London Tube, bus and rail journeys roar back with London’s blockbuster summer of events  

All aboard as Tube, bus and rail journeys roar back with London’s blockbuster summer of events.The capital’s programme of world-class cultural and sports offerings sees more people take advantage of public transport with London’s Pride celebrations in July creating the busiest Saturday on the Tube network since 2019
TfL launches a new campaign to highlight the value and benefits of public transport as the ideal way to make the most of London this summer and beyond
London’s roaring summer of blockbuster events is helping Transport for London’s ridership figures start to exceed pre-pandemic levels on some weekends as overall ridership bounces back.Latest figures show that stations in central London are hitting pre-pandemic levels at weekends, if not exceeding them, with international events and London’s cultural gems helping to drive a huge return of visitors to London. Weekday ridership levels on the Tube and bus are now regularly reaching at least 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.[1] London Overground journeys are surging back to around pre-pandemic levels,[2] while bus demand is also seeing a strong recovery.

The National Portrait Gallery and Young V&A opened in June following extensive refurbishments, while the Natural History Museum hosts the colossal Titanosaur, one of the largest known creatures to have ever walked the planet, the Tower of London hosts the Coronation Bench Trail, and the Tate Modern has an exhibition of dynamic landscape of photography of the African continent. During Kids Week, running until the end of the month,  a child 17 and under goes free when accompanied by an adult paying full price to select theatre performances.

The City of London and Canary Wharf have plenty going on in the coming weeks. City of London’s new website details events such as Morph’s Epic Art Adventure, a free public art trail starring the famous Plasticine character Morph, that runs until 20 August and is hosted by charity Whizz-Kidz. Canary Wharf Group’s similar website lists events in the area, including AFK Beach Volleyball, which will run for most of September in partnership with charity Action for Kids.

For those who won’t make it to the seaside this year, there are sandy spots across the capital that open until September including Neverland Fulham Beach Club, The Beach Brent Cross and JW3 Beach in Hampstead.  

The capital’s transport network also provides plenty of inspiration. The IFS Cloud Cable Car provides awe-inspiring views of the Isle of Dogs, London Docklands and beyond, while a range of river tours is available from several operators. London Transport Museum’s current exhibition ‘Charing Cross: Access All Areas’ goes behind closed doors to exclusive areas not accessible to the public. An exciting and varied programme of events for children continues to run at the museum, including events aimed at families with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

London’s array of events and attractions is not just confined to its centre, with plenty going on in the city’s outer boroughs. Croydon is the London Borough of Culture 2023, hosting events including the Liberty Festival in September, celebrating the work of deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists, and Croydon Stands Tall, a 10-week free art trail starting on 21 August celebrating the vibrancy, culture and creativity in the borough.

Events in other outer London boroughs include Ghana Party in the Park 2023 on 12 August in Barnet, and Lewis Capaldi at PRYZM Kingston on 14 August in Kingston upon Thames.