Best Summer Pop-Ups In The UK

Alcotraz presents a unique outdoor prison yard experience in Liverpool's city centre, blending immersive entertainment with craft cocktails and a playful prison theme. You'll enter the open-air Yard, where you can enjoy signature drinks served in inventive vessels like repurposed oil cans and modified prison boots. The 'tool shed' acts as the covert bar where visitors and inmates alike can trade the prison's currency - contraband cigarettes - for your favourite libations.

You can engage in a variety of activities, including basketball on the yard or hanging out in themed areas, all while soaking up the atmosphere. Alcotraz offers multiple booking options ranging from small group visitor passes to full inmate experiences complete with prison uniforms and drink tokens, as well as private hire for larger groups.

Get on down to The Old Crown in Birmingham for their lineup of Food Fests. Swing by the best-loved boozer to get your smackers around scrumptious food, from juicy burgers to enticing Indian eats, complete with live music, DJs and free entry.

Slice-O-Mania returns with a brand-new twist as the UK's biggest pizza festival launches its first-ever Pizza & Cocktail Festival at Richmond Athletic Ground. This summer celebration will feature up to 20 pizza vendors serving up £3 slices alongside 10 cocktail bars competing in the UK Cocktail Championship. Expect creative drinks, bold flavours, and plenty of friendly rivalry as you sample and vote for your favourite signature cocktails, themed mixes, and standout bars.

Across the weekend, the main stage will host DJs, games, and crowd-pleasing competitions, including the return of the UK Pizza Eating Championships. With festival partners like JD Hot Honey offering tasters and special activations, plus beer on tap and plenty of entertainment, this is a must-visit event for London's food and drink lovers.

This August, the Sussex Soul & Dance Weekender is coming to Elite Venue Selection in Felbridge, promising a whole load of great music over the three days. Expect to see acts like Central Line, Heatwave, and more, with a cracking lineup of DJs supporting the live performers. Tickets start from only £16.50, and you can book accommodation for the weekend too.

This summer, head on over to Bel & The Dragon Wendover, a wholesome pub that's classy and modern. Outside, you'll find its cinema in the garden events showing some cracking films from July onwards, such as The Greatest Showman, Much Ado About Nothing and more. Secure your tickets and look forward to refreshing pints and some gastro delights. 

A fabulous pop-up bar in London, Brixton Jamm has had its summer makeover and it's ready to host. Head down to the South London haunt for beach vibes and brunch parties with some of the coolest DJs in the city, as well as quizzes, drag bingo and other fun events.

The London Taco Experience returns to Stratford's Riverside East on Saturday, 9th of August 2025, offering a day packed with vibrant flavours and summer fun. Featuring eight of the city's top taco traders, this event promises a diverse menu of bold, delicious bites alongside a range of refreshing drinks, including margaritas, mezcal tastings, and micheladas. Guests can also explore a hot sauce showcase, highlighting the best spicy condiments to complement the tacos.

Set across Riverside East's spacious outdoor venue with a rooftop terrace and roomy indoor areas, the festival combines great food with live DJs and surprise entertainment for a true celebration of tacos, tunes, and good vibes. With two sessions running from 11am to 4pm and 5pm to 10pm, attendees can enjoy a flavour-filled day designed to satisfy both hunger and thirst.

One of the UK's prettiest summer pop-ups, The Lawn Club is the Manchester hangout designed with sunny days in mind, whether you're taking a seat on the foliage-covered terrace or lounging on their sprawling grass area. Head over to Hardman Square and get sipping on refreshing spritz cocktails and craft beers from the outdoor bar, while relaxing on comfy bean bags or cute deckchairs. 

The Tacover: Taco & Tequila Festival returns to Richmond for its second year, bringing with it Europe's biggest celebration of all things taco. Following six sold-out events in just three years, this much-anticipated festival features award-winning taco traders, margarita battles, and a packed entertainment schedule, including the iconic tortilla slap challenge and hot taco challenge. Expect Mariachi music, roaming luchadores, and tequila and mezcal tasting stands, all adding to the vibrant atmosphere.

Taco fans can sample £4 single-serving tacos from every trader, each offering a minimum of three varieties, including a vegan option. Drinks traders will serve up their signature cocktails for no more than £10, and this year's edition introduces new Mexican street food stands with everything from elote to chicharrón.

Giving the old Digbeth Arena a fresh face, Luna Springs is the UK summer pop-up to check out this year. Located in the heart of Birmingham's coolest quarter, the outdoor bar and event space is bringing you a season of movie nights, bottomless brunches and live music.

Wing Fest 2025 transforms London Stadium, Hoclkey Social Club, Lloyds Amphitheatre, Victoria Baths and Peddler Market into the ultimate chicken wing celebration. This three-day festival offers a mix of competitive eating, music, and entertainment centred around one question: who really does the best wings?

With 45 contestants presenting 90 different wing varieties, you can sample wings across three fierce categories - Best Buffalo Wing, Best Wild Wing, and Best BBQ Wing - all priced at £1.50 per piece to encourage tasting as many flavours as possible. Alongside the wing battles, the event features live BBQ demos, bourbon masterclasses, street entertainment, and DJs spinning summer vibes well into the evening. New for 2025 is the Splash Zone, adding a playful twist with water games and activities, plus free axe throwing to keep the fun going.

This summer, Starbucks® brings the fun to Manchester with the Starbucks® Roller Rink pop-up, a three-day event where skating meets cool refreshments and live music. You can enjoy a 45-minute skate session complete with skate hire, plus a complimentary Caramel Frappuccino® or Melon Pearl Starbucks Refresha® to stay refreshed.

The rink will be alive with DJs spinning summer anthems, surprise moments, and a chance to win exclusive Starbucks® merch. No ticket is needed to join the event atmosphere - only skaters require tickets, which include a refundable £5 deposit. 

Jimmy's BBQ Club is back on London's South Bank this summer, offering a unique riverside dining experience with a six-course interactive BBQ tasting menu. You can enjoy dishes prepared over fire using their own tableside Big Green Egg grills, featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients from some of London's best local artisan suppliers, including produce grown on-site. Head Chef Heidi and her team provide expert tips and guide diners through a journey of bold, smoky flavours in a relaxed alfresco setting overlooking the river.

Running Wednesday through Saturday evenings from 7pm, with lunch sittings on weekends from 1pm, the supper club-style event invites groups of two to six people to share the BBQ experience. With an extensive drinks menu that includes local organic wines and non-alcoholic options, Jimmy's BBQ Club promises an intimate and interactive summer feast. 

Enjoy a film night with a difference at Butcombe's Outdoor Cinema Summer Series, where favourites like Grease, The Goonies, and Mamma Mia light up the screen in stunning pub garden settings. Entry is just £5 and includes a drink on arrival - whether you fancy cider, lager, or something soft.

With great food and a laid-back vibe, it's the perfect way to soak up the summer.

Participating locations: 

1. The Mill - Located in Haslemere, Surrey
2. Ring O' Bells - Situated in Compton Martin, near Bristol
3. Dundas Arms - Located in Kintbury, Berkshire
4. Rising Sun - Found in Backwell, near Bristol
5. The Mayflower - Located in Lymington, New Forest, Hampshire
6. The Bower Inn - Found in Bridgewater, Somerset
7. The Becker Inn - Situated near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire-Worcestershire border

London's urban beaches offer the perfect city staycation with a mix of sandy escapes, vibrant bars, and delicious street food. From The Montague On The Gardens' Bahamas-inspired tropical pop-up with palm trees and bottomless cocktail masterclasses, to Walthamstow-On-Sea's classic British seaside vibe complete with beach huts, draft beers, and fish and chips, there's something to satisfy every beach lover.

For a Mediterranean twist, the Marzamemi Festival in Richmond channels Sicilian coastal charm with live music, authentic Italian eats, and family-friendly fun. Meanwhile, LIMIN Southbank serves up Caribbean sunshine with bold flavours and a beachy outdoor terrace, and Pont Plage at Le Pont de la Tour transforms the Thames riverside into a French Riviera-style retreat, complete with sand, pétanque, and chic French bites. Croydon's Costa Del Croydon rooftop brings summer fun with real sand, live entertainment, and a kid-friendly zone, making London's pop-up beaches a must-visit this season.