What's on in London Culture & Shopping: The Latest in London this Summer

London’s summer season of events—which dates back to the 17th century, when aristocrats brought their marriageable children into the city for socializing—begins with the Chelsea Flower Show, but it really takes off in June with Ascot, the Trooping of the Color, the Henley Regatta and Wimbledon. For all Anglophiles heading across the pond for these rituals, or just for a British fix under summer skies, there are lots of buzzy openings to know about. Read on to learn what is soon to open; what I recently loved—and found over-hyped; where local insiders are gathering; and much more.

By all accounts, this year’s Chelsea Flower Show was extraordinary for its range of exhibitors, from coastal and Japanese gardens to orchid displays. Visitors also got a first glimpse of the Clore Garden, an ambitious new green space that will be replanted for public enjoyment at the Tate Modern in 2027. Designed by acclaimed landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith, this immersive, climate-resilient woodland pairs biodiverse planting and sculptural pathways with works like Dame Barbara Hepworth’s 1949 “Bicentric Form.”

There are two wonderful shows on at the Serpentine Galleries in Hyde Park, which include glorious representations of flowers by two of today’s best British contemporary painters: David Hockney and Cecily Brown. Both are fascinated by the natural world and the theme of love, so they are a wonderful complement to each other (the Hockney exhibition is on through August 23, while Brown’s is on through September 6). Plus, opening June 6 and on view through October 25, the addition of the 2026 Serpentine Pavilion marks the 25th edition of the celebrated annual architecture commission outside the Serpentine South Gallery in Kensington Gardens. Designed by the Mexico City-based LANZA atelier, the pavilion—titled A Serpentine—reimagines the historic English crinkle-crankle garden wall through a series of brick forms that weave through the surrounding landscape and existing trees, creating shaded pathways and intimate gathering spaces beside the Serpentine Lake. The installation is free and open to the public, offering one of London’s signature summer cultural experiences.

If you happen to be in London the first weekend in June, you can visit some of the city’s most beautiful private gardens as part of the annual fundraising event London Open Gardens. One ticket buys access to more than 120 usually private or hidden green spaces, as well as a series of “Behind the Scenes” talks and guided walks.

The Royal Academy of Arts has named David Chipperfield Architects to spearhead an ambitious expansion and re-imagination of the Collection Gallery at the Burlington Gardens campus, which will include a new 40-foot-high gallery space. Wright & Wright Architects were also recently selected to lead a major £30-million-pound revamp of the historic Royal Academy of Music.

One of the toughest exhibition tickets to wrangle right now is to “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style” at Buckingham Palace. With more than 300 garments and accessories on display in the King’s Gallery, the show is the largest exhibition of the late Queen’s belongings ever held, and a celebration of her elegance, as well as a trip through decades of British history. On through April 18, 2027, the exhibition spans from her childhood wardrobes and coronation gowns to the brightly colored coats and silk headscarves that became central to her public image. Particularly striking are the intricately embroidered couture gowns created for major state occasions and overseas tours, which underscore how carefully fashion was used throughout her 70-year reign. The exhibition also treats changing ideas of femininity, craftsmanship, state diplomacy and royal image-making through the work of designers like Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies and Ian Thomas.

Spanning the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s 320-acre UNESCO World Heritage landscape, “Henry Moore: Monumental Nature,” opened earlier this spring as a large-scale survey of the 20th-century master’s lifelong engagement with natural forms and materials. 30 sculptures have been installed across the gardens as the centerpiece—including within the soaring Temperate House—but the show brings together more than 90 works total, from bronzes, stone and wood carvings to prints and drawings, offering insight into Moore’s distinct creative process (on through January 31, 2027).

On through September 27, one of Tate Britain’s standout exhibitions this season is its major retrospective of James McNeill Whistler, the first large-scale European survey of the American-born artist’s work in more than three decades. Bringing together roughly 150 paintings, drawings, prints and decorative objects, the exhibition traces Whistler’s unconventional career across London, Paris and Venice, from his atmospheric Thames “Nocturnes” and society portraits to the radical aesthetic philosophy that helped shape modern art.

Finally, the Tate Modern is featuring retrospective exhibitions of two fearless female artists, Frida Kahlo and Tracy Emin, which should not be missed. On from June 18 to September 27, “Frida: The Making of an Icon” features more than 30 masterworks by Kahlo in dialogue with 120 works by five generations of artists she inspired, variously revealing her many personas (including dedicated wife of Diego Rivera, intellectual and political activist). Documents, photographs and memorabilia from Kahlo’s archives complement the picture of this revolutionary artist and cultural phenomenon. On through August 31, “Tracey Emin, a Second Life” is a landmark retrospective spanning 40 years, bringing together key works and never-before-shown pieces that capture Tracey Emin’s raw, autobiographical approach across painting, neon, textiles, film, sculpture and installation—using the female body to explore love, trauma, pain and healing. (Note: this exhibition includes sensitive themes and may not be suitable for all viewers.)

See more London exhibitions that have the Indagare community buzzing here.

Few places better illustrate London’s talent for reinventing its historic architecture than Battersea Power Station, the former coal-fired power station on the Thames that has been transformed into one of the city’s most vibrant new riverfront districts. Originally built between the 1930s and 1950s and long one of London’s most recognizable industrial landmarks, the restored Grade II–listed building retains its four chimneys and soaring Art Deco interiors while now housing an energetic mix of restaurants, cafés, bars, shops, offices and residences. The atmosphere is particularly lively along the pedestrian-friendly riverside promenade and within the restored turbine halls, where a thoughtfully curated retail mix combines major international brands with more design-forward fashion, beauty and lifestyle boutiques. (Guests can also go up inside the chimneys for panoramic views over London.)

Since a lot of the fun of shopping in London has been lost with the end of the VAT refund for visitors, I dove deep into British brands—old and new. Everything that is not made in Britain now costs significantly more. I priced pieces from French and Italian brands, for instance, and found that buying them in England costs around 30 to 40 percent more than it would on the continent. One of my favorite discoveries was the fashion brand by Alex Eagle, who is one of the pair behind Eagle + Hodges, who designed the forthcoming interiors of the new St. Clement hotel. I asked her to share her London favorites as an Indagare Insider—plus, get my full list of favorite British brands here.