London is popular with tourists for many reasons, but it isn’t just Buckingham Palace and Harrods that will have domestic and international visitors to our shores excited this summer.  Most people recognise London for having a thriving music scene, from the rock & roll indie vibe of Camden Town right through to the jazz clubs of Soho and the hip-hop scene south of the Thames.

Music from across the world is also a frequently heard sound on London’s streets, with everyone from individual buskers to organized bands bringing their sounds to the capital.  Such is the diverse mix of music that you could easily mistake yourself for being in any capital around the world, and particularly in Europe.

With that in mind, we’ve gone out and found the top European bands and events music lovers can check out in London this summer.

Scared to Dance

Scared to Dance is actually the name of a popular club night in East London, and May’s offering is their annual Swedish Night, taking place on May 31st.  Two Swedish DJ’s are teaming up at Scared to Dance to bring you a selection of the hottest Swedish music from through the years.

There are no rules for the club night, so if you want to get your Scandinavian swag on you should prepare to rock out to everyone from ABBA to The Hives.  If you’re unsure if this is the event for you, the soundtrack from last year’s Scared to Dance Swedish night can be found here.

Söndörgö

Söndörgö have been widely praised by the UK media for some time, and later this year you’ll have the opportunity to check them out for yourself in London.  The best thing about the opportunity to see Söndörgö live this summer?  They’re playing Walthamstow Garden Party, which is a completely free to attend event (although you will need some money for nibbles and the bar!).

Söndörgö are appearing at the first day of the garden party, Saturday 26^th of July, and you should get down to see them before they become a massive name and tickets to their gigs cost a fortune.

Rebetiko Carnival

Rebetiko itself is from Greece, but in reality this is world music in its most authentic form, with influences from the world of American Deep South jazz, Latin American sounds, and Indian music creating a hugely diverse sound that you can hear across London throughout June.

Check out the Rebetiko Carnival website to discover where the hottest events are happening close to you so you can experience it for yourself.  If you can, try and get down to a violin demonstration and lesson sessions – you’ll amaze yourself with what you can learn.

European Music in London

Some of the best sounds from across Europe, with influences from even further afield, are headed to London in the coming months.  Be sure to get to a European club night, festival, or garden party, and if you can’t at least spend five minutes listening to a busker, and get some European flavour into your London musical life this summer.