The best things to do on Valentine’s Day in London 2026

There's no denying it: screenwriter Nora Ephron is the queen of movie romcoms. And Sleepless in Seattle is her most sophisticated masterpiece, with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan starring in a story that's soaked in yearning and dreamy romance. Its jazzy, moody score is a big part of the film's appeal, so its first concert screening is not before time. A full band will soundtrack an HD screening of the film, playing Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole numbers as well as its original songs that composer Marc Shaiman. It should make for an atmospheric serenade for this pair of very grown-up lovers. 

The late, legendary choreographer Pina Bausch makes work that's soaked in passion and desire, so the contemporary dance head in your life will be delighted with a Valentines date to the UK premiere of her work Sweet Mambo, an expressionist dance work which explores human emotion in its many forms. 

This wildly maximalist staging of Baz Luhrmann’s smash 2001 film is endlessly romantic, from the red heart shaped set design to its sexy burlesque-inspired costumes to the love ballads that fill its yearning-fuelled story. It's a fantastic excuse to get all dressed up on Valentine's Day and shed a little tear and Christian and Satine's tragically doomed romance.

Peter Wright’s evergreen production of ‘Giselle’ is a gorgeous take on a ballet classic, with its lavish scenic design and emotive rendition of this tale of plighted love. Pair it with a drink in the Royal Opera House's lavish, gilded Crush Room for a date that's full of 19th century grandeur. 

If gift-giving is your love language, you’ll find plenty of presents to show your affection at the DIY Valentine’s Day Art Market. Taking over a unit of Copeland Park on February 14, it will play host to over 100 national and international artists and publishers, all bringing with them stalls’ worth of unique buys. Expect ceramics, zines, artwork, t-shirts, tote bags, jewellery and more to be battling for your attention (and your wallet) in this treasure trove of creativity.

We're not saying you can't bring a date to this kitschy Bridget Jones screening. But it sounds like it'll be a lot more fun with an assembled gang of single pals, who are primed to caterwaul along to 'All By Myself', drink wine through a straw, and shed a little tear when Mark Darcy says 'I like you very much as you are'. Interactive fun on offer here includes a Big Pants Dance Off, blue soup cocktails, novelty costume contests, and a dancefloor after with DJs spinning noughties classics. Popcorn, hot dogs and nachos are served throughout, to soak up all that vino.

Ready to splash out this Valentine's Day? At JOIA, the rooftop restaurant at Battersea’s Art’otel, this Valentine’s Day, you’ll find an elevated version of a date night classic: dinner and a movie. Over three days, the Iberian restaurant will be serving up a romantic spread for an early 5.30pm dinner before screening classic romantic movies for you to swoon over, including ‘The Notebook’, ‘Dirty Dancing’ and ‘Bridget Jones's Diary’. Blankets and hot water bottles will be on every seat to stave off the cold, while there’ll be popcorn to snack on if you still have room for more food.

Since the dawn of time, humans have been writing soppy poems about the ones they love: or twisted, vengeful poems about potential suitors who turned them down. Cupid’s intervention is an open mic poetry night at St Peter's Church in De Beauvoir Town that's perfect for anyone who's got some romantic verses scrawled in a notebook, or in the notes section of their phone, and is brave enough to give them an airing in sympathetic surroundings. Beginners and skilled wordsmiths alike are invited to read for two to three minutes, or simply to listen to everyone else's emotionally-charged words.

Give mind, body and soul a bit of a v-day reset (with or without a date in tow) at wellness festival Equanimity. Slomo's pop-up spa in King's Cross has two wood-fired saunas, three icy cold plunge pools and a roaring fire, offering a corner of Scandinavia in Lewis Cubitt Square. Perfect for getting your pulse-racing in the cleanest possible way.

Sure, you're into your date. Hopefully. But would you go to literal hell and back for them? Consider that question at indie-folk musician Anaïs Mitchell’s musical retelling of the Orpheus myth. This determinedly leftfield and darkly romantic show is a moody, atmospheric, gig-style meditation on love and the things we do for the object of our obsession.