August is London at its most languid, the city half-empties of its commuters, the parks turn golden, and the evenings still stretch late. It's the season of open-air theatre, Proms nights and the year's most joyful street party, and much of it sits within easy reach of Marylebone.
From our doorstep on Mandeville Place, here is our edit of the capital at its finest this month. Wherever August takes you, our concierge team would be delighted to arrange tickets, tables and transfers, simply ask at the desk or contact us ahead of your stay.
Winston Churchill: The Painter at the Wallace Collection
Barely a two-minute walk from the hotel, the Wallace Collection, that jewel-box of a museum on Manchester Square, is staging the first major retrospective of Sir Winston Churchill's paintings since his death. More than fifty works, over half drawn from private collections and rarely seen in public, reveal a wholly different side to one of the twentieth century's defining figures: a man who found respite, beauty and lifelong joy in painting. Set within the silk-lined rooms of Hertford House, it's an unhurried, deeply civilised way to spend a summer morning, and the galleries are at their quietest and most beautifully lit before noon.
Until 29 November
The Wallace Collection, Manchester Square, W1U. A 2-minute walk from the hotel.
CATS at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Is there anything more quintessentially London-in-summer than a musical under the stars? A leafy fifteen-minute stroll north of the hotel, the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is staging a spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's CATS, with director Drew McOnie reimagining the Jellicle Ball for the outdoors. Pack a light layer, arrive early for a glass of something chilled on the picnic lawn, and let the magic unfold as dusk settles over the park. The run continues through September, but August's warm evenings are the setting it was made for.
Until 19 September
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, NW1. A 15-minute walk from the hotel.
Tickets from £15
The BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall
The world's greatest classical music festival is in full swing, and this year's season, built around a celebration of American music to mark 250 years since the US Declaration of Independence, is among the most exciting in recent memory. August highlights include Wynton Marsalis's Concerto for Orchestra receiving its UK premiere, a centenary Miles Davis Prom, and Marin Alsop conducting an American Classics evening of Bernstein, Gershwin and Copland. Standing tickets start at just a few pounds for the decisive, though a seat is a lovelier way to end a summer evening.
Until 12 September
Royal Albert Hall, SW7. A short taxi ride from the hotel.
Tickets from £8
The Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy
A London institution since 1769, the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition remains the world's oldest open-submission art show, and this year, coordinated by artist Ryan Gander around the theme of connection, it fills the galleries with around 1,200 works by household names and members of the public alike. Wander without an agenda; somewhere among the paintings and sculptures you may find your new favourite artist (and most works are for sale). Our tip: visit on a Friday or Saturday evening, when the galleries stay open until 9pm and the in-gallery gin bar is pouring.
Until 23 August
Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly, W1J
Tickets from £23.50
Notting Hill Carnival
Europe's largest street festival, and this year, a landmark one, marking sixty years since the first Carnival in 1966. Over the August bank holiday weekend, the streets of Notting Hill erupt into a kaleidoscope of soca and steel bands, spectacular costumes, sound systems and Caribbean street food. Saturday hosts the ticketed Panorama steelband competition, Sunday is the family-friendly Children's Day, and Monday brings the main adults' parade in all its glory. It's a joyous, exuberant London at its most alive, go with comfortable shoes and an open heart.
29–31 August (main parades Sunday & Monday)
Notting Hill, W11. A short taxi or tube ride from the hotel.
Free to attend.
Find out more here
A Year in Normandie by David Hockney at the Serpentine
A poignant one this August. At the Serpentine, Hockney's celebrated ninety-metre frieze A Year in Normandie, a rolling, seasons-long panorama inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, comes to London for the first time, alongside new iPad paintings and the immersive Moon Room. It is a rare chance to sit with the work of one of the greatest artists this country has produced, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Pair it with a walk across Hyde Park on a fine afternoon.
Until 23 August
Serpentine South Gallery, Kensington Gardens, W2.
A short taxi ride, or a lovely walk through the park.
Free entry.