The Linda Lindas play Islington Academy on August 21

YOU don’t have to spend big to hear good music – there are plenty of free events in Camden and Islington over the summer – here are just a few of them… King’s Cross Summer Sounds Festival has returned to Coal Drops Yard with another packed programme of free music, dance and puppetry performances running to Aug 17. Notable events include Absolutely Anytime (Aug 8), An Evening of Songs from the Shows (Aug 9); Flamenco workshops (Aug 9 + 16); Dele Sosimi Nathanael Coke / Isobella Burnham / Xambi / Kit Lockey – Jazz-inspired family Sunday (Aug 10); Rosa Cecilia / Queer Britain & Sounds Queer / Yshee Black / APW / Barbs (Aug 11); YolanDa Brown: A Bob Marley Tribute (Aug 15); Bhangra Ceilidh (Aug 17) and many more. See the website for the full programme.

And for more free music, Jazzie B plays a special set at Camden Market’s Back II Life Cafe spinning the best soul, R’n’B, hip-hop, and dance classics on Aug 8. Camden Market’s Summer of Sound Series continues with radio veterans Tony Monson (Solar Radio) & Chris Baxter (Soul II Soul) playing soul classics, jazz and expert mixes (Aug 15); Amy Winehouse tribute (July 20), BGT contestants The Big Sing (July 27), Bollywood Mela (Aug 9-10), Carnival warm-up with Small Green Shoots (Aug 21); DJ Fat Tony (Aug 30) and weekly family fun days.

• Hollywood actor Michael Shannon teams up with Jason Narducy to perform songs from REM’s Fables of the Reconstruction and more at The Garage on Aug 22-23.

• Three album releases to note: Craig David performs at HERE @ Outernet to mark the release of his ninth record, Commitment at his TS5 release show on Aug 12; Tom Grennan will be doing signings only at HMV Oxford Street on Aug 14 in support of the verbosely titled Everywhere I Went Led Me To Where I Didn’t Want To Be; and The Linda Lindas return with their second full-length album No Obligation to play Islington Academy on Aug 21.

• It looks like Electric Ballroom is going heavy on the themed events this month, some of which are a little niche. On August 8, the Elder Emo Party aimed at the over-30s takes place on the Summer Terrace, expect DJs playing the likes of MCR, Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Panic! At The Disco and more. The Terrace switches things up for Wait and Bleed, the Nu Metal Terrace Party (Aug 15); then there’s the UKG Bunch on Aug 16 – line-up TBA, and, on Aug 17, An Afternoon of Rock – an outdoor event for the over-30s.

• As the Oasis hype continues, the Official Oasis Live ’25 Fan Store in Carnaby Street has clearly seen enough demand to justify extending its opening dates until Aug 31.

• Jazz Café continues to bring in the quality acts – Noname (Aug 12-13), touted as “one of the best rappers alive”, is not to be missed. A captivating performer, her recent album Sundial received critical acclaim. Before that, Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na is also slated to play Jazz Café on Aug 9.

• MJ Lenderman manages to blend the contemporary with the nostalgic, attracting attention for his skilled songwriting. He and his band The Wind play The Roundhouse on Aug 15 with support from Allegra Krieger.

• Butthole Surfers vocalist Gibby Haynes will be performing some of the band’s classics and other Oddities at Islington Assembly Hall on Aug 15 featuring special guest Evicshen and backed by a band of teenage musicians from the Thunes Institute of Musical Excellence (TIME).

• All Points East Festival returns to Victoria Park Aug 15-24 with another huge line-up including Cleo Sol, Chase & Status; Barry Can’t Swim, Raye, The Maccabees and many more.

More upcoming gigs

Aug 8 – The Seeds + The Stingrays, Koko; Light Of Eternity – Collateral Tour ft Big Paul Ferguson (Killing Joke) + DeadAudioSaints + Youth (DJ Set), 100 Club; Aug 9 – Vanco, The Lower Third; Aug 10 – Horace Andy + Doug Asante Band ft Matic Horns + Dubplate Pearl; Aug 12 – Pelican, The Dome; The Melvins, Electric Ballroom; Aug 13 – Iago Banet, Green Note; Adebisi Shank, The Lexington; Aug 14 – Dlina Volny, The Black Heart; Zebrahead, The Dome; Carmine Relic + Onew1sh + Arthurs Fate, The Fiddler’s Elbow; Aug 15 – Iglu & Hartly + Muddy Elephant, Camden Club; Mumm Ra, The Lexington; King Buffalo, Electric Ballroom; Leroy Burgess + live band + Saving Coco, Jazz Cafe; Cedric Gervais, Koko; Kanda Bongo Man, 100 Club; Maydan Ensemble, Green Note; Crawdaddy!, The Fiddler’s Elbow; Aug 16 – Counterfeit Festival, Roundhouse; The Instigators + Yur Mum + Diaz Brothers, The Underworld; The Lucettas, The Water Rats; Jack Botts, The Garage; Aug 17 – Arif Lohar & Lohar Boys, Scala; Melissa James, Green Note; Joe Bataan, Jazz Café; Holly Penfield, The Camden Club; Aug 19 – Mother + The Shallow End + DJ Sure, The Dublin Castle; Aug 20 – The Dead Daisies, Islington Assembly Hall; Pouya: They Could Never Make Me Tour, HERE @ Outernet; The Magnetic Charms + Paper Anthem + Family Of Noise + Nell Davies, The Dublin Castle; La Lom, Jazz Café; Aug 21 – Charles Wesley Godwin, Electric Ballroom; Been Stellar, The Dome; Del Water Gap, HERE @ Outernet; Tom A Smith, Gibson Garage; Evan Honer, Islington Assembly Hall; Makeout + Keep Flying + Misery Kids, Islington Academy; Aug 21-22 – James Mason, Jazz Café.