The 50th anniversary of WorldPride, glittery art openings and summer music festivals are just some of the highlights this June. Read on for our digest of the month’s happenings in Sydney, London, Singapore, New York, Paris, Hong Kong and Madrid.
New York – Loud and Proud
The Big Apple is gearing up for what is sure to be one of the biggest party seasons the city has ever seen this June, as WorldPride celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and the birth of the Gay Rights movement. Beyond the star-studded opening Garden Party (24 June), closing ceremonies and the standout Pride March itself (1st July) is a diverse offering of events, shows, films and exhibitions all flying the rainbow flag.
If you’re not NYC-bound, fret not, as Pride is honoured with parades and parties across the globe, notably LA (10 June), Paris (29 June) Barcelona (30 June) and London (6 July).
Paris – Musical Parks
La Ville Lumiere welcomes a barrage of music festivals this month from EDM and techno to pop and classical. The manicured lawns, preening peacocks and magical grottos of C.18th Parc De Bagatelle Orangerie make for a dreamy backdrop to the Chopin Festival (22 June-14 July), while Parc Floral de Vincennes hosts free jazz concerts as part of the Paris Jazz Festival every Sat-Sun through to 22 July. This year sees talent like Mathias Levy, Leïla Martial, Laura Perrudin, Mélissa Laveaux and Limousine take to the stage. In case you missed eco-chic, indie-electro We Love Green (1-2 June), socially conscious Solidays (21-23 June) brings Macklemore, Die Antwoord and John Butler Trio among other global acts to racetrack turned millennial stomping ground L’Hippodrome de Longchamp.
Sydney – Light It Up
The Emerald City is aglow until 15 June with the annual festival of light, music, tech and ideas aka Vivid Sydney. Alongside the now iconic lighting of the Opera House sails is an illuminating program of talks, ideas and performance, Pixar’s globetrotting 30th-anniversary exhibition, plus a city-wide spectrum of brilliant light sculpture from the conscience-charged to the downright fun.
Hong Kong – Chase The Dragon
It’s oars out across China on 7 June as the centuries-old Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated with dragon boat races on waterways across the country. In Hong Kong, the Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships (7 Jun), off Stanley Main Beach, is by far the most popular – and raucous – event, while The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival (14-16 Jun) is the big daddy with international teams and a fantastic Victoria Harbour backdrop.
Singapore – Global Gourmands
Pack your appetite for the Oscars of food, The World’s 50 Best, which sails into Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands (22-25 June), for the first Asia-held edition of the event. el Bulli alum and humanitarian José Andrés has already won the Icon award, with Daniela Soto-Innes of Cosme New York gonged World’s Best Female Chef, 2019. The final list of winners will be announced on the 25th after a belt-busting weekend of culinary masterclasses, talks and special menus at LUXE faves Odette, The Corner House and CUT among others.
London – ‘Tis The Season
Post that presidential visit, London, nay all the UK, is bursting with life in June, as the summer season finds its stride. While Glastonbury, Wimbledon and Isle of Wight festivals vie for the headlines, the cultural highlights on our radar include foodie fest Taste (19-23 June), which brings the city’s best diners and winers to Regent’s Park (also host to the annual Open Air Theatre until 21 Sep). The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition attracts a glittery art n’ society crowd to its opening night (10 June); mere mortals can visit until 12 Aug. That other art stalwart of ‘the season’, the Serpentine Summer Party (25 June), launches the summer pavilion, this year designed by Japanese architect Junya Ishigami.
Pack a picnic, hop on a train and go west for the Hampton Court Palace Festival (6-12 June) with headliners Nile Rodgers & Chic, Kylie (as a warm up to her Glasto performance) and Tears for Fears among others. Close by, Kew Gardens is host to Chihuly: Reflections on nature (until Oct 2019), which sees the gardens and greenhouses dotted with Dale Chihuly’s lustrous glass sculptures.
Back in the city, the Rooftop Cinema Club is screening a program of recent movie hits like Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star is Born alongside perennial faves The Outsiders and Top Gun across three venues – Shoreditch, Peckham and Stratford.
Madrid – Clap Hands, Stomp Feet
Running 5-23 June, Madrid’s Suma Flamenca gathers the toe-tapping stars of flamenco along with upcoming guitar players, singers and dancers for a 2-week celebration of the intoxicating art form. Star-chitectural Teatro de Canal is the focal point, but performances are held at venues across the city – olé!
No matter where you’re headed this summer, LUXE has you covered…
