The Time Out London blog team

Bad news for lovers of live music in the capital – there’ll be one fewer day fest in London this year. Indie festival Wide Awake has officially been cancelled for 2026.  Wide Awake normally takes place in Brockwell Park at the end of May (on the bank holiday). It welcomes more than 20,000 revellers and always has an eclectic lineup of alt music stars. Last year, it was headlined by Belfast rap trio Kneecap alongside Time Out cover star CMAT and Mercury Prize-winning indie band English Teacher. Since launching in 2021, Wide Awake has also hosted the likes of Caroline Polachek, Primal Scream and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.  Don’t worry though, it doesn’t look as though Wide Awake is going away for good. Well, hopefully. Organisers say that it’s simply ‘taking a break for 2026’. As far as we know, its cancellation has nothing to do with last year’s Brockwell legal battle, though it isn’t the only event in the park that has been cancelled. Free community event the Lambeth Country Show has also been axed for 2026. In case you weren’t aware, Wide Awake is part of the London festival series Brockwell Live, which also include Field Day, Cross the Tracks and Mighty Hoopla. All of those fests were at risk last year after locals won a High Court challenge in which they argued that they were ‘destroying’ Brockwell Park. The events still went ahead, but a new objection was launched at the start of this year. That’s not anything to worry about too much, though – allowing groups...

Thought the City of London couldn’t get any more jam packed with huge skyscrapers? Think again. The district’s local authority has been giving the thumbs up to shiny new towers left, right and centre. In fact, last year was a record year for planning approvals for projects in the Square Mile. More than half a million square metres of new office space in the City was given a green light in the area last year – the equivalent to 10 Gherkins. Around half of all of that space is already under construction. Now, the City of London Corporation has unveiled what the district’s skyline will look like in around six years time. Find the 2032 render below and, for comparison below that, what it looked like in 2017.  Image: City of London Corporation Image: City of London Corporation The tallest of the new towers will be One Undershaft, which was finally approved after eight years of planning in 2024, and began construction last year. It’ll take up the gap between the Gherkin and the Leadenhall building and stretch 309.6m (74 storeys) towards the sky. Once built, Undershaft will be the highest tower in the City of London and the joint tallest building in the UK and Western Europe, next to the Shard. It’ll be closely followed by the 63-storey 55 Bishopsgate, which will be the third tallest tower in the whole city once it’s completed (anticipated to be around 2029 or 2030).  The plethora of buildings granted approval last year include 85 Gracechurch Street, a 32-storey structure...

Saving money is always a good idea. When you’re holidaying on the Italian coast or finally investing in that big purchase you’ve had your eye on for months, you’ll be thankful for all those weeks of sticking to a tight budget.  But saving up doesn’t mean resigning yourself to weekends full of nothing. Especially in London. Sure, there are countless things in the city that can very easily tempt you to part with your cash, but there are also plenty of art exhibitions, cultural festivals and annual gatherings happening this weekend that are completely free of charge. Even if you’re not trying to be money conscious right now, they’re worth your time.  From Lunar New Year celebrations to LGBTQ+ History Month events, these are all the best free things going on in London over the weekend.  The best free things on in London this weekend, February 20-22 2026 1. Usher in the Year of the Fire Horse London hosts the world’s largest Lunar New Year celebration outside of Asia, with dancing dragons, martial art masters and traditional music taking over Chinatown and the surrounding plazas. But those aren’t the only revelries to see in the city. You’ll also find big colourful Chinese New Year celebrations, with performances, workshops, food stalls and more at Camden Market, Greenwich Peninsula, the National Maritime Museum, London Museum Docklands, Duke of York Square and Old Spitalfields Market. Every single one of them is free to enjoy – simply turn up and get stuck in.   Various...