The minute a ray of sunshine envelopes London, the South Bank is transformed into the capital’s hub of al fresco comedy, theatre and variety performance. At the centre of this is the Udderbelly Festival, which will return in 2013 for its fifth year.Open in spring and running throughout the summer, Udderbelly plants a giant upside-down purple cow outside London’s Southbank Centre and stages a diverse programme of entertainment. Ranging from classic stand-up to intriguing fringe, the iconic fixture hosts a number of award-winning London events and one of the biggest outdoor bars in central London.

Also returning to the South Bank is London Wonderground. Following its inaugural year in 2012, Wonderground will stage five months of cabaret, circus and sideshow within its outdoor playground and giant Spiegeltent. Its headline show will be Limbo, which combines a heady mix of heart-stopping illusions, meticulous manoeuvres and breath taking dance moves.

Further down the Thames, opposite the Tower of London, the Scoop at More London’s outdoor amphitheatre will offer another summer of free theatre, film screenings, live music and community events.The ‘king of al fresco venues’ splits its summer season into four months, with each dedicated to a specific genre. More theatre can be found within The Shed, the Southbank Centre’s temporary performance venue. The Shed’s summer programme features Bullet Catch, a dark and exhilarating one-man show that will test audiences’ nerves; Mission Drift, award-winning New York ensemble The TEAM combine mythic and contemporary stories; and Romeo and Juliet, a contemporary family-friendly celebration of Shakespeare’s much-loved romance drama.

Titling its 2013 season ‘A Season of Plenty’, London’s Globe Theatre promises a bold and vibrant programme throughout the summer and the rest of the year. Among the fifteen shows there will be three world premieres: Gabriel, Blue Stockings and The Lightning Child, while classics such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest and The Taming of the Shrew will offer special midnight matinees.

The Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Festival returns to London for 2013 and this year cultural icon Yoko Ono is taking the reins.This will be the 20 th anniversary of the festival and Ono, who celebrates her own 80 th birthday this year, will bring a lifetime of achievement in music, visual art and peace activism to the occasion. Another anniversary is being celebrated at BFI Southbank, with monthly screenings of past Doctor Who episodes to celebrate the Doctor’s 50 th anniversary.

Serving up its annual dose of world class literature, the London Literature Festival brings an exuberant mix of spoken word performances, exciting new collaborations, workshops and talks from international writers and thinkers.

Keep up to date with all of London 2013’s summer events by downloading a free copy of London 2013: The Annual, the best London events, openings, anniversaries & experiences for 2013.

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About LondonTown.com
LondonTown.com is the number one Internet site for London. With over 18 years of experience assisting visitors to the capital, they pride themselves on their customer service and editorial independence – no advertising or paid for content is allowed. The LondonTown.com team assist in finding cheap London hotels, sightseeing tours, ticket information and events. Trusted and with a loyal following, LondonTown.com is a very reliable source of recommendations and advice on what to do in London.http://www.LondonTown.com

This summer the O2 Arena’s programme is undoubtedly diverse, from golden oldies to contemporary pop and soulful swing to gritty rock. Kicking off the season is veteran rocker Rod Stewart. Part of his Live the Life Tour and on the back of his latest studio album Time , Stewart will perform two nights of live music. In contrast, former burlesque performer Paloma Faith will take to the stage the following night to perform tracks from her latest album Fall to Grace, which has just reached Platinum status in the UK . For visitors hoping to stay near the arena, a wide variety of hotels in London can be found on LondonTown.com.

Renowned for his soulful voice that makes women swoon and his charm that makes men weep, Grammy Award-winning and chart-topping Michael Bublé will come to London to perform at the arena for six nights in June, which is the third longest run of dates performed at the venue by a male solo artist – beaten only by Prince and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters.

The month will also see rock of two different ages from Kings of Leon and The Who, while later in the year iconic band Fleetwood Mac come to the O2 for a much anticipated tour. Marking 35 years since the release of their classic album Rumours , the London performances will see original members Mick Fleetwood and John McVie joined by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, who both joined in 1975.

Away from the music, Eddie Izzard will take off his trainers and embark on a marathon of another sort. Part of his Force Majeure (force of nature) tour – the most extensive comedy tour ever with 25 countries throughout Europe, Africa, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, India, Nepal and The Far East on the schedule – Izzard will be dropping by London for two nights.

Returning for their second spellbinding show in London this year – the first being Kooza in January – Cirque Du Soleil present Alegria in July. A classic Cirque Du Soleil production, Alegria is one of the company’s most popular performances and has received international acclaim since its 1994 premiere in Montreal . Later in the summer it will be the public’s turn to test their strength and stamina with Run to the Beat, London ‘s official music half marathon.

London ‘s leading festival of free outdoor performing arts, the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival is back for 2013 with nine days of theatre, dance and street arts. This year’s festival opens on midsummer’s day (21 st June) and is attempting to recapture the spirit of Olympic London.Part of the Royal Greenwich Festivals, the Greenwich Dances festival brings a vibrant celebration of dance to the area with a six week programme of workshops and dance performances. Popping up in streets, parks, libraries and museums, the festival will bring dance to unexpected places and offer an unexpected moment of entertainment.

Questioning whether we are alone in the universe or if aliens really do exist, The Royal Observatory Greenwich will be continuing its Alien Season. Along with talks, exhibitions and interactive entertainment, the season will also include a number of SciFi movie nights, with screenings of classic science fiction movies that feature aliens.

Families will be treated to a summer of fun on the recently restored Cutty Sark. With a number of ‘Summer at Sea’ events to choose from, the ship will also invite its longest serving master, Captain Woodget, to tell tales of his voyages across the high seas. While John Simmons: A Sailor’s Trafalgar Story will be an interactive performance that explores what is was like to be a black sailor in Nelson’s navy.

Stay informed onall of London 2013’s summer seasons by downloading a free copy of London 2013: The Annual, the best London events, openings, anniversaries & experiences for 2013.

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About LondonTown.com
LondonTown.com is the number one Internet site for London . With over 18 years of experience assisting visitors to the capital, they pride themselves on their customer service and editorial independence – no advertising or paid for content is allowed. The LondonTown.com team assist in finding cheap London hotels, sightseeing tours, ticket information and events. Trusted and with a loyal following, LondonTown.com is a very reliable source of recommendations and advice on what to do in London.http://www.LondonTown.com