August 2019

by Juju Bah July 17, 2019

August - summer is in full swing, (sometimes), BBC Proms and The Notting Hill Carnival.

If you fancy doing a little more than the BBC Proms and the Notting Hill Carnival, here is a rundown of events taking place this month in and around London.

Antidote Street IRL

3^rd -10^th August

Antidote Street is revolutionising the way we shop for hair care products online.

Defined as ‘The ultimate celebration of all things HAIR’, this August, the team at Antidote Street have set up a mobile pop up bus (which is Be-autiful).

Get advice on your hair goals from a professional hair coach, scalp analysis from a trichologist and get matched with products specifically designed for you in mind.

Their London tour is as follows:

Russell Square (3^rd-4^th),

Covent Garden (5^th-6^th),

Brixton (7^th-8^th)

Spitalfields (9^th-10^th)

For more deets, check out Antidote Street

Africa Fashion Week London

9^th – 10^th August

Now in its 8^th year, African Fashion Week London (AFWL) has become one of London’s biggest African inspired fashion and trade shows.

In addition to the fashion shows which AFWL has become known for, the two-day event will also include an African Market Souk, a fashion business forum, a luxury boutique and An African food village. With such a varied mix of activities to choose from, there’s definitely something for everyone at Africa Fashion Week London!

And if you want your fashion week experience to extend into the sunset, AFWL is also hosting an afterparty on the 10^th of August.

Nile Rogers’ Meltdown

3^rd – 11^st August

Southbank Centre’s Meltdown is an exploratory music festival which for the last 25 years has been co-curated by the likes of Yoko Ono, Patti Smith and David Bowie. This year, legendary musician and producer Nile Rogers has collaborated with the Southbank Centre to curate the 26^th Meltdown Festival. The festival will include special performances, exclusive line-ups and unmissable collaborations.

In his own words: ‘In curating Meltdown I’m effectively creating my own live concert playlist of my favourite artists, new and old. I’m delighted to announce the addition of Jungle and my great friend Johnny Marr to the lineup as well as new artists like Kero Kero Bonito, anaïs and Nakhane. Alongside the incredible artists previously announced such as Eurythmics Songbook, Kokoroko, SOPHIE and CHIC every night is going to be special’

Tickets available here

Afrobeats is taking over The Algarve

1st -4th of August

If you love Afrobeats and fancy travelling a little further afield, Afronation is for you.The first of its kind, this star-studded line-up is looking like the Glastonbury of African music.

Confirmed artists include Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Davido, D'Banj, B Young and YXNG Bane to name a few. Given the sick line-up, I highly doubt there will be any time for sleep over these four days.

Tickets available here

Barber Shop Chronicles by Inua Ellams

1^st- 24^th August

The award-winning poet, playwright Inua Ellams is back with a second run of the Barber shop Chronicles. The play pivots across two continents, exploring societal historical and cultural themes in a barber shop setting.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, he explained why barber shops are important

‘Lots of black British men fight for spaces where they can just be themselves, and barber shops are those places’

Full interview available below:

Ellams captures the essence of the quintessential barber shop, juxtaposing themes such as tribalism, prejudice and black masculinity against the backdrop of humour, done candidly.

Tickets available here

Here's to a sunny August