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While you’re getting ready to come to London, check out the UCL Summer School Social and Cultural Programme and book some events to help you make the most of your time in this exciting city!
How to book
Some events require a booking using the links in the table below. Other events are open to all - simply turn up!
Photos
Please note, a photographer or a member of the UCL Summer School team will be taking photos during the UCL Summer School, including the Social and Cultural Programme.
These photographs may be used for future student recruitment purposes (on our website, in brochures and presentations).
Should you wish not to appear in these photos, please let a member of the UCL Summer School team or the photographer know at the time.
Schedule
All events are free unless listed otherwise below.
Session One
Week One
| Date | Event | Time | Location | Booking | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 29 June | Welcome Reception | 4pm- 6pm | Wilkins Terrace | No booking required | Relax at the end of your first day at UCL with other students and staff on the programme. Complimentary drinks (beer, wine and soft drinks) will be served.
|
| Tuesday 30 June | British Culture Quiz | 6pm - 8pm 8pm - 10pm | Mully’s Bar | Book now | A quintessentially British pastime, come test your general knowledge and challenge your fellow students! |
| Wednesday 1 July | World Cup special – England V DR Congo! | 4:30pm for a 5pm kick off | UCL’s Phineas bar, 3rd Floor, UCL Students' Union | No booking required | Join us to watch the England V DR Congo game! |
| Thursday 2 July | Riverside Pub Walk | 7pm | Exact start point decided nearer the time | No booking required | Enjoy the sights along the river Thames at sunset, stopping at a few famous pubs en route! |
| Saturday 4 July | Day trip | Bath and Stonehenge | Book now | Price: £92 |
Week Two
| Date | Event | Time | Location | Booking | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 6 July | Rounders in Regent's Park
| 6pm - 8pm | Meeting point: Regent's Park Sports Hub, NW1 4NU | Enjoy the traditional English game of rounders in Regent's Park, one of London's best green spaces. Learn how to play here! | |
| Tuesday 7 July | A Midsummer Night’s Dream | 7pm | Shakespeare's Globe Theatre | Book now | Book discounted tickets to see this well-known Shakespeare comedy at the famous Globe Theatre. Price: £5 standing |
| Wednesday 8 July | OMVED Gardens | 5:30pm - 8:30pm | OMVED Gardens, 1 Townsend Yard, Highgate, N6 5JF | No booking required | Escape the crowds and discover one of London's hidden gems. Find out more. |
| Thursday 9 July | Karaoke | 7pm - 11pm | Mully's Bar | No booking required | Get down to Mully’s for a chance to sing your heart out at the legendary UCL Summer School Karaoke |
| Saturday 11 July | Day trip | Oxford | Book now | Price: £92 |
Week Three
| Date | Event | Time | Location | Booking | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 13 July | Presentations & Public Speaking Workshop | 6pm - 8pm | Bloomsbury Campus, room to be confirmed | Register | This practical 2-hour workshop helps participants build confidence in presentations and public speaking using improv-based, experiential exercises. Find out more. |
| Wednesday 15 July | Sunset picnic at Primrose Hill | 6:30pm | Primrose Hill | No booking required | Primrose Hill is widely regarded as one of the best places in London to view a sunset and it will be a great way to relax with others on the programme. Bring your own picnic and keep your fingers crossed for nice weather! |
| Friday 17 July | End of programme boat party | 7:30pm | Tower Pier | No booking required | Wrapping up Session One of the UCL Summer School on a high note with an unforgettable view of London from aboard the Dixie Queen, a large replica 19th century paddle steamer on the River Thames. Don’t be late, the boat will leave without you! |
Session Two
Week One
| Date | Event | Time | Location | Booking | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 20 July | Welcome Reception | 4pm - 6pm | IOE Bar | No booking required | Relax at the end of your first day at UCL with other students and staff on the programme. Complimentary drinks (beer, wine and soft drinks) will be served. |
| Tuesday 21 July | British Culture Quiz | 6pm-8pm 8pm-10pm | Mully's Bar | Booking opens 20 July | A quintessentially British pastime, come test your general knowledge and challenge your fellow students |
| Wednesday 22 July | Picnic in Gordon Square | 6pm-8pm | Gordon Square | No booking required | Join us for a picnic in one of Bloomsbury's classic Georgian park squares! |
| Thursday 23 July | Riverside Pub Walk | 7pm | Exact starting point will be decided nearer the time | No booking required | Enjoy the sights along the river Thames at sunset, stopping at a few famous pubs en route! |
| Saturday 25 July | Day trip | Bath and Stonehenge | Book now | Price: £92 |
Week Two
| Date | Event | Time | Location | Booking | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 27 July | Rounders in Regent's Park | 6pm - 8pm
| Meeting point: Regent's Bar & Kitchen, Inner Cir, NW1 4NU | Booking opens 21 July | Enjoy the traditional English game of rounders in Regent's Park, one of London's best green spaces. Learn how to play here! |
| Tuesday 28 July | Love Labour’s Lost | 7pm | Shakespeare's Globe Theatre | Book now | Book discounted tickets to see this rarely staged Shakespeare comedy at the famous Globe Theatre. Price: £5 standing |
| Wednesday 29 July | Five-a-side football | 8pm - 11pm | Goals - Elmer's End (25 min train from London Bridge) | Booking opens 21 July | Enjoy a game of five-a-side football on astroturf under the floodlights. The pitch is booked from 9pm-10pm. |
| Thursday 30 July | Karaoke | 7pm | Mully's Bar | No booking required | Get down to Mully’s for a chance to sing your heart out at the legendary UCL Summer School Karaoke |
| Saturday 1 August | Day trip | Oxford | Book now | Price: £92 |
Week Three
| Date | Event | Time | Location | Booking | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 3 August | Presentations & Public Speaking Workshop | 6pm - 8pm | Bloomsbury Campus, room to be confirmed | Register | This practical 2-hour workshop helps participants build confidence in presentations and public speaking using improv-based, experiential exercises. Find out more. |
| Wednesday 5 August | Sunset picnic at Primrose Hill | 6:30pm | Primrose Hill | No booking required | Primrose Hill is widely regarded as one of the best places in London to view a sunset and it will be a great way to relax with others on the programme. Bring your own picnic and keep your fingers crossed for nice weather! |
| Friday 7 August | End of programme boat party | 7:30pm | Tower Pier | No booking required | Wrapping up the Session Two of the UCL Summer School on a high note with an unforgettable view of London from aboard the Dixie Queen, a large replica 19th century paddle steamer on the River Thames. Don’t be late, the boat will leave without you! |
OMVED GARDENS DESCRIPTION
Escape the crowds and discover one of London's hidden gems.
Join students from across the UCL Summer School for a relaxed evening at OmVed Gardens, a unique garden, events and community space tucked away in Highgate.
Far from the usual tourist attractions, this is a chance to experience a different side of London and explore a hidden oasis in the city. Many Londoners don't even know it exists.
Spend the evening exploring the gardens, taking part in creative and garden-based activities, enjoying food and refreshments, and meeting students from a wide range of Summer School courses.
As the evening unfolds, live music will provide a relaxed soundtrack while you discover the space, connect with new people and enjoy one of London's most distinctive green retreats. The gardens offer a welcome opportunity to spend an evening surrounded by trees, planting and nature rather than busy streets and crowded attractions.
Whether you're interested in nature, food, design, sustainability, creativity, or simply looking for a memorable evening out, this is a chance to experience a side of London that most visitors never see.
And if the British summer decides to be less cooperative, OmVed also has a range of beautiful indoor spaces where activities, food and conversation can continue comfortably.
There will be delicious food to enjoy, including plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, with ingredients and inspiration drawn from the garden itself.
PRESENTATIONS & PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
This practical 2-hour workshop helps participants build confidence in presentations and public speaking using improv-based, experiential exercises.
Led by Connor Marcelis, professional actor and CEO of Unscripted Academy, this workshop is designed with international, neurodivergent, and anxious speakers in mind, offering a supportive space to practice speaking up without the fear of failure.
Participants explore simple tools to manage nerves, embrace mistakes and think on their feet, especially when handing unexpected questions in interviews or seminars.
Through interactive games, pair work and group reflection, participants leave with strategies they can immediately apply in classes, assessments, and future professional situations.
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Please note, these are standing tickets. If you feel unable to stand for an extended period of time, please contact the UCLSS office on summer@ucl.ac.uk who will be able to advise on alternatives.