Only one of us was aware that a race was about to begin. At the start of the route of the C10 bus at Victoria station in central London, I mingled with a crowd of half a dozen prospective passengers.

London’s June auctions are a shadow of their former selves, but new events aim to reinvigorate the city's summer scene. Jenny Saville, Mirror (2011–12). Photo: Rayan Bamhayan. Courtesy of Sotheby’s.

LONDON — If the first 24 hours across the pond have taught us anything, this massive city will be littered in purple and gold on Sunday. Thousands of Minnesota Vikings fans have seemingly made the ...