry and runs a choir in Stoke Newington. Her alter ego is the Founder of London Flashmob, producing quirky events from wedding proposals to cultural pranks for up to 1,000 people.
Follow Hannah on Twitter @Hannah_Fiddy.