Stardust: Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Alistair Muir

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Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, NW1

London’s oldest professional outdoor theatre – and one of its most glamorous. Pre-show BBQs with Pimm’s and champagne set the tone for a high-class offering on stage. This summer there’s Much Ado About Nothing, The Importance of Being Earnest, Hello, Dolly! and a children’s version of The Tempest. Also hosts comedy on Sundays.

Jun-Sep, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Open Air Inner Circle, Regent's Park, NW1 4NU, 0844 826 4242

Scoop, SE1

The capital’s most reasonably priced outdoor theatre – it’s free. This open-air amphitheatre by City Hall is in its seventh year. The 2009 line-up has a classical flavour with two new versions of Greek myths Medea and Jason and the Argonauts.

Jul-Sep, The Scoop at More London, Next To The Queens Walk, Riverside, London Bridge, SE1 2AA, 07791 617101

Watch This Space, SE1

The National Theatre’s festival of alfresco performances boasts an astro-turf lawn, deckchairs and theatre, dance, music and circus. Highlights include Upswing Aerial, The Gandini Juggling Project and Prodigal Theatre’s Urban Playground. Meanwhile, following the success of its inaugural season in 2008, The Square 2 returns this year with a revival­ of a Polish interpretation of Macbeth­. Square 2 events are ticketed, the rest are free.

Jul-Sep, National Theatre, South Bank, Southwark, SE1 9PX, 020 7452 3000

Shakespeare’s Globe, SE1

Now firmly established as one of London’s favourite landmarks, this year’s season is centred on the theme of “young hearts” and features Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Troilus & Cressida, with new works from Trevor Griffiths and Frank McGuinness. If you’re feeling particularly hardy – and happy to risk the weather – you can stand in the uncovered groundlings area.

Apr-Oct, Shakespeare’s Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, South Bank, SE1 9DT, 020 7902 1475

Romeo & Juliet, WC1 & WC2

As well as the big show at the Globe, there are a couple of other outdoor performances of Shakespeare’s tale of star-crossed lovers. The Oxford Shakespeare Company will be staging its version in the Gray’s Inn Gardens in Holborn from 16-19 June, while Iris Theatre will perform the play until 13 June in the grounds of the Actors’ Church in Covent Garden.

www.oxfordshakespearecompany.co.uk, 0870 609 2231; www.iristheatre.com, 020 7836 5221

Opera Holland Park, W8

A similar set-up to the Regent’s­ Park Open Air Theatre with picnics and drinks, except this opera venue is ­under cover in a tent. Tickets are from £10, and this year’s programme includes La ­Boheme, Hansel und Gretel and Orpheus in the Underworld.

Jun-Aug, www.thelondonpaper.com/going-out/venue/holland-park-theatre, Holland Park, W8 6LU, 0845 230 9769

Peter Pan

The boy who never grew up returns home to Kensington Gardens in the first theatre version of JM Barrie’s classic tale to be staged in the book’s original setting. It’s an all-new, big-budget affair in a specially­ designed tent and featuring aerial work and hi-tech projections.

To 30 Aug, Kensington Gardens, Princes Square, W2 4NJ, 0871 386 1122

Festivals

There are outdoor arts festivals galore across the capital this summer. On 25-28 June, the Greenwich & Docklands ­International Festival boasts outdoor dance and street art. The City of London is hosting a number of alfresco events from 19 June to 7 August, with one of the highlights this year being The Leviathan, a large-scale music performance for 800 saxophonists. Sydenham in south-east London is also holding its first ever arts ­festival – London Bubble is premiering­ its new version of The Odyssey there. Trafalgar Square hosts an annual festival­ at the end of August.

www.festival.org, colf.org, www.sydenhamarts.com, www.london.gov.uk/trafalgarsquare