Think South London lacks the cool credentials? Think again. With the growing popularity of areas such as Peckham, Brixton and beyond, plentiful green spaces and interesting events, there’s never been more reasons to cross the river. Here’s just a few of those reasons that are happening this summer.
Food markets – London is undoubtedly a foodies heaven, with new restaurants opening constantly. During the summer months when the nights are longer and the days (hopefully) warmer what better way to enjoy both food and London than to explore one of the many food markets. Model Market is back in Lewisham for its second year, bringing a combination of food, drink and music to south-east London on Friday and Saturday nights. There’s a new food market for Bermondsey with the recent opening of Druid Street Market, currently open on Saturdays and looking to expand to include Sundays as well. Nearby is the ever popular Maltby Street, which houses not only a fabulous assortment of food stalls, but also Little Bird Gin, which is great for a quirky cocktail, or two.
Outdoor Cinema – Another reason to hope for good weather is the prevalence of outdoor cinemas across South London with anything from a Lido to a roof top becoming a venue for film screenings this summer. The Nomad Cinema is one such company who will be bringing cult classics to venues including the Meantime Brewery and Bushy Park. The Luna Cinema will be taking over Brockwell Lido, amongst other venues, where there’ll be the chance to float in your own dinghy whilst enjoying the film. If you like a venue with a view, then look no further than the Rooftop Film Club, which call the Bussey Building in Peckham their home, enjoy deckchairs and BBQ food for the full summer experience.
Roof Top Yoga – The Secret Yoga Club will be helping yogis practise their downward dogs on the roof of a car park in Peckham this Saturday, taking over the Bold Tendencies space on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Classes include Vinyasa Flow, Hatha Flow and the interesting sounding Voga.
Rooftop Bars – If yoga is too energetic for you then how about drinks and food on the roof top instead? Franks Bar, on aforementioned car park rooftop, provides excellent views across London. It’s also part bar, part art gallery so you can get your culture fix too. Fans of open air partying should also head to the Prince of Wales in Brixton where parties start in the afternoon and go on until the wee hours. A great outdoor terrace space which will have you feeling more Ibiza than South West London.
Festivals – SW4 (South West Four) is somewhat of a South London institution and takes over Clapham Common during the bank holiday weekend, for its 11th year. Faithless and Fatboy Slim are headlining stages on Saturday. Other highlights for Saturday include Eats Everything, Todd Terje and Eric Prydz. Sunday sees the likes of Basement Jaxx, Cox Vs Loco Dice, Example and Tale of Us, amongst many more. There will also be an after party held at nearby Electric Brixton.
