Amy Houghton

Boxing Day might not get all the glory of Christmas Day, but if you ask us, in many ways, it’s far superior. It has all the magic of the big day, but without the stress of cooking and the pressure of keeping the whole family happy. But one of the best bits? While everything shuts down on Christmas Day, things start to tentatively open up on Boxing Day, meaning you can get up from your Quality Street-induced stupour on the sofa and get out and about on December 26.  The day after Christmas, London is mostly free of its usual crowds (except for shopping districts like Oxford Street packed with bargain hunters). That means that, should you leave your house, large parts of the capital city are yours for the taking. There are the parks and riverside paths for frosty winter walks or the Christmas lights to admire while you brave the Boxing Day sales. The city’s pop-up ice skating rinks are normally open, pantomime season is still in full swing, and there are even a few parties lined up. Here are some great ideas for how to spend your day off. RECOMMENDED: Find more festive fun with our full guide to Christmas in London.

A lot of pressure gets put on New Year’s Eve for it to be the best night of our lives. But often it’s a disappointment – you’re lying if you say you haven’t spent at least one countdown with your head over a toilet after getting too razzed before midnight, or the night is spent jostling with what feels like everyone in London to get into an average club night. This year, spare yourself the pain and save the hardest partying for New Year’s Day instead.  New Year’s Day raves have taken off over the last few years. They tend to last longer than the events of the night before and there aren’t the same enormous NYE crowds to battle with. Of course, celebrations on Jan 1 needn’t be instead of NYE revelries – soldier through your hangover and combine the two to create one big 48-hour blowout.  The capital’s venues are ready to welcome you with open arms for the first rager of 2026, with all manner of day and night parties to check out. Because who says the fun needs to stop as soon as the countdown’s over? Here are London’s best New Year’s Day parties.   RECOMMENDED: Find New Year’s Eve parties in London.

Every week, a frankly silly amount of brilliant new restaurants, cafés and street food joints arrive in London. Which makes whittling down a shortlist of the best newbies a serious challenge. But here it is. The 20 very best new restaurants in the capital, ranked in order of greatness and deliciousness. All of them have opened in the past year and been visited by our hungry critics. So go forth and take inspo from this list, which is updated regularly. Check in often to find out what we really rate on the London restaurant scene. And look here for all the info about the best new openings in December. London's best new restaurants at a glance: 🍛 Central: Khao Bird, Soho 🍠 North: Ling Ling’s, Islington 🥟 South: Doma, Sydenham 🍝 East: Legado, Shoreditch 🥗 West: Martino’s, Chelsea December 2025: New additions include slinky Italian Martino's in Chelsea, cosy Chinese cuisine at Ling Ling's at Godet in Islington, Hunanese heat at Fiery Flavors in Surrey Quays, Sri Lankan fast food at Adoh! in Covent Garden, Caribbean classics with a twist at 2210 by NattyCanCook in Herne Hill, perfect pasta at Casa Felicia in Queen's Park, Thai BBQ at Khao Bird in Soho, and Thai soup noodles at Khao So-i in Fitzrovia. Hungry yet? Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. RECOMMENDED: The 50 best restaurants in London. The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our Lond

We’ve officially entered party season, aka the time of the year when it’s socially acceptable to go out for a big one any day of the week. It’s nearly Christmas, after all! From office festive parties to Crimbo plans with your pals to final Mad Friday blowouts, there are a ton of reasons to be hitting the town in the run-up to Christmas Day. Our guide to London’s greatest Christmas-themed parties for 2025 has full-blown raves, Yuletide cabarets and plenty of events full of cheesy festive classics. And in the season’s spirit of generosity, a large helping of them are free entry. You can’t say ‘bah, humbug’ to that. All you’ve got to do now is decide where you’re going and plan the perfect party ‘fit. RECOMMENDED: See our full festive guide to Christmas in London.

Urgently in need of some cool pressie inspo for your nearest and dearest? Don’t worry about it! Our London gift guide is here, and it features loads of lovely pressies to suit just about any Londoner you can imagine.  From nifty gadgets to stylish accessories, covetable homeware to kids’ gifts, our editors have got every base covered, including plenty of sustainable options and handmade bits from some of London’s coolest indie brands and makers.  Need even more present inspiration? Check out our roundup of London’s best Christmas hampers for 2025. Time Out’s 2025 Christmas Gift Guide at a glance 🏰 Best for tech nerds: Nothing headphones 💷 Best for foodies: Allday Goods knife 🔬 Best for style queens: Peachy Den scarf and mitten set 🎡 Best for cool blokes: Percival martini cap 🎨 Best for youngsters: Ty Beanie Bouncers RECOMMENDED: More Christmas fun in London. 

It’s been another stellar year for music in 2025, packed full of belters, breakouts and hook-laden earworms.  Lorde returned to her angsty roots, Pulp dropped their first album since, and Bad Bunny reigned supreme on the streamers. We were blessed with new music from pop heavyweights Lady Gaga, Lily Allen and Robyn. In a plot twist, Rosalía dropped a classical album packed with religious references, and Turnstile made hardcore mainstream. Breakout stars CMAT, Addison Rae and Jim Legxacy proved that they are here to stay. Here Time Out editors and contributors have hand-picked the tracks they’ve had on repeat this year. These are the 40 best songs of 2025.  RECOMMENDED: The 25 best albums of 2025. 

This year of music has started with a bang. We’ve seen Chappell Roan go country, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco smothering audiences with gushy love songs and Playboi Carti’s rapturous return from the underground. We've even been blessed with the return of Lorde! Alongside these pop heavyweights, we’re witnessing rap superstar Doechii continue her chart domination and the breakthrough of Gen Z artists like 2hollis, Tate McRae and Kai Bosch. What songs are defining 2025? Well, we’ve searched through our playlists and extracted the best songs of the year so far, to give you a mid-year vibe check of where we are currently at. But it doesn’t stop there. Keep your eyes peeled for updates to this list throughout the year as we’re still awaiting albums from Turnstile, Miley Cyrus, Pulp, A$AP Rocky and many more. RECOMMENDED: 🎧 The best albums of 2025 (so far)🎥 The best movies of 2025 (so far)📺 The best TV of 2025 (so far)

It's easy to get so tangled up in the tinsel-decked glories of Christmas that you forget there's another big bash, just a week later. But New Year's Eve is the kind of night that you forget at your peril. Attempt to wing it and you might well end up stuck at home in front of Jools Holland's Hootenanny, because all London's best clubs and parties book out weeks or months in advance.  But fear not, we're here to make sure you give 2025 a seriously good send-off. Here's our list of London best NYE bashes for ringing in 2026, from never-ending club nights to LGBTQ+ friendly celebrations. Assemble your crew, book your tickets, plan the perfect ‘fit and prepare to say a big fat goodbye to the year gone by. London’s best NYE parties at a glance 🎆 Best for views of the fireworks: New Year’s Eve at Sky Garden 🦖 Best for a one-of-a-kind party: NYE at the Natural History Museum 🍴 Best for midnight snacks: New Year's Eve at Aram, Somerset House  🏳️‍🌈  Best for LGBTQ+: Horse Meat Disco at Village Underground 🌟 Best for glitz and glamour: New Year's Eve at W London RECOMMENDED: Find things to do in London on New Year’s Day.

There are few things that we’d willingly brave the chill for during winter in London. But ice skating is one of them. From early November each year, ice rinks decked out towering Christmas trees and twinkly fairy lights start to fill London’s squares and courtyards, hosting everything from DJ takeovers and kids’ skating lessons to date nights and family outings over the festive period. Pretty soon you’ll get to pretend you’re in a festive London rom-com, as you romantically glide (or awkwardly stumble) with your loved ones under the backdrop of landmarks like Somerset House, Battersea Power Station and Hampton Court Palace.  Keen to flaunt your best ice moves? Determined to skate at least one lap without clinging onto the wall for dear life? We recommend you book a spot at your chosen rink as early as you can. Here are the best rinks in London for the 2025/26 season. How much does it cost to go ice skating? The cost to skate at London’s various permanent and pop-up ice rinks varies quite significantly. So far, this year’s cheapest option is Queens Skate Dine and Bowl, where adult tickets are available from £8 (during off-peak hours). The most expensive adult ticket in 2025 was £28.50 for peak hours at Skate at Somerset House. For cheaper tickets, consider visiting at less popular times.  London’s best places to go ice skating this winter: ⛸️ Best for the biggest rink in town: Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park 💃 Best for ice dance parties: Somerset House, Aldwych 🏛️ Best for so

The final stretch of 2025 is upon us, and London is looking mighty festive in the run-up to Christmas. The skies are be sparkling with Christmas lights, the capital’s venues are filling up with Christmas pantos and carol services, and the streets are lined with colourful Christmas markets and twinkling trees. But December isn’t just about Christmas, and there’s plenty more brilliant things to do besides all the festive stuff. Notably, the acclaimed Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo is making its UK debut, it’s the first full month of the Design Museum’s hotly-anticipated Wes Anderson exhibition and the last full month of the bonkers jukebox musical Titanique. Plus, there are the ice-skating rinks, the winter pop-ups and the chilly winter walks followed by cosy pub hangouts. And that’s before we even get on to New Year’s Eve!  Here’s our guide to the finest events, parties, cultural happenings and things to do in London over December 2025.  London’s best things to do in December at a glance: 🧀 Best for foodies: Future of Food, Science Museum 🎭 Best for thespians: Ballet Shoes, National Theatre 🎬 Best for cinephiles: Backyard Cinema, Bermondsey 🎨 Best for aesthetes: Wes Anderson: The Exhibition, Design Museum 🧛 Best for night owls: Christmas lights, citywide 📚 Best for families: Winter Funland, Kensington RECOMMENDED: Time Out’s definitive London events calendar.

Even after a couple of vintage years for new music, 2025 has been special. Sure, we didn’t get a clear-cut ‘song of the summer’, but artists have been instead putting out defining works in a longer format. The past 12 (well, 11) months have featured all manner of extraordinary album releases.  Belted-to-the-rafters country pop, plunderphonic majesty, ecstatic dance music, intimate electronic world-building, history-collapsing art rock, triumphant hip-hop… these are just a few of the sounds and styles that have been executed marvellously in 2025. Here are the year’s finest 25 albums, chosen by Time Out editors and contributors.

  We all know travelling with the kids can be tricky, so finding a hotel that keeps everyone happy is key. From splashable pools to free breakfasts for little ones, London has plenty of spots that make family life on the go a whole lot easier. Here’s our pick of the best family-friendly hotels in the city, where parents can relax and kids can be… well, kids. The hotels we’ve selected all make travelling with kids as smooth possible. We look for places that are close to London’s top attractions, so you can zip from Hamleys to the park, without having to spend your whole day on public transport, as well as having the resources to keep the whole family entertained. How we choose our family-friendly hotels A family-friendly hotel is about thoughtful touches for children. Perhaps, there are extra cots, kid-friendly menus, splashable pools, and little surprises that make young guests feel welcome. These are hotels that go the extra mile, from milk and cookies at bedtime to a designated kids concierge services. We include luxury stays and budget-friendly finds. Finally, we consider atmosphere and accessibility: helpful staff, close to attractions and safe play spaces, and a vibe that makes both little ones and grown-ups feel at home. London’s family friendly hotels at a glance 💰 Best for a cheap deal: Good Hotel 🗓️ Best concierge service: The Berkeley 🧠 Most iconic: The Ritz ☕ Best afternoon tea for kids: Park Plaza County Hall 🖼️ Most dramatic design: The Mandarin Oriental M

Homely isn’t quite the word that comes to mind when you pull back the heavy velvet curtain separating Casa Felicia from the dozy Queen’s Park street outside. Chic, for sure. Elegant, certainly. A parade of two-cover tables are packed close together in the main whitewashed dining room, and over in a far corner, there’s a booth for larger groups which is painted entirely in an intense sultry red. But the deeper into the evening we go, the more we’re taken in by this place’s unexpected down-to-earth charm.   Fettuccine porcini and paccheri with mussels and squid are simple but impeccable Casa Felicia is helmed by chef Francesco Sarvonio, formerly of Manteca and currently of Elephant. The menu switches up daily, but always promises southern Italian ‘soul food’. A pleasing heap of puntarelle salad embellished with pear and hazelnuts, and a faultless seabass crudo speckled with crispy red pepper starts us off. We’re then presented with the most intriguing take on parmigiana I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t come in the traditional form of layered aubergine coins, but as the whole vegetable roasted, skinned and fried in a tempura batter, then cocooned in cheese fondue with a pool of marinara on the side. It’s fantastic – the batter lightly encases the vegetable like a chiffon blanket and the aubergine manages to be both firm and completely melt-in-the-mouth.   Don’t get carried away with the antipasti, as the bowls of pasta (handmade with just semolina and water, no egg) are truly generou

Adoh! (Sri-Lankan for ‘oi!’) is loud.  Sat on Maiden Lane in frenetic, tourist-packed Covent Garden, this Sri Lankan spot from Kolamba duo Eroshan and Aushi Meewella fits right in. While Kolamba and its sister restaurant on Liverpool Street are sleek, sophisticated haunts, this is a maximalist whirlwind. Chopped roti gets more heavenly with each chewy bite Adoh’s goal is to emulate the rapid, chaotic energy of Colombo and its street food culture. The decor is raucous – the tables a striking shade of red and the walls busy with storybook murals depicting hand-painted trucks of South Asia. As for service, it’s full speed ahead. You can very easily be in and out within an hour, and fully satisfied. In the throbbing heart of the theatreland that’s no bad thing.  The menu features a blend of authentic bits (isoo vadai, mutton rolls or roti and curry) and some milder hybrid dishes (fried chicken and curry leaf waffles are best suited to less adventurous members of your party). Shiny squares of prawn toast dolloped with tamarind sauce start us off, swiftly followed by a supple dosa spread with smoky masala, alongside a rather dry coconut roti with eye-wateringly hot lunu miris chilli paste.  The must-order main (which at £17 is the priciest item on the menu) is crab kothu, a late-night classic in Sri Lanka. The bronze mountain of chopped roti, egg and stir fried crab meat (mutton, chicken or jackfruit kothu are available too) isn’t particularly pretty, but drenched in curry sauce (p

One hundred years ago, a strange curtained box appeared on Broadway in New York City. If you went inside and slotted in 25 cents, you’d emerge with eight sepia tinged photos of yourself in a matter of minutes. It was the Photomaton – the world’s first fully automated photobooth. Fast forward to the 21st century and photobooths are in bars, train stations, cinemas, record shops and on streets all over the world. The Photographer’s Gallery is marking a century of the machines with Click!, an archival exhibition exploring their imperfections, their quirks and their most famous fans. Naturally, there’ll be a working photobooth for visitors to take their own snap.

In 1978, Zofia Rydet decided that was going to photograph the inside of every Polish household. Aged 67, she began knocking on doors and asking occupants if they’d be willing to partake in her project. She continued to knock on doors for the next three decades, collecting everyday stories and creating ‘one of the most important achievements in 20th century Polish photography’. More than 100 of Rydet’s prints will be on display at the Photographers’ Gallery alongside books and personal letters offering extra insight into her sociological mission.

The UK’s first major retrospective of acclaimed Ukrainian artist Boris Mikhailov is coming to the Photographers’ Gallery. A ‘kind of proto-punk’, Mikhailov has been capturing and commenting on life in Ukraine since the 1960s – from the everyday consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union to the realities of people living on the edges of society – through photography, conceptual work, painting and performance art. Ukrainian Diary brings much of that work together to illustrate the tumultuous social and political changes that have shaken Eastern Europe over the past fifty years.

When a place rates itself as assuredly (in huge bold letters, no less) as Good Hotel does, it’s natural to feel a little sus. But it’s true: Good Hotel really does make you feel good. Service is cheery and laid-back without being overly casual, the food leaves nothing to complain about and – maybe it’s the luxurious silence of the area or perhaps the proximity to gently lapping water – I visited in 2024, and I don’t know if I’ve ever had a better night’s sleep in the city. Aside from all that, guests can walk out of Good Hotel feeling extra gratified by virtue of its ‘do good’ DNA. Why stay at Good Hotel? As you walk along Royal Victoria Docks, this huge black shipping container is impossible to miss. Originally built as a Danish prison, this floating hotel docked in London in 2016 after sailing across from Amsterdam. Its founder, Marten Dresden, had come up with the Good Hotel concept four years prior while travelling in Guatemala. Now, each night you spend there pays for a week of school for a child in South America, with profits also going towards hospitality training for long-term unemployed locals (lots of whom become Good Hotel employees).  The hotel also hosts regular community workshops and events that guests can attend. There are comedy nights, yoga classes, salsa classes, kids art clubs and, if you’re in the mood to be extra good, litter-picking around the local area. What are the rooms like at Good Hotel? Throughout the hotel, the interiors are slick, earthy-toned

One of the more recent additions to Wimbledon Village, Good Fortune Club is bright and buzzy with a sprawling menu of Cantonese dishes, the best known of which is its handmade dim sum. Stop by with a large, hungry posse to pack your table with bamboo steamers and sample har gau (shrimp-filled dumplings,) xiao long bao (pork soup dumplings), cuttlefish cake and more.

Of its four south-west London outposts, DropShot’s Leopold Road location serves up hefty brunches on the daily. The portions here are breathtakingly generous, and the tennis-themed menu goes well beyond the standard eggs benny or avocado on toast; think mozzarella and chilli jam-filled potato pancakes andbig fat slices of French toast laden with monterey jack cheese and fresh pesto, or loaded with tiramisu cream and berries. The coffee is fantastic, too.

Crack Comedy Club brings pre-party laughs to Tunnel 267 – Wimbledon’s only nightclub – every Saturday night from 8pm to 10pm. For standup sets from four or five comics, tickets are £25 for general admission on the door or £21.50 if you book online in advance. You can also buy tickets that include dinner from a local restaurant beforehand, and if you stick around afterwards you’ll get free entry to Tunnel’s clubnight. Three in one. 

There's a real sense of fun to this deliberately rough-around-the-edges course. Party tunes blare from speakers, graffiti jazzes up the walls and it's made from ‘twisted junk, car booty and charity shop shizzle’. Junkyard Golf Club has four courses – Gary, Pablo, Dirk and Bozo – that are all fabulously chaotic and mildly freaky. Depending on which challenge you take on, you’ll be putting past pirate pigs, dishevelled nightclub urinals, terrifying giant clown heads and a UV rave room. There's also a second location in Camden for more of the same.  Prices start at £12 for nine holes at off-peak times (Sunday to Thursday) and go up to £21 for 18 holes on busier days (Fridays and Saturdays). And as any good crazy golf should, Junkyard has a menu of themed cocktails to keep lubed up before, during and after your game. 

This quirky, tiki-themed minigolf course first popped up in Dalston's Efes in April 2015. A decade later, that debut site is no more, but you can now find Plonks outdoors in London Fields and under the arches at Borough Market. The Hackney course, which recently got a big ol’ refurb, takes you through a ‘Polynesian themed putt paradise’ complete with a tiki forest, a volcano canyon and octupuses. There are plenty of satisfying holes that fire your ball onto tricksy little mechanisms, a loop the loop, and a lot of impossibly steep ramps. All in all: it’s a great place for a plonking party. Prices start from £9.35 per person per play. 

What is it?  Technically several adjoining markets, this sprawl of stalls stretching from Camden Town tube to the Regent’s Canal is London’s fourth most popular visitor attraction. In its recent heyday, around 250,000 people came here every week to shop, sample street food and soak up the distinctive, still-grungy atmosphere. Camden Lock Market is an arts-and-crafts haven while the Stables Market is a trendy spot for everything from quirky furniture to fetish clothing. Nearby Buck Street Market on Camden High Street has had a shipping container revamp. As you saunter through the different markets, don’t be surprised to see grungy teenagers and old punks on the street corners. Camden feels more mainstream than it did in the ‘90s, but it’s still one of London’s most rock ‘n’ roll neighbourhoods. Why go?  To get lost in a one-of-a-kind maze of art, garms, antiques, accessories, books and endless street food.  Don’t miss The Cheese Bar – London’s only fully fromage focused restaurant – for all manner of gooey, cheese-based delights in a classy, low lit space in Stables Market.  Ticket info  No tickets needed.  When to visit  Camden Markets are open everyday of the week from 10am until late.  Time Out tip If you find the lunch queues and options a bit too much in the main Camden Lock Market, cross the road to Buck Street Market where you’ll find food that is just as great and are more likely to find a free spot to sit.  RECOMMENDED: London’s best markets

Whether you live in London or not, you’ll know that it’s an expensive place to exist in. There’s the ever-increasing tube fares, the eye-watering rent and house prices and the pints that now cost up to eight British pounds. But how does the Big Smoke compare to other cities across the globe?  As part of our big best cities survey for 2025, we asked residents of cities across the globe to rate the affordability of various activities in their hometown. They told us how they rate the cost of eating out, seeing a movie, grabbing a coffee, going to see art, watching live theatre or comedy, booking a live gig, getting a drink in a bar and going on a night out.  Then, we crunched the numbers to find out which cities are the most extortionate of them all. The Big Smoke was voted the 13th most expensive city on the planet.  Of all the cities on the list, London was by far the most expensive place for a night out, with just 16 percent of locals agreeing it was affordable (see how the cost has changed over the last 30 years here). When it comes to eating out, only 35 percent of respondents agreed that restaurant prices are reasonable. Live music in London got a 37 percent affordability rate and just 39 percent said theatre and comedy was comfortably within their means. However, it was redeemed by the fact that locals voted it named one of the cheapest cities to see art. Eighty-three percent of Londoners said art and culture in their city is cheap or free.  Photograph: Shutterstock The

Rowans Tenpin Bowl is more than just a bowling alley. It’s an institution. The Finsbury Park venue as we know it has been around since 1988 (before that it was a cinema, a dancehall and a snookers club). Since then, it’s become an icon of north London and has reportedly been graced by the likes of Craig David, King Charles, members of the Backstreet Boys and J-Lo. But its days may be numbered.  Haringey Council has revealed a plan to redevelop the site that Rowans sits on, and the public has five days left to have their say. The plan is still in its early stages, so details are pretty vague at the moment, but this is what we know so far. Haringey wants to build a ‘high-density, mixed-use development’ with 190 new homes on the land between 2032-2041. That would likely mean demolishing Rowans. However, the plan says it would also build ‘an appropriate leisure/community facility use to replace the existing Rowans bowling alley must be provided at the foot of the new buildings’. The application recognises the ‘existing public benefits’ of the bowling alley, which is listed as an Asset of Community Value. The council’s draft local plan says that ‘any proposals for the bowling alley site will be expected to re-provide the bowling alley and the range of community and leisure uses that it provides as part of any future redevelopment’. It also claims that it would work with local artists to ‘design and re-provision of the iconic Rowans bowling alley neon signage visible from the stati

The most wonderful time of the year is very nearly upon us. But you know what’s not so wonderful about the festive break? Trying to catch a train. Major stations get unbearably packed as people try to dash out of London in time for Christmas, and don’t even get us started on how busy the tube gets on New Year’s Eve.  To add to the headache of Christmas travelling this year Liverpool Street Station is going to be shut from December 25 until January 1 for engineering work, which will have knock on effects on several tube lines, and part of the Piccadilly line will be closed for upgrades.  Here’s a full roundup of London’s train closures, cancellations and service changes you should prepare for across Christmas and New Year.  Full list of London tube and train closures for December 24 2025 - January 2 2026 Wednesday December 24 (Christmas Eve) Reduced service across the Underground after 8pm. No services on the Elizabeth line after 10.30pm.  Reduced service on the Lioness, Suffragette and Windrush lines after 7pm, on the Weaver line after 7.30pm and on the Mildmay line after 8pm.  Last Overground trains run from 9.15pm (Weaver line) and 9.30pm (Lioness, Mildmay, Suffragette, Windrush lines, Liberty line).  Anyone using the DLR should finish their journey by 10.30pm.  See all the last direct National Rail trains from London to the rest of the country here.  Christmas Day  No TfL services are running on Christmas Day.  Boxing Day  Reduced London Underground services start fro

Reuniting with family, binging TV specials, exchanging gifts, eating enough chocolate, cheese and roast potatoes to send you into a food coma – there’s loads to look forward to as Christmas Day approaches. But you know what would top it all off? A thick, glistening blanket of snow. There’s nothing like some snowfall to make Christmas Day feel that little bit more magical. While there’s been smatterings of festive snow in recent years, it’s been a long time since that UK had the dense kind you see on cards or in Hallmark movies. Here’s what forecasters are telling us to expect this year.  Will there be a White Christmas in the UK this year? Snow is notoriously hard to predict, so it’s still too early to say for absolute certain whether we’ll see a white Christmas. That said, it doesn’t take much for a Christmas is officially be deemed ‘white’. Just one single snowflake has to be recorded falling at any moment on December 25 by any of the Met Office’s network of around 300 observing stations. The last white Christmas in the UK was in 2023, when 11 percent of the Met Office’s weather stations recorded snow falling, but none of it settled. The last time we got a thick, countrywide blanket of snow on Christmas Day was 2010.  What does the Met Office forecast say? The Met Office says that between December 19 and December 28: ‘Showers or longer spells of rain are likely to continue at first for many parts of the country, perhaps heavy at times, but gradually over the weekend the we

With all its art exhibitions, film screenings, theatre performances and brutalist beauty, millions of people visit the labyrinthine Barbican every year. Millions more will visit in years to come, but in order to protect the place for future generations, the 40-year-old building is in need of a pretty big facelift. Now, plans to revitalise the Barbican Centre have officially been given the green light.  Earlier this month, the City of London Corporation approved the big ‘Barbican Renewal’ delivery plan. The corporation is providing a £191 million funding package to upgrade the landmark, which is around 80 percent of the overall £240m needed for the first five-year phase of the project. The rest will be raised through a Barbican fundraising campaign. The bad news is that to make way for work to go ahead, the main Barbican site will shut from June 2028 until June 2029. Its beloved plant-filled conservatory will close a little earlier in 2027. It’ll be worth it, though.  Some of the work has already begun and the theatre will undergo essential works for three months in January, but major upgrades are due to start in 2027. The first phase of the project will see the building’s brutalist foyers, lakeside terrace and conservatory all ‘sensitively restored and enhanced’. Right now, people can only visit the Barbican Conservatory during select times from Friday to Sunday. However, when it reopens, the centre plans to open its greenhouse to the public on a daily basis.  Image: Kin Cr

From prehistoric times up until around 500 years ago, beavers thrived across Britain. They called this little island home and shaped its landscape for centuries before humans came along. By the 1500s, they’d been hunted to extinction. But generations later, beavers are back. The creatures have slowly been reintroduced to the UK. Two Eurasian beavers were recently introduced to Shropshire and more have been released in places like Devon, Somerset and Cornwall, and even London over the past few years. Now, a beaver has been spotted in the wild in Norfolk for the first time in 500 years. And no one knows exactly where it came from.  The beaver was caught on camera last week, dragging logs and establishing a base on the River Wensum at the Pensthorpe nature reserve. It’s a huge cause of celebration for British conservation. Research has shown that the recovery of beavers across the country helps to improve water quality, slow water flow and reduce flood risk, increase biodiversity and create vital wetland refuges for wildlife.   View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pensthorpe (@pensthorpeuk) Richard Spowage, the reserve’s manager, reckons that the beaver has been living in the quiet, isolated spot for about a month. He said: ‘This discovery is an exciting moment for Pensthorpe. The fact that it has chosen our land to establish a territory reflects the ongoing work we have been doing to improve our river and surrounding land for nature. ‘Beavers are returni

In a time where many destinations are suffering from overtourism and actively discouraging travellers, 2026 is the year to explore less ventured corners of the world. So, if you haven’t made any holiday plans yet and want to be a more mindful traveller next year, take some inspiration from BBC Travel.  The website has just released its roundup of the best places people should travel to in 2026, specifically spotlighting places that are ‘enthusiastically welcoming visitors’ and where your trip will make a ‘positive impact’. It features a Polynesian island, a Japanese prefecture, a southern valley in Chile and an underrated Balkan nation. It also recommends a breathtaking set of islands here in the UK – the Hebrides in Scotland.  BBC Travel said that travellers should check out the far north archipelago for its ‘whisky boom, ancient stone circles, white-sand beaches and community warmth’.  There are roughly 50 inhabited islands across the Inner and Outer Hebrides. Of those, the BBC says that Lewis, Barra and Islay will be particularly worth a visit in 2026. Next year, the island of Lewis will be unveiling a long-awaited visitor centre for the ancient and mythical Calanais Standing Stones (which predate Stonehenge), while Barra will be getting its first ever whiskey distillery. Photograph: Shutterstock Even more whiskey distilleries will be opening on the island of Islay. Laggan Bay Distillery, a collaboration between Edinburgh Gin and Glengoyne, is expected to launch in the f

Sat behind the Edinburgh’s famous Skye terrier bronze statue, Greyfriars Bobby’s Bar is one of the most photographed pubs in all of Scotland. So, in order to keep it in tip-top shape for the cameras of generations to come, the pub is officially getting a major refurbishment.   Edinburgh City Council has just approved plans for a big glow-up for the interior and exterior of the historic pub on at 30-32 Candlemaker’s Row. The restoration plans include new decor, a refresh of finishes throughout the venue and new staff facilities on the second floor. There’ll be new booth seating, a new carpet, new radiators with traditional cast iron type and a new fixed drinks shelf. The toilets will also be getting an upgrade.  As for the pub’s exterior, there are plans to refurbish the gold-lettered signage and install new windows, new frames and a new menu box. The planters and pillars will be freshened up but remain pretty much the same. A timeline for the refurb hasn’t been revealed.  The Greyfriars Bobby statue honours a dog from the nineteenth century that reportedly spent 14 years guarding the grave of his owner in Greyfriars Kirkyard until his death.  Given it’s cultural significance, Historic Environment Scotland was asked to have its say on the proposals to upgrade Greyfriars Bobby’s Bar – it saw no issues.  On approving the application David Givan, Edinburgh council’s chief planning officer, said: ‘The proposals have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building and

Mince pies are stacked high on supermarket shelves, pine trees tower over market squares and fairy lights line high streets – that’s right, Christmas is just a fortnight away. And here’s another sure sign that the festive season is in full swing: Coca-Cola’s bright red illuminated truck is officially on the road for 2025.   Every year for the past 15 years, the Coca-Cola’s Christmas lorry has gone on a tour of the UK to ensure every part of the country gets in the festive spirit. It normally stops at locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, bringing with it games, exclusive merch and prizes, photo opportunities and, of course, ice cold cans of the fizzy stuff.  The iconic vehicle is now back on the road to mark the start of the 2025 festive season. To celebrate its return, the brand has partnered with hunger and food waste charity FareShare to donate one million meals to those that need it most.  Below is everything you need to know if you want to catch the Coca-Cola Christmas truck on its tour this year.  Coca-Cola truck locations and dates for 2025 We know that the truck will stop by 15 locations on its 2025 Christmas road trip, but we don’t know all the specific stops. Coca-Cola normally keeps the route a secret until a day or two before arriving in each location.  First up for the truck was Edinburgh, followed by Burton-upon-Trent, Bradford, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Ipswich. The truck is worming its way south, with two Surrey towns up next. 

With Christmas fast approaching, the last thing anyone wants is to come down with a nasty case of the flu. Unfortunately, the chances of you catching not just the flu but a ‘superflu’ are especially high right now. You probably know someone who’s already suffered through it.  The NHS has warned that flu hospitalisations are currently the highest they’ve ever been for this time of year, and cases are still rising. That’s thanks to a particular strain known as the K flu.  Here’s all the crucial information you need on the ‘superflu’ spreading across the UK right now.  What is K flu?  The K flu, aka the ‘superflu’ (or H3N2 subclade K, if you’d prefer to call it by its scientific name) is a mutated strain of seasonal influenza A virus. It’s nothing new – it’s been circulating among humans since 1968 – but cases are particularly high this year.  It’s not any more dangerous than regular flu, though the fast spread means that vulnerable people are more likely to catch it and the small percentage of severe cases increases, putting more strain on the NHS.  How fast is it spreading?  NHS England said that the number of cases of K flu has been increasing since December 7 and yesterday (December 11) it revealed that ‘flu hospitalisations have surged by more than half in just one week’. An An average of 2,660 patients per day were in a hospital bed with flu last week, which is the highest ever for this time of year and a rise of 55 percent on the previous week. It added that ‘the peak is

Shopping on the high street for your Christmas presents is all well and good until you realise that you, your dad, your brother and your aunt have all bought your mum the exact same hand moisturiser or slippers. A much better bet would be picking up your gifts from indie traders at one of the UK’s top Christmas markets.  Some seasonal fairs sell a lot of similar tat, but there’s one in particular where you’re guaranteed to find presents that are of high quality and sold nowhere else... Cardiff Christmas Market.  The Welsh capital’s market has been organised by fair crafts company Craft*Folk for the past 30 years, and is an opportunity for local artists, crafts people and food and drink producers to sell their goods. Every year, twinkling wooden stalls set up all along the pedestrianised areas of St John Street, Working Street, Trinity Street and Hills Street. So, if you’re in need of some last minute gifts, here’s everything you need to know about Cardiff Christmas Market.  When is Cardiff Christmas Market?  Cardiff Christmas Market launched on November 13 and will stay up and running until Tuesday December 23.  What are the opening times? From Monday to Saturday trading times 10am until 6pm (7pm on Thursdays). On Sundays, the market stays open from 10am until 5am and on its final day, the market will close at 4pm.  What are the main attractions? The large majority of stall holders at Cardiff Christmas Market represent small Welsh businesses and you won’t find their products

There’s nothing like the classic grub and rough-around-the-edges charm of a traditional London boozers. But sometimes you might want somewhere with a little extra glamour. That’s where London’s posh gastropubs come in. And at the height of Sunday roast season, the Times has just named its 13 favourite in the capital.  Much like we do here at Time Out, writers at the Times ‘embarked upon the ultimate pub crawl’ to determine which of the city’s high-end alehouses are the poshest of them all.  One of Time Out’s favourite gastros, the Camberwell Arms was included for its ‘cosy and comfy’ atmosphere and Sunday roasts that ‘taste of home’. We awarded the same Camberwell pub five stars last year. In her review, Time Out food editor Leonie Cooper called it ‘the gastropub to end all gastropubs’ and that ‘“sublime” doesn’t even begin to do it justice’.  Photograph: Chris Bethell The only other east London establishment on the list is the Knave of Clubs, praising it for being ‘Shoreditch at its best — creative, warm and just a little scruffy’. Unsurprisingly for a list that that highlights posh spots, pubs in west London dominate. Four pubs in Notting Hill made the cut: the Fat Badger, the Pelican (both owned by hospitality group Public House), the Cow and the Princess Royal. A shoutout also went to the newly launched The Marlborough X Crisp Pizza. The paper said: ‘The top part of the Marlborough offers a cosy, dimly lit space complete with burgundy leather, barstools and the Devonsh