The City of London Festival, one of the UK’s premier art events, was first held in 1962 to rejuvenate the English capital’s cultural life. The grand festival is held every summer at high profile destinations throughout the city and lasts about twenty one days. Featuring an eclectic line up, many of the festival events are free to the public. The sheer diversity of events ensures that one will definitely find something interesting. The festival is a celebration of the city and is one of the biggest events on the calendar so tourists in London this summer should definitely try to stop by.
The 2013 edition of the City of London Festival will take place between the 23rd of June and the 26th of July. The three themes for this year’s festival are trees, with sustainability being highlighted at major events; city walls, a look at famous walled cities; and conflict resolution. The programming for the festival is highly eclectic. It will feature concert performances by renowned artists as well as the London Symphony Orchestra; lectures and debates that revolve around the main themes; and a mobile orchard- a moving orchard featuring real and artificial trees that will go around the city.
Just like the past few years, the festival in 2013 will feature over a hundred free events. The top free events include the Blue Trees, an art installation by Konstantin Dimopoulos; Peacock Angell, a musical performance inspired by everyday life; an organ recital by James Vivian; and Urban Picnic, which will take place at Finsbury Avenue Square. The list of venues this year will include London landmarks like the Bank of England Museum, the Festival Garden, Guildhall Art Gallery, Canada Square Park and Devonshire Square.
Tourists planning on visiting London for the festival should book their accommodation well in advance as they tend to fill up pretty fast. The Millennium & Copthorne Hotels UK is a good place to try. They operate a chain of 4 star UK hotels and they all come with all the latest modern amenities. Those interested can visit their website to take advantage of their UK hotel specials.