London events in July 2024
London Calling: Your Guide to a Sun-Kissed July
Get ready for a sizzling July in London! With the sun high in the sky, the city transforms into a vibrant hub of outdoor activities. Dive into a refreshing lido, savor a delicious meal alfresco, or sip on a cool drink while taking in the panoramic views from a rooftop bar or beer garden. London's parks burst with life this time of year, offering the perfect escape for a picnic or leisurely stroll. Craving a beach vibe? Hit one of the urban beaches or unwind under the stars at an open-air cinema.
July is also prime time for London's music festivals. And for a touch of floral beauty, don't miss the sprawling fields of lavender and sunflowers in all their blooming glory. This guide brings you the best exhibitions, shows, and activities to make your July in London unforgettable.
1. Where to watch Euro 2024 matches in London
The spectacular goals, missed penalties and euphoric wins of the UEFA Euros are back. Our boys are battling it out in Germany for a chance to become the UEFA Euro 2024 winners. Whether you’re a die hard footie fan or just hoping for an excuse to neck a few pints, you’re going to want to know all the best spots in London to catch the matches.
2. BST Open House
BST has boasted some of the most exciting London line-ups over the last couple of years, but organising worldwide mega stars to perform in the park clearly isn’t enough work, so BST is also hosting eight days of free activities. All Things Orchestral will be performing a stunning show of classical music, hosted by Myleene Klas and there’s a free open-air cinema, pop-up bars, discussion panels plus chances to play tennis, cricket and football. Norman Jay MBE will be taking to the decks, and there’s even a chaos-fuelled chance to play Bongo’s Bingo.
3. Lord Mayor’s Hot Air Balloon Regatta
4. Monster Jam
If your idea of a great time is watching giant trucks race their way across a massive stadium, then you’ll be blown away by Monster Jam. This unique sporting experience is returning to London in July, promising adrenaline-boosting action as you watch 12,000-pound monster trucks tear up the dirt. Prolong the fun with the Pit Party, where you can get up close to the trucks before they go into battle, take pictures and get autographs – from the drivers, obviously.
5. Find sunflower fields near London
Did a visit to see Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ at the National Gallery fail to provide your flower fix? Get neck-deep in heliotropic heaven at these golden fields full of custard-yellow blooms.
6. London Athletics Meet
Gear up for the buzz of the Paris 2024 Olympics at the London Athletics Meet at London Stadium. Part of the Wanda Diamond League series, this event is the last athletics competition before the big tournament across the channel kicks off, making it a crucial part of the athletes’ final preparations. Bonus: all the limbering up you’ll need to do is warm up your vocals to cheer the participating players on and help spur them to (hopefully) gold medal victory.
7. ‘Fangirls’
Aussie writer and performer Yve Blake scored a cult domestic smash in the immediate pre-pandemic era with ‘Fangirls’ (aka ‘FANGIRLS’), a subversive musical that she wrote the book, lyrics and music for, and even initially starred in. Inspired by interviews with actual pop star fangirls, the musical follows Edna, a 14-year-old Australian girl madly in love with one ‘Harry’, a member of a massive-selling pop group (hmm, rings a bell). When the band comes to Sydney she’s determined to meet Harry – at any cost.
8. The North Face Climb Festival
If you’re more of a sit-back-and-watch kinda person as opposed to a get stuck in kinda person, we’ve got some good news. North Face is hosting a Climb Festival at Canary Wharf South Dock, but don’t worry – you don’t have to do any climbing. Instead, watch some of the world’s top climbers (including North Face reps Caroline Ciavaldini and James Pearson) scale 16 metre walls and complete deep water solo climbs, from the safety of the ground. There’ll also be talks from climbers, a clothes repair space plus a handful of DJs.
9. Explore lavender fields around London
It may be known for its sleepy scent and soothing properties, but there’s nothing dozy about the explosion of colour happening right now in London’s lavender fields. Here are the best places to treat your eyes and nose to this year’s epic summer blooms.
The best things to do in June in London
June in London is here. Make it the greatest month of your year yet with our guide to the best art exhibitions, plays and general shindigs taking place around the city in June 2024.
June in London is filled with a sense of excitement. It’s that ‘school’s out!’ feeling, until you remember that you left school years ago, and ‘summer holidays’ don’t really exist for adults. Shame.
June is also the start of summer in London, which means the capital’s beer gardens are at their prime, the city parks are at their prettiest, the open-air theatre season gets into full swing and eating alfresco is on the cards at some of London’s best restaurants. Plus, expect to see long queues in south west London as tennis fans line up to bag a place at the epic Wimbledon championships.
June in London also means its time for London Sundance Film Festival, the Roundhouse’s poetry festival The Last Word and Open Square Gardens. So mark them all off in your calendar and prepare to have a ball fit for a queen.
1. Marylebone Summer Festival
A mini golf course, live music, alfresco bars and dining, a farmers market and a dog photobooth: you’ll find all this and more at Marylebone’s 20th annual summer fair which takes over Paddington Street Gardens for a jam-packed Sunday in June. Fashion and wellness brands in Marylebone Village will be handing out offers (think free ice cream at Rixo and Mud Australia) and street stalls will be handing out snacks and beverages from the array of local cafés. Have your pooch’s ‘pawtrait’ done at ‘Bark in the park’ in Marylebone Church gardens, or teach your furry pals something new at a trick training workshop. Essentially, it’s a summer fête dialled up to 11.
02. Taste of London
Munch your way through dishes from the great and the good of the capital’s restaurant scene at this sprawling culinary festival. Set in the picturesque surroundings of central London’s Regent’s Park you can chow down on food from Korean rabata (barbecue) restaurant Roka, South American fusion from YOPO and Big Mamma’s quintet of maximalist Italian joints (that’s Gloria, Circolo Popolare, Ave Mario, Jacuzzi and Carlotta) are among the line-up of restaurants peddling plates to celebrate the event’s 20th anniversary. If you’re not in a food coma by the end, there’ll also be kitchen masterclasses, chef talks and tastings to get involved with. Our advice? Have some Rennies on hand.
03. Kew Midsummer Fete
With over 100 stalls, a traditional Victorian fun fair, a beer tent and a tea tent, a dog show with a VIP judge, tug of war, and live local bands, Kew’s Midsummer Fete is a brilliant way to chill out on the village green this month. But there’s plenty more to 2024’s edition of the popular afternoon, including a karate display, inflatables and a charity raffle, too. The best part? Entry is free, but all your well-spent cash will be going to some very worthy causes – last year raised more than £22,000 for local charities like Richmond Food Bank and the Riverbank Trust.
4. West End Live
Musical theatre fans, get ready for outdoor dancing and sing-a-longs with some of the West End's biggest stars: West End Live is back! It's the initiative that turns some of the most expensive forms of entertainment in London into the cheapest fun going. Each year, casts of some of London's best West End musicals emerge blinking into the open-air for a weekend of free alfresco performances in Trafalgar Square, accompanied by fun photo ops, merch stalls, and bags of showbiz atmosphere.
5. Lambeth Country Show
The Lambeth Country Show is back. Just as it has done since 1974, this year’s show will bring countryside pursuits to Brockwell Park. Over its history, certain traditions have developed, like getting a glimpse of Vauxhall City Farm’s alpacas, downing a massive carton of Chucklehead’s super-strong cider and joining the long queue to see the pun-derful entrants in the vegetable sculpture competition. Look out for sheep-shearing, sheepdog and owl displays, an on-site mini farm and lots, lots more. Live music will be heard from two stages over the weekend, too.
6. Birds: Brilliant & Bizarre
The Natural History Museum’s big exhibition for 2024 is this massive new celebration of our avian pals. As you can doubtless glean from the title, ‘Birds: Brilliant & Bizarre’ focuses on the weirder end of the feathered spectrum, from actually strange-looking birds to exploring things like the links between pigeons and T-rex, or daring you to sniff a stinky seabird egg. While some of the NHM’s permanent exhibitions can look a little tired these days, its big temporary exhibitions are typically cutting-edge, interactive and hugely fun.
7. Zoo Nights
A reincarnation of Zoo Lates (which ended in 2015), Zoo Nights returns to bring ‘after hours’ fun to ZSL London Zoo. Attractions entrial a packed street-food market, live music, an after-hours look at the reptile house in ‘The Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians’, and a ‘The Birds and the Bees’ tour where experts will shed some light on animal sex. For the extreme animal enthusiasts out there, you can even opt for a Zoo Nights VIP Sleepover and rest your head in one of the zoo’s nine lodges. Time to unpack that elephant onsie?
Best things to do in London in May 2024
London will be gearing up for summer in May 2024, so make the most of it at a music festival, rooftop bar or must-see exhibition.
May truly is one of London’s finest months if you ask us. Not only is the city pleasantly warm and bursting with colourful spring blooms, but everyone is giddy with the possibilities of the coming summer.
And most excitingly of all, there are not one, but two bank holidays on which to embark on inaugural rooftop bar excursion of the summer, rock out at one of the year’s first music festivals, lounge about in your favourite park, check out all those must-see exhibitions you’ve been meaning to catch or escape the city on a mini-break.
And if that isn’t enough to keep you entertained, here’s our guide to the best events, parties, pop-ups and things to do in May 2024 in London. You’re in for one sweet, sweet month.
01. Independent Label Market
This regular music market is back, providing artisan produce and street food alongside its mega vinyl booty. Find records on sale from all sorts of indie labels including AD, Because, Big Dada, Brainfeeder, Chess Club, Chrysalis, Dead Oceans, Dirty Hit, Fire, Jagjaguwar, Late Night Tales, Matador, Marathon, Ninja Tune, Secretly Canadian, Third Man and more. Once you’ve flipped through as many sleeves as you can manage take a look at stalls from artists and makers including Babak Ganjei, Donna Harle, This Is Fun Isn't It, Hand Jazz, Kam Creates, Nicole O'Hara, Sri Mckinnon and East London Printmakers. Or, neck back a pint from the London Brewers’ Market.
2. ‘Romeo & Juliet’
Super-director Jamie Lloyd is renowned for his powers of celebrity wrangling, but even by his standards this is quite the coup: his production of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’ will star Tom Holland, aka Spider-Man himself, in his first stage role since a lengthy stint in ‘Billy Elliot’ as a child actor. Holland will, of course, be playing Romeo: there’s no word on any other casting, including Juliet, but further celebrities seem unlikely – Lloyd tends to assemble diverse, interesting casts that highlight up-and-coming talent. Stylistically, we can certainly expect a contemporary setting and stripped-back aesthetic, though last year’s peerless ‘Sunset Boulevard’ did see Lloyd get back to his more maximalist roots with its gargantuan video wall and copious use of gore – you’d think a bit of the ol’ claret has to be an option for Lloyd’s take on Shakespeare’s high-ish body-count romantic tragedy.
3. City Splash
If you love nothing better than the idea of grooving to reggae, Afrobeats and dancehall in the sun, this is the festival for you. City Splash is once again taking over Brockwell Park to celebrate the impact of Caribbean and African culture in the UK and beyond – giving you a chance to dance, connect over music and have a bloody good time. This year's line-up includes Capleton, Beenie Man, Shenseea, Busy Signal and Queen Omega.
4. Fawlty Towers
‘Fawlty Towers’ (the play) is absolutely not an attempt to boldly reinvent the adventures of Basil, Sybil, Manuel and co for the twenty-first century. Instead, the performance has stitched together content from three classic episodes: ‘The Hotel Inspector’, ‘The Germans’ and ‘Communication Problems’. It sounds like they’ll be woven into a single narrative with a new ending, but whether you’re a long-term fan or too young to have ever seen it, you’ll pretty much be getting ‘Fawlty Towers’ in its classic form.
5. Between the Bridges
Outdoor spaces are big business come London summertime, and this seasonal pop-up between Waterloo and Westminster bridges is one of the biggest in London. Boasting lovely views over the river Thames and an eclectic programme of drag shows, DJs, live performances and themed club nights, its summer 2024 season is packed with surprises. For this month’s schedule, you can expect non-stop noughties from the 10-piece brass powerhouse that is the Old Dirty Brasstards, plus TEDFEST, celebrating everything that is Father Ted.
6. Chelsea in Bloom
Chelsea’s annual floral art show is back, bringing luscious colour to King’s Road, Sloane Street and other iconic locations. The streets and squares and more than 120 businesses of SW10 will be transformed with wonderful floral displays created by retailers in the borough, and you can even vote for your favourites. This year’s theme is ‘Floral Feasts’, so expect classy horticulture inspired by well-loved childrens books and movies.
7. Firsts Rare Book Fair
The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association’s (ABA) are back with their annual ‘Firsts’ festival, the theme Art of the Book for this year. There’ll be over 100 exhibitors, meaning you can cast your curious eye over some first edition Dodie Smith, a rare copy of Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales illustrated by David Hockney and a miniature German printed children’s library. Talks, demonstrations and exhibitions are on the programme, too.
Best things to do in London in April 2024
Plan an amazing April 2024 with our selection of the best events, exhibitions and things to do in London
April is an underrated month if you ask us. Winter is finally over and we’ve all started to emerge from hibernation, ready to properly commit to socialising again. The sun has put in a few appearances, London’s parks and gardens are in full bloom and the city feels alive with all the possibilities of summer, but without all the sunburn and sweltering, sleepless nights.
There’s also a handful of spring music festivals, some cracking art exhibitions and theatre (including the first open-air shows of the year) and plenty more amazing things going on around the city.
1. The London Marathon
Running a marathon is a truly gruelling feat requiring countless hours of training, so the 50,000 brave souls who are taking part London Marathon on Sunday April 21 2024 very much deserve our support. Check out our route guide to find the best spectating spots and track down nearby pubs and bars for when all that whooping and clapping leaves you feeling nearly as thirsty as the runners. Remember: your presence at this monumental sporting occasion makes it absolutely fine to drink lager or rosé in the street at 10am on a Sunday.
2. Now Play This
Step away from the mess of consoles in your bedroom and get immersed in the latest experimental games from across the world at Somerset House’s video-gaming extravaganza Now Play This. Into 8-bit 1-uping or cutting-edge new releases? The fest is all about interacting with thoughtful, inventive games that draw from the world we live in. It’s the 10th addition this year and, as ever, it will be showcasing games around a particular theme – this year: ‘Liminal: Playing Between Worlds’.
3. In the Round Festival at the Roundhouse
Originally built as a railway turntable back in the 19th century, it turns out the shape of The Roundhouse’s cylindrical brick building gives it pretty stunning acoustics. This ten-day fest uses its tubular shape to full effect, staging a unique line-up of bespoke shows, one-off collaborations and surprise gigs designed to immerse you in eclectic sounds and get you closer to your favourite artists. Artists on the programme include Tirzah, Lucy Rose, Samara Joy and The Songs of Joni Mitchell featuring Emeli Sandé, Eska, Kate Stables (This Is The Kit), Lail Arad, Sam Amidon, and Vashti Bunyan, hosted by Cerys Matthews.
4. Brick Lane Jazz Festival
We all know by now that London’s jazz scene is young, cool, underground and genre-blending. Taking place across ten venues including Rich Mix, Rough Trade East and the Village Underground, the Brick Lane Jazz Festival may be in its early iterations, but it sums up just how exciting our city’s musicians are. Better yet, the event is also teaming up with Tomorrow’s Warriors, the pioneering talent programme responsible for the success of the likes of Moses Boyd and Ezra Collective. This year’s line-up features Oscar Jermone, Ego Ella May, Tara Lily and Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange.
5. Easter in London
London has an amazing energy on bank holidays and Easter weekend is particularly blessed, because it’s a rare double bank holiday, meaning we get four whole days of work-free fun from Good Friday on April 7 to Easter Monday on April 10.
The capital has plenty to keep you occupied over your extra-long weekend. Check out our top picks for Easter weekend 2023 below.
6. Earthfest
Ahead of Earth Day, taking place on April 22, non-profit organisation Camden Clear Air Initiative have organised the first-ever Earthfest. The event, taking place over the preceding weekend consists of a programme of speakers, workshops and immersive exhibitions to discuss the pressing issue of the climate in a way that’s engaging and interactive. A fashion zone will feature sustainable brands and upcycled masterpieces, and there’ll be talks by experts at the Future of Greentech summit. April 18 is invite only, and April 19 is an industry day, but all events on 20 and 21 are free to the public!
7. The best places to see cherry blossom in London
The capital’s special colourful spectacle that signals warmer days are on the way is here. Cherry blossom season in Japan is a major event, with vistors from around the world flocking over to get a glimpse of the petals in full bloom. If you can’t make it over for this year’s sakura season London has plenty of bloomin’ marvellous places to see the flowers.
8. Eid in the Square 2024
This celebration of Eid-al-Fitr, which marks the end of fasting for Ramadan, will take over Trafalgar Square for a family-friendly day of activities and events. Live music and performances will fill the main stage and street food stalls will offer fayre from India, Venezuela, Somalia and more. You’ll also find stalls dedicated to face painting and Mehndi, plus a ‘Creative Art Zone’ with calligraphy, storytelling and drama workshops.
Things to do in London March 2024 edition
Our guide to the best events, festivals, workshops, exhibitions and things to do throughout March 2024 in London
Say hello to March. Finally, the days are getting lighter and spring is here brightening up London with colourful flowers and plenty of opportunities for sunny park walks. The month also packs in a whole host of big events from St Paddy’s to Mother’s Day.
This means it’s time to finally come out of winter hibernation and set about exploring the city’s fantastic parks and gardens, world-class museums and galleries, and unbeatable restaurant offerings. Watch Oxford and Cambridge take each other on in the historic Boat Race; settle down and watch great LGBTQ+ cinema at BFI Flare and the UK’s biggest queer film event.
1. BFI Flare Film Festival 2024
The UK’s largest queer film event, BFI Flare returns to the BFI Southbank (and to the BFI Player online) over ten days this March to showcase the best new LGBTQ+ cinema from around the world. Watch this space for full details of this year’s programme.
2. St Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival
The Irish are experts when it comes to partying. They’re so good, in fact, they even have a special untranslatable term – the craic – to describe their unique brand of conviviality. With Trafalgar Square as the setting for London’s official bash in celebration of their patron saint, a blast is pretty much guaranteed. This year, the London extravaganza takes place on Sunday March 17 and is set to see more than 50,000 turning out for Irish food, dancing and a huge parade featuring pageantry, floats and music that will wend its way from Hyde Park Corner along Piccadilly, St James’s Street, Pall Mall, Cockspur Street and Whitehall.
3. Enzo Mari at the Design Museum
Italian artist and furniture designer Enzo Mari’s simple but ingenious creations have inspired generations of creative types. This retrospective at the Design Museum is a comprehensive showcase of his resonant and timeless projects. Debuting at the Triennale Milano in 2020, just days after the designer’s death, the exhibition spans his 60-year career, bringing together furniture, product design, children's books and conceptual installations curated by influential art critic and Serpentine Galleries art director Hans-Ulrich Obrist, with Francesca Giacomelli.
4. Zheng Bo: ‘Bamboo as Method’
Fancy eating your sad office sarnies in a cacoon of bamboo? Somerset House is turning its bombastic neoclassical courtyard into a garden full of the panda food which you can frolic about in for free to enjoy a quick picnic, a moment of calm in your busy work day, or an inevitable photo-op. The immersive installation is a new large-scale commission from Hong-Kong based artist Zheng Bo that ‘invites visitors to temporarily disconnect from their fast-paced, hyper-connected everyday lives by immersing themselves in the biosphere’.
5. The Boat Race
The famous and historic London rowing contest between the UK’s oldest two universities returns for its 169th edition on Saturday March 30, when crews from Oxford and Cambridge go head-to-head in eight-oared rowing boats across the Thames.
Beginning in 1829 for chaps and 1927 for ladies, the annual fixture now attracts around 250,000 spectators to south-west London every year. The four-and-a-quarter mile course runs along the Thames from Putney Bridge to Mortlake and takes around 16 to 18 minutes (Cambridge’s men hold the course record of 16 minutes 19 seconds, set in 1998).
Spectators can watch the BBC’s coverage of the race large screens at two riverside Fan Zones in Hammersmith and Fulham, where they’ll also find covered seating, street food vendors, bars and toilet facilities.
6. British Science Week at the Royal Observatory
With 2024’s theme of ‘time’, this year’s British Science Week is promising a fascinating roster of workshops, events and behind-the-scenes adventures suitable for a range of ages. What better place to get stuck in than the home of Greenwich Mean Time, anyway? There’ll be an evening on ‘Astrophotography’ on International Women’s Day, showcasing the dazzling work of women in the industry. Astronomy & Islam, a planetarium show on how Arab navigators used stars to found thier way around the earth, will take place March 9. For more information on the brilliant events happening throughout March, have a look at the Observatory’s website.
7. Horniman Spring Fair
The Horniman Museum and Gardens’ Spring Fair is maybe the most efficient way to cram as much Easter fun into a single day as possible. The gardens will be taken over by a ridiculously busy programme, with everything from a Spring Time Disco (11.30 am - 1.30 pm) to an Easter Bonnet Parade (1 pm). But there’s plenty more: think circus skills, singalongs, fete games and seed planting, all fuelled by some cracking cuisine from the roster of food stalls. Maame T’s African inspired food, Lapecoraso Churros and Picks Organic Farm are just some of the kitchens that’ll be rustling up food – you better grab your ticket!
8. Kricket’s Fried Chicken Challenge
Got a thing for finger lickin’ chicken? Some of London’s best spots in the fried thigh biz are going head to head to battle it out for the title of the best fried chicken in the city. Hosted by top notch Indian restaurant Kircket Brixton, chefs from the likes of Coqfighter, Smoking Goat, Thunderbird Fried Chicken, Chicken Shop, Kanada-Ya, Studio Kitchen, Soho Hotel, Daffodil Mulligan, Tonkotsu and Black Bear will be trying their luck with judges including Top Jaw’s Jesse Burgess, Professor Green and Zena Kamgaing deciding who cooks up the best dish. Will Rogers, of sister bar Soma, will be on hosting duties, while guests will be able to chomp on an abundance of Keralan Fried Chicken and drink two complimentary beers courtesy of Harbour Brewing Company for the price of the £20 ticket.
Things to do in London this February
Can’t decide what to do with your two delicious days off? This is how to fill them up
1. Fill your eyes with sparkles at the Light Festival at Battersea Power Station
Europe’s largest brick building is no stranger to sparkling spectacles. The Grade II-listed Art Deco masterpiece has appeared in Hitchcock films and is on the cover of one of the most iconic albums of the last generation: Pink Floyd’s ‘Animals’. Now it’s playing backdrop again, and glowing up the gloomy London winter evenings in the process, as seven shining light installations designed by international artists pepper the building for its annual Light Festival. Look out for giant glowing blue butterflies, a series of intriguing-sounding ‘floating geometric matrixes’ and interactive installations like bicycle-powered glowing archways.
2. Think about the Roman Empire at British Museum exhibition ‘Legion: Life in the Roman Army’
This is a rollicking-looking new exhibition for the British Museum, which attempts to put you inside the daily life – both domestic and fighting – of the Roman Legions that controlled much of the world for half a century. It’s about how the elite troops fought: but also about how they lived, and the daily lives of the Empire’s many settled garrisons. Across the course of the exhibit, you’ll meet warriors from Egypt, Italy and England, with over 200 supporting objects, many on display in the UK for the first time, including the world’s oldest intact legionary shield and the world’s oldest set of Roman segmental body armour (which was only unearthed in 2018).
3. See work from British artists of the African, Caribbean and South Asian diasporas at ‘Entangled Pasts, 1768–Now’
Art isn’t always pretty pictures. Sometimes, art is politics; sometimes, art is power. ‘Entangled Pasts’ places work by contemporary British artists of the African, Caribbean and South Asian diasporas alongside paintings and sculptures by Royal Academicians of the past. The aim is to highlight how art has served to perpetuate racism and colonialism, or at the very least profit from it. It opens with depictions of Black figures by Gainsborough and Reynolds, portraits of former slaves, abolitionists, attendants and illegitimate children. And there are contemporary works by the likes of Yinka Shonibare and Sonia Boyce.
4. Get eight dishes, main and dessert at Atul Kochhar's Kanishka
Kanishka has launched a brand-new brunch menu focussing on PanIndian food, with a menu embracing the flavours of India’s various regions, from Punjab to Kerala, Kolkata to Delhi and everywhere in between. Kanishka’s skilled kitchen team, led by chef Atul Kochhar, have curated a symphony of new dishes, including Khari paneer tikka, Palak paneer and Chicken tikka pie. And the best bit? You’ll be greeted with a seasonal welcome Kanishka punch cocktail and two hours of bottomless wine or beer.
5. Have a tropical time at Kew Orchid Festival
The Princess of Wales Conservatory at Kew Gardens is getting a Madagascanmakeover courtesy of the latest annual mind-bending orchid display that takes over the iconic glasshouse each year. The exotic display will celebrate Madagascar’s natural beauty and biodiversity – the place is home to 14,000 plants found nowhere else in the world. Look out for sculptures of native animals carved out of plants, including giraffe weevils and ring-tailed lemurs, installations on extinct species and learn more about the Malagasy orchids that grow at Kew.
6. 51% off bottomless dim sum and a glass of bubbly at Leong’s Legend
Never ending baskets of delicious dim sum. Need we say more? That means tucking into as many dumplings, rolls and buns as you can scoff down, all expertly put together by a Chinatown restaurant celebrating more than ten years of business. Taiwanese pork buns? Check. Pork and prawn soup dumplings? You betcha. ‘Supreme’ crab meat xiao long bao? Of course! And just to make sure you’re all set, Leong’s Legend is further furnishing your palate with a chilled glass of prosecco. Lovely bubbly.
7. Explore Japan’s myths and manga at the Young V&A’s new exhibition
The first temporary exhibition at Young V&A is a real delight, and should appeal to grown-up Nippophiles just as much as school kids. ‘Japan: Myths to Manga’ is a grab bag of the more eye-catching highlights of the past few centuries of Japanese pop culture, taking in everything from Hokusai’s ‘The Great Wave’ to copious Studio Ghibli appearances, to a draw-your-own manga craft corner (complete with arrows to reminds you to draw the cells from right to left). You’ll have gone in thinking Japan was cool; you’ll come out thinking it’s cooler.
8. Get ready to take on the UK’s most daring aerial park
Our Table for Two restaurant box is back, baby. And there really is no better way to go out and explore the city than with 50% off some of its most sought-after destinations. This limited-edition digital box of goodies includes seven, yes seven, vouchers for a handpicked selection of restaurants around the city. Sign up, receive a code and book your spot.
Brilliant London events to help beat the January 2024 blues
Cheap stuff, secret stuff and heavy-hitting cultural stuff to fill your calendar with for January 2024 in London
Hello, 2024! It is truly great to see you. January is the ideal time to discover London on a budget and without the crowds. Many of city's very best theatre and musicals, restaurants and bars – ranked definitively by Time Out's crew of expert local editors – offer discounted tickets and cheap meal deals.
Spend cold, clear days walking off your post-Christmas malaise in glorious parks and spectacular walking routes. Cosy up with drinks on a beautiful heated winter terrace, or in one of the 100 best pubs in the city. And catch up on magical lights, winter wonderlands and Christmas shows before they disappear.
1. Winter Lights
The bright lights of Canary Wharf's towers are quite the spectacle after dark, but the business district will glow brighter than usual for 11 days in January thanks to the addition of sparkling illuminations created by artists from around the world. All 27 of the artworks are free to visit and a map showing their locations will be available to download before it opens. There’ll also be food and drink stalls along the trail and many of Canary Wharf’s shops, restaurants and bars will be running special offers and discounts.
2. ‘Cute’
From emojis to plushie toys Somerset House is exploring the irresistible force of cuteness in its latest exhibition. Collecting together contemporary artworks and cultural phenomena including music, fashion, toys, video games and social media, the show attempts to find out how cuteness has become so influential.
3. The best mocktails in London
4. Take a bracing winter walk in London
Yes, it's cold out. It's also quite wet. The leaves have fallen from the trees and turned the pavements into a slimy, slippery ice rink. But we're lucky to have some amazing, huge, parks in London, and walking around in them on a crisp winter's day is genuinely one of life’s great joys. Whether you're a Royal Parks stan or a fiend for Hampstead Heath, there are loads of parks to choose from. So, get out there.
5. Just for One Day
Surely the most famous concert(s) in history and with a ready-made soundtrack of ’80s stadium rock hits, a musical adaptation of Bob Geldof’s 1985 Live Aid concerts does seem like a screechingly logical idea as soon as you think about it.
With a book by satirist and writer of the smash ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ musical John O’Farrell and direction by ‘& Juliet’ man Luke Sheppard, ‘Just for One Day’ sounds like an agreeable jukebox romp that aims to tell the story of the duel London and New York mega-concerts that raised $127m for famine relief back on July 13, 1985.
Supported by the Geldof, performed by the permission of the Band Aid Charitable Trust, and with the rights to perform songs by the likes of Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, The Police, Elton John, Paul McCartney, The Pretenders, The Cars, Status Quo, Paul Weller, Sade, The Boomtown Rats, Bryan Adams, Diana Ross, Ultravox and more, it feels like a solid crowd-pleaser.
It will, however, be interesting to see if there's any sense of reflection on the project's legacy - while Live Aid has come in for less stick as an endeavour than the Band Aid single 'Do They Know It's Christmas?', there have undeniably been very legitimate questions asked in the years since about the project’s white saviorism and how effectively the money was distributed. Sure, it sounds like a light-hearted musical romp. Bu it would be a shame if ‘Just for One Day’ ducked these questions entirely.
Julie Atherton, Ashley Campbell, Jackie Clune, Craige Els, James Hameed, Naomi Katiyo, Hope Kenna, Freddie Love, Emily Ooi and Rhys Wilkinson star.
London events in December
Your guide to the best activities, events and fun stuff happening in London throughout December 2023
Can you hear those sleigh bells jingling? Yes, it’s December, and Christmas in London has begun in earnest. See the city skies sparkling with glimmering Christmas lights, fill your ears with Christmas songs, scoff down an indulgent Christmas sandwich, get luxurious festive treats from London restaurants and liven up a winter walk with a trip to a heated pub garden.
Read our guide for the lowdown on the events, parties, cultural happenings, and things to do taking place in London in December 2023.
1. Wander around Southbank Centre Winter Market
2. Childhood fave ‘The Witches’ hits the stage
It’s been years since the National Theatre produced a truly great new musical, but this certainly looks promising. Top Brit playwright Lucy Kirkwood and cult US composer Dave Malloy have joined forces to tackle Roald Dahl’s classic kids’ novel about a young boy and his grandma who uncover a terrifying conspiracy of witches at a seaside hotel. Lyndsey Turner directs her first ever musical, with a cast headed by Katherin Kingsley as the Grand High Witch and Daniel Rigby as Mr Stringer.
3. Hit up Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
The Grinch would have a real job stealing all the Christmas from Hyde Park’s huge tribute to festive fun. The annual favourite is back for its sixteenth year in 2023. Head along for cheerily lit fairground rides, a child-friendly Santa Land (including Santa’s grotto) and quaint Christmas markets. It’s a real treat for anyone wanting to get into the festive spirit – as long as you’re ready to hear all those songs as you potter around.
3. Try your luck getting tickets to Christmas at Kew
The mother of all light trails, Christmas at Kew has become a key date in London’s festive calendar as the 300-acre botanic garden is lit up with glistening lights and illuminations. This year’s route will take you past glass houses emblazoned with kaleidoscopic projections, through shimmering tunnels of light and trees drenched in jewel-bright colours. As usual, there’ll also be warming winter snacks and a grotto where you can say hello to Father C himself. Be warned, Christmas at Kew tends to sell out quickly, so look sharp to secure your place.
3. Eat up at the Maltby Street Christmas Night Market
Maltby Street Market’s Festive Fridays are back. Guzzle Christmas dishes from around the globe as the iconic food market’s finest traders set up their stalls after dark beneath Bermondsey’s fairy-light-festooned Victorian railway arches. There’ll be carolling, hot mulled wine, mince pies, wreath-making and responsibly sourced Christmas trees to buy. You’ll feel like you’ve wandered into a cosmopolitan Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’.
4. Try your hand at Christmas curling
The sport of curling – the one you watch on telly during the Winter Olympics and find curiously engaging – has arrived in King’s Cross, with a pop-up outdoor arena set among the restaurants and bars of Coal Drops Yard. Curl the night away on one of six synthetic curling lanes in groups of up to six, and then once you’ve finished your 45-minute session, warm up with a toasty cocktail at the Curling Club bar. This year it's back with a '90s twist, so the fun and games will be soundtracked by a programme of DJs curated thanks to Voices Radio.
5. Hitch up on a cheery winter horse carriage ride
Live out all your dark Dickensian dreams on a winter outing that sleighs the competition. Explore Richmond Park or Bushy Park on a traditional carriage ride drawn by a pair of majestic Shire horses from the last working herd in London. Snuggle up in a blanket and clip-clop your way around the park while sipping on sloe gin, eating mince pies and learning about your surroundings from guides and carriage riders that look straight out of ‘Great Expectations’, dressed in smock coats and bowler hats. The private rides in Richmond Park aren’t cheap, but all the money raised supports the equine therapy services of Operation Centaur, who manage the horses. If you want a more wallet-friendly option, book one of the group rides in Bushy Park.
6. Dine at a cosy winter terrace
It is cold, so cold. Head to the nearest cosy outdoor space in London immediately. Luckily, some of our favourite bars and restaurants have been thinking on their frozen feet. So wrap up warm and check out these new outdoor terraces for drinking and dining decked out in wintry decor and adorned with roaring fire pits, patio heaters and enough faux fur to make you think you got stuck in the wardrobe on your way into Narnia.
7. Skaters gonna skate
Ice skating season is back baby, and we can’t wait to whizz around one of London’s many excellent slabs of ice. Winter Wonderland’s rink is the biggest, Canary Wharf’s is open for the longest period (18 sweet weeks!) and Somerset House’s is the most fabulous. Take your pick, lace up your boots and get swishing.
8. Grab last minute presents at London’s best Christmas markets
Markets, eh? They’re pretty nice to wander around at nearly every time of year. But, at Christmas? Well, that’s when London’s markets really come into their own. Every year the capital fills with the kind of markets that host fairy-light-lined stalls, festive street-food sellers and community tombolas, with a playlist of Christmas songs on loop in the background. In fact, whether you’re looking for tasty treats, traditional decorations and cutting-edge arts and crafts or are just shopping for a last-minute present, the capital’s selection of Yuletide stalls are here to help.
9. Don’t miss out on any NYE events
New Year’s Eve in London means you’re faced with some choices. Sometimes there’s so much choice, in fact, that you end up spending the night indoors with a few loved ones and plenty of booze. We’ve all been there, but London boasts loads of great New Year’s Eve events that should coax even the most reluctant NYE fan out of the house this year.
London events in October 2023
London comes alive in October, with a host of Halloween celebrations, cultural events, and Black History Month commemorations to enjoy.
October nights bring crisp air, pumpkin spice, and the urge to turn on the central heating. But don't let the cooler temperatures keep you from enjoying all that London has to offer this month.
Halloween fans will be thrilled with the city's many spooky festivities, including family-friendly frights, movie screenings, pumpkin-picking fun, and scary nightlife.
Culture vultures will also be in their element, with the return of the BFI London Film Festival, the London Literature Festival at the Southbank Centre, and the Bloomsbury Festival across Bloomsbury.
And October is also Black History Month in the UK, so many of London's major institutions will be staging special events to mark the occasion.
Art, theater, food, and drink: London has it all in October 2023.
Art lovers can rejoice at Tate Britain's big new exhibition about Young British Artist Sarah Lucas and the long-awaited Marina Abramović retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts.
Theatergoers will love Penelope Skinner's new play "Lyonesse," starring Lily James and Kristen Scott Thomas, and a big new adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's bestselling novel "Hamnet."
And those not embarking on Sober October can enjoy Oktoberfest celebrations galore, plus London Cocktail Week.
There's also plenty more to do in London in October, from visiting museums and galleries to exploring the city's many parks and gardens. Check out our list of the best cultural happenings and things to do throughout the month.
1. Let down your synthetic wig at one of these Halloween events in London
When the days are a-darkenin’, London is being over-run with giant arachnids and the supermarkets are filling up with pumpkin-plastered merch, it can only mean one thing: Halloween, Tuesday October 31 2023, is almost upon us. So dust off your cape, comb out your synthetic wig and get searching for a ‘beginner friendly’ face painting tutorial on YouTube. Here are the best Halloween events happening in London this year.
2. Celebrate Black History Month in London
October isn’t just the time of year when the leaves turn brown, the clocks go back, yet another installment of the seemingly unkillable ‘Halloween’ franchise is released and sugary pumpkin syrup suddenly starts appearing in absolutely everything. It’s also Black History Month, and as usual there’s plenty going on around the capital to mark the occasion. Check out our roundup of some of the best stuff going on throughout the month here.
What is Black History Month?
Black History Month is an annual month of observance honouring the history, traditions, arts and culture of Black people both in the UK and across the globe. Founded in the United States in 1970, it was first celebrated in the UK in 1987.
When is Black History Month 2023?
In the UK and Ireland, Black History Month takes place in October, with talks, exhibitions, screenings and plenty more events taking place nationwide throughout the month. Don’t get it mixed up with the US and Canadian version, which is celebrated in February. Yes, it’s another one of those needlessly confusing disparities between our calendars, just like Mother’s Day.
3. Sip on delicious tipples at London Cocktail Week
The biggest cocktail festival in the world, London Cocktail Week, is back this October with a special focus on the city’s reputation as a global capital of cocktail culture. This year you can check out the fancy sounding Connoisseaur’s Collection of unique events with intimate tastings and masterclasses by award-winning bartenders. Plus, there's the return of the Curated Cocktail Tours, where London's top bars are shaking up delectable drinks for just £8 (with the wristband).
4. Check out our roundup of perfect autumnal days out in London
Is that the saccharine scent of pumpkin spice in the air? Surprised to see lots of orange orbs taking over your local supermarket? It can only mean one thing: autumn is upon us in all its crispy-leafed, russet splendour.
From glowing sunsets, to bracing walks and cosy pubs, there are lots of things that make up the ultimate autumnalday trip and London has them in spadefuls. Whether it’s nestling up in an old-school whisky tavern with a wee dram, collecting up armfuls of pumpkins from the city’s premier markets or exploring Gothic cemeteries.
So dig out a jumper and don your most fetching hat: autumn in London is here, and we've got eight autumnal outings in the city guaranteed to get you in the mood for smashing conkers. Summer, we’re so over you.
a. Kew Gardens
They’ve got a tree or two down at Kew Gardens – actually, around 14,000 of them – so if you want to see autumnal colours across the skyline, it’s the place to be. Climb the 118 steps up to the Treetop Walkway to watch nature’s greatest art show.
Get the full autumn effect
Dig out the wellies and go on a rainy day for that primo autumn smell.
b. Richmond Park
More than 600 deer call Richmond Park home, and come autumn they’re feeling amorous. Keep an eye out amid the rust-coloured leaves and long grass, and you might witness stags bark and roar as they clash antlers to impress the ladies. Bit like a night out in Clapham.
Get the full autumn effect
Hire a bike from Roehampton Gate and pedal off into the wilds.
c. Pumpkin picking
Do you have ambitions to cover your mantelpiece in ornate gourds, Martha Stewart style? Or are you just planning an epic pumpkin risotto? Either way, Sainsburys' selection just won't cut it: you've got to go right to the source. Take a day trip to Stanhill farm in Kent or Garson Farm in Surrey and you'll find pumpkins galore that are ready for picking in your very own harvest festival.
Get the full autumn effect
Why stop at pumpkins? Find a nearby hedgerow and go foraging for sloe berries and elderberries for use in homemade gin concotions.
d. Greenwich Park
Kick your way through the fallen leaves from the many horse chestnut trees in Greenwich Park. And once you’ve stocked up on conkers, check out the dreamy views across the river Thames and the amazingly autumnal red deer in the Deer Park.
Get the full autumn effect
Grab a freshly baked treat from the White House Café – time it right and it’ll still be warm.
5. Pay a visit to a free art exhibition
Looking at great art needn't cost the same as buying great art. With a shed-load of free art exhibitions in London, wandering through sculptures, being blinded by neon or admiring some of the best photography in London needn't cost a penny. Here's our pick of the best free art exhibitions this week and beyond.
Amazing Things To Do in London in September 2023
September in London may be ‘back to school’ time, but it’s also when the city comes alive. A lot of London’s cultural scene goes into semi-hibernation mode over the summer, but come autumn it kicks back into gear with landmark museum exhibitions, new theatre and art shows and brand new food and drink openings.
There’s also a whole host of city-wide fests taking over the capital, including Open House London – giving us a chance to get a sneak peek inside usually private buildings – London Design Festival and Totally Thames – the brilliant celebration of London’s watery main artery complete with an illuminated flotilla installation.
1. Celebrate London’s watery main artery at Totally Thames Festival
🌟 Festivals 📍 Bloomsbury 📅
This month-long annual celebration of the Thames makes a splash with its mix of art festivals, community events, regattas, river races and environmental activities. This year look out for an immersive exhibition about the planet’s simultaneous beauty and fragility with satellite views and a live performer, plus free walking tours, a kayak taster session, creative workshops and a climate cabaret.
2. Step into beautiful immersive installations at London Design Festival
🌟 Festivals 📍 South Kensington 📅
Once again the world’s best designers interrogating the boundaries of what can be constructed are taking over London with a bunch of inventive events, exhibitions and installations. 2023 marks 300 years since the death of Sir Christopher Wren (aka the bloke who designed St Paul’s Cathedral), so expect plenty of projects celebrating his contribution to the capital’s cityscape, plus the usual events at the V&A and across designated Design Districts all over London. With new destinations in Dalston, Fitzrovia, Chelsea and Battersea, it’s likely some fantastic contemporary exhibitions will be cropping up near you.
3. Regent’s Park becomes an huge outdoor gallery for Frieze Sculpture 2023
🌟 Art ✪ Sculpture 📍Regent’s Park 📅 20 Sept to 29 Oct 2023
Frieze Sculpture is transforming Regent’s Park into a massive outdoor gallery again. Fatoş Üstek takes the curation reins for the first time, and visitors can appreciate the new works by leading international artists, including Ayşe Erkmen, Ghada Amer and Hank Willis Thomas. Look out for performances and talks enhancing the art which will also be free to the public. Slap on the sun cream (or a raincoat) and go soak up some sculpture.
4. Go to a gig inside a big, colourful and inflatable tunnel
🌟 Quirky events 📍Clapham 📅Until 17 Sept 2023
Colourscape’s labyrinth of polychromatic tunnels is returning to Clapham Common. Never been? Just wander around its big inflatable labyrinth to see what musicians you can find inside. You might happen upon a flautist, a classical guitarist or maybe some bloke playing a conch. Who knows!? Those kaleidoscopic innards are designed to surprise. One of the few upsides of the post-covid era is that you have to pre-book, doing away with the long Colourscape queues of yore. Check their website for more info on opening times and ticket releases.
5. Music and politics meet at boutique fest HowTheLightGetsIn
🌟 Festivals 📍 Hampstead Heath 📅 23 Sept to 24 Sept 2023
You don't see many festivals billing themselves as a blend of ’philosophy and music’ but that’s exactly what you get at this weekend of ideas, with over 100 events planned at Kenwood House in Hampstead Heath. Dine with some of the world's leading thinkers, listen to debates, including discussions on ‘the Danger of Safety’, and ‘Peace for Our Time’. Once you’re ready to take your thinking cap off, there are the comedy and music sets.
6. Two-step to electronic tunes at Waterworks Festival
🌟 Music ✪ Music festivals 📍 Acton 📅16 Sept 2023
It's not time to hang up your dancing shoes just yet, as there is one final day festival coming to the capital, and it's going to be a corker. Created by the gang behind Percolate and Croatian festival Love International, Waterworks returns to Gunnersbury Park this autumn and the line-up is banging. Make sure to catch Saoirse, Peach, Moxie and Shanti Celeste, AKA SASS, doing their only UK show this year, taking over the Orbit stage for 4.5 hours. Then there are sets from dance music heavyweights like Call Super, Palms Trax, SHERELLE and Francesco Del Garda. Plus a whole load of other top DJs including Josey Rebelle, Yung Singh, salute, Lukas Wigflex, Angel D'Lite, Eliza Rose, HAAi, the list goes on. See you in the dance.