Looking for the best London pop ups and things to do in London before August ends? This final Bank Holiday roundup brings together ten limited-time beauty launches, creative experiences, food freebies and interactive events happening across the capital from 28–31 August 2026.
Highlights include a Shark Beauty activation at Westfield London, free live portraits at STAEDTLER’s Home of the Pencil, Bajan food and entertainment at Battersea Power Station, a free ice-cream chicken burger in Barbican and new fragrance and makeup launches at Selfridges. Some experiences are completely free, while others require a purchase or advance booking, so check the conditions before travelling.
If you need even more ideas, see my previous London pop ups roundup so you do not miss anything this August.
Table of Contents
London pop ups at a glance
| London pop up | Dates | Cost or condition |
|---|---|---|
| Shark Beauty x John Lewis activation | 29–30 August | FREE; activities and prizes subject to availability |
| Victoria’s Secret PINK Weekender | 29 August | Bag purchase required for the FREE charm |
| STAEDTLER Home of the Pencil | 26–29 August | FREE; selected workshops may require booking |
| Barbados via Battersea | 27–29 August | FREE entry; food and drinks available to buy |
| Rahasya Nomadic Jasmine pop up | 27 August–9 September | FREE entry; purchases optional |
| Fancy Ice Friday with Ice Cream Union | 28 August | FREE from midday, while stocks last |
| Armani Beauty Dolci Blush pop up | 27 August–9 September | FREE to visit; purchase required for the full stamp reward |
| Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Complexion Studio | 28–30 August | FREE booking for My John Lewis members |
| L’Occitane x TOKKIA Matcha activation | 28–30 August | Membership sign-up and purchase required for the FREE matcha |
| Aroma-Zone beauty pop up | 28–31 August | FREE; gift ticket and rewards subject to terms |
1. Shark Beauty x John Lewis activation
Shark Beauty and John Lewis are bringing an outdoor beauty activation to Westfield London for the final weekend of August. Visitors can explore some of Shark Beauty’s newest hair and beauty innovations, stop at the branded photo area and take part in a spin-to-win experience.
This is a useful stop if you want to see the latest tools in person before buying. Exact opening times and prize details have not been published, so arrive during Westfield trading hours and expect any gifts to be available only while stocks last.
| Location | Outside John Lewis, Westfield London, Ariel Way, White City |
|---|---|
| Dates | 29–30 August 2026 |
| Times | Not publicly confirmed |
| Cost | FREE activation |
| Booking | No booking information advertised |
Westfield London visitor information
2. Victoria’s Secret PINK Weekender
Victoria’s Secret is giving its PINK store at Westfield London a Bank Holiday makeover. Purchase any PINK bag and you can create a free bespoke bag charm, choosing the details for a personalised accessory to add to your new bag.
The charm experience runs from 9am–12pm and is available with the first 50 qualifying purchases, so this is one to visit early. The activity itself is free, but it is strictly purchase-dependent.
| Location | Victoria’s Secret PINK, Level 1, Westfield London, White City |
|---|---|
| Date | 29 August 2026 |
| Time | 9am–12pm |
| Cost | Purchase any PINK bag to receive the FREE charm experience |
| Availability | First 50 qualifying purchases |
Official Victoria’s Secret PINK Weekender information
3. STAEDTLER Home of the Pencil
STAEDTLER’s free Home of the Pencil pop up celebrates 125 years of the iconic Noris pencil with one of August’s most creative London experiences. The Seven Dials space invites visitors of all ages to draw, doodle, write and rediscover the simple pleasure of putting pencil to paper.
Look out for free live portraits, sketching stations, a Doodle Bar, immersive installations, special-edition products and customisable pencil sets. An augmented-reality Magic Mirror also creates a complimentary printed keepsake. A programme of workshops features illustrators, cartoonists and artists including Rob Biddulph, Natalya Lobanova, Han Rivers and Shoreditch Sketcher Phil Dean.
General activities are free and do not need a ticket. Some scheduled workshops required advance booking and may now be full, but the walk-in experience remains worth visiting.
| Location | 6 Monmouth Street, Seven Dials, Covent Garden |
|---|---|
| Dates | 26–29 August 2026 |
| Cost | FREE |
| Booking | Not required for general activities; selected workshops require booking |
Home of the Pencil event information
4. Barbados via Battersea
Virgin Atlantic Holidays and Visit Barbados are bringing the flavours, music and carnival energy of Barbados to Battersea Power Station for three days. Try Barbados’ national sport, Road Tennis, join a beach-inspired yoga session or enjoy steel-pan music, live DJs, carnival dancers and limbo.
You can also sample the atmosphere with authentic Bajan food, rum cocktails and refreshing island-inspired drinks, with personalised coconuts adding an extra photo opportunity. The Virgin Atlantic Holidays team will be on hand for anyone inspired to turn the experience into a future trip.
| Location | Battersea Power Station |
|---|---|
| Dates | 27–29 August 2026 |
| Times | Activity schedule varies |
| Cost | FREE entry; food and drinks available to buy |
| Booking | No general admission booking advertised |
Official Barbados via Battersea information
5. Rahasya Nomadic Jasmine pop up
Fragrance house Rahasya, inspired by modern India, has opened its first Selfridges pop up to launch Nomadic Jasmine. The Selfridges-exclusive scent is the brand’s first Extrait de Parfum and gives jasmine a spicy, mineral twist.
Nomadic Jasmine opens with mineral notes, mandarin and green chilli before moving into jasmine, osmanthus, nutmeg and pepper. Mysore sandalwood, amber, oakmoss and musk form the base. At the pop up you can try the new fragrance, explore the wider Rahasya collection and request samples when you are genuinely interested in a scent. My other favourites to smell are Chai Addiction, Love Marriage and Oud Mangifera.
| Location | Selfridges Beauty Hall, 400 Oxford Street, London |
|---|---|
| Dates | 27 August–9 September 2026 |
| Times | Monday–Saturday 10am–10pm; Sunday 11:30am–6pm |
| Cost | FREE to visit; purchases optional |
| Booking | Not required |
6. Fancy Ice Friday with Ice Cream Union
For the final Fancy Ices Friday, Ice Cream Union is taking over the Bompas & Parr kitchen with a playful ice-cream “chicken burger”. Bread sandwiches a banana ice-cream patty with matcha chocolate, raspberry sauce “ketchup” and mango sauce “mustard”, all served in a classic burger tray.
Every ice-cream burger is free from midday. There is no booking and portions are strictly first come, first served while stocks last, so arrive as close to 12pm as you can.
| Location | Fancy Ices at Woodward Henry, Bompas & Parr Studio, 8 Glasshouse Yard, Barbican |
|---|---|
| Date | 28 August 2026 |
| Time | From 12pm until sold out |
| Cost | FREE |
| Booking | Not required; first come, first served |
Official Bompas & Parr Instagram
7. Armani Beauty Dolci Blush pop up
Armani Beauty is celebrating the launch of Dolci Blush with a two-week experience inside the Selfridges Beauty Hall. Discover five new cream-to-powder blush shades, find your best match and collect stamps while exploring the activation.
Play the Connect 4 game to receive a complimentary perfume sample and use the free photobooth for printed photos. The five-stamp journey covers discovering the blush, playing the game, taking a photo, collecting a Looks Menu and purchasing a Dolci Blush. Completing all five steps, including the purchase, unlocks a complimentary blush case and bespoke letter charm.
| Location | Selfridges Beauty Hall, ground floor, 400 Oxford Street, London |
|---|---|
| Dates | 27 August–9 September 2026 |
| Times | Monday–Saturday 10am–10pm; Sunday 11:30am–6pm |
| Cost | FREE to visit; purchase required to complete the five-stamp reward |
| Booking | Not required |
8. Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Complexion Studio
Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Complexion Studio is a three-day appointment-led beauty experience in Fitzrovia. Try the newest complexion products, find shades and formulas for your skin and receive a free drink while you explore.
Your visit also includes a complimentary photobooth portrait. Engraving and additional beauty gifts are available with qualifying purchases. Tickets are free, but you must be a My John Lewis member and reserve a timed slot in advance.
| Location | 47–51 Rathbone Street, Fitzrovia, London |
|---|---|
| Dates | 28–30 August 2026 |
| Times | Timed slots from approximately 10:30am–6:30pm |
| Cost | FREE for My John Lewis members |
| Booking | Advance booking required |
Charlotte Tilbury booking information
9. L’Occitane x TOKKIA Matcha activation
L’Occitane has partnered with TOKKIA for a scent-and-matcha activation at its Westfield London boutique. Discover the new Almond Hair and Body Mists in Pistachio and Crème Brûlée, then choose from three TOKKIA matcha flavours inspired by the collection: Almond, Pistachio or Crème Brûlée.
The matcha is complimentary when you sign up as a L’Occitane member in store and make a purchase. Drinks are available while each day’s stocks last, so earlier visits are safest.
| Location | L’Occitane en Provence, Westfield London, White City |
|---|---|
| Dates | 28–30 August 2026 |
| Times | 28–29 August, 10am–9pm; 30 August, 12–6pm |
| Cost | Membership sign-up and purchase required for the FREE matcha |
| Booking | Not required |
L’Occitane x TOKKIA event information
10. Aroma-Zone beauty pop up
French beauty and wellbeing brand Aroma-Zone is hosting a four-day pop up in The Atrium at Westfield London. Explore bestselling skincare, haircare, supplements and essential oils, meet beauty experts and visit the serum bar for personalised recommendations tailored to your skin and routine.
Every visitor receives a ticket that can be redeemed for a gift in Aroma-Zone’s permanent Westfield store, with the chance to unlock an additional reward. Terms apply, and all gifts remain subject to availability.
| Location | The Atrium, Level 0, Westfield London, White City |
|---|---|
| Dates | 28–31 August 2026 |
| Times | 28–29 and 31 August, 10am–9pm; 30 August, 12–6pm |
| Cost | FREE; gift ticket and rewards subject to terms |
| Booking | Not required |
Official Aroma-Zone pop up information
Which London pop ups are finishing first?
Fancy Ice Friday is the most time-sensitive event because the free ice-cream burgers are available only on 28 August and could sell out quickly. STAEDTLER Home of the Pencil and Barbados via Battersea both finish on 29 August, while the Shark Beauty activation, Charlotte Tilbury studio and L’Occitane x TOKKIA experience end on 30 August.
Aroma-Zone continues through 31 August. If you cannot fit everything into the Bank Holiday weekend, Rahasya Nomadic Jasmine and Armani Beauty Dolci Blush remain at Selfridges until 9 September.
Before you visit these London pop ups
- Check the official event page or brand social account on the day, especially if you are travelling for a specific freebie.
- Arrive early for Fancy Ice Friday, the PINK Weekender and any experience offering gifts while stocks last.
- Read the purchase conditions carefully: the PINK charm, L’Occitane matcha and Armani’s full five-stamp reward are not unconditional freebies.
- Book Charlotte Tilbury in advance and make sure your My John Lewis membership is active.
- Remember that pop up schedules, activities and stock can change without notice.
Disclaimer: The information in this post was provided by brands, PR representatives, event organisers and official listings and was correct at the time of writing. While I always do my best to verify details before sharing them, information may change without notice due to availability, operational changes or human error. Please check with the organiser if you are travelling specifically for a particular activity or freebie.
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