Summer of 2022 might be the most inspiring of the decade (so far!), with so many new events and experiences to discover in the UK, as we recover from the effects of the pandemic.
To celebrate the year ahead, we've chosen 22 exciting new events taking place in the summer of 2022 in the UK.
Book your Summer 2:1 with Living Learning English to discover some of these historical, magical and inspiring events - we have teachers all over the UK in wonderful locations, waiting to meet you and help you to discover the best of the UK.
1. The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
2 - 5 June, events all year
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s historic milestone – the first British Royal to celebrate 70 years on the throne – with parties, parades and events.
If you’re in London between June and September, check out Superbloom at the Tower of London, where 20 million seeds sown in spring will bloom in the Tower’s famous moat, as a permanent legacy of Her Majesty The Queen.
2. Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
4 days in August, dates to be confirmed
Bristol city’s largest outdoor event, held every year at Ashton Court Estate, is the largest fiesta of its kind in Europe. The mass balloon ascents at dawn and dusk are a sight to behold, with more than 100 balloons taking off, and after-dark firework shows afterwards.
3. Heritage Open Days
9 - 18 September
‘Heritage Open Days’ celebrates England’s fantastic architecture and culture by offering free access to places that are usually closed to the public or charge a fee for entry.
Every year in September, buildings of every age, style and function throw open their doors. It is a once-a-year chance to discover architectural treasures and enjoy a wide range of tours, events and activities that bring local history and culture to life.
4. Birmingham 2022 Festival
March - July
The Birmingham 2022 Festival is a six-month cultural programme starting in March 2022. It will harness the moment of the Commonwealth Games, to be held in the city in the summer of 2022, to shine a spotlight on the region’s cultural sector.
Audacious, playful, and inclusive, the festival will connect people, time and place in a programme designed to entertain, engage, and embrace audiences, whilst positively disrupting and inspiring lasting change.
The Festival officially opens with Wondrous Stories – an incredible free spectacle of dance, circus and aerial display from 17 - 20 March.
5. Hadrian's Wall 1900
Events all year
Celebrating 1900 years since the building of the Roman wall separating England and Scotland. Uncover dramatic landscapes, cultures and art of Northumberland, Cumbria and Tyne & Wear while learning about the iconic wall’s Roman history through a series of performances, talks, activities and exhibitions at this year-long festival.
6. Immerse yourself in The Gunpowder Plot
From May
Be transported back to 1605 to investigate treason in this thrilling new immersive experience. Using a combination of live-action, virtual reality and mind-blowing special effects, The Gunpowder Plot is a thrilling new immersive experience that takes place in a purpose-designed venue in the UNESCO World Heritage Tower Vaults at the Tower of London.
7. UNBOXED
March - October
UNBOXED, a festival taking place throughout 2022, aims to celebrate British creativity and innovation in the science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics spaces.
The 10 exhibitions will take place in England, Scotland and Wales, including 'Our Place in Space' - a 10-kilometre sculpture trail of the solar system through Cambridge - and 'PoliNations', an immersive forest filled with real and architectural trees in Birmingham.
8. Legacies: London Transport’s Caribbean Workforce
From February
A new exhibition in Convent Garden’s London Transport Museum named Legacies: London Transport’s Caribbean Workforce opens in February 2022, showcasing not only the amazing work of Caribbean people since the 1950s but the experiences and struggles of people settling into their new lives in the city.
9. Discover the world of Beatrix Potter
From 12 February
From sketchbooks and coded diaries to family photographs, the Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature exhibition, in London at the Victoria & Albert Museum, will be the first to tell the life story of this much-loved British children’s author, thanks to the V&A and National Trust.
10. Explore the Titanic
Until September
Titanic: The Exhibition, tells the tale of history’s most legendary ship on its maiden and final voyage. Discover the passengers’ stories through handwritten letters and personal belongings, and walk in their footsteps as you explore life-size recreations of the ship’s interiors, in London’s Canada Water historic dockyard area.
11. Swim in Britain’s oldest lido
From summer 2022
The Cleveland Pools, which date back over 200 years, are set to open again in the summer of 2022. After a 17-year campaign to save them, the National Lottery Heritage Fund granted the money to restore Bath’s unique open-air swimming pools, with energy for heating the water coming from heat pumps in the adjacent river.
12. See a real T-Rex
Until 31 August
Head to Nottingham’s Wollaton Hall to see the first real Tyrannosaurus Rex to be displayed in England for over a century. Titus: T-Rex is King, open until the end of August, explores the world of this titanic predator through digital and interactive displays, as well as the truth behind the myths of this iconic dinosaur.
13. Jane Austen Regency Week
18 - 26 June
This nine-day festival is packed with all things Austen. It takes place in and around the market town of Alton and nearby Chawton, in Hampshire, the home of Jane Austen’s House & Museum. Expect Regency-style music, dining, drama, singing, talks and guided walks and tours, as well as the famous Regency Ball.
14. Discover Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder in Liverpool
27 May - 30 October
Explore the world of science within the universe of Doctor Who at Liverpool’s World Museum. Opening on the 27 May, the immersive experience - complete with artefacts, props and sets - will be brought to life with some of the Doctor’s many adventures through space and time.
15. Bob Marley at the Saatchi Gallery
2 February - 18 April, ongoing in other UK locations
Before embarking on a multi-city tour, the Bob Marley One Love Experience will make its global debut in February at London’s Saatchi Gallery, showcasing unseen Marley photographs and memorabilia, and immersing visitors on a journey through his life, influences and legacy.
16. Alice’s Day
2 July
Each year on the first Saturday of July, Mad Hatters can join the annual festivities celebrating 'Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland' in Oxford. Dress up as favourite characters at The Story Museum, take a walk through the story’s history, and explore the highlights of the city that inspired Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s tale.
17. Bristol Harbour Festival
Dates to be confirmed
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022, Bristol Harbour Festival will once again host a free weekend of music, markets and maritime fun based around Bristol’s historic harbourside.
Previous festivals have been packed with live performance, artists, musicians, circus acts, children’s events, dancers, food markets and street stalls. On the water, hundreds of sailing boats provide a vibrant backdrop to the activities.
18. The Royal Welsh Show
18 - 21 July
A major event in the British agricultural calendar, the Royal Welsh Show, in Llanelwedd, Wales, consists of four days of livestock competitions and a wide range of activities including forestry, horticulture, crafts, entertainment, attractions, displays, countryside sports, and shopping.
19. RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
20 - 24 July
The Royal Horticultural Society's Flower Show - this plant lover’s paradise is hosted at Cheshire’s historic neo-classical country mansion, Tatton Park, featuring stunning show gardens, floral displays, and plenty of gardening inspiration.
20. Edinburgh Art Festival
28 July - 28 August
Britain’s largest annual celebration of visual art, Edinburgh Art Festival attracts a diverse and vibrant programme of exhibitions and events at the city’s galleries and museums.
21. See the boats at Cowes Week
30 July - 5 August
As one of the sailing calendar’s biggest events, Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight brings together the world’s biggest sailing stars, with more than 1,000 yachts and 8,000 competitors taking part.
22. Buckingham Palace Summer Opening
22 July - 2 October
Explore the famous London palace’s lavishly furnished State Rooms - where the Queen and members of the Royal Family receive and entertain guests on state, ceremonial and official occasions - and admire some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection.
Explore the UK this season...
Discover the UK the way you want, with an English course personalised to your interests and learning needs.
We offer courses all year round to all ages and levels of students. You will be welcomed into your teacher’s home, where you will experience British life as part of the family, while studying an intensive one-to-one course of English language tuition.
Whether you're a boarding school or university student with academic holiday time or an adult learner who wants to explore the bright lights of London this Summer, we have professional, friendly and welcoming teachers all over the UK who are waiting to welcome students.
