It’s the year of the great British vacation, and while budgets are tight, that’s no reason to stay indoors. Westfield London is celebrating their very first summer, with a free festival for the capital – Shimmer ’09.

For four weeks starting from the 20th of July The Atrium will be transformed into a British summer seaside, complete with beach huts, beach bar, kids’ beach play area, and a band stand. A host of activities and events will take place, ranging from live music and food tasting, to appearances by popular children’s characters and a Wii Sports Resort.

‘If you’re looking for somewhere to feel the buzz of the city, it’s going to be at Westfield London this summer. We’ve got some great acts lined up for the band stand, and the retailers are putting on fantastic promotions.’ Paul Buttigieg, General Manager Westfield London

Top events not to miss:

Band Stand
1. Dolly Rockers perform their special brand of off-kilter pop, a month before the release of their first album 23 July, 7pm to 9pm
2. A-ha Norway’s finest make their 80’s come back, 28 July at 1pm
3. VV Brown the new ‘it’ girl treats the crowd to live music on the 30 July, 7pm to 9 pm

Beach Huts and Beach Bar
1. House of Fraser, offer free makeovers and skin consultations
2. Create your own boat shoe at Timberland; find out how to get beautiful summer locks from the Ginger Group; get the perfect sun kissed skin from Fake Bake by Debenhams.
3. Food tastings at the Meat and Wine’s BBQ, complete with wine and cocktails; Fire & Stone pizza tasting; Real Greek treats; freshly-baked crepes from Crepeaffaire; and much more.

Kids Beach
1. Peppa Pig and George make a celebrity appearance. Children can also take part in a treasure hunt and colouring-in competition, 27th July all day.
2. Lavanta Galleria art competition for children and parents. Winners receive an art set and parents get to choose a piece of art from the gallery up to £300 - 25, 26, 27 July.
3. Yo Gabba Gabba put on a performance for the little ones, 11 August

Southside
1. Nintendo Wii MotionPlus. See the fantastic new game play of EA Sports’ Tiger Woods PGA Tour® 10 and Grand Slam® Tennis on Nintendo Wii, brought to life with the innovative Wii MotionPlus™ handset - 20 – 26 July.
2. Kathmandu inspire festival goers with the ultimate camping set-up and offer visitors a special 40% discount, 27 to 31 July.
3. Nintendo Wii Sports Island. A life size sports resort with 12 different games, using the new Wii MotionPlus™ handset 12 – 16 August.

Ditch your British passport and pick up your Shimmer ’09 passport in-centre. Your guide to the event schedule including a collection of unmissable offers - free facials and hand massages at Neal’s Yard Remedies; 20% off Clarins, Bare Minerals and Elemis at Debenhams; two for one at Gourmet Burger Kitchen; gift with purchase at Guess; and so much more. Simply flash your pass in any participating retailer to receive fantastic offers and incentives…no visa required.

Visit www.westfield.com/london for more information. Event runs 20 July to 16 August, every day in The Atrium.

2 HOURS FREE PARKING until 30th September 2009.

Westfield London
Westfield London is the Capital’s newest retail destination and Europe’s largest inner city shopping centre. It opened in W12 on October 30 2008 and is anchored by five stores: Marks & Spencer, House of Fraser, Debenhams, Next and Waitrose, which are joined by over 275 further shops and nearly 50 cafes and restaurants. Westfield London combines the best of the high street with a premium fashion and lifestyle offer, and is the debut UK location for 14 overseas brands. Luxury labels, many of which have never traded in a UK shopping centre before, are housed in a boutique-style setting, named The Village. Services available to shoppers include valet parking, hands-free shopping, home delivery and personal styling, all coordinated by a trained concierge team. Westfield London features a large central Atrium which will be host to cultural and educational events throughout the year. A 14-screen cinema and a community library will open in 2009.

www.westfield.com/london