London Loves - the very best of June

London Loves - the very best of June

29 May, 2012
by: Spoonfed Team

The Spoonfed editorial team select the biggest and best events taking place in London this June.

Art
After the record-breaking sale of The Scream, Tate Modern's blockbuster reappraisal of the works of Edvard Munch is probably the highest profile opening this June. But Invisible, the Hayward's exploration of art about the unseen, will be the most controversial. We reckon it sounds wicked. Elsewhere, there's also the annual Royal Academy Summer Exhibition; the great Bruce Nauman at the ICA; a host of incredible drawings at the Courtauld; and a celebration of the life and legacy of Alan Turing at the Science Museum. Above all though we're excited about the London Festival of Photography and Iain Sinclair's swan-shaped pedalo (true story) down in Southwark Park. TJ


Lifestyle 
June sees the launch of London's first Men's Fashion Week (I can't believe it's taken this long) at venues across town, with shows from the likes of Oliver Spencer, Burberry and Hardy Amies. On the 6th, cult film fanatics Amy Grimehouse are screening the creepy classic Freaks at The Book Club with their very own freak show. The Open Garden Squares Weekend gives you a chance to enjoy the sunshine in a selection of lesser known or normally private green spaces, while later in the month the London Festival of Architecture features walking tours, talks, screenings and loads of other ways to celebrate London's buildings.  TA


Theatre
June kicks off with one of the biggest events in the theatre calendar, London International Festival of Theatre, and the big show at LIFT this year is GATZ, an eight-hour retelling of F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Opera Holland Park has a superb season that includes Lucia di Lammermoor and Cosi Fan Tutte among others. If you want something less traditional head to Greenwich and Docklands International Festival and definitely see Inua Ellams' site-specific Knight Watch. The smaller shows we're looking forward to are Believers Anonymous, The Prophet and Jo Bannon's one-on-one show about the complexity of looking. NK


Live Music
Jeepers! It was 27? the other day, and it’s only May. At times like this, I’m reminded of Roger McGuinn’s wise words, “summer’s here! it’s time to have a party”. Luckily June is looking like it’s going to be a good month for some park drinking, kicking off with Field Day and Apple Cart and featuring Lovebox, the Crystal Palace Garden Party and Nando’s Summer Picnic. However if you’re dead set on staying out of the sun and protecting your goth complexion, then you’ll be pleased to know that Cypress Hill, Neon Indian, Best Coast and NOFX are all appearing indoors. DH


Comedy
Spoonfed carries on its summer series of rooftop comedy this month with two belting line-ups (if we do say so ourselves) on June 14th and June 28th and a new food pop-up joining us for gig no.3 in the form of bacon jam specialists Boom Burger. Meanwhile, in other unusual venues, Tim Key headlines Live at the Chapel and Oyster Eyes have procured a dynamite sketch bill on a boat! The Udderbelly Festival continues with more excellent shows from Sir Tim Fitzhigham, The Joy of Sketch, award-winning ventriloquist Nina Conti, the Utter Shambles podcast hosts and Boy With Tape on His Face. There's a pre-Edinburgh Festival happenning in Kennington and if you click on our handy Edinburgh Preview tag you can see a list of this month's cheap work-in-progress shows. EM

Clubbing
June this year begins in utter party mayhem. You've got Sneaker Social Club ticking all the EDM boxes, then secretsundaze Jubilee Special, followed rapidly by a Livin Proof special with Hudson Mohawk doing a hip hop set, not to mention Lovebox headed up on Saturday by Crazy P, a collaboration from Lunice and Hudmo as they unveil their TNGHT project and Audio Doughnuts bringing Starkey to town. POW. LC


Click here for more things to do in London.

Spoonfed Team