{"id":10998,"date":"2012-06-20T10:48:54","date_gmt":"2012-06-20T14:48:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/?p=10998"},"modified":"2023-04-07T09:44:29","modified_gmt":"2023-04-07T13:44:29","slug":"guide-london-summer-festivals-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/2012\/06\/20\/guide-london-summer-festivals-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to the London 2012 Festivals"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"A<\/p>\n
Hyde Park is a great place to attend concerts in London during the Summer<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

While all eyes this summer will be on the Olympic Games<\/strong>, even if you can\u2019t get a coveted ticket to one of the events there will be still be a whole lot more going on in London than just sports<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

London is hosting a city-wide festival coinciding with the games, named the London 2012 Festival<\/strong>, with events highlighting the best in music, art, and film the city has to offer. Furthermore, the festival will host\u00a0 live public viewings\u00a0 of the games in Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Trafalgar Square.<\/p>\n

For music fans, BT London Live <\/strong>will feature a concert for the opening of the Olympics on July 27 in Hyde Park, featuring Duran Duran, Snow Patrol, Stereophonics and Paolo Nutini<\/strong>. On July 28 there will be a free show in Hyde Park featuring Tom Jones<\/strong>. The closing ceremony of the Olympics on August 12 will feature Blur\u2019s last performance, alongside performances by other bands such as New Order and The Specials<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The BT River of Music<\/strong> weekend will take place on July 21 and 22, featuring musicians from the six continents in the Olympics including acts like Scissor Sisters<\/strong> and the Jazz at Lincoln enter Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis taking place at six different stages across the city.<\/p>\n

For a city known for its amazing theater shows, it\u2019s no surprise there will be numerous theater events as well. From April 23 until October 20 the World Shakespeare Festival<\/strong> will be produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, with Shakespeare\u2019s work being performed in all sorts of ways and by different companies. The British Museum will also hold an exhibit about Shakespeare until November 25. Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz fame is premiering a show entitled \u201cDr. Dee\u201d, which combines acoustic pop and opera telling the story of Dr. John Dee, an influential figure during Elizabeth I\u2019s reign. It will play at the London Coliseum from June 25 until July 7.<\/p>\n

Film fans can look forward to the British Film Institutes\u2019 celebration of Alfred Hitchcock<\/strong>, screening all 58 of his films from June 14 until October 22. With the Olympics set in East London, Mike Leigh\u2019s \u201cA Running Jump\u201d will be showing from June 21 until September 9. It tells the story of an East London family obsessed with sports.<\/p>\n

The many museums will also hold special exhibits, highlighted by the Tate Modern\u2019s retrospective of British artist Damien Hirst\u2019s career, featuring work like The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, which is a shark in formaldehyde. At the Royal Opera House, \u201cThe Olympic Journey: The Story of the Games\u201d chronicles the history of the Olympics, featuring medals and torches from every modern Olympics.<\/p>\n