What's On in London

School's Out | Rollernation — Summer holidays, skates on, and absolutely zero homework in sight — Rollernation's School's Out session is the ultimate Thursday afternoon treat for families and anyone who has never quite grown up. The rink is a riot of colour, music, and wobbly-ankled joy, and at £16 it is a brilliant way to burn off some August energy from 1:00pm. Book ahead, lace up tight, and prepare to fall over with a massive grin on your face.

Gary Numan - Crystal Palace Bowl (London) — There are few settings in London as dramatic as the Crystal Palace Bowl, and Gary Numan — the man who gave us Cars and helped invent synth-pop — is the perfect artist to fill it as the evening sky turns pink. Doors from 5:00pm, tickets at £56, and a catalogue that spans nearly five decades of genuinely influential music: this is a bucket-list outdoor gig. Bring a jacket, bring a friend, and prepare to feel the bass in your chest.

Tanhai Collective & Secret Night Gang: Soul of the South — Freight Brixton is one of those venues that always seems to be hiding something exciting, and this double-header with Tanhai Collective and Secret Night Gang is a perfect case in point. Soul, warmth, and a genuine sense of community pour out of every Soul of the South event, and Brixton is the ideal neighbourhood for it — kicking off at 6:00pm, check the website for ticket details before you head down.

Grass Roots with Dhiraj Kainth Quartet (Live Jazz) — Free live jazz in a Peckham art lounge on a Thursday evening — honestly, it does not get much more London than this. The Dhiraj Kainth Quartet brings live improvisation and real musical conversation to The CLF Art Lounge from 7:00pm, and the Grass Roots series has built a loyal following precisely because it treats its audience as people who genuinely care about the music. Walk in, grab a drink, and let the evening take you somewhere unexpected.

Lisa Maffia Garage Karaoke — Lisa Maffia — yes, the So Solid Crew icon herself — is hosting a garage karaoke night at Between The Bridges, and that sentence alone should be enough to get you reaching for your coat. From 7:00pm on the South Bank, this is a gloriously fun night that blurs the line between performer and audience, with UK garage classics serving as the soundtrack to what promises to be an absolutely unhinged Thursday. Tickets are £10–£20 and the memories will cost considerably more.

TAPUK:DJ Lord Issa (Paris FR) x Rodney P x Logic x MYA-REMI — Chip Shop Brixton after dark is a reliably electric spot, and TAPUK is bringing some serious firepower to the stage from 8:00pm — DJ Lord Issa flying in from Paris, hip-hop royalty Rodney P, Logic, and MYA-REMI all on the same bill for £15. This is the kind of lineup that will have people talking the next morning, a proper celebration of UK and international rap culture in one of Brixton's most characterful rooms.