Bits and bobs worth knowing.

🚌 Remember bus drivers striking this week on the 14-15 Aug: Please plan your journeys wisely.

⚡ Imagine getting £250 off your annual energy bill - these Enfield residents don't have to: The government is giving households living near upgraded electricity infrastructure £250 a year off their energy bills for up to ten years. You know those tall metal towers that carry electricity across the country? Yeah, those ones. If you live within 500 metres of newly upgraded ones, you qualify. Residents of Enfield Island Village are likely to benefit as upgraded electricity lines run through the area. A small number of residents in Enfield Lock, Brimsdown and Edmonton may also be eligible.

A hidden King's Cross garden, a Sunday evening gig, and a free ticket for someone you like.

Just behind Gray's Inn Road, a few minutes from King's Cross, there is a garden that almost never existed. In the 1980s this patch was sold off for office blocks, and the foundations were already in the ground when the developers went bankrupt and left. The council still planned to sell it for offices.

The people who lived here did not want another block of desks on their doorstep. They wanted somewhere for their kids to play and something green to look at. So they fought for it. They got up petitions, they lobbied their councillors, they sent a delegation to Camden to argue the case in person. And in 1983, against the odds, the council backed down and put money into a garden instead. It opened the next year, and it has been here ever since.

Forty years on, it is one of the loveliest hidden corners in the city. There is a pond, and a working beehive, and vegetables growing in raised beds that get turned into meals in the community kitchen. Even the food scraps are fed back in to power the garden. Some of you will have seen it pop up in here before. You may have walked right past it on Gray's Inn Road without ever knowing it was there. It is called Calthorpe, and this bank holiday, there is live music on the grass.

Sofar Sounds is putting on a Sunday evening gig in the garden. You bring a blanket, find a spot, and listen to a handful of singer-songwriters play as the sun goes down. The music is folk and acoustic, the vibe low key, no big stage, no crowd to push through. Just music in a hidden garden on a warm Sunday in August. And because you're part of this community, you can bring someone with you for free. Buy one ticket and your plus one gets in on the house.

You read that right. Sofar Sounds are giving a free ticket to anyone who books through here. Exclusive to My North London readers.

Normally the artists stay secret until closer to the night, that's part of the Sofar thing. But for my readers, I'll get you the lineup as soon as I have it.

Sunday 30 August, from 5pm, while tickets last.

A garden the neighbours saved, live music on the grass, and a spare ticket for someone you like. Not a bad way to spend your bank holiday Sunday if you ask me.

Code: BANKHOLIDAY-16683

Get 2 tickets for the price of 1

_{Full transparency: Sofar Sounds paid for this feature. I said yes because I like this garden, it is right on our patch of North London, and a folk gig on the grass is not a bad idea.}

Back to Black 20th Anniversary | 📍The Jazz Cafe, Camden, NW1 | 15 August | (£)
Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black turns 20, and The Jazz Cafe is marking it on the Camden stage she once performed on. Singer Ciara Haidar and a full house band will play the album live, including Rehab and Tears Dry on Their Own. Standing tickets are £20, with restaurant tickets from £20 to £80. Doors 6.30pm, finishes 10pm. 18+.




King’s Cross Summer Sounds | 📍Coal Drops Yard, N1C | 13 to 23 August | Free
Coal Drops Yard is putting on free live music for 11 days, with a different reason to stop by each evening. One night might bring jazz from Tomorrow’s Warriors, another global folk, queer artists, indie bands or hundreds of singers performing show tunes and pop together. No ticket needed. Find a spot around the Yard and stay for one act or the whole evening. Music runs from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, with longer family programmes on Sundays from 1pm to 6pm.

Broomfield Blues: The Real Blues | 📍Broomfield Park Bandstand, N13 | 16 August | Free
Every Sunday in August, Broomfield Park’s lakeside bandstand becomes a free outdoor blues venue. This week starts with an open mic, then House Red bring the louder, soulful side of blues before harmonica player Stuart Maxwell and his Blues Raiders finish the afternoon with classic and original songs. Bring a chair or picnic blanket, grab something to eat and make an afternoon of it by the lake. 1.30pm to 5.30pm. Donations welcome.

Free Comedy in Islington | 📍Brewhouse & Kitchen Highbury, N5 | 16 August | Free
You will not know who is performing until they walk on stage. Every Sunday, London Comedy Group takes over the pub for a free 90 minute stand up show, mixing newer comedians with acts who have performed at Edinburgh Fringe, on TV and internationally. So grab a drink, take your chances on the mystery line-up and see who makes you laugh. Doors 7.45pm, show 8pm to 9.30pm. Free booking recommended as places are limited.

Caribbean: Reggae Party with The Tighten Up Crew’s Reggae Cookout | 📍Union Chapel, N1 | 16 August | Free
Union Chapel is swapping Sunday quiet for five hours of Jamaican music, Caribbean food and sound system culture. The Tighten Up Crew and veteran selector Gladdy Wax will dig through their vinyl for ska, rocksteady, roots reggae and dub, with Uptown Cuisine serving food alongside. Get there early if you are hungry because the first 30 people through the doors eat for free. 3pm to 8pm. Free tickets are available, with walk ins allowed if there is space.

Toothsome x Fink’s Summer Fête | 📍Fink’s at Clissold House, N16 | 15 August | Free
Toothsome magazine and Fink’s are taking over the grounds of Clissold House for one long summer afternoon. There will be independent makers to browse, games, seasonal food and drinks, plus a few things they are keeping as surprises until the day. Come for a wander, grab something to eat and stay as the afternoon rolls into evening. No booking needed. 3pm to 9pm.

St Giles’ Book Fair | 📍St Giles’ Cripplegate, EC2Y | 15 August - 1 September | Free
If you like rummaging through second hand books, this is one of only four chances a year to catch St Giles’ Book Fair. Long tables of used books fill the church, so you can browse properly, pick up something unexpected and come back another day if one visit is not enough. No booking needed. Open daily from 11am to 6.30pm.

The 2026 World DJ Championships Launch Party | 📍Camden Stables Market Amphitheatre, NW1 | 16 August | Free
Camden is kicking off the countdown to November’s World DJ Championships with a free afternoon of live DJ battles, MCs, breakdancers and beatboxers. Expect former world champion DJs showing what they can do with decks, scratches and live mixes, plus open mic performances and activity inside the Universal Music shop. Pick up a wristband for food discounts around the market. 3pm to 7pm.

Summer Clothes Swap | 📍Florentia Village, N4 | 15 August | Free
Bring up to 10 clean clothes you no longer wear and trade them for something new to you. Each item earns tokens depending on whether it is high street, vintage or designer, which you can then spend at the swap. SHEIN, Primark, Boohoo, PrettyLittleThing and Missguided pieces can be donated, but will not earn tokens. 12pm to 3pm.

Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man | 📍Sadler’s Wells, EC1R | 12- 29 August | (£)
Forget the opera house version of Carmen. Matthew Bourne turns the story into a dance thriller set inside a hot, greasy 1950s American garage diner, where the arrival of a mysterious stranger sets off affairs, jealousy, betrayal and revenge. There is no dialogue, with the story told through dance and the familiar music of Carmen. Runs for two hours including an interval. Tickets from £15. Recommended for ages 15+.

Shōtengai Pan Asian Market | 📍Lower Stable Street, King’s Cross, N1C | 13-16 August | Free
A little slice of a Japanese shopping street comes to King’s Cross this weekend. Shōtengai are neighbourhood streets in Japan lined with independent shops and food spots, and this market borrows that idea with changing stalls from pan Asian makers and traders. Come hungry for things like Japanese breads, cakes, okonomiyaki and takoyaki, then browse homeware, accessories, fashion and other finds from small businesses. Food runs Thursday to Sunday, with the craft market joining from Friday.

Click below to see full weekend list.👇

Opening or launching something? Noticed a change in your neighbourhood? Got a local story, observation or point of view worth sharing? Reply to this email. A photo, link or a few lines is plenty.

Hot Saint x Auld Hag Supper Club | 📍 44 Essex Rd, N1

Hot Saint do the pizza at the Old Queen's Head. Auld Hag run The Shoap, the Scottish café and bakery on St John Street. For one night they're teaming up. Scottish ingredients on NY style pizza. Haggis bonbons with Irn-Bru hot sauce to start. Then a Cullen Skink pizza (smoked haddock, charred leeks) and a Scot's Breakfast pizza (black pudding, fried egg). Deep fried Mars bar to finish. £36pp, all profits to ScotsCare.

Mon 17th August.





The Prince & Friends Summer BBQ | 📍 Finsbury Rd, N22

The Prince has a different guest chef on the grill every Sunday in August.

2nd: Noah Franklin (Sessions Arts Club, Leo's, The Robin). Persian.
9th: Alex Purdie (Bocca di Lupo, Bouchon Racine, The Lavery). Italian.
16th: Nacho Pinilla (Barbary, The Bull and Last, Arabica). Spanish.
23rd: Tasca (Project 44, Giacco's). Portuguese.
30th: Roo & Zain (Firangi, Ruth's). South Asian.

Upcoming events you should consider booking in advance or planning ahead for. In and out of North London. Events marked with (£) require a ticket in advance.

FT Weekend Festival | 📍Kenwood House Gardens, NW3 | 5 September | (£)
Think book festival, food festival and big ideas day out, all in the grounds of Kenwood House. You choose your own line up, moving between tents to hear people like Yotam Ottolenghi on food, Mary Beard on history and Richard E. Grant telling stories, then switch to a talk on AI, health, money, books or travel. In between, grab something to eat, join a tasting, browse the book stalls or sit out on the grass. You do not need to read the Financial Times or know anything about finance to enjoy it.

Speaker Box Street Party | 📍Samovar Space, HA9 | 29 August | Free
Wembley Park is turning Olympic Way into one big outdoor dance floor for the afternoon. You can join easy follow along sessions in Latin, Caribbean, Afro and Bollywood dance, then stay on the floor as a DJ takes over between each one. The final hour celebrates Michael Jackson’s birthday with a mini workshop before everyone comes together for the last dance. The Summer Market is happening next door too, with handmade crafts, plants, gifts, street food and coffee. 12pm to 5pm. All ages welcome, free booking available.



HowTheLightGetsIn London | 📍Kenwood House,NW3 | 19 & 20 September | (£)
Spend the day moving between talks, debates, music, comedy and food in the grounds of Kenwood House. The festival brings together scientists, writers, philosophers, artists and other curious minds to explore big questions about AI, culture, love, politics, consciousness and the future. Pick the sessions that interest you, join smaller discussions if you fancy it, then stay for live music and late night events. You do not need to be an expert in anything. Just turn up curious.