Alice Saville

Summer's finally here! And that means it's high time you dug out last year's swimsuit (faintly bobbly though it may be) and took it for a spin in one of London's many gorgeous outdoor pools. But don't even think of heading to your local noisy, chlorine-scented indoor swimming baths. When the temperatures soar, lidos are the only way to go. I'm one of the growing band of Londoners who's been bitten by the outdoor swimming bug, and braved the waters at every al fresco pool I can find in this city. Yep, the water's a bit chilly. But that's the whole point: to feel that rush of exhilaration you only get once your body adjusts to the cool water and starts gliding through it like a dolphin (or in my case, a geriatric elephant seal – I said I'm a keen outdoor swimmer, not a good one).   The seriously dedicated will head to wild swimming spots where you bob about face to face with aggy ducks and the odd bit of pondweed. But if you want to get a proper swim in, lidos are the easiest, freshest way to do it. Heated or unheated, regimented lanes or wide open water, serious fitness or chilled family fun – these are all of London’s best lidos and outdoor swimming pools for making a splash in this summer. Best lidos and outdoor swimming spots in London at a glance 🏊‍♀️ Best for getting lengths in: Tooting Bec Lido 🥐 Best for a post swim brunch: Brockwell Lido ☀️ Best for warm water all year round: Pools on the Park ✨ Best for beautiful views: Parliament Hill Lido 🏖️ Best for hanging ou

Once the clocks have gone back, the weather has gone all blustery and autumnal, and Halloween has been and gone, it’s time to remember, remember the fifth of November.  Of all of the UK’s winter traditions, there’s nothing like gathering in a park in the nippy nights of early November to watch a pile of flaming wood and fireworks piercing the sky. Bonfire Night – aka Guy Fawkes Night –might sound strange to those unfamiliar with it, but it’s a great British tradition and one of the highlights of the second half of the year. London puts on a plethora of Bonfire Night and fireworks displays with sparkly skies, yummy street food and so much more. We’ll be updating this page as more details of this year’s events are released.  When is Bonfire Night in London? You know the old adage! Bonfire Night is officially on November 5 every year, and this year, that falls on a Thursday. You’ll find some displays on the night itself, but most will be taking place on either the weekend before or after so you can really make the most of the fun. These days, fireworks displays are about more than bonfires and colourful skies – it’s now the norm for events to boast funfairs, food stalls and more. Top tips for Bonfire Night in London  Book in advance: Some events you can just rock up to and pay on the gate; others sell out early and don’t keep tickets back for the spontaneous among us. The key to not being disappointed is being organised! Wrap up: The unpredictable great British weather rarely

As much as we love clinging to the last traces of summer, October signals a change of pace. Beer gardens empty out, big coats get fished out of wardrobes, and we all start to remember the joys of the great indoors. London's cultural institutions come alive, with line-ups designed to lure us within their walls: there's a host of big theatre productions, major film releases and 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. 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. 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 2026.   RECOMMENDED:📆 The definitive London events calendar

There's something so deeply joyful about shopping at a market. When you're buying from people who're passionate about their wares, the familiar business of picking up supplies becomes a treat, not a chore. Why chain yourself to a supermarket trolley when you could be strolling past stalls piled high with lovingly-sourced cheeses, gleaming fruit and homemade cakes? Why hunt for an unimaginative chain store gift for your bestie when you could give them painstakingly crafted trinket they won't see anywhere else? As a lifelong Londoner, I've never been able to resist the lure of this city's markets. If I'm in London Bridge, I'll stop into Borough Market for a quick chai and pastry. If I want a dose of Paddington Bear nostalgia I'll head to storied Portobello Road. If I want to feel bad about my fashion choices, I'll wander down Broadway Market alongside this city's fittest and trendiest denizens. And if I want to take my life into my own hands, I'll make for Camden Market on a Saturday afternoon in search of whatever viral snack the teens are obsessing over this week. London's best markets are full of local flavour, and each will have its own specialities. Pick up muddy, delicious veg at a farmers’ market, try out new looks at a fashion market, consume the latest trends in street food or rifle through crates of antique gems. Whichever you opt for, you'll be supporting the little guy by buying from small businesses that really care about what they're selling.  London’s best market

We all know that London is full of worldclass, crowd-pulling museums, cultural attractions, green spaces, theatres, and music venues. Yawn. You can do better. Because delightful though this city's most famous spots are, there's way more fun to be had plunging off the beaten track and into London's hidden quirky side. Ever wanted to try the trapeze, eat dinner in a working denim factory or tour a Victorian sewer? London is full of unique things to do, ready to fulfil your wildest dreams, or to give you some new ones to aspire to. In my decade working as a London arts journalist, I've traipsed across this city hunting out unusual ways to spend my weekend. Here are the very best, most unusual ways to escape the mundane and try something fresh.  Unique things to do in London at a glance 🌮 Best for foodies: Slowburn 🎢 Best for thrill seekers: Gorilla Circus Flying Trapeze School 💆 Most relaxing: Sauna Social Club 🌑 Most unique dining experience: Dans le Noir 🎉 Best for parties: House Party RECOMMENDED:The best quirky bars and pubs in LondonOur favourite quirky restaurants in LondonThe 50 best things to do in London

June in London is pretty much as good as it gets. It’s hot but not too hot. Festival season is in full swing. And there’s the blissful anticipation of months more gorgeous weather ahead, perfect for picnicking, spilling out onto pavements outside pubs, exploring parks, or partying all day long.  There’s plenty of fun in store during the early days of summer, including the second edition of Lido festival (featuring CMAT and Maribou State), the return of SXSW London, and blockbuster exhibitions on Anish Kapoor and Frida Kahlo.  Plus, the capital truly comes into its own this month: beer gardens are at their prime, the city parks are at their prettiest, the open-air theatre season gets going 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.  RECOMMENDED: Plan a great summer with our guide to London’s best music fests Get ahead of the pack and start planning your perfect July in London. 

Look, we love London. But even so, we can't deny that this city is devilishly good at coming up with ways to drain your bank balance, whether it's restaurants that persuade you to order an ever-expanding array of small plates, surprisingly costly pints, or shops so high-end you're scared to so much as sneeze. Still, does that mean you need money to have a good time? Absolutely not. As Time Out editors, we’ve become experts at hunting down ways to enjoy the city on a shoestring. Lots of us started out as broke students here, and since then we’ve scoured every corner for cheap things to do before payday hits.  From free museums and art galleries to gorgeous parks, gratis jazz nights to balletic performances that won’t cost you a penny, you could easily fill every night of the week with free stuff to do in London (although if you’re willing to part with a few quid, there’s plenty more great stuff to do around the city for less than the price of your average Zone 1 pint). So when it comes to planning a fun day or night out in London, 'I'm too broke' just doesn't cut it as an excuse anymore. Read on for some fab, free ways to make yourself (and your bank balance) very happy indeed.  RECOMMENDED: 101 best things to do in London Best free things to do in London at a glance 🐥 Best for families: Visit a city farm 😂 Best for a laugh: Angel Comedy nights ☀️ Best for a hot day: Visit a park 🛍️ Best for browsing: Visit a market

Running 26.2 miles across our great city dressed as a rhino or Colin the Caterpillar is a feat that the majority of us Londoners will probably never be brave enough to attempt. But some courageous souls who aren’t averse to hours of gruelling training willingly put themselves in the crosshairs of shin splints and runner’s knee and, for that, they should be applauded. So, when 50,000 of them take part in the London Marathon in a few months, it’s your duty to cheer them on. The 2026 marathon will take place on Sunday April 26, and will follow the traditional route from Greenwich Park into central London, through a much-photographed stretch that takes in Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. Use our guide below to plan where you’ll station yourself and to track down nearby pubs and bars for when all that whooping and clapping leaves you feeling nearly as parched as the runners. Remember: your presence at this monumental sporting occasion means it is 100 per cent allowed to drink lager or rosé in the street at 10am. Keep in mind that you won’t be having a lie-in until lunchtime if you plan to attend. Everyone taking part laces up pretty early, with elite runners usually starting their slog around 8.30am before the masses join them from 10am. Here’s our winning guide to this year’s marathon. What landmarks can I spot on the London Marathon route? If you hadn’t noticed, the marathon route is loooooong. Starting in Greenwich Park in south-east London and finishing right by Buc

They might not be as well-known as Spain’s stretches of sand or the sun-bleached white fringes of the Seychelles, but the UK's beaches still pack a punch. Who needs palm trees or constantly balmy temperatures when you've got the lure of the classic British seaside, from tutti-frutti striped beach huts and deck chairs to stone harbours, donkey rides and fish ‘n’ chips.  If you live in London, the pull of a jolly boys’ outing is hard to resist when the temperature starts to climb in the summer months, and it’s easier to swap views of skyscrapers for salty air and unending sea horizons than you might think. There’s a whole range of secluded, photogenic beach destinations, all steeped in charm, just a short train journey away on the UK’s southern coast. Luckily, London sits within easy reach of seaside towns, scenic coastal walks and even some of the best beaches in the UK.  Whether you want to explore the vast, unbroken expanse of Camber Sands to the eerie, otherworldly beauty of Dungeness, we’ve rounded up the best beaches within two hours of the capital. Best beaches near London at a glance 🏊‍♀️ Best for swimming: East Beach, Littlehampton 🦀 Best for scoffing seafood: Leigh-on-Sea ☀️ Best for secluded sunbathing: Botany Bay, near Broadstairs ✨ Best for sheer beauty: Cuckmere Haven, Seaford 🏖️ Best for seaside kitsch: Clacton-on-Sea, Essex RECOMMENDED: The best day trips from LondonThe best family day trips from LondonThe best weekend trips from London

Once, London's bubble tea culture was confined to a handful of tiny shops in Chinatown. But now, we're in the middle of a serious boba boom, with brand new joints popping up all over the city. Suddenly, Londoners are rarely more than a few minutes away from bubble tea shops that offer a thrilling variety of toppings. Popping pearls, custard, cheese, cornflakes... if you can suck it through an extra-wide straw, you can probably find it in the depths of a bubble tea somewhere in this city.  Bubble tea was invented by an enterprising tea shop in Taiwan's Taichung City, where a cafe owner had the idea of adding chewy tapioca 'pearls' to his signature drink. So it's unsurprising that many of London's bubble tea shops are branches of Taiwan-based chains like Yi Fang or Ding Tea. But there are plenty of smaller outfits serving up creative takes on this fun beverage, alongside snacks like wheelcakes or pork buns. Here's our pick of the very best. RECOMMENDED: The best ice cream in London.

Think London museums and you're probably imagining the Victorian-era titans of South Kensington and Bloomsbury, with their grand facades and teeming collections of artefacts plundered from across the world. But although the likes of the British Museum and Natural History Museum are a fine place to squander a day or two, there are plenty of other, more atmospheric treasure troves to uncover in this history-stuffed city. These weird and wonderful museums are often the legacy of a single collector's private passions, and visiting them can feel like stepping inside someone's mind, the walls lined with objects that document their interests and obsessions. Often, that passion can be infectious. You don't have to be a Bridgerton fan to take a flutter on Greenwich's Fan Museum, where you'll find these frivolous accessories actually have a fascinating, often political history. Even if you loathe patterned wallpaper, the William Morris Museum might well intrigue you with its insights into this radical thinker and designer's mind. And you'll emerge an instant old movie buff from your tour of Kennington's Cinema Museum. Read on for our pick of the small museums that outdo the big guys for flair, fun and sheer atmosphere. London’s best weird and strange small museums at a glance: 🎀 Best for gross things in jars: Grant Museum of Zoology, Bloomsbury ⛵ Best for charming kids' toys: Pollocks Toy Museum, Croydon 🪴 Best for feeling like you're time-travelling: Dennis Severs House, Tower Haml

January 2026: It’s official: London is experiencing a fast-mushrooming plant-based restaurant boom. Across the city, creative chefs are showing off their prowess with plants, creating pitch-perfect imitations of meaty comfort food classics, or dreaming up new vegetable-based delights. Whether you’re after a lavish night of culinary theatre, a delicate Middle Eastern spread, or a Michelin-star winning tasting menu, you’ll find it in our list of London’s best vegan restaurants. Read on to plan your next meat-free feast. London’s best vegan restaurants at a glance: 🔥 Best for spicy Sichuan dishes: Facing Heaven, Hackney 🏆 Best for Michelin star dining: Plates, Shoreditch 🌴 Best for Caribbean classics: Jam Delish, Angel 💐 Best for date night: Holy Carrot, Notting Hill 🥪 Best for a swift sarnie: Coven of Wiches, Walthamstow RECOMMENDED: London’s best restaurants for vegetarian food. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

This review is from 2022. The P Word returns to the Bush Theatre in 2026 with the cast unchanged. Waleed Akhtar’s gorgeous, devastating new play is split between two Britains. One’s the twenty-first century, ‘love is love’ home of corporate Pride sponsorship and endless app-enabled sexual possibilities. And the other one’s tougher, older – medieval, almost – a place where gay asylum seekers are intrusively questioned about their sexual behaviour, and banished to their deaths. The resulting drama might sound grim, and sometimes it is, but ‘The P Word’ is also heart-meltingly lovely, full of faith in the transformative power of love and friendship.Akhtar himself plays Bilal, a Grindr-addicted gay man who deals with the lingering stigma of growing up a ‘fat Pakistani poof’ by throwing himself into self-punishing gym sessions. His story is spliced with that of gay Pakistani asylum seeker Zafar (Esh Alladi), who’s living an impoverished existence in Hounslow, advised by his lawyer to back up his case by taking photos of himself participating in a LGBTQ+ scene he couldn't feel more adrift from. Director Anthony Simpson-Pike creates subtle physical echoes between the two – Bilal does push-ups as Zafar offers desperate prayers – that emphasise their different shades of loneliness, both cut off from their families by their sexual identity. Max John’s ambitious set design makes them begin on separate halves of a circular stage that starts to revolve as their stories finally collide.‘

The most perfumed page of the LGBTQ+ history books is reserved for Henry Paget, fifth Marquis of Anglesey. A turn-of-the-century aristocrat whose dangerous addiction to jewels, outlandish get-ups and lavish theatricals nearly sunk the economy of a small Welsh island, he's already been the subject of a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek stage musical (Seiriol Davies' award-winning How to Win Against History). Now his story is getting a more straightforward outing in this entertaining, if sometimes plodding period flick. Its star Callum Scott-Howells rose to fame playing timid, tragic Colin in Channel 4 AIDS drama It's a Sin. He gets to have more fun as Paget, even if his tragic downfall is on the cards right from the film's opening minutes: he coughs, and a few specks of blood fall onto the cameo of his beloved mother that always hangs around his neck. Scott-Howells' likeable performance captures the varying moods of this mad, maddening aristocrat. Initially, he's invested with the dignity of Anne Boleyn being rowed to the scaffold as he sails into Anglesey harbour, reluctantly leaving gay Paris for soggy Wales, where he must adopt his position among the tedious gentry. Rupert Everett makes a welcome appearance as his butler-cum-mentor Gelert, named after a loyal dog from Welsh mythology, and full of faintly-exasperated kindness towards this young pup. Gradually, his charge starts to have a little fun. Paget is a turn-of-the-century aristocrat with a dangerous addiction to jewels Dir

Three moons are shining bright in the sky over the castle. Fearsome guards in eerie gold masks are standing by. And in the secrecy of the grand bedchamber, breathy lady of the manor Cherry (Maika Monroe) is being seduced by her phlegmatic maid Hero (Emma Corrin). The world of director Julia Jackman's queer fable (based on Isabel Greenberg's feminist graphic novel on the same name) is extravagant and strange, blending misty-lensed period drama cliché with surreal Derek Jarman-esque aesthetics and eccentric cameos, including Charli xcx as a witch strumming a vaginal guitar. Still, there's something oddly restrained about her storytelling, which sucks the passion out of this fantastical tale. Greenberg's original illustrations depicted the weird old world she's dreamt up with a scrappiness and affectionate wit that's often missing here. Instead, Jackman focuses on heightening the moody grimness and eccentric details of this patriarchal dystopia. We open with tyrannical deity Birdman (Richard E Grant) stomping around, insisting that women know their place – which is looking pretty, having babies, and certainly not developing any ideas of their own. This doesn't bode well for Cherry. Her new husband Jerome (Amir El-Masry) refuses to sleep with her, even though she'll be put to death by the powers that be if she fails to get pregnant. Then, this charming chap decides to make a bet with his Mills and Boon cover-worthy guy friend Manfred (The Idea of You’s Nicholas Galitzine). If th

Dulwich Picture Gallery's big summer exhibition will be an intriguing contrast with the pastoral landscapes found in its permanent collection. Portrait of a City is all about American urban life, as documented by photographers between 1907 and 2012. It'll offer a fascinating insight into how big cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco grew from low-rise communities into towering assemblages of skyscrapers and multi-lane traffic. Photos from big names including Diane Arbus, Lewis Hine and Dorothea Lange will chart the faces and sights of cities in flux.

If you haven't yet set foot in the Institut Français, housed in an ornate red-brick building in south Kensington, then its annual film bonanza is a great excuse to visit. This November, its French Film Festival returns for its 33rd year with a hefty programme that showcases the freshest and best new films from across the Channel. Taking place across two weeks in the venue's two-screen Ciné Lumière, this bigger-than-ever edition features more than 76 screenings of 33 Gallic cinematic treats, including plenty of UK premieres of newly released films, a number of which were released to critical acclaim at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Highlights include this year’s Palme d'Or winner It Was Just an Accident by the award-winning director Jafar Panahi, a thriller exploring political repression. In Black to the Future, comedian Jean-Pascal Zadi imagines the first African space mission as creating a place of refuge for a whole diaspora. And The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania won a Silver Lion at Venice and an astonishing 23-minute standing ovation for its moving depiction of suffering in Gaza. There's also a classic cinema strand featuring freshly-restored copies of French landmarks, and some spectacular animated works aimed at families: browse the full programme for details. 

What is it?  Ever wanted to escape to Far, Far Away, where donkeys talk, dragons soar, and Puss in Boots has surprisingly impressive sword skills? Here's your chance. This 70-minute interactive tour through the world of Shrek is a Southbank attraction that's squarely aimed at family audiences. It's made by the team behind London Dungeons so expect a similar walk-and-gawk approach (but with a lot less creepy, gory stuff of course). Live actors will embody some of your faves from the films, while impressive cinematic effects will create 3D visuals that'll make you feel like you're meeting dragons for real. Why go? Perhaps you're a parent giving in to pester power. Or perhaps you're a Shrek fan full of nostalgia for this lovable movie. Either way, you'll find all the green ogre-based silliness yor heart could desire at this offbeat attraction. Don’t miss:  The Magic Bus is a red double decker that'll take you on a 4D simulated journey through Far Far Away, with Donkey in the driving seat. In a fun London touch, you'll even drive through a deserted tube station past posters for Madame Tussauds (another Merlin attraction, of course). When to visit:  You can visit Sunday-Wednesday 10am-3pm; Thursday 11am-3pm; Friday 10am-3pm; Saturday 10am-4pm.  Ticket info:  Standard adult tickets are £32, with children £26. Plus £2 extra for Shrek ears! Time Out tip: Cringey though it might feel, interact with the actors to get the most out of your experience.

This review is from Soho Theatre in 2022; it transfers to Kiln Theatre with a partially changed cast that includes Liz Carr and Leah Harvey. The rainbow flag offers an idealised portrait of the LGBTQ-plus community: people of different stripes co-existing in harmony, each taking up an equal amount of space. But the reality is messier, scribbled over with conflicts and inequalities. Iman Qureshi's warm, complex play 'The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs' explores just how difficult it is to create a queer space, while showing how beautiful it can be when the stars align. Things start out in pretty formulaic style. Each week, a disparate gaggle of lesbians meet up in a leaky-roofed hall to sing in a choir, with the lofty goal of performing on the main stage at Pride. There's wildly confident womaniser Ellie (Fanta Barrie), hyper-woke academic Ana (Claudia Jolly), and her reluctantly-tagging-along butch engineer girlfriend Lori (Kibong Tanji) who turns out to have an amazing singing voice, all arranged into an approximation of harmony by self-styled OWL (older wiser lesbian) Connie (Shuna Snow). It could all be the beginnings of a dykier, hopefully less doomed remake of 'Glee'. But Qureshi's play is way smarter than that. She toys enjoyably with lesbian cliches (sensible footwear, veganism, buzzcuts) only to reach beyond them to tell less familiar stories. Like that of Dina (an engagingly puppyish Lara Sawalha), a Muslim woman who throws herself into choir as an escape from her forb

What is it?  The centre of political life in the UK, housed in the labyrinthine Palace of Westminster on the banks of the Thames. This location has been the permanent seat of Parliament since 1532, when Henry VIII presided over intricate Tudor political wranglings. Still, most of the current Palace is quite a bit newer than you might expect: the Parliament buildings were designed in 1860 by Charles Barry (ably assisted by Augustus Pugin) to replace the original building, which had been destroyed by fire in 1834. It's a wonderful mish-mash of styles, dominated by Gothic buttresses, towers and arches – plus the world-famous Elizabeth Tower housing Big Ben. It's also dauntingly vast, with 1,000 rooms, 11 courtyards, eight bars and six restaurants, plus a small cafeteria for visitors. Of the original palace, only the Jewel Tower and, within the Parliament buildings, Westminster Hall, remain.  Why go? If you've ever found yourself glued to 'Prime Minister's Question Time' or listened out for the bongs of Big Ben, you'll be exhilarated to find yourself in the heart of the action: the place where massive decisions about the UK's future are made.  Visitors to House of Parliament have three main options; Palace of Westminster: Discover the history of this elaborate building and get insights in the modern-day workings of Parliament on this tour, available as a 90-minute guided visit or as a self-led audio guide.Speaker's House: This 75-minute tour takes you inside the historic Speaker'

What is it?  Remember when the whole world tuned into Will and Kate's big royal wedding in 2011? Well, that spectacular setting was Westminster Abbey, the storied London church where generations of monarchs have tied the knot through the centuries. It was built between 1220 and 1272 by King Henry III, its gorgeous gothic confines growing more and more elaborate as time wore on.  Why go? Well, obviously it's stunning as a piece of architecture, with its elaborate perpendicular gothic facade decked with innumberable turrets that pierce the sky like something out of Lord of the Rings. Its interior is equally striking, especially the elaborately vaulted stone roof that'll have you gazing up in wonder. Look down and things get even more interesting. Like the Pantheon Crypt in Paris, where you can see the tombs and memorials to great figures from history, Westminster Abbey is full of a historic array of graves, tablets, busts and stone dedications. Seventeen kings and queens are buried here, along with dukes, countesses and history’s ‘celebs’ – including George Frideric Handel and Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Hardy, Behn, Olivier, etc. There’s an entire stained glass window dedicated to Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and the famous Poet's Corner memorialising famous authors in the South Transept, including DH Lawrence, Jane Austen, Dylan Thomas, Lewis Carroll, Shakespeare and many more.Shake off any morbid thoughts after all that grave-visiting by exploring the Abbey's beautiful grou

If you wish to indulge in the luxuries of old Vienna, there’s nowhere finer to do so than in Hotel Sacher, a storied establishment that sits amongst the grand museums and galleries at the city’s heart. Of course, this is the birthplace of Austria’s beloved sachertorte, an oh-so-sweet chocolate cake best enjoyed masked with clouds of whipped cream. But your eyes will feast too, on Belle Époque-inspired interiors that shine like glacé fruit – a richly brocaded cherry red foyer, a lime peel green restaurant – or gleam with the snowy intricacy of an old-fashioned wedding cake.The more restrained bedrooms and suites are a breath of fresh air after the richness and grandeur downstairs, with their pale neutral colour schemes and sizeable windows. Still, even the smaller rooms are decked out with crystal chandeliers and oil paintings (its visionary former owner Anna Sacher was a keen artist), while the suites boast impressive views over the Opera House and its glamorous clientele, as well as elaborate marble-decked bathrooms and chaise longues to swoon over. In the hotel’s boutique spa, you can have your whole body wrapped in a chocolate mask Things here could easily feel stiff or intimidating, with photos of famous former clientele from Sharon Stone to JFK surrounding the reception desk and immaculately uniformed staff perpetually standing to attention. Thankfully, though, this family-owned hotel has a genuinely warm and welcoming approach, full of thoughtful touches (from kettles

‘Mrs Doubtfire’ is the latest in a seemingly endless post-pandemic string of musical takes on retro movies. ‘Back to the Future’, ‘Dirty Dancing’, ‘Groundhog Day’... if you were born in the ’80s, the West End has decided that by now you're obviously loaded and ready to be milked of your money like a pantomime cow. Only this genuinely funny comedy musical doesn't feel like a cash grab, thanks to its twenty-first-century jokes, perfectly paced book, and silly voices galore. Writer John O’Farrell has worked on ‘Have I Got News For You’ and ‘Spitting Image’, and some of that topical flair can be seen here. Freshly divorced dad Daniel is a comic actor whose voiceover recording seshes ingeniously break out of the American world of the story: he begins with a witty theatre pre-show announcement, then breaks into non-naff impressions of Prince Harry and Boris Johnson. Refreshingly, this production has resisted the temptation to cast a famous funny person in the role, and musical theatre actor Gabriel Vick pulls off both the gags and the songs with impressive aplomb.This story’s serious bits aren't quite as well-handled. O’Farrell struggles a little to make Daniel’s ex-wife Miranda (Laura Tebbutt) more than a boring disciplinarian foil to Daniel's relentless zaniness (here, she gets an improbable fashion career and a 2D hunky love interest). Karey and Wayne Kirkpatricks’ lyrics don't zing with the kind of psychological insights or witty couplets musical theatre fans dream of. But who

This review is from 2018; Hansel and Gretel returns for 2024. Engelbert Humperdinck’s 1893 opera for kids is as warm as a witch’s kitchen, and as dark as the forest outside. It swaps the Grimm Brothers’ fairytale’s wicked child-abandoning parents for a desperately poor couple who send their kids into the forest in a much-regretted flash of anger. And Antony McDonald’s stylish new production mixes in more than enough wit to leaven the bleakness of black forest poverty. The witch’s gingerbread house is a masterstroke: a lopsided cottage impaled with a giant knife that might just have been a warning to savvier kids than these two. But Humperdinck’s parent-provoking children are a refreshingly naughty antidote to all the saintly moppets that fill Victorian fiction. They gobble strawberries and leap up to tramp folk dances across the kitchen table. These stamping, finger-clicking scenes are probably the most German thing you’ll ever see outside a beer hall, and they make for moments of gutsy energy in a score that’s otherwise all about lush, rich romanticism. It might be nominally aimed at kids, but ‘Hansel and Gretel’ is musically complex, and its central duo are played by adult performers Hanna Hipp and Jennifer Davis. They mix knockabout tomfoolery with beautifully blending soprano voices that soar through the towering darkness of the forest – a place that hides a magical array of leaping woodland animals and fairy story characters who play in the shadows. The only disappointme

The World Cup’s over, the heatwave has finally died down, and everyone seems to have buzzed off on holiday, leaving a smug out-of-office to torment anyone still stuck in the city. You’d be forgiven for feeling a little deflated by the weekend ahead, and that’s before you check your bank balance. But take heart! London is full of free things to do that'll get your pulse racing again.  This weekend is particularly strong on free music-based events. Who needs to fork out the big bucks for a hyped day festival when you can hear some stellar sounds, without opening your wallet? Learn to play a brand new instrument, listen to world-class acts, or watch physical theatre artists move to a heart-pumping soundtrack at one of this weekend’s crop of free performances. Whatever you do, you’ll feel a bit more alive (and a bit less broke) before next week rolls round. The best free things on in London this weekend, July 24-26 2026  1. Learn to play steel pan at Southbank Centre’s weekend-long celebration It’s impossible not to feel at least a little bit joyful when you hear a steel pan band: there’s something so hopeful about clear calypso notes on a lazy summer day. And Southbank Centre will be full of those sweet sounds all weekend, thanks to a fest celebrating the 75th anniversary of steel pan playing arriving on these shores. Have a go at hammering out your own tunes with Impact Steel Band’s workshop (Sun Jul 26, 11.30am) and you’ll be a connoisseur of pan by the time carnival rolls rou

Once, aristocrats used their country houses as oh-so-refined bases for brutal hunting, shooting and fishing escapades. They’d set off on horseback before dawn and return, braying triumphantly, with sackfuls of dead creatures, leaving unfortunate servants to scrub the blood from their tweed jackets. Thank goodness those grim days are over. Nowadays, more civilised generations of Britons can enjoy a much cleaner, more humane version of the thrill of the chase, by joining the addictive world of Pokémon GO. And thanks to a collab with the National Trust, the hit game is coming to some of the UK’s most illustrious hunting grounds. A total of 140 National Trust locations up and down the country now have PokéStops and Gyms that bring the cartoon universe of Pokémon to life. Existing Natty Trust trails and paths have now been transformed into in-game routes, there are special in-game events, and you can even find special National Trust Location Card backgrounds that commemorate where your Pokémon was caught. The new collab is hoping to get Trainers to prepare for Pokémon’s GO Summer Quest at National Trust properties, with events running across the first two weekends of August. Selected locations are also offering tons of extras over the long holidays, as part of National Trust’s Summer of Play. Twenty-seven sites including Dorset’s Kingston Lacy, Cambridge’s Anglesey Abbey, and Yorkshire’s Fountains Abbey have dedicated Pokémon zones, with mini games and hands-on activities. There a

Many of Oxford’s greatest treasures are locked away behind closed doors: cloistered in colleges guarded by bowler hat-wearing porters. Still, this learned city also has the distinction of having the UK’s first ever natural history museum, constructed in 1860 to house a spectacular collection of dinosaur skeletons and other intriguing specimens. Now, those ancient bones are part of a shiny new display designed to introduce them to a new generation of visitors. The Oxford University Museum of Natural History has just finished the final phase of eight-year-long internal revamp, which redisplays more than 3,000 objects in 24 state-of-the-art themed showcases. This project is the biggest redisplay in the museum’s history, designed to boost interactivity and storytelling, and showcase key exhibits in visually exciting style. Some of the biggest highlights of the collection are the dinosaurs: fascinating finds that introduced the Victorians to the terrifying notion that giant scaly beasts once roamed the earth, long before humans were thought of. When the nine-metre long megalosaurus was first unearthed in a limestone quarry in Oxfordshire and presented to the Geological Society of London in 1824, it caused an outcry – and kickstarted the study of what would eventually become known as dinosaurs. The displays will also house two other local dinos: the carnivorous eustreptospondylus, found in the affluent Oxford suburb of Summertown in 1870, and cumnoria, found in the otherwise sleepy

London is treating us to a truly spectacular array of free cultural events this weekend, whether you’re into rope-weaving, market-browsing, rock-climbing, or playing hoopla at a kitschy village fête. Read on for six ways to inject some sunny joy into your glorious time off. The best free things on in London this weekend, June 17-19 2026  1. Watch an epic North Face-sponsored climb by the water’s edge As seasoned Olympics fans will know, there’s something utterly mesmerising about watching climbers in action: these impossibly strong, wiry athletes can leap up a rock face with less effort than an average weedy Londoner expends on opening a jar of crispy chilli sauce. Now, it's your chance to see the magic live. North Face is inviting some of the world’s top climbers to scale 16-metre walls and complete deep-water solo climbs on the edge of east London’s Royal Docks. There’ll also be DJ sets from the likes of Rinse FM, Femi Keleoso and Girls Don’t Sync, plus hands-on workshops for anyone who’s been inspired to play Spiderman, too.  Royal Docks, E161AF. Jul 16-17. Free. Photograph: North FaceThe North Face Climbing Festival’s 16-metre climbing wall 2. Head to Trafalgar Square to mark Nelson Mandela Day 32 years ago, London erupted in celebrations as apartheid ended in South Africa. The struggle’s legendary leader Nelson Mandela is memorialised in statues and place names all over the city, and every July, he’s celebrated right in the middle of Trafalgar Square. London’s South Afr

Wherever you go tonight, you won't be able to miss England vs Argentina. Pretty much the whole of London will be glued to the TV screen from 8pm tonight, as the Three Lions take on the current world champions for a place in the World Cup final. And each triumphant goal celebration or agonising near miss will be accompanied by a surround sound of roars and groans, spilling out of houses and pubs in every corner of London. Still, why settle for secondhand excitement? Even if you’ve left it til today to figure out where to watch tonight’s game, it’s not too late to watch the match somewhere with bags of atmosphere. The keen beans might have booked tables weeks ago, Big Penny Social and Boxpark might have sold out in seconds, but there are still pubs, bars and public screenings taking walk-ins all across town. Show up early to bag a good spot for the most hotly-anticipated game since, well, the last international final – whatever happens, you won't regret coming along for the ride. RECOMMENDED: Where to watch the World Cup in London. The best walk-in venues for England’s World Cup semi-final Central London The Box, Piccadilly A 7,200 sports bar on the corner of Piccadilly Circus, The Box has plenty of room for walk-ins, and serves up some hefty World Cup-themed sharing platters alongside beer buckets and cocktail steins.  23 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 7EF Mercato Metropolitano, Elephant & Castle  Spanning 17,000 square feet and featuring more than 40 food and drink vendors, the OG

Camden really is the most divisive of London neighbourhoods. When asked about it, some Londoners will go all misty and wax lyrical about its countercultural history, atmospheric live music pubs, eclectic shopping opportunities and lively atmosphere. And other Londoners will make the sign of the cross, then, with haunted eyes, share stories of getting trampled by hordes of feral European teenagers or losing a shoe in a drunken crush outside the World’s End pub. Arguably, the chaos and crowds is what makes Camden, Camden. But there’s a new plan afoot to turn Camden High Street into an altogether more peaceful place to hang out. The borough of Camden is currently consulting on whether it should make its current trial pedestrianisation of a busy stretch of road into a permanent state of affairs. Since May last year, Camden High Street has been closed to traffic in the crowded bit outside the station, with vehicles diverted down Hawley Crescent and Kentish Town Road. Tens of thousands of people visit Camden every day, and this move has reduced overcrowding and made the street a more pleasant place to be. To sweeten the deal, there have also been planters, seating and street decorations made in collaboration with the London Festival of Architecture. It’s designed to create an environment that’s relaxing enough to soothe the soul of the most hardened Camden-sceptic. Photograph: Nathan PiccioCamden High Street pedestrianisation with benches and planters As ever in life, there’s a t

During the 2012 Olympics, the whole world was looking at Stratford as athletes raced, jumped and swam their way to victory in what’s now the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Then, for a while afterwards, the attention died down, and the neighbourhood’s main draw was shopping at the shiny new Westfield Stratford. Now, it looks like this well-connected but historically overlooked patch of east London is getting another shot at the limelight. The Mayor of London is backing new cultural hub East Bank, which has seen massive cultural institutions setting up shop in Stratford, near the old Olympic park: V&A East, V&A Storehouse, and Sadler’s Wells East are all pulling in new visitors. But the investment doesn’t stop there. There’s a new, separate development in the works on a site that’s right by Stratford station, and is set to be transformed into a cultural destination for arts, performance and immersive theatre lovers. The patch of land itself isn't especially inspiring. It’s a former coach park from the 2012 Olympics, with railway tracks on three sides. For a while it was earmarked for the ill-fated MSG Sphere, which sought to bring a glowing, Las Vegas-style orb-shaped entertainment venue to a neighbourhood that said a pretty resounding ‘no thanks’. Finally, things are starting to look a bit more positive, though. Local onlookers have been intrigued to see it fill up with old red double decker buses, daubed with trippy designs by big names in street art including Tamp Two, Captai

This week, central London has had a distinctly sleepy feel. The World Cup’s punishing red-eye schedule has had fans celebrating til 4am then effortfully stumbling into work mere hours later. And even if you’re not following the footie, it's been hard to get a decent night’s kip in these consistently sweltering temperatures. You don’t need me to tell you that sleep deprivation has a negative impact on the pre-frontal cortex: the sensible bit of the brain that governs impulse control. You've probably been tempted into no end of frivolous little purchases to make it through to Friday. A fruity vape here, a bougie pastry there, a pair of sunglasses you’re not nearly responsible enough to be trusted with... anything to get that life-giving rush of dopamine. But consider this your sign not to let your brain chemistry run the show. Believe it or not, there are still ways to feel joy in London that don’t involve hammering your debit card until it squeaks for mercy. This city is full of fun things that are worth getting up early for - or staying up late for. Read on for the very best free things to do this weekend.  The best free things on in London this weekend, July 10-12 2026  1. Soak up the atmosphere at the big England game Well, it goes without saying that the biggest free thing to do this weekend is England’s World Cup quarter-final face off with Norway. Centuries after the last Vikings left our shores, we’re going to be locked in combat with their goofy-yet-terrifying star str

One of the most sought after commodities in a London summer is outdoor drinking space. Opportunistic tipplers will attempt to recreate the laidback al fresco vibes of an Italian or French summer pretty much anywhere: in a jam-packed beer garden, in a dusty park, or on a tiny pair of rickety kerbside cafe tables. But try as we might, it’s hard to romanticise your life in the great inner London outdoors, when there’s a constant stream of big red buses, click-clacking Lime bikes and scraggly grey pigeons. For a brief moment in the aftermath of the pandemic, we got a glimpse of a more peaceful, more beautiful world of outdoor dining, with pedestrianisation schemes popping up from Seven Dials to St Johns Wood. Clapham’s Northcote Road was a highlight: in 2020, 2021 and 2022, happy diners hung out on outdoor tables on this pretty market street, enjoying food and drink from its many stallholders, bars and restaurants. When Clapham’s Labour council scrapped the scheme in 2023, citing prohibitively expensive annual running costs of £2.5 million, there was an outcry: a petition to save it gathered more than 5,000 signatures.  Now, it looks like there's a return to the good times for Clapham bon vivants. The Conservatives are in charge of the authority once more after the May 7 election, and they’ve announced the return of weekend road closures on Northcote. Photograph: William Barton / Shutterstock.comNorthcote Road, Clapham Conservative councillor Tom Pridham, Cabinet Member for Opp

Wander down Deptford High Street and you’ll find a microcosm of 2026 London with all its sights, sounds, and underlying tensions. There’s a busy market where you can buy big bowls of plantain or still bigger granny pants. Vietnamese restaurants with fish tanks in their windows. Household goods stores with a rainbow of plastic homewares and smug resident cats. And, increasingly, there are businesses catering to a newer kind of locals: artisanal pasta spot Marcella and the cocktail bars and bakeries of the slick, freshly redeveloped Deptford Market Yard. Few places manage to attract all the different communities that co-exist in this fast-changing neighbourhood. But arts centre the Albany does all it can to entice a broad range of people through its doors, with youth theatre programmes pulling in local teens and families, a community garden run by volunteers, a welcoming cafe, and Meet Me..., a social and arts club for the over-65s. Then, of course, there are the actual ticketed shows, which include concerts, gigs, theatre performances, and a popular family Christmas production. Busy though the Albany often is, local observers might well notice that its theatre programme is a little thinner than it used to be. Lewisham Council has reduced its funding to the venue over the last decade, and a tough financial landscape for arts organisations has left it seeking new revenue streams. So that’s why it recently announced a bold step: it’s partnering with nearby music and dance conserv

In a summer this hot, it’s easy to knock back a drink so fast you barely even taste it. But although those ice-cold beers and thirst-slaking lager tops might be hitting the spot while the sun shines, not everyone’s been falling for the lure of something bland and fizzy. The dedicated taste-testers of the UK’s Top 50 Beer Awards have been sipping their way through a formidable line-up of brews to find this country’s very best. But who’s top of the hops, and who’s bottom of the barrel? This year, the winner didn’t come as a big surprise. Cheltenham’s Deya brewery is a firm favourite with beer aficionados, and its Steady Rolling Man pale ale won the inaugural Beer Awards in 2024. Now, it’s back to reclaim the top spot, delighting the judges with its hoppy, fruity flavours, hazy appearance, and balanced notes of bitterness. London got a look in at number two, with Hackney's Five Points landing second spot with Five Points Best, a bitter with toffee, caramel and biscuit notes followed by a herbal finish. Coming in at number three was Jaipur by Thornbridge, a Derbyshire brew that's recognised as the first UK craft IPA, mixing American hops with traditional English malts to make a balanced, citrussy brew.    Photograph: Five Points Brewing CoFive Points Best, Five Points Brewing Co   If this all sounds a bit trad for your taste, the annual Star Beer Award showcases a brewery that’s doing things differently. And this year, they've picked Beyond Belief Brewing Company’s decidedly le

A sub-section of London is about to sink from view this weekend with the start of the World Cup. This city’s most dedicated football devotees will be staying up late into the night to catch every match on telly or in pub, only emerging, bleary-eyed and blinking, into the afternoon London sunshine in search of the basic necessities of bread and Buzz Balls. But what if you're an equally committed sports dodger? Don't you deserve some entertainment too?  This weekend is full of fun things to do, from morning til night. And even better still, you don't have to fork out your BBC license fee to enjoy them, or open your wallet either. Frolic at fetes, have a go at driving some big vroom vrooms, and even watch a dragon boat race – which is arguably just as exciting as a footie match, and definitely has a better soundtrack. Read on for handy guide to all the free fixtures you can't miss this weekend, without missing your savings goals.  The best free things on in London this weekend, June 19-21 2026  1. Watch a fiercely-contested dragon boat race For all that talk of ‘the beautiful game’, sporting events aren’t always that pretty to look at (unless you’ve got a penchant for muscly calves of course). But dragon boat races are about as beautiful as it gets: this time-honoured Chinese sport has its annual championships on Macao’s Nam Van Lake, which see ornate gilded boats gliding past glimmering skyscrapers on crystalline waters. You're probably not going to make it out there on a budge