FASHION
EVERYTHING ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH
By Sarah Waldron, 1 August 2026
If the calendar year was dance music, August would be the crescendo before the drop – the gathering climax of all the summer’s best culture, music and film before the big tempo change that is autumn. The season’s last hurrah is packed with some of its biggest and best social gatherings, as well as hotly anticipated releases. Shop new-season drops and weave them into your August agenda.
Callum Turner stars in race-against-time rom-com, One Night Only.
TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA – 21 AUGUST
Hannah Einbinder’s starring film role fresh off the success of Hacks is part-slasher, part-hallucination – if you’ve seen director Jane Schoenbrun’s previous film, I Saw the TV Glow, you’ll get the picture. Hannah plays a film director on a horror franchise, Camp Miasma, who becomes obsessed with casting one of its final girls (none other than Gillian Anderson). Expect surreal set pieces, mind-bending visuals and, of course, buckets of blood.
ONE NIGHT ONLY – 28 AUGUST
In a world where sex is outlawed for single people on all but one day of the year, how are you supposed to find love? This is the dilemma faced by Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner, AKA the recently-married Mr Dua Lipa. Two charismatic leads and a stellar supporting cast (80s legend Molly Ringwald as Callum’s mother! Ziwe as a clipboard-toting doorwoman!) make this film one to watch.
Jorja Smith's new album is built for the dancefloor.
ROLE MODEL, CHUCK TIMELY & THE HOURGLASS – 7 AUGUST
Role Model (civilian name: Tucker Pillsbury) has a concept album built around a roller-skating mechanic alter ego, Chuck Timely, out this month. Chuck is apparently also a time-traveller – recent promo pics have seen him hanging out with the Beatles and 90s Britney. Expect more of the singer-songwriter’s bedroom pop and relatable lyrics, but with a wry twist. He’s playing at Leeds festival on 28 August and Reading on 30 August.
PHOEBE BRIDGERS, LOST WEEKEND – 14 AUGUST
If there ever was a musician to see you from the tail end of summer into the first stirrings of autumn, it would be Phoebe Bridgers. The poster girl for the melancholic (and one-third of supergroup boygenius), Phoebe has a knack for making the raw and personal feel beautiful. Lost Weekend, her first solo album since 2020’s Punisher, promises all the folk-pop introspection you could need. Get memorising the lyrics before her arena tour, which hits the UK in November.
JORJA SMITH, WHAT ARE THE ODDS – 21 AUGUST
If you’re in London on 21 August, you could do worse than attend All Points East – not only is Jorja Smith co-headlining the festival, she’s celebrating the release of What Are The Odds. The songbird’s third album is all about relationships with family, friends and places, set against a house and garage backdrop. Expect this to be a fast-paced one for cardio sessions – the tracks usually clock in around 140BPM.
Pictures: Getty Images
See summer out with a bang at Notting Hill Carnival.
THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE – 7-31 AUGUST
Literally every comedian you follow on TikTok invades the Scottish capital in August to showcase their wares at the Edinburgh Fringe, but it’s so much more than that. With over 3,600 shows spanning comedy, theatre, music, cabaret and more, it’s impossible not to be entertained. It’s great to book ahead but don’t sleep on turning up and seeing what you fancy on the day – you could find your next obsession. Plus, you’ll have ‘I saw them first at the Fringe’ bragging rights once they blow up.
NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL – 29-31 AUGUST
Carnival celebrates its 60th birthday this year, which means more sound stages, steel drums and elaborate headdresses than you could shake a tailfeather at. This Caribbean celebration is one of the best ways to see out the summer, with a long weekend of dancing in the street and parties into the wee hours. This year, the schedule is split – Saturday is for ticket holders, Sunday is family and children's day, and Monday is for the adults.
