What's On in London
Friday 07 August 2026 · This weekend · City guide
London is throwing open its arms on Friday 7 August with a lineup that feels almost dizzyingly varied — roller rinks humming with summer energy, legendary punk icons tearing up South East London, and a Bollywood celebration that promises to be genuinely electric. Whether you are coaxing the kids out for a last-hurrah-of-summer skate or chasing down a cheap and thrilling new music discovery in Bethnal Green, the city has something waiting for you tonight.
Highlights
School's Out | Rollernation — Kick off the summer holidays properly at Rollernation's School's Out session, where the rink comes alive with the unmistakable joy of wheels, rhythm, and pure, unadulterated freedom. Starting at 1:00pm and priced at just £16, it is the perfect Friday afternoon adventure for families and anyone who has been quietly waiting for an excuse to lace up a pair of skates. The energy at Rollernation is always something special — expect a soundtrack that keeps the whole floor moving from the very first lap.
Adolescents & Scream | New Cross Inn — Two genuine giants of American hardcore punk sharing a stage in one of South East London's best-loved live venues — this one is as close to a pilgrimage as Friday night gets. The Adolescents and Scream have between them shaped decades of raw, defiant music, and at £22 from 6:00pm at New Cross Inn, you are getting serious bang for your buck. Expect a sweaty, joyful, loud-as-hell evening that will leave your ears ringing and your spirit thoroughly revived.

Yeh Dosti : Celebrating 5 Decades Of Sholay Hayes — Fifty years on, Sholay remains one of the most beloved films ever made, and this celebratory evening at the Beck Theatre in Hayes brings its iconic music and spirit roaring back to life from 6:30pm. At £26 it is a beautifully pitched night out for anyone who grew up with the film or who wants to understand why it still holds such a powerful place in the hearts of millions. Expect lush live music, warmth, nostalgia, and more than a few moments that will genuinely give you goosebumps.

darkhaven FM — For just £5 at 7:00pm in Bethnal Green's E2, darkhaven FM offers one of those low-key Friday night discoveries that you will be telling people about for weeks afterwards. The intimate setting and the price point suggest something raw and real — the kind of grassroots live music experience that reminds you why London's smaller venues are so utterly irreplaceable. Come early, stay curious, and let the music surprise you.
The Dancehall Orchestra | The Blues Kitchen Brixton — The Blues Kitchen Brixton is one of those rooms that seems to absorb good music into its very walls, and The Dancehall Orchestra arriving at 7:00pm for £15 sounds like a match made in south London heaven. Expect a rich, rhythmically intoxicating evening that blurs the lines between orchestral ambition and dancehall roots in the most thrilling way. This is the kind of show that gets people dancing before they have even consciously decided to.
Grace Barton EP Release Party | Vauxhall Arches — There is something wonderfully electric about an EP release party — the artist at their most excited, the crowd feeling like they are genuinely in on something new — and Grace Barton is throwing hers at the magnificent Vauxhall Arches for just £5 from 7:00pm. This is your chance to catch a rising voice at one of those landmark early moments, in a venue whose thunderous architecture turns every live performance into an event. Do not sleep on this one.
Full listings
| Event | Venue | Time | Price | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live Music | |||||
| Adolescents & Scream | New Cross Inn | 6:00pm | £22 | Tickets | |
| Yeh Dosti : Celebrating 5 Decades Of Sholay Hayes | Beck Theatre | 6:30pm | £26 | Tickets | |
| darkhaven FM | E2 9DT | 7:00pm | £5 | Tickets | |
| The Dancehall Orchestra | The Blues Kitchen Brixton | 7:00pm | £15 | Tickets | |
| Grace Barton EP Release Party | Vauxhall Arches | 7:00pm | £5 | Tickets | |
| Family | |||||
| School's Out | Rollernation | 1:00pm | £16 | Tickets | |