Alex Sims

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. While autumn is still on the horizon, summer isn’t over yet. So make sure you grab your final chance to enjoy the spoils of the season by booking a seat at some of London’s best rooftop bars and alfresco restaurants and lolling about in the city’s best urban beaches, parks and lidos. Get your diary out and start filling it up now. Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.

October signals the arrival of autumn proper, which means it’s time to say goodbye to the sticky, sweaty days of summer and hello to crunchy carpets of leaves and pumpkin spice everything. It’s also the time of year for a hell of a party, with Halloween bringing with it all kinds of spooky celebrations – from family-friendly frights, movie screenings, pumpkin picking and scary nightlife so good it could raise the dead taking over the capital this month. But October isn’t just about dressing up like a half-dead corpse or sexy version of a viral meme. The colder weather means it’s a great time for indoor activities, with a host of big theatre productions, film releases and other cultural highlights throughout the month. The BFI London Film Festival returns, as does the London Literature Festival and the Bloomsbury Festival. On the art scene, there’s a wealth of new exhibitions not to be missed, plus Frieze’s annual London art fair, uniting some of the world’s best art galleries in one place. It’s also Black History Month in the UK, and you can expect many of London’s major institutions to throw events to mark the occasion. If you’re not committing to Sober October, the month also calls for big steins and inventive mixes. Oktoberfest celebrations will take over the capital at the start of the month, while London Cocktail Week is also on the cards. And there’s plenty more too! Check out our list of the best cultural happenings and things to do throughout October 2025.  RECOMMENDE

Is it a tad early to start planning Halloween? Perhaps! But the solstice is just days away, the nights are gradually drawing in, and the ancient celebration of winter's arrival will be with us before we know it. In 2025, Halloween falls on Friday October 31, which is great news for anyone who wants a ghoulishly good time without the haunting prospect of work the next day.  The fun doesn't start there. There’s plenty of fright-filled fun to be had throughout October, whether you want to watch horror films on the big screen, join a lantern-lit ghost tour, learn about London’s graveyards, carve pumpkins, or let your synthetic wigs down over themed cocktails. So when you’re after something strange in your neighbourhood, who ya gonna call? Time Out London, that’s who! We might not be so great at ghost-busting, but we do know how to sniff out a great activity. Keep checking back and you'll see all sorts of thrilling, chilling events appear on our list of the best Halloween events London has to offer in 2025. RECOMMENDED: Your ultimate guide to Halloween in London

London is more than two thousand years old. It’s a world-class hub for history, art, culture and politics. Frankly, it’s a bit overwhelming. What is the best way to explore a city that has so damn much on offer? Where do you begin in an area that’s 1,572 square kilometres? The answer: on foot.  This is where a guided walking to tour comes into it. Street tours. Museum tours. Food tours. There are literally hundreds to choose from in the capital. So this is where I step in, tour guide-esque, with some suggestions of my own, to help you understand all that history a little better.  A great tour guide will inspire and fascinate you – before you know it, you’ll enthusiastically be sharing the stories you heard with Linda on the checkouts at your local supermarket, or Iqbal at work. The ones included here are the well-worth doing and unsung tours that deserve your attention. Yes there’s your usual Changing of the Guard and Westminster Abbey tours, but there’s also some more offbeat ones which are frankly exceptional.  Why take my word for it? I’m a tour guide myself. I have since led all sorts of walks around London, from cemetery tours, queer history walks to pub outings. I regularly guide in places like The British Museum and National Gallery and after a decade in the industry, here are some of my choices for an unforgettable experience. Need more sightseeing inspiration?🛥️ Here are London’s best boat tours💂‍♂️ Check out our list of 101 things to do in London🛏 Or stay in one

A blustery September weekend awaits us, and while things might be tempestuous outside, inside London’s cultural venues are gearing up for a brand new season of shows, exhibitions and events.  This weekend, some of the biggest exhibitions of the season finally begin after months of anticipation. Head to the Design Museum to learn about the Blitz club, the iconic Covent Garden nightclub where New Romanticism was born in 1979. Hit up the V&A for its autumn blockbuster exhibition looking at the enduring style of ill-fated French queen Marie Antoinette, and see Kerry James Marshall’s big, colourful paintings in one of his biggest shows outside the US at the Royal Academy of Art.  There’s also some standout food events, including Brick Lane Curry Festival, which is back after a nine-year absence, and the Regent Street and St James’s Future of Food Festival, where you can eat cutting-edge dishes and learn about what’s next for our food scene.  Or, get stuck into cosy season by heading out on an autumnal walk, visiting a warming pub or picking up spoils from London’s best markets. Get out there and enjoy!   Start planning: here’s our roundup of the best things to do in London this September In the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.

One minute it’s sunny, the next it’s torrential rain, and there’s a new chill in the air. It can only mean that autumn is here. But there’s no need to lament the passing of summer. The russet-leaf, conker-filled season is our favourite for many reasons, not least because it means that London’s cultural scene kicks off again with a bucket-load of new exhibitions, theatre, and events about to fill our diaries.  This week, some of the biggest exhibitions of the season finally begin after months of anticipation. Head to the Design Museum to learn about the Blitz club, the iconic Covent Garden nightclub where New Romanticism was born in 1979. Hit up the V&A for its autumn blockbuster exhibition looking at the enduring style of ill-fated French queen Marie Antoinette, and see Kerry James Marshall’s big, colourful paintings in one of his biggest shows outside the US at the Royal Academy of Art.  There’s also some standout food events, including Brick Lane Curry Festival, which is back after a nine-year absence, and the Regent Street and St James’s Future of Food Festival, where you can eat cutting-edge dishes and learn about what’s next for our food scene.  Or, get stuck into cosy season by heading out on an autumnal walk, visiting a warming pub or picking up spoils from London’s best markets. Get out there and enjoy! Start planning: here’s our roundup of the best things to do in London this September In the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the ci

New York is a magnetic city to visit no matter what age you are, but with all its towering skyscrapers, iconic landmarks and brilliant museums, the Big Apple is particularly well-catered to family vacations. Handily, Time Out already has a comprehensive roundup of all the best places to keep the little ones entertained on your trip, but downtime for both kids and parents is essential to making the most of your stay. So, that’s why we’ve also built this collection of New York’s top family-friendly hotels, from well-connected affordable stays to luxury resorts, to ensure everyone’s needs are catered for. For the fall, new inclusions are the sleek Virgin Hotels New York, the lovely Shelburne Sonesta and the quintessential, iconic Lucerne, but there’s plenty more where that came from. You’re welcome. 📍 Discover our ultimate guide to the best hotels in New York City How we curate our hotel lists Our team of writers and travel experts review hotels all over the world—new openings, old classics and everything in between—to bring you fresh, honest recommendations, all year round. We have reviewed many of the hotels featured below, but we may not have stayed at every single one. Any we haven’t stayed in have been selected by experts based on their amenities, features, pricing and more. By the way, this article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 🛏 Check out the best Airbnbs in New York

Let's be real, you'll probably spend most of those lazy days between Christmas and New Year watching Yuletide classics, eating chocs, and forgetting how your legs work. But there's a lot to be said for starting your Crimbo movie viewing long before the pressies get doled out. In November and December, venues across the city start putting on special xmas screenings of festive favourites, and they're the perfect excuse to get into the spirit of the season, whether you're a grumpy Grinch or a troublingly perky Elf.  These Christmas specials are full of added incentives to peel you off your sofa, too, including special snacks, live orchestras and sing-a-longs. So it's high time you put a cinema trip on your festive to-do list. Here are the best Christmas movie events the capital has to offer in 2025. RECOMMENDED:🎄 Read our full guide to Christmas in London.🍿 The 50 greatest Christmas movies.

There’s no time quite like the festive season to visit New York—the already twinkly city will be draped in endless lights, red ribbons will be wrapped around banisters and the parks will be glazed over with ice rinks. Hell, you might even get some snow. But, it’d be a shame to find yourself in a hotel which isn’t giving it’s all to the Christmas spirit, and that’s why we’ve done some digging to compile this ‘nice’ list of top places to stay in the month of December. New additions ahead of winter 2025 include the Park Terrace Hotel, Loews Regency New York and voco The Franklin, but there’ll be merriment spreading all over the city, so check out the full list below. 📍 Discover our ultimate guide to the best hotels in New York City How we curate our hotel lists Our team of writers and travel experts review hotels all over the world—new openings, old classics and everything in between—to bring you fresh, honest recommendations, all year round. We have reviewed many of the hotels featured below, but we may not have stayed at every single one. Any we haven’t stayed in have been selected by experts based on their amenities, features, pricing and more. By the way, this article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.🛏️ Check out the best Airbnbs in New York City

We all love Bank Holidays, and if you ask us, the best is saved until last. There’s something about late August Bank Holiday that hits different. It feels like the last gasp of a long, hot summer; a final chance to soak up the sun and lap up the spoils of the season. This year's three-day weekend takes place from Saturday August 23 to Monday August 25 2025.  When it comes to parties, the year definitely saves the best bank holiday till last, mainly thanks to the fact that it means Notting Hill Carnival is back. August in London wouldn’t be the same without Europe’s biggest street party. If you’re heading west for the big day, make sure you look at our guides to the soundsystems, timings and fringe events, so you’re fully prepped for the party.  The long weekend also brings some of London’s finest music festivals. All Points East, Rally, South Facing and Body Movements will be popping up again for the weekend with stellar line-ups featuring some huge acts. Or, venture south for Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, south London’s annual celebration of outdoor theatre, which will fill the streets with spectacular installations and community shows.  Make it count! RECOMMENDED: Our full guide to the bank holiday in London.

Alongside the steel bands, elaborately-dressed dancers, rum punch stands and jerk chicken vendors that make up Notting Hill Carnival, we can’t forget about the bass-quaking and rhythm-shaking sound systems that take over the streets of west London during the annual Caribbean festival.  Notting Hill Carnival’s sound systems are an institution, with some of the DJs having played at the event since its inception. Dotted all across the Carnival area, there are a sound systems for all kinds of Caribbean music, from reggae and roots and ska, to lover’s rock, dance hall and soca, plus bashment, drum and bass, UK garage, hip-hop and so much more, all keeping the party going all day long.  Every corner of W10 over the weekend will become part of a smorgasbord of sound and we’re mapping out the best spots to get stuck in, including iconic sound systems like Channel One, Aba Shanti-I and Gladdy Wax, which will all be there in 2025. Give yourself a head start and check out Carnival’s best sound systems below. What day are the sound systems playing at Notting Hill Carnival 2025? On Carnival Sunday and Monday, over 30 static sound systems will play from noon to 7pm at various locations across the Notting Hill area. Make sure to check this page closer to the date of the Carnival for the most accurate list of sound systems that will be playing and their official locations.   Here’s Time Out’s A-Z of Notting Hill Carnival sound systems this year:

Whether you’re a regular in church or only step into one occasionally to admire the architecture, we can all agree that hearing ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ or ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ reverberating around the spires during Yuletide just hits different. Christmas isn’t Christmas without carol concerts. In between all the of the chaos and hubbub of the festive season, from gift shopping to light displays, festivals and big events, most of the carol services offer welcome moments of respite and reflection. London plays host to a huge variety of Christmas concerts (many of the free) in the run-up to the day. And there’s enough to suit all styles and moods, from the iconic splendour of St Paul’s annual concerts to glam charity bashes and events that highlight cultural traditions. Here’s the best of them.  RECOMMENDED: Our comprehensive guide to Christmas in London

Europe’s largest celebration of Indian film arrives in London for its 16th edition this year. It’s a chance to see UK premieres, anticipated restorations and discover new emerging talent. This year, watch the high-action gangster film Little Jaffna directed by Lawrence Valin, following a rookie cop who goes undercover to infiltrate Tamil gangs in Paris; see a filmic restoration os one of legendary British theatre impresario Peter Brooks’ most famed works, The Mahabharata, which will be attended by some of the original cast; see new work from director Rima Das, who returns with the smoulderingly powerful Village Rockstars 2, about the many challenges facing young people in rural India today; watch Boong, a film telling the story of a disobedient schoolboy’s ambition to mend his broken family in Manipur; and don’t miss Pyre, a Himalyas-set and sumptuously photographed story about an elderly couple struggling to survive in a changing mountain society. Plus, look out for industry events encouraging more British South Asian talent into the industry and the festival’s popular programme of Brit-Asian shorts. See the full programme here:  Wed July 16, 6:10pm, BFI Southbank: Little Jaffna Fri July 18, 8:15pm, BFI Southbank: Village Rockstar 2 Sat July 19, 5:45pm, BFI Southbank: Brit-Asian Shorts Sun July 20, 11am, BFI IMAX: The Mahabharata Tue July 22, 6pm, BFI Southbank: Pyre Wed July 23, 6.10pm, BFI Southbank: Boong

‘A problem shared is a problem halved’ isn’t just a saying, it’s a fact. So, to mark Mental Health Awareness Week (May 12-18), London Designer Outlet is opening a pop-up barbershop offering Londoners valuable emotional check-ins along with a free trim. The shop is a collaboration with Talk Club, the UK’s leading male mental health charity, known for asking ‘How are you? Out of 10?’ in their regular talking groups. There’ll be some talented coiffeurs on hand, with A Star (Ahmed), best known for shaping Jack Grealish and Jude Bellingham’s locks, leading the team of professional barbers who’ve all been trained in Talk Club’s ‘Captain’ programme, and will be giving out free trims and lending an ear for the event. Simply walk in for a trim and a chat on a first-come, first-served basis. There’s also the option to make a donation to support Talk Club. 

What is it?  It’s something when a museum can lay claim to having been opened as Queen Victoria’s last public engagement. In 1899, the current premises of the V&A enjoyed that privilege. It has gone on to become one of the world’s – let alone London’s – most magnificent museums. It is a superb showcase for applied arts from around the globe, appreciably calmer than its tearaway cousins the Science Museum and Natural History Museum on the other side of Exhibition Road. All three museums would be must-visits in another city, but it is the sheer beauty of the V&A that keeps it closest to our hearts. The details? There are some 150 grand galleries over seven floors. They contain countless pieces of furniture, ceramics, sculpture, paintings, posters, jewellery, metalwork, glass, textiles and dress, spanning several centuries. You could run through the highlights for the rest of this guide, but key artefacts include the seven Raphael Cartoons, painted in 1515 as tapestry designs for the Sistine Chapel; the finest collection of Italian Renaissance sculpture outside Italy; the Ardabil carpet, the world’s oldest and arguably most splendid floor covering, in the Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art; and the Luck of Edenhall, a 13th-century glass beaker from Syria. Over more than a decade, the V&A’s ongoing FuturePlan transformation has been a revelation – more than 85 percent of its public spaces have been restored and redesigned. The completely refurbished Medieval & Renaissance Galleries a

Bootylicious – one of London’s longest-running club nights for queer and trans people of colour – was one of the earliest clubs in the capital to strive for diversity on the DJ lineup and the dance floor when it began back in 2001. It’ll be taking over the entire three floors at Scala in King’s Cross for a one-off Easter special. Expect a line-up of hot selectors including the scene’s fast-rising DJs, artists, performers and hosts. Head to the top floor for UK funky house, GQOM, Afro electronic and House with DJs NG and Kyma, the main floor for to hear Bootylicious resident DJs Kartel Brown (promoter of Vogue Rites) ,Biggy C (daddy of Dancehall), Randall Watson and DJ Tyom keep. Or keep it old-school in the Glassbar with a set from Jeffrey Hinton and guests. Starting at 11am and ending at 6am, it’s going to be one big bank holiday blowout.   

What is it? The Science Museum features four floors of educational and entertaining exhibits, including the Soyuz capsule, which brought Tim Peake back from theInternational Space Station Apollo 10 command module and a gamingexperience. The West Hall showcases developments in contemporary science, medicine and technology. Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries contains a substantial collection of medical history treasures. The Pattern Pod is a multi-sensory area for under-eights, Wonderlab holds demonstrations and explainers for bigger kids and Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery lets teenagers discover more about STEM careers. Or, explore the creative work of engineers which change our everyday lives in the Engineers gallery. Exhibits in the Exploring Space gallery include a piece of the Moon and real space rockets suspended from the ceiling and Making the Modern World holds items like the Apollo 10command module. The Clockmakers' Museum, previously held at the Guildhall, is the oldest display of clocks and watches in the world, with most of the 1250 exhibits dating from between 1600 and 1850. The shop is also worth checking out for its wacky toys.  Why go? To see a fascinating showcase of human ingenuity, and get involved with a wealth of enthralling interactive exhibits.  Don’t miss: The museum has its own in-house IMAX: The Ronson Theatre cinema which shows scientific films in 3D, allowing visitors to be surrounded by space or submerged in the depths of the ocean. Ticke

Whatever sort of night you’re after, this glitzy spot can provide it. If you’re feeling competitive there are 11 pool tables to choose from in its stylish pool hall – four luxury American pool tables and seven English tables – surrounded by modern art, chandeliers and leather sofas. Anyone wanting to improve their cue game can book a session with Q’s resident trick shot pro Rico Diks, or if you’re just there for a laugh, book a pool package which can include drinks, food and even bottomless brunch. As well as pool, you’ll find blackjack, poker, and roulette tables as well as a well-equipped bar fully stocked with prosecco. Keep the action going late into the night by heading downstairs to the Q night club where DJs spin a mix of disco, funk, old-school R&B, rock and house into the early hours. There are plenty of dedicated club nights here too, including London favourites like Supa Dupa Fly and R’n’B Brunch Party. If you like your gaming with a side of glamour, Q has you covered. 

Staying up late in one of the Barbican’s iconic Brutalist foyers to listen to the best of London’s DIY music scene sounds like a pretty epic evening. The Barbican’s ClubStage will be making way for south London producer and multi-instrumentalist Wu-Lu, who’ll be spinning his eclectic record collection that’s inspired his punk-rap sound at this night celebrating the capital’s grassroots music scene. He’ll be joined by goth hardcore rapper Denzel Himself and queer multi-instrumentalist and producer Sheiva, who’ll all be making noise until 2.30am. If you’re looking for a club night with a difference, you’ve found it. 

Do you have a dog-eared copy of Hamnet on your bedside table? Meet Maggie O’Farrell the author behind the best-seller, as well as eight further novels, at this talk with BBC culture journalist Katie Razzall. Expect the evening to touch on everything from O’Farrell’s writing practice, her memoir, I Am, I Am, I Am, detailing 17 near-death experiences which have punctuated her life and her most recent novel, The Marriage Portrait, which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize.

It might have had a makeover a couple of years ago, but Jeremy Lee’s Quo Vardis still oozes old-school Soho and has been rustling up some of the capital’s finest food since 2012. Now it’s collaborating with its favourite producers and suppliers for a programme of tasty-sounding culinary events.  Announced so far is a celebration of caviar and vodka on February 19, a supper focussing on quality British meat from famous butcher Swaledale on March 19, Basque cooking from Tomos Parry on April 23, a menu paired with Journey’s End’s wines from the West Cape of the Stellenbosch on May 7 and a supper from four of London’s most interesting wine-focused restaurants – 40 Maltby Street, Planque, Camille and Cadet – in June. They’ll be sure to sell out fast, so keep an eye out for ticket releases for each event by signing up to the Quo Vadis Rocket newsletter. 

The famous and historic London rowing contest between the UK’s oldest two universities returns for its 170th edition on Sunday April 13, 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 holds the course record of 16 minutes 19 seconds, set in 1998). The women’s race is usually up first, followed by the men’s race an hour later. 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. Putney Bridge, Hammersmith and Kew Gardens tube stations will all be in use on the day, as will Putney, Barnes Bridge, Mortlake or Chiswick rail stations, while Putney Embankment, Thames Bank, Hammersmith Bridge and Barnes Bridge will be closed to vehicles for much of the day.

Brilliant news for bookworms: London has a brand new literature festival. The Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words will be exploring how words shape our world all while celebrating its heritage as the home of London’s printing press. The headliners already on the bill include  Booker Prize-winning author Ben Okri and Kate Mosse OBE. Elsewhere there’ll be talks from screenwriter Ed Docx and author Mick Herron on the process of bringing TV hit Slow Horses from book to screen; Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Iain Dale, and Sir Richard Evans will discuss history’s lessons from its most notorious dictators, Jeremy Vine will present new crime fiction series Murder on Line One; Nick Wallis (The Great Post Office Scandal) and Caroline Wheeler (Death in the Blood) will spotlight the power of long-form investigative journalism and there’ll also be talks on Samuel Pepys’ Diary, the real Wolf Hall and the life of Thomas Cromwell and breakfast events with The Times and the Daily Telegraph to explore the biggest news headlines for the day. The whole festival will be analysing how words can shift the balance of power from censorship to freedom of speech to technology and AI, so expect some especially insightful discussions.  Full line-up and ticket information to be announced in March

Back for its fifteenth edition, the Cinema Made In Italy festival will be celebrating the best new Italian cinema and filmmakers at its new home at BFI Southbank. Over five days, the festival will screen 10 of the best contemporary Italian films, including biopics, period drama, historical epics, noir thrillers and documentaries. Much of the programme will be receiving its first screening in the UK and some screenings will feature talks from the directors and cast members. This year look out for Francesca Comencini’s The Time It Takes charting her relationship with her famous filmmaker father, Anywhere Anytime from Milad Tangshir portraying Issa, an African migrant scratching out a living in Turin, a special archive screening of the classic Italian comedy Bread, Love and Dreams and Andrea Segre’s biopic of a popular communist Italian political leader Enrico Berlinguer, The Great Ambition. 

Harry Styles has had one held in his honour. So have Dev Patel, Paul Mescal and Timothee Chalamet. Now it’s time for the Star Man to get a slice of the döppleganger action. A David Bowie lookalike contest is being held in central London this weekend with a judging panel full of Bowie’s original collaborators. It’s all part of Ziggyfest, a celebration of the late, great David Bowie at Mayfair’s Ziggy Green, a Bowie-themed cafe from Aussie cafe collective Daisy Green. The place is usually filled with Bowie-based art and serves Bowie-inspired cocktails, like the Major Tom and Milk and Red Peppers, as well as gourmet Shepherd’s pie, which was supposedly the musician’s favourite dish. But, from 12 noon to 1am on Saturday September 6, it’s planning a full day of celebrations in memory of the Thin White Duke. And its roping in some very special guests for the occasion.  The festivities will begin with a champagne brunch hosted by Spiders From Mars drummer Woody Woodmansey and Bowie’s hairstylist Suzi Ronson. The rest of the day will include a Bowie tour of Soho by Geoff Marsh (the curator of the V&A’s David Bowie Is) and a conversation with one of his photographers, Chris Duffy. In the evening, there’ll be DJ sets and live music from musicians who played with Bowie at Live Aid. And, you’d better get your best flamboyantly androdrynous outfit nailed down now, because the winner of the Bowie lookalike competition will take home a £500 cash prize, a Daisy Green black card and a self-

Each year, Time Out surveys thousands of people around the world to generate our annual ranking of the world’s greatest cities. For the first time this year, we set out to discover which locations were best rated by Gen Z by asking people under 30 what they thought about their city’s nightlife, food, culture, access to green spaces, and walkability. The result? Edinburgh was declared the UK’s best city for Gen Z, with London coming in at a not-too-shabby second place.  To mark London’s silver-medal placement, we asked Rory Marshall, a comedian who regularly performs in London (and has just finished his sold-out character comedy show Pathetic Little Characters at the Edinburgh Fringe,) to recommend his top four comedy nights in the city where you can chortle the night away for £15 and under. Life in London is spenny enough for the city’s twenty somethings. Here’s how to laugh for less. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Knock2Bag (@knock2bag) 1. Knock2Bag at Moth Club, Hackney  What is it? A live comedy night at the golden-hued Hackney Central trade hall, Moth Club, that plays host to packed line-ups full of big names and hot new acts.  Why Rory loves it? It’s the best comedy night in London. You might end up paying a little more for a ticket, but the standard and variety you get means it’s extremely good value. The night verges towards the ‘alternative’ side of comedy, but there’s always something for everyone, and you get to watch come

If you ask us, supporting the Lionesses should come with some sort of medical warning. Our hearts our still racing after Tuesday night’s agonising semi-final against Italy, when teenage sensation Michelle Agyemang once again rescued England from the jaws of defeat with an equaliser six minutes into stoppage time, before Chloe Kelly smashed home the rebound of her saved penalty late in extra time to take Sarina Wiegman’s comeback queens to another European final.  When is the England vs Spain Euro 2025 final? The reigning champions will get a chance to retain the historic title they clinched at Wembley three summers ago this Sunday July 27 at 5pm (BST), as they face Spain in the final in Basel in a repeat of the 2023 Women’s World Cup Final and a mirror of last summer’s Men’s Euros Final. England have faced Spain three times in the Women’s Euros, with those games coming in the three most recent tournaments. Spain won 3-2 in a group stage meeting in 2013, while the Lionesses won 2-0 in the 2017 group stages and came from behind in the quarter finals in 2022 to win 2-1 in extra time. Who is the favourite to win the Women’s Euros? The bookies have given Spain marginally better odds than England, but in reality the match-up looks too close to call. Spain were the clear favourite heading in the Euros, put in some thoroughly dominant displays during the group stage of the tournament, and count current Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí and two-time winner Alèxia Putellas in their s

Spring has officially sprung this week, but for many Londoners the first weekend of a brighter, warmer new season comes just before pay day. Counting down the days your bank balance is no longer in the red?  Resigned to a weekend spent indoors, eating leftovers with the heating off? Never fear!  There’s loads of great fun to be had around the city this weekend, if you know where to look. From free club nights to late openings, an arty market and a last-chance exhibition, here are five fabulous free events happening in London over the next few days. Science Gallery Spring Equinox Late The Science Gallery celebrates the arrival of brighter, warmer days with a Friday night late themed around the ‘Pulse of the Planet’. Visitors can check out DJ sets curated by Club Sol, take part in creative writing workshops and reflection sessions, and watch a screening of emerging artist Julianknxx’s film Black Corporeal (Breathing by Numbers) exploring the start realities of environmental poverty. Tickets are free, but be sure to book in advance.  Science Gallery. Fri Mar 21. Free. BFI Flare DJ Nights The UK’s largest queer film event is back this week, with over 130 films plus a whole bunch of talks, panels, creative workshops and after-hours events to check out over the next eight days. The BFI’s Southbank headquarters are a vibey place to hang out during the festival, regardless of whether you’ve nabbed tickets to some screenings. And this is particularly true on weekend evenings, when a h

The weekend sun seems to have given London a shake up, as though it has injected colour back into the city. Blossom is growing on trees, flowers are shooting up from grass, and the city’s museums and galleries are also gearing up for a new lease of life, with all sorts of exciting exhibition openings in the calendar for this month.  From striking Munch portraits at the National Portrait Gallery to evocative photography documenting everyday life in northern Britain, these are the best new exhibitions arriving in the capital as spring starts to show.  Six London art exhibitions to see in March 2025  Photograph: Seated Model on the Couch, Birgit Prestøe, Edvard Munch, 1924 © Munchmuseet. Photo: Munchmuseet / Sidsel de Jong. Edvard Munch Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery We all know Edvard Munch’s masterpiece ‘The Scream’, but there was a lot more to him: this show at the National Portrait Gallery catalogues the great Norwegian expressionist through his portraits of family, friends, fellow artists, writers, art collectors and others in his lifetime. Intimate, energetic and deeply human, this exhibit is set to remind us why Munch had such influence in his sphere and far beyond.   Edvard Munch Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, March 13-June 15 2025. More details here. Textiles: The Art of Mankind From the clothes we wear to the furniture in our homes, textiles are functional, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be art at the same time. Since ancient times humans

When it comes to American sports, it doesn’t get any bigger than the Super Bowl. The NFL’s most prestigious competition is arguably the most important annual fixture in the country’s sporting calendar, with millions of Americans getting together at screening parties to watch the action on TV. But with over 200,000 Americans living in London, and the sport steadily growing in popularity among Brits, it’s also a reasonably big deal here too. Thousands of Londoners will be staying up til the early hours this Sunday to watch all the action from the New Orleans Superdome, where the game kicks off at 11.30pm UK time. Super Bowl LIX sees the Kansas City Chiefs attempt a three-peat against the Philadelphia Eagles, in a replay of 2022’s event, the first of the Chiefs’ back-to-back titles. As well as all the cheerleading, interceptions, touchdowns and numerous cutaways to Taylor Swift cheering on boyfriend Travis Kelce from the stands, there’s also the epic half-time show from Kendrick Lamar, who arrives in New Orleans fresh from picking up five awards at the Grammys last weekend. Of course, you could catch all the action on your TV at home. But for a raucous atmosphere, freshly-poured pints, themed snacks and all manner of live entertainment, head to one of these Super Bowl screening parties around the city.  The best places to watch Super Bowl LIX in London Bad Sports: Super Bowl LIX Remember Hackney’s Bad Sports Bar? The now-closed (but never forgotten) US-style bar that served slam

Fancy yourself a bit of an oenophile? Then you’ll probably already know that this coming Thursday is a pretty big day in the wine world. That’s because the third Thursday of November is Beaujolais Nouveau Day, i.e. the first day on which this year’s bottles of the good stuff are allowed to be sold. A gamay grape wine from the Beaujolais district of Burgundy, Beaujolais Nouveau is one of the few varieties of plonk that’s sold during the same year in which it’s produced. The juicy red has gained a bit of a following in London in recent years, with many of the capital’s favourite wine bars throwing special events to celebrate the cult cuvée. Here are some we especially like the look of.  Gordon’s Beaujolais Breakfast If Beaujolais Nouveau Day is the equivalent of Christmas in your world, then Gordon’s should be the first place you head to on the Big Day. London’s oldest wine bar is playing every oenophile’s St Nick, letting you sip on glasses of the good stuff bright and early from 8am on, so you can sample this year’s crop before everyone else. They’ll be serving up Full English brekkies to soak up all the booze, and nice strong coffees for anyone needing to sober up quickly. All the same, we’d probably still advise going into the office on this particular Thursday. Gordon’s Wine Bar. Thu Nov 16. Free entry. Top Cuvée Beaujolais Nouveau Masterclass If there’s a burgeoning trend on the British wine scene, you can bet that London’s most ‘banter’ wine merchants will be heavily i

Like NFTs and Orlando Bloom, sherry has long been tipped by those in the know to be due its big moment of glory, but somehow the giddy heights of ultimate popularity never came. No matter how successfully the fortified wine has shaken off its reputation as the sickly sweet drink your Gran would drag out every Christmas, unlike port or tequila, sherry has never fully experienced its moment in the sun. But, passing over the Spanish delicacy is a big fat miss on the part of any discerning oenophile. ‘Sherry is actually the driest wine in the world because of the way it's made,’ says Sandra, bar manager at Spanish importer and restaurant group Brindisa. ‘There are lots of completely different styles that are dry, fresh, salty and refreshing.’ The Jerez-made wine also has a far more storied heritage than you might think. ‘Sherry is a super classic ingredient in traditional mixology,’ says Sandra. ‘If you go to that golden era of mixology in the 18th and early 19th centuries you get a lot of sherry and old recipe books feature a lot of it too.’ A drink called the ‘Sherry Cobbler’ became hugely popular in the 1840s coinciding with the invention of the drinking straw, while another sherry cocktail, the ‘Artist’s Special’, was invented in Paris in the 1930s, becoming a favourite with Picasso and other artists living in the city at the time.  This week – November 6 to 12 – marks National Sherry Week and in celebration of its glitzy history we’ve rounded up the very best sherry cocktail

London is pretty stressful, right? In fact, complaining about stress – that annoying neighbour playing hardcore techno right under your bedroom ceiling every night or the mindfuck of trying to exit any Central line platform at Oxford Circus – is a time-honoured London pastime. But if you were forced to relax and then timed on how long it takes you to reach a calm level of zen? Well, that might well sound like the most disquieting experience of them all. However, in the name of peace and tranquillity, that’s exactly what’s coming to London this month.  The Extreme Relaxing UK Championships will be landing in the Kia Oval, a venue usually known for anxiety-inducing cricket matches. It’s Europe’s first-ever competitive event dedicated to relaxing and involves 30 frazzled people going head-to-head to see who can achieve a relaxed state against the clock in the face of stressful ‘obstacles’.  Each contestant will have their resting heart rate taken before competing in three heats. They’ll be tested, scientifically, for their speed at relaxing and their ability to recover from stressful surprises like car alarms and jarring TV clips, presumably playing scenes like accidentally cc’ing the wrong person into a *sensitive* email chain or being made to re-watch the Lionesses’ penalty shootout against Nigeria in the Fifa World Cup this week. The winner will be able to take these fraught experiences in their stride and reach a state of calm in the fastest time possible.  It may all sound

London is already doing its bit to reassess the patriarchy. The city is home to The Women’s Library at the London School of Economics and The Feminist Library in Peckham, and now a new glass-ceiling mashing institution is about to join the feminist fold.  Barking and Dagenham Council has announced plans to open a Women’s Museum later this year. If you live around Barking Wharf Square you may have already spotted the future site which is covered with a mural designed by artist Clare Mason displaying a timeline of local women’s history stretching from 600AD to the present day and featuring female trailblazers such as Mary Wollstonecraft, Muriel Lester and Doris Lester, Sandie Shaw and Zara McFarlane.  Psst! There’s no better day than #InternationalWomensDay to share a little SNEAK PEAK of what we're working on to celebrate the amazing women from our borough. Keep your eyes peeled 👀 for more info coming soon. #WomensMuseum pic.twitter.com/V70MgpdjsU — Barking and Dagenham (@lbbdcouncil) March 8, 2023 The space, which is linked to the local history service at timber-beamed Tudor manor Valence House Museum and Archives, aims to ‘showcase the history, heritage, stories and role of women from the local area and beyond.’ Due to open in late 2023, the programming will kick off with an exhibition by curator and artist Nephertiti Oboshie Schandorf on the Abbesses of Barking Abbey, exploring how the former Royal Monastery was home to radical and highly-educated women

London has one of the best public transport systems in the world. But anyone who’s spent a hot, sticky journey on the coach to Luton Airport or faced a long meandering trundle down the Piccadilly Line stressing about making a flight at Heathrow knows that travelling to the capital’s airports can be a trying experience.  That’s where the Heathrow Express comes in: the Uber executive of train journeys, the snazzy express service whisks passengers from Paddington Station to Heathrow Airport in just 15 minutes, making it the fastest direct rail route between central London and the UK’s biggest airport. But there’s a hefty price to pay for the speedy journey. The Heathrow Express is the second most expensive rail journey in Britain, costing £25, or £1.50 per mile for the 16.5-mile trip. This didn’t stop the Heathrow Express from generating a whopping £31 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2019, with people opting to pay a premium for stress-free travel. But things might be about to change for the high-speed service.  According to reports seen by The Times, the opening of the Elizabeth Line appears to have made a dent in the Express’s revenues. Heathrow Express’s passenger numbers apparently haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels despite flights at the airport being pretty much back to normal. Heathrow said revenues from Heathrow Express in the first three months of 2023 were at £22 million – a third less than during the first quarter of 2019. The new Lizzy Line gets you t

It’s that time of year again when the Michelin Guide bestows its shiny stars on the great and the good of the British and Irish restaurant scene. Yep, it’s Michelin awards ceremony day when chefs across the two nations wait in anticipation to see who has received new stars (and retained them) for 2023.   Whether or not you think that the awards are too highbrow, too European or too dwindling in relevancy, there’s no denying the clout that the big fat white man mascot still holds. Plus, those little stars can have a huge impact on a restaurant’s footfall, which is especially important right now after years of turbulence thanks to the pandemic, not to mention inflation, and rising food and energy costs.   As any proud London foodie knows, the capital is home to a wealth of brilliant restaurants. So it’s no surprise that London’s dining rooms usually occupy a good chunk of Michelin’s list. This year, there are four new one-star restaurants in the capital and two new two-stars. No new three stars were awarded in London this year. Only one restaurant has been given the proverbial chop and lost a star: Seven Park Place in Mayfair. Sadly one of the restaurants that held a Michelin star in 2022 has permanently closed: The Glasshouse in Kew.  Here’s the full list of new Michelin stars for London restaurants, and who’s in, and who’s out.  Which London restaurants have won a 2023 Michelin star? NEW ONE-STARS Cycene, Shoreditch – Theo Clench Luca, Clerkenwell – Robert Chambers St Ba