The final stretch of summer is ahead of us and there are plenty of opportunities to make the most of the longer days in and around Chelsea this month.

Whether it’s a leisurely lunch at one of our world-class restaurants, a surprising epicurean experience or a moment of pure awe and imagination at one of the area’s landmark museums, these are the best things to do in August in Chelsea.

Start with Summer in the Square

What better way to begin a day in the neighbourhood than by fuelling up with an al fresco brunch in the middle of Sloane Square? With salad, pizza, sharing plates, juices and much more, you’ll find something to suit all tastes (including champagne cocktails for adults). Read more here. 

Go for some unusually flavoured ice cream 

Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Project is back for its second season at Anya’s Village on Pont Street in Chelsea, with a line-up of flavours inspired by British cult foods. New flavours for this summer include Blue Dragon Original Sweet Chilli, which has a sticky sweet tang and a touch of heat; Heinz Tomato Ketchup flavour (our pick of the bunch); the delightful umaminess of Kikkoman Soy Sauce flavour; and the tart sweetness of Tiptree Lemon Curd, handmade from the finest Sicilian lemons; or the nutty crunch of the KP Original Salted Peanuts flavour. Go for elevenses to beat the queues. Open every day until 27 August, 2023. Read more here. 

See Word-Play at The Royal Court theatre

Written by Rabiah Hussain, Word-Play is a lively and thought-provoking exploration of how language seeps into public consciousness and reverberates with far reaching consequences that will last for generations. In the play, an emergency meeting has been called in the 10 Downing Street press office because the Prime Minister has been ad-libbing on live TV (again) and his words are going viral. There is a flurry of accusations and demands for an apology; but as the team debates what to do next, it’s already too late. His words have found their way to dinner parties, bus journeys and newspaper columns across the nation – and not everyone is angry. Until 26 August, 2023. Book tickets here.

Summer sound bath at Chelsea Physic Garden

Experience pure serenity surrounded by nature at the Chelsea Physic Garden’s Summer Sound Bath. Led by an expert yoga and sound meditation teacher, the session will begin with a ‘forest bathing’ mindful walking practice in the Garden to settle busy minds and connect with nature. You will then be guided through a restorative practice and sound bath, a unique form of meditation in which sound waves will vibrate and resonate through your body, calming the nervous system, bringing you back from racing thoughts and hypervigilance to a state of tranquility where your imaginative, creative and intuitive capacities can resurface. 

Sunday 13 August, 2023, 5:30pm – 7pm. Tickets £25.

Take in some culture during the K+C Festival

Until the end of August, the Kensington and Chelsea Festival has a brilliantly eclectic programme of events, with a host of activities across the borough, including indoor performances, art installations and free outdoor pop-up family shows. The Chelsea Theatre has an exciting line-up of shows, from the thought-provoking Show of Shows to a fascinating collision of music and technology. For more information, visit kcfestival.co.uk.

Escape with a really good book

Whether it’s a rainy afternoon tucked away in a cosy nook or a few sunny hours sprawled on the grass, few things are as relaxing as losing yourself in a book. Drop in to John Sandoe Books on Blacklands Terrace near Sloane Street, where you’ll find plenty of ways to escape into another world and the store’s experts are always full of great recommendations. 

After hours art at the Saatchi Gallery

This Summer, the Gallery will open its doors until 9pm on selected Friday evenings, giving you access to all ground floor programming, plus access to its major exhibition Civilization: The Way We Live Now. Showcasing the visual threads of humanity’s ever-changing, extraordinarily complex life across the globe. Featuring over 350 works by 150 internationally renowned photographers. There will be free drop-in workshops, as well as artist & curator live talks.

Friday August 11, 2023. Read more here.

Dial up your inner diva at the V&A

The Diva exhibition at the V&A pays homage to some of the greatest performers in history, from Cher and Marilyn Monroe to Elton John and Rihanna, celebrating the personal stories of ambition, power and resilience and exploring the glamour surrounding the term ‘diva’, and how its interpretation has changed over time. You’ll leave wanting to wear more sequins and feathers. If it’s a lovely day, we suggest grabbing some supplies from the artisanal food stores on Pavilion Road and having a picnic in the striking V&A courtyard.

Tickets to Diva are free for under 12s, £13 for students and £20 for adults. Book here.

Enter a state of awe at the Natural History Museum

Much has been said about awe and its link to happiness this year and if you want to know what the state feels like, we recommend a visit to Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur. One of the first things that you will see upon entering the exhibition is a 100-million-year-old femur, standing at 2.38m in height (7ft 8in) and dwarfing every person who passes. The exhibition will transport you to a prehistoric world to tell the story of Earth’s largest dinosaur, through immersive displays and cutting-edge technology that are a remarkable combination of science and wonder. This is the first time that Patagotitan mayorum is on display in Europe, so don’t miss your chance to see this extraordinary dinosaur up close. Until 14 January, 2024. Adult tickets from £16. Book here.

Get your game on at the Science Museum

After five successful seasons, Power Up has made its permanent home at the Science Museum, allowing visitors to undertake a journey through the history of gaming and experience its evolution over the past five decades. You can experience the evolution of gaming – from classics such as Pong and Mario Kart to the latest PlayStation and Xbox – while discovering the science and history behind gaming’s most iconic developments. Daily passes, £10; annual passes, £15. Book here. 

Discover the secrets of Hyde Park

Join a guided walking tour of Hyde Park and discover the fascinating history of the Royal Park, including the Tyburn Tree (where some notorious criminals met their untimely end), the inception of Speakers’ Corner and the park’s instrumental role during World War I. You’ll also visit the Serpentine, where Peter Pan had his first adventure in JM Barrie’s novel Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, and pay an exclusive visit to the Victorian pet cemetery, the first public pet cemetery in Britain, where over 1,000 pets were buried in the late 1800s. 10:30am – 12pm, 18 August, 2023. For more details, please visit royalparks.org.uk.

Go boating on the Serpentine

Pack a picnic (again, we recommend Pavilion Road for the best goodies) and make the most of London’s glorious summer days by hiring a boat and spending an afternoon by the Serpentine. You can choose from rowboats or pedaloes, and explore the famous lake from an unusual perspective. Click here for all the details. 

Explore the National Army Museum’s Conflict in Europe gallery

The recently opened gallery explores how Britain’s soldiers have fought on the continent from the 1700s up to the present. From the great campaigns of the Duke of Marlborough, Churchill’s ancestor, through the Battle of Waterloo and the World Wars, it explains the long history of the Army’s vital role in Europe. Just the thing for history buffs and curious minds. For all the details and to book (where necessary), please visit nam.ac.uk.