The Mayor's Thames Festival is London's largest free outdoor arts festival - a spectacular celebration of London and its river. An exciting mix of arts, spectacle and entertainment, all focused around the River Thames, the festival is a key highlight in London's cultural life.

The festival commissions new work, and transforms unusual spaces on and around the River Thames with a mixture of street arts, performance, carnival, pyrotechnics, illuminations, art installations, exhibitions, river events, massed choirs, circus, music and dance, food and feasting. The finale is a magical illuminated Night Procession that winds along the north and south banks of the Thames, followed by a fireworks display fired from the centre of the river itself.

When: 11-12 September 2010

Where: City of London area, City of Westminster, (see ThamesFestival Website for the location highlights)

Admission: FREE to all events

Source Information: ThamesFestival Official Website

(This article source are under copyright owned by Thames Festival Organization)

Held each August Bank Holiday since 1966, the Notting Hill Carnival is the largest festival celebration of its kind in Europe. Every year the streets of West London come alive, with the sounds and smells of Europe's biggest street festival. Twenty miles of vibrant colourful costumes surround over 40 static sound systems, hundreds of Caribbean food stalls, over 40,000 volunteers and over 1 million Notting Hill carnival revellers.

Starting its life as a local festival set up by the West Indian community of the Notting Hill area, it has now become a full-blooded Caribbean carnival, attracting millions of visitors from all over the globe. With many astonishing floats and the sounds of the traditional steel drum bands, scores of massive sound systems plus not forgetting the hundreds of stalls that line the streets of Notting Hill. The Notting Hill Carnival is arguably London's most exciting annual event.

The Notting Hill Carnival usually gets under way on the Saturday with the steel band competition. Sunday is Kids' Day, when the costume prizes are awarded. On Bank Holiday Monday, the main parade takes place. It generally begins on Great Western Road, then winds its way along Chepstow Road, on to Westbourne Grove, and then Ladbroke Grove. In the evening, the floats leave the streets in procession, and people carry continue partying at the many Notting Hill Carnival after parties.

When: August 29th and 30th.

Where: Notting Hill Street

Admission: FREE for the entire outdoor carnival events and shows

Information Source: The Notting Hill Carnival Website

Once again the comeback of the famous beer festival acclaimed Britain's biggest beer festival in history is happening here in the heart of West London. Beer enthusiastic and ole pub gamers from all over the countries and from international invities, brewers of almost 700 ale's, ciders and foreign beer maker.

There's plenty to occupy you at the festival, you can play on some traditional pub games, enjoy live music, sample some food, including good traditional pub snacks, and also attend tutored beer tastings.

When: 3-7 August 2010

Where: Earl's Court Exhibition Centre, Earl's Court, London

Admission: £10, adv £8, season ticket £23 (discounts for Camra mems)

Information Source: Great British Beer Festival Website