These London music tourist attractions are fun for everyone, but will be a speical treat for the music lovers in your family.
If music is a big part of your daily life, you don’t want to give that up while on vacation. The solution is to add at least a couple London music tourist attractions to your itinerary. We’ve discussed a few of the best London venues for music concerts, but this page will give you even more ideas for adding a musical element to your upcoming family vacation in London.
Family Favorite London Music Attractions:
If you have music lovers in the family, the Hard Rock Café is one of the best family-friendly restaurants in London. In addition to enjoying delicious American food, you can step into the Vault to browse a collection of memorabilia from the history of rock which makes it one of the most-loved London music tourist attractions. The environment is rich with images of rock’s biggest stars, and the environment is always kid-friendly.
Notting Hill Carnival – Family Day
The Notting Hill Carnival takes place over a couple of days every year at the end of August, usually during the August Bank Holiday weekend. With live Caribbean music blasting (think Calypso, Soca music, Steelpans and Deancehall beats), elaborate sequined costumes floating down the street on decorative floats, and food vendors filling the air with delicious aromas, the environment can be too lively for young children.
That is, it’s too lively if you miss out on Family Day!
“Family day” at Notting Hill Carnival is designed to be family-friendly to encourage families with kids to attend and join in the fun.For one day, the Carnival is toned down just a bit to ensure proper coverage of body parts and elimination of other adult elements of the festivities. Family day is typically on the Sunday, while the regular carnival proper takes place on the bank Holiday Monday. Bank Holidays are national public holidays in the UK.
You still get the elaborate costumes and exciting music with so many food options you may struggle to pick just one or two. Attendees are encouraged to dress up in their best costumes complete with beaded necklaces, so you can turn this music attraction into an unforgettable London experience for your little ones.
For one weekend in July, you can enjoy free live music plus food vendors and family-friendly activities at Lloyd Park in East London’s Waltham Forest borough. More than 30,000 people attend every year, and many bring their dogs along. Tents and booths line the park, bringing arts, crafts, theatre, circus, poetry, and many other curiosities to locals as well as visitors.
The fun starts around noon the first day of the event and ends late evening the next day. Many of the best musical performances take place after dark, but there’s plenty to do during daylight hours as well. When you attend depends on the age and interests of your children plus other plans crowding your itinerary.
Music-Themed Walking Tours
Some of the most family-friendly London music tourist attractions are tours around London. Most of these tours are guided, which means a knowledgeable guide will walk the route with you. The length can go up to three or four hours, so make sure to read the fine details. Not all tours are suitable for young children unable to walk long distances comfortably.
Self-guided walking London music tourist attractions tours are great for families because you can determine when you start and finish each tour. If your children get bored along the way, you would not have lost any money on fees and can easily switch to a new activity. Self-guided tours can be ideal for large families as they can create invaluable bonding opportunities with tons of laughs and smiles.
Some of the best music-themed walking tours in London include:
- Beatles Walking Tour (Guided)
- Carnaby Echoes Walking Tour (Self-Guided)
- Classic Rock Walking Tour (Guided)
- David Bowie Musical Walking Tours (Guided)
- London Rock Tour (Guided)
- Soho Walking Tour (Guided, Free)
London’s Blue Plaques
Keep your eye out for blue plaques located throughout London. They’re dedicated to musical artists and other noteworthy people with some connection to the city. These will typically be pointed out by your tour guide if you’re on a guided tour. If not, you’ll run across some of them when you follow most self-guided walking tours with a musical theme, and you can also find them yourself as you tour the city on vacation.
Make it a game to see how many your family can find before your vacation is over. You can study a list of music and dance themed plaques online, increasing your chances of finding them all.
Getting Tickets to the Best London Music Tourist Attractions
Planning is key when you want to visit any popular music attraction in London. Families are always looking for kid-friendly events for their upcoming vacations, and you’re competing with locals for the best and most affordable seats as well. If you wait until you arrive in London, you’re likely to miss out on shows that are great fits for your family. You may also pay a lot more to secure tickets if they are still available.
You can buy tickets online for most music concerts and other popular attractions. Those reservations may make planning your trip easier because you can schedule other attractions and places of interest around those scheduled events.
London is a great place for music lovers. You have many options for musical entertainment, so have fun discovering everything that London has to offer.