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July 17, 2025 3 mins
Welcome to “Things to Do in London”—your daily guide to the city’s most exciting happenings! It's Thursday, July 17, 2025, and London is buzzing with energy as summer hits its stride. The air is refreshingly mild after last night’s rain, the skies are set to clear by midday, and air quality is excellent—perfect for a day and night out in the capital.

Today, the city is alive with a variety of events catering to every interest:

- Foodies, get ready: The National Geographic Traveller Food Festival kicks off at the Business Design Centre in Islington. Eat your way around global cuisines, meet top chefs, and join tasting sessions—all under one roof[1].
- If you’re a fan of culture and vibrant artistry, don’t miss ESEA Encounters at the Southbank Centre, where East and South East Asian music, dance, and poetry take center stage. For Japanese pop fans, Hyper Japan Festival starts tomorrow at Olympia and promises cosplay, crafts, and live music[1].
- Art lovers should head to the Moco Museum for Robbie Williams' solo art exhibition—one of the most talked-about cultural debuts this summer[3].
- Families can enjoy the official launch of the Tusk Turtle Trail: hunt for stunning turtle sculptures created by celebrity artists scattered from Covent Garden to Carnaby, supporting wildlife conservation as you explore[1].
- For history buffs, witness the unique Ceremony of Cart Marking at Guildhall, a quirky 500-year-old London tradition featuring everything from handcarts to hydrogen-powered vehicles—completely free and open to everyone[1].

Local news and city announcements: London’s culinary scene continues to expand, with new restaurant openings in Soho and Shoreditch that are drawing rave early reviews. Public transit is running normally, though note that the Tower of London’s Wharf will be closed from 12:30–13:30 today for a private event, and the Chapel Royal remains closed until October[4]. Keep an ear out for special gun salutes in Green Park and at the Tower to mark the Queen’s birthday—always an impressive spectacle[5].

Looking for must-do activities? Soak up panoramic city views from the Sky Garden atop 20 Fenchurch Street—book ahead for a free ticket and perhaps linger for a sunset cocktail among lush indoor greenery[6]. Get lost in the bustling vibes of Borough Market or wander through Camden’s quirky stalls[2]. If you want tranquility, Hyde Park or St. James’s Park offer lush green escapes. For something different, seek out the Leake Street Graffiti Tunnel near Waterloo—this ever-evolving street art spot is a hidden gem for Instagram-worthy snaps[8][10].

Local tip: While many flock to the famed museums, London’s public spaces are a treasure trove for wallet-friendly fun. The city has dozens of outdoor festivals and free-entry events—just check local guides, and don’t hesitate to join the crowd for an impromptu street performance in Covent Garden[2].

Don’t forget—this weekend brings the spectacular Lord Mayor’s Balloon Regatta, with dozens of hot air balloons set to fill the sky on Sunday (weather permitting) and plenty of live music and pop-up markets across the city[7][1]. Tune in tomorrow for more hidden gems and weekend highlights—London never sleeps, and neither do we in bringing you the best of the capital!

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is your Things to Do in London podcast. Welcome
to Things to Do in London, your daily guide to
the city's most exciting happenings. It's Thursday, July seventeenth, twenty
twenty five, and London is buzzing with energy as summer
hits its stride. The air is refreshingly mild after last
night's rain. The skies are set to clear by mid
day and air quality is excellent, perfect for a day

(00:21):
and night out in the capitol. Today the city is
alive with a variety of events catering to every interest. Foodies,
get ready. The National Geographic Traveler Food Festival kicks off
at the Business Design Center in Islington. Eat your way
around global cuisines, meet top chefs, and join tasting sessions,
all under one roof one. If you're a fan of

(00:42):
culture and vibrant artistry, don't miss ECA Encounters at the
South Bank Center, where East and Southeast Asian music, dance
and poetry takes center stage. For Japanese pop fans, Hyper
Japan Festival starts tomorrow at Olympia and promises cosplay, crafts
and live music. While well art lovers should head to
the Moco Museum for Robbie William's solo art exhibition, one

(01:04):
of the most talked about cultural debuts this summer. Three
families can enjoy the official launch of the Test Turtle Trail,
hunt for stunning turtle sculptures created by celebrity artists scattered
from Covent Garden to Carnaby, supporting wildlife conservation. As you
explore one for history Buffs, witness the unique ceremony of
cart marking at Guildhall, a quirky five hundred year old

(01:25):
London tradition featuring everything from hand carts to hydrogen powered vehicles,
completely free and open to everyone. Local news and city announcements.
London's culinary scene continues to expand, with new restaurant openings
in Soho and Shoreditch that are drawing rave early reviews.
Public transit is running normally, though note that the Tower
of London's Wharf will be closed from twelve thirty to

(01:47):
thirteen thirty today for a private event, and the Chapel
Royal remains closed until October fourth. Keep an ear out
for special gun salutes in Green Park and at the
Tower to mark the Queen's birthday. Always an impressive spectacle
looking for must do activities, soak up panoramic city views
from the sky garden a top twenty fenchurch Street, book
ahead for a free ticket, and perhaps linger for a

(02:09):
sunset cocktail among lush indoor greenery. Six. Get lost in
the bustling vibes of Borough Market or wander through Camden's
quirky stalls. If you want tranquility, Hide Park or Saint
James's Park offer lush green escapes. For something different, seek
out the Leak Street Graffiti Tunnel near Waterloo. This ever
evolving street art spot is a hidden gem for instagram

(02:30):
worthy snaps. Local tip. While many flock to the famed museums,
London's public spaces are a treasure trove for wallet friendly fun.
The city has dozens of outdoor festivals and free entry events.
Just check local guides and don't hesitate to join the
crowd for an impromptu street performance in Covent Garden. Don't
forget This weekend brings the spectacular Lord Mayor's Balloon Regatta,

(02:52):
with dozens of hot air balloons set to fill the
sky on Sunday, and plenty of live music and pop
up markets across the city. Seven. One Tripping tomorrow for
more hidden gems and weekend highlights. London never sleeps, and
neither do we in bringing you the best of the
capital
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