We bet you are excited and looking forward to this summer as the festivals and events are back and taking bookings as you read this. Many have limited capacity available due to COVID restrictions so don’t wait too long for booking. We’ve listed some of our annual favourites and added a couple of new exhibitions too.
Hampton Court Palace Festival – 13 – 24 August
For the 25th year running this year’s Hampton Court Festival will have an unmissable lineup of legendary names including Van Morrison, Bastille Reorchestrated, Keane, Tom Jones and Björn Again.
Traditionally held in June, this year’s festival has been rescheduled following the government’s roadmap announcements. The concerts are held in Base Court, one of the magnificent Tudor courtyards within the palace. This is not your regular festival. You can leave your wellies at home and instead picnic in the Palace gardens ahead of the concerts. There is no need to pack your own either as there are plenty of Pimm’s tents, bars and delicious food stands to cater for everyone’s taste.
The festival will open on Friday 13 August with Van Morrison, whole hits include Brown Eyed Girl to Moondance. Entering the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007 and winning an Americana, BRIT and Grammy award for his outstanding contribution to music, Van Morrison is a true icon.
For tickets and full details visit www.hamptoncourtpalacefestival.com
Hampton Court Palace Festival 
Some of this summer’s Wimbledon BookFest authors
Wimbledon BookFest “Sunrise” festival – 9-13 June
The “Sunrise’ is the first of this year’s two 5-day festivals on Wimbledon Common. It will be followed by “Sunset” from 15 to 19 September.
Wimbledon BookFest is London’s leading community-based literary festival and one of the first to return to live in-person events. The festivals will be hosted in BookFest’s reduced-capacity, roof-only marquee with socially distanced allocated seating. Additional safety procedures will also be in place, such as an advance booking-only policy to enable track and trace.
What to expect at this summer’s “Sunrise”
Forty talks, readings, discussions and workshops spanning fiction, poetry, politics, nature, art, fashion, music, lifestyle and spirituality, including events for young people and schools. The diverse programme features a range of writers, artists and thinkers. There will be plenty of well-known names and also some important new voices and also local talent: Caitlin Moran, Alastair Campbell, James O’Brien, Ray Mears, Anya Hindmarch, Robert Webb, Harriet Hastings and The Breakup Monologues with Rose Wilby and Shappi Khorsandi, are just some of the celebrity favourites to look out for.
Read also Arran Denning’s exclusive interview with fashion activist Orsola De Castro
The Art of Banksy in Covent Garden – 20 May until 20 November 2021
50 Earlham St, London is exhibiting one of the world’s largest collection of privately-owned Banksy art. The exhibition has been seen by over three quarters of a million people across Australia, Israel, New Zealand, Canada and Sweden and has arrived for a West End exhibition. It’s housed in the cavernous, 12,000 square foot warehouse, formerly the iconic Belgian restaurant Belgo in the heart of Covent Garden. This is a brilliant opportunity to get up close to the iconic work of this subversive, mysterious and brilliant artist who’s identity is still a mystery. Banksy is considered as one of the world’s most political artists and makes it to the world’s 100 most influential people list.
This may be your only chance to see all these original Banksy artworks in one location as most pieces will return to private collections afterwards. You will see world famous works of art including ‘Girl with Balloon’, ‘Flower Thrower’ and ‘Rude Copper’. Works showcased have been authenticated, with much work dating from the period 1997-2008, Banksy’s ‘golden age’. Banksy is infamous for his outdoor art, but this amazing exhibition also offers the chance to see his indoor pieces, often less well known but equally inspirational.
Rose Theatre Kingston
Rose Theatre in Kingston – reopens 27 June
Rose Theatre have a great summer ahead with a programme including the latest Live at the Rose comedy night, Copenhagen Winner of the Tony Award for Best New Play. This Michael Frayn’s multi award-winning masterwork is a dazzling exploration of two brilliant minds and their motives in Nazi occupied Copenhagen in 1941. The War of the Worlds which is co-produced by Brighton Festival and HOME Manchester. Originally an Orson Welles radio drama, now brilliantly adapted for 2021 and the era of the Internet.
Zog the classic children’s musical based on Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s book. And Educating Rita, a hilarious and heart-warming comedy that won the Olivier Award when it was produced in London’s West End by the RSC and was adapted into the multi award-winning film starring Julie Walters and Michael Caine.
All shows are being sold on a socially distanced capacity, but updates on Step 4 of the Government’s roadmap will hopefully allow a full capacity again.
Artistic Director Christopher Haydon’s first season will be announced soon for autumn 2021.
Hotel Paradiso on 9 to 11 July is part of International Youth Arts Festival 2021.
Spectacular circus skills blend seamlessly with physical comedy and theatrical storytelling in this colourful, loud and hilarious show from renowned international company Lost in Translation.
AS YOU LIKE IT with Guildford Shakespeare Company – 19 – 31 July
The 15th open air season in this former chalk quarry in the middle of Guildford continues this July. As you Like It is Shakespeare’s gloriously sunny comedy: a celebration of human nature’s desire to forgive and forget, to love and to laugh. Perfect for this summer.
guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk/as-you-like-it/
Photo by Pamela Raith, courtesy of Van Gogh Alive 
Guildford Shakespere Company
Van Gogh Alive at Kensington Gardens – 4 June to 26 September
This highly successful exhibition has travelled to 65 cities across the globe already and has finally made it to London. You can dive into Van Gogh’s legendary world and view his work like never before. Combining incredibly detailed projections of his most remarkable paintings with digital surround sound and smells, the exhibition takes you straight to Provence in the south of France.
Over 3,000 images projected in the 25,000 sq ft (2,323 sq m) purpose-built venue, you can expect a breathtaking multi-sensory experience.
Top tip: make sure to have your pic taken at the Sunflower Selfie Room, a 360°, mirrored space filled with hundreds of sunflowers.
Wimbledon Championships are back – scheduled for 27 June to 10 July
Tickets for The Championships 2021 are available via an online sale, anticipated to commence mid-June. All tickets will be distributed via the official Wimbledon mobile Apps for iOS and Android.
The familiar ticket queues that have been part of the Championships will not operate this year.
You may also enjoy reading https://darlingmagazine.co.uk/feature/best-outdoor-places-for-socialising-in-sw-london/
