There are simply loads of free music festivals in London over the summer, and here you can take your pick of the bunch. Whether you like jazz, global sounds, classical or contemporary, there is something for all music festival fans to enjoy.

The Event at Southwark Park
A one day carnival-esque festival that is simply crammed with live acts, you can hear the sounds of Madness, hits from the Rat Pack and all female a capella tunes on Saturday 12th July 2008.

The Event at Southwark Park

Bankside Mix
Celebrating the launch of the new cafe and shopping space behind the Globe Theatre, the Bankside Mix launch party will not only feature free food, but live street opera and the world's largest beatbox orchestra too. Bankside Mix launches on Friday 11th July.

Bankside Mix Launch Party

Coin Street Festival
The Coin Street Festival takes over Bernie Spain Gardens throughout the summer and during 2008 you can hear global music and see OAPs dancing! Capital Age, Carnival de Cuba and the Bossa Nova festival are all part of the mix.

Coin Street Festival

Skate Almighty
Get your skates on 70s style for a disco with a difference. The South Bank is home to a child friendly skating park during the day, before it turns into a full on skating disco at night. Skate Almighty takes place between Friday 11th and Sunday 13th July.

Skate Almighty London

Music Village at Hyde Park
Global sounds fill up Hyde Park with the Music Village in July. Bands and artists from all over the world come to London to show you how it's done in Asia, Africa, Latin America, China, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean. The Music Village at Hyde Park takes place on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th July 2008.

Music Village at Hyde Park

Rise Festival
One of the biggest and best free music festivals in London, the Rise Festival is organised by the Mayor and celebrates London's zero tolerance of racism in the city. Great live acts like Beardyman and CSS are headlining the 2008 festival which takes place on Sunday 13th July.

Rise Festival

Big Dance London
The Big Dance London event invites everyone in the capital to put on their dancing feet and experience the wealth of different dancing styles. All kinds of musical genres accompany the events from Bollywood to classical, meaning there is plenty of fantastic music to enjoy. Big Dance London takes place from Saturday 5th to Sunday 13th July 2008.

Big Dance London

Carnival de Cuba
Get in the mood for Latin rhythms and conga dancing in Southwark Park. Plenty of great live acts will have you ready to party in no time, with highlights from this year's carnival including Kid Afrika, Leximan and hot new Cuban band Tumbao Tivoli. Carnival de Cuba takes place on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th June 2008.

Carnival de Cuba London Festival

Notting Hill Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival is one of the biggest events of the summer, and the highlight of many people's August Bank Holiday. Filling the streets with lively colours, vibrant acts on floats and of course, banging beats, there is simply nowhere else like it. This year's carnival takes place on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th August 2008.

Notting Hill Carnival 2008

Notting Hill Carnival Childrens Day

iTunes Festival London
Major acts from the UK and beyond gather in London for one month of serious gigging at Koko in Camden. With headliners like James Blunt, McFly, Shakka Khan and Suzanne Vega, you can see why the free tickets are in such demand. iTunes Festival London takes place from Tuesday 1st to THursday 31st July 2008

iTunes Festival London

St Christophers Place Live
Relaxing live music is the order of the day at St Christophers Place over the summer as both lunch and evening concerts provide the background to your eating or shopping. You can hear a mix of jazz, classical and contemporary from Wednesday 16th July to Saturday 23rd August 2008.

St Christophers Place Live

City Showcase Music Festival
Five days of free music from the best in up and coming new bands hits Carnaby Street and the surrounding area every summer. Having helped launch the careers of Amy Winehouse and Newton Faulkner, there are bound to be plenty of exciting new talents out there from Monday 2nd to Friday 6th June 2008.

City Showcase Music Festival

West End Live
Bringing the theatre to the streets of London, West End Live showcases the best in current musicals. With the likes of the Chicago cast and music from the Globe Theatre musicians, there will be vibrant performances throough the weekend. West End Live takes place from Saturday 21st to Sunday 22nd June 2008.

West End Live

Other London events

Free Summer Festivals in London