Summer 2025 has proved why London is the greatest city in the world, writes Sir Sadiq Khan
As a Londoner, it’s easy to become accustomed to the incredible offer on our doorstep; however, there’s a reason millions of tourists from across the country and the world flock to our capital every year.
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They travel to enjoy the very finest culture, hospitality and attractions anywhere. To experience the history, pomp and pageantry, and the amazing diversity that makes London what it is today.
And this summer, there are more reasons than ever for Londoners and visitors to enjoy all corners of our capital, as we host the biggest music and sports stars from across the globe and celebrate our fantastic diversity on our streets.
We’re in the middle of another extraordinary summer of music, with more than 3.6m people attending our world-famous stadiums and festivals.
By the end of the year, Billie Eilish, Beyoncé, and Coldplay will have all performed in London more times than anywhere else in the world. While BST Hyde Park has welcomed more than 500,000 people across eight sold-out shows, featuring Noah Kahan, Zach Bryan and Sabrina Carpenter.
At the same time, our incredible grassroots venues continue to provide a platform for emerging talent. A number of those venues were at the heart of SXSW London when the renowned US celebration of the tech and creative industries chose London for its first ever European edition in June – showing why our capital is the leading city for creativity, talent and business.
For those who love sport, we’ve seen women’s tennis return to The Queen's Club for the first time in over 50 years, and the biggest ever Wimbledon Championships with more than 500,000 spectators passing through the gates.
London Docklands hosted the final event of the Formula E championships, The O2 welcomed the Netball Super League Grand Final for the first time, and London Stadium sold out the London Athletics Meet. Lords and the Oval each hosted a match of the epic England v India men’s cricket test series, as well as the England v India women’s ODI and T20 internationals.
Another undoubted highlight of the summer has been the sight of tens of thousands of football fans lining the Mall to celebrate our incredible Lionesses, who brought football home once again when they won the Euros.
Our capital has always excelled at bringing people together in large numbers to celebrate, and this summer is no exception. In July, our world-famous Pride parade was another colourful show of love, unity, and solidarity with our LGBTQI+ communities. Across the August Bank Holiday, Notting Hill Carnival returns with its unrivalled celebration of Caribbean history and culture.
All of these fantastic events provide a huge boost to our hospitality industry and economy, and from City Hall we’re providing a further helping hand with the return of al fresco dining this summer, including in the West End, Shoreditch, Brixton and Leyton.
I’m proud that our city is busy showing the world the positives – and why there’s nothing quite like the magic of London.
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Sadiq Khan is the Labour Mayor of London.
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