Amy Houghton

The United Kingdom has a heck of a lot going for it. Here, you can traverse rugged peaks, bathe on gorgeous beaches, hang out in world-famous bars, eat incredible food, dance at some of the biggest festivals on the planet and admire some of the world’s most significant artworks free of charge. The roster of things to do is truly endless, whatever it is you’re into.  Time Out spends all year travelling the length and breadth of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and scouring cultural calendars for exciting goings on. So, we know a thing or two about what is actually worth your precious time. In our list of the best things to do in the UK right now, we’ve got classic crowd-pleasers (they’re popular for good reason) alongside lesser-known events and sights that you really should have on your radar. From experiencing the energy of Notting Hill Carnival to surfing Cornwall’s waves to a bizarre but brilliant little crab museum, these are the best things to do in the UK.  RECOMMENDED: 🇬🇧 The best places to visit in the UK in 2026.🏖️ The UK’s greatest seaside towns. 🍻 Britain’s 22 best pubs in 2026.📍 The UK’s most underrated city breaks.🏛️ The top museums in the UK.

Ranking the greatest pubs in the UK is, obviously, very tricky business indeed. Pub preference is such an intimate, personal thing – one person’s dream boozer might not remotely appeal to another. That said, when it comes to Britain’s absolute finest pubs there are universal marks of excellence: convivial atmosphere, charming staff, charismatic decor and, above all, a varied selection of well-kept, well-served drinks. Time Out’s 2026 ranking of Britain’s greatest pubs was compiled with the assistance of our UK-wide network of drinking aficionados, and features all kinds of establishments. Pint enclaves built in barren deserts, atop blustery mountains and on isolated beaches. Sturdy booze bastions, age-old no-fuss pubs, innovative craft alehouses and everything in between.  Some of these pubs are old favourites though plenty are more recent obsessions; they’re almost all independent (with a couple of worthy exceptions). Mostly, though, they’re united by one thing: a sense of community. A pub is made by its cast of regulars, and you’ll find quality company in each of the institutions below.  (Oh, and for the most part these pubs are outside London. You can find a list of the capital’s top drinking holes here). RECOMMENDED: The best gastropubs in the UK.  

You don’t need us to tell you that Manchester is a pub lover's dream, but we'll sing about it all the same. It only takes a cursory glance at the city's history, from its industrial importance to the proud and passionate sport and art that has dominated in recent decades, to understand why. Where else but a pub for ideas to form? The best pubs in Manchester are among the best in England, and the city tiptoes the line between old and new with the confidence of, well, a Mancunian. Manchester likes a pint, whether served in a centuries-old tavern or a faux-minimalist modern hangout. What’s more, the city's taps have taken to local brews, meaning you can usually find a beer brewed just a few miles from where you’re sipping. It doesn't get any better than that. RECOMMENDED:🍝 The best restaurants in Manchester📍 The best things to do in Manchester🍸 The best bars in Manchester🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Manchester At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

We never thought we’d say it, but this summer’s never-ending heatwave has got us dreaming of cooler days and chilly nights cosied up with a hot bev and wool blanket. There are still a few months to go before autumn hits, but that doesn’t mean it’s too soon to start planning how we’ll spend it.    For some, it’s is all about spooky season, for others it’s about candle-lit evenings in front of the telly with a steaming mug of hot chocolate. For others, it’s about pumpkins galore – a golden excuse to get picking, carving and cooking. If you fall into that final category, you’re in the right place.  As the weather drops, farms in and around London become gourd wonderlands, littered with bright yellow and flaming orange pumpkins. Often there’ll be photo opportunities, craft workshops and spooky goings on thrown in so you can make a real outing of it. Just make sure you book in advance to make sure you get a decent pick of the crop. So, whether you want to stock up on pumpkins to carve into Halloween lanterns or to make masses of soup and pies, here are our favourite places near London for pumpkin picking in 2026.  London’s best places for pumpkin picking at a glance: 🎃 Pumpkin smashing fun: Rogate Pumpkin Patch, Petersfield 🪄 Magical village vibes: Marsh Farm, Chelmsford 🧙🏻‍♀️ Best for witches on a budget: Cobbs Farm, Essex ⚡️ Best for little adventure-seekers: Hobbledown Heath, Hounslow   

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

We’re firmly past 2026’s halfway point and it’s already been a stacked year for excellent new music. The race for song of the summer is a packed field, big-name pop titans – Olivia Rodrigo, Madonna – have delivered lauded albums and there’s been a formidable number of breakout bands. 2026’s end-of-year round-ups are already looking like contentious business indeed.  Looking to inject something new into your mid-year listening habits? Time Out’s music geeks have got together to put together a list of the albums we’ve loved so far in 2026. Raving dance-pop, grotty death metal, stratospheric jazz-funk, paranoid techno, the year’s biggest pop records… whatever’s your jam, you’ll find it here.  Read on for the best albums of 2026 as of July, according to Time Out editors and contributors (they’re in alphabetical order – you’ll have to wait until the end of the year for the definitive ranking). RECOMMENDED: The 10 songs of the summer for 2026.

July is the month where London really lets its collective hair down and has some fun. It’s just too hot to stay cooped up indoors so everyone descends on lidos en masse, or assembles in fun-seeking hordes at rooftop bars, beer gardens and alfresco restaurants. We can already taste the sweet, sweet golden hour spritzes. And as ever, this year's July line-up of massive festivals and other prospects that are exciting enough tempt you away from yet another tinny in the park. Some massive music names are descending on central London for BST Hyde Park, ravers will be heading west for Junction 2, electronic music artists from around the world are playing Labyrinth by the Thames. Outdoor cinema screens are popping up all over the city, showing family hits, classic rom coms and all the summer’s live sport. Or, if you like your outdoor entertainment to be deeply weird and feline-inspired, spring for the long-awaited revival of Cats at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.  Midsummer is also a chance to take in the city’s lavender and sunflower fields, which are going to be at their blooming loveliest. Here’s our guide to the best exhibitions, shows and things to do this July 2026 in London.  RECOMMENDED: The definitive London events calendar

Need a place to stay in London? You’re in the right place. Every year, a wealth of new hotels open in the capital – a testament to the fact that London remains one of the most desirable places to visit in the world. That can, however, make it rather tricky to decide which to choose. But worry not: we have slept our way across the city and hand-picked our favourites, to bring you this ultimate list of London hotels, from Mayfair to Shoreditch and far, far beyond.  Newcomers to our list include a few hotshot openings – the likes of Six Senses, the Newman and Zetter Bloomsbury – as well as a plenty of old classics. We’ve made sure to include budget-friendly, family-friendly and tourist-friendly stays, and we’ve included our favourite spots to visit nearby too. This is Time Out London, after all. In other words, we’ve made it all rather easy for you. Thank us later: here are the best hotels in London.  🏘️ Looking for even more options? Check out our list of the best Airbnbs in London Which area is best to stay in London? That entirely depends on what you’re looking for. If you’ve got cash to splash and and want to be right in the thick of it all for sightseeing, theatre and royal parks, stay in the West End. Want to live like a local and try out the city’s best wine bars and small plates? Try Hackney. For a homely, family-friendly vibe that’s a little further out, try Walthamstow. Or for our full breakdown, head to our full guide to where to stay in London.  How we curate our

With more than 70 cities across the UK, you’d be a fool if you only ever visited heavyweights like London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Everyone knows how brilliant those cities are, with their cultural offerings and culinary scenes. But we all know how expensive they can be, too – so it’s about time other spots got their flowers.  Every British city has a distinct personality. We have places that are packed with reminders of their medieval history, that are emerging as sporting hotspots, that offer world class nights out and that have bars and restaurants good enough to give London a run for its money.  So, who better to let you in on the UK’s best-kept secrets than Time Out’s editorial staff and expert local travel writers, who hark from all over the nation? From Derby to Dundee, here’s our roundup of the UK’s most underrated city breaks.  What is the cheapest UK city break? Smaller cities on the list, like Sheffield, Wells, Stoke and Dundee, offer more affordable accommodation than their larger counterparts. The sames tends to go when it comes to the price of a pint. Pubgoers in Dundee get to enjoy a cold one for an average £3.96 and in Durham and Sunderland, the average pint is around £4.60.  What is the best UK city to get to by train? If you’re travelling from London, you’re less than two hours on the train from Canterbury, Salisbury, Bristol and Bath – as well as from Sheffield and Stoke, if you can get a speedy service. Fast trains from London also regularly service Leed

Although the weather might not look like it, it is actually summer in London, which means festival season is finally here.  This year Londoners are absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to fezzies. With something taking place almost every weekend throughout the warmer months, you can forget trekking across the country to live in a field for five days; simply hop on the tube and before you know it you’re listening to your favourite artists, tinny to hand, knowing that there’s a hot shower and a cosy bed waiting for you once the day is over.  Haven’t booked one yet? Get into gear before you miss huge acts like Tyler, The Creator, Lewis Capaldi, Lorde, Blood Orange and Deftones who are all set to take to London stages in the coming weeks. Have a scroll through our comprehensive guide – which we keep meticulously updated with all the latest line-up announcements – and see what takes your fancy. RECOMMENDED: ⛺ The best UK music festivals🌍 The best festivals in Europe

When you think of London summer, plenty of things come to mind: music festivals, Primrose Hill hangs, swims in Hampstead Heath ponds, tins by Regent’s Canal, but when it comes to the great pillars of our city summer, one event wears the crown: the Wimbledon Tennis Championships – aka the oldest, and arguably the very best, tennis tournament in the world.  This year, the action will take place between Monday June 29 and Sunday July 12 2026. Thousands of people will be descending on SW19 to see the matches IRL. If you haven’t got tickets and don’t fancy camping overnight to get in, there are plenty of live screenings taking place all over London you can go to instead.  And you won’t be missing out on any of the Wimbledon staples at these screenings either, with jugs of Pimms and punnets of strawberries available at nearly every location, you’ll hardly notice the difference from Murray Mount. Even better – most watch parties won’t cost you a single penny. So, pack your picnic blanket, fill your flask and pull up a pew at a summery screening near you. RECOMMENDED: Our full guide to Wimbledon 2026.

You might never want to leave Edinburgh, and we get it. The Scottish capital is loved the world over for its culture, restaurants and Fringe Festival, but if you limit your time in Scotland to just the capital city, trust us when we say that you’re missing out.  Scotland is full of gems, but the best part is that a whole lot of them can be reached by train or car in just one day. From hilly hikes to wide-open beaches, and from pretty towns to full-blown city breaks, these day trips from Edinburgh are not to be missed. Here are our favourites.  The best day trips from Edinburgh, at a glance  🦊 Best for wildlife lovers: Cairngorms National Park 🏖️ Best for a day by the sea: Tyninghame Beach (Ravensheugh Sands) 🌆 Best for city explorers: Newcastle 🍭 Best for families: The Kelpies 📚 Best for history buffs: Linlithgow 🦕 Best for guided tours and Nessie-spotting: Loch Ness This guide was updated by Edinburgh-based Arusa Quereshi, and Time Out editors. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

A month after the long-awaited ‘Frida: The Making of an Icon’ opened at the Tate Modern, it was only a matter of time before the gallery hosted one of its Friday Lates in dedication to the Mexican visionary. Publishing studio Calaca Press will have an archive of books, magazines, images and music from Mexico City produced during Frida Kahlo’s lifetime for visitors to explore and to inspire zinemaking. Elsewhere, writer and curator Hettie Judah will be in the Starr Cinema to talk about the relationship between Kahlo and photographer Nickolas Muray. Up on the rooftop, DJ Tiffany Calver will play an exclusive set inspired by Frida’s legacy (with the promise of a ‘very special guest’). And down in the gallery’s Corner Bar, there’ll be an energetic mix of Cumbia Sonidera, Cumbia with electronic, African and Balkan influences brought to you by Mexican DJ Ritmos Cholulteka. 

You don’t have to venture all the way up to Edinburgh for a cracking dose of comedy in August. The Roundhouse has been hosting its comedy fest since 2023 and every year curates a line-up full of the biggest stars on the circuit. Across 18 days this year, you can expect gigs from the likes of Joe Lycett, Ed Gamble, Katherine Ryan, Sam Campbell, Ed Gamble, Sara Pascoe and Vittorio Angelone. Beyond the stand-ups, there’ll be live podcast recordings, theatrical comedy and interactive shows to watch too. Cult US comedy streaming platform Dropout will bring live editions of its hit shows Dirty Laundry, Um, Actually and Crowd Control, Jack Rooke (writer of Bad Boys) will present his first solo show and Adam Buxton and Alexei Sayle will host podcast recordings with special guests Ayoade Bamgboye of SNL UK and last year’s Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Sam Nicoresti. If you’re under 30, you can get your hands on tickets for just five quid. 

Nothing inside Fulham Pier Hotel indicates that you are, technically, at a football stadium. Then again, said football stadium is often considered the poshest in the country, so perhaps it tracks that it’s now home to one of the glossiest boutique hotels in the city.  Fulham Pier Hotel backs onto Craven Cottage (London’s oldest football grounds) and is part of a major redevelopment of the whole venue by Fulham FC’s billionaire owner Shahid Khan. But there are no framed football shirts given pride of place on the walls, no photos of iconic Fulham FC moments, no echo of cheers from fans and the pitch isn’t visible unless you’re peeking over from the sprawling terrace of the penthouse. To boot, the hotel’s discreet entrance (a gold door to the side of the building that can only be opened with your key), limited number of rooms, and private access to the swanky member’s club next door makes the place feel incredibly exclusive.  What are the rooms like at Fulham Pier Hotel?  Each of the 13 rooms are – thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows facing the waterfront – gloriously flooded with natural light. From the wide private balcony of our Junior Suite (which spans the whole length of the room), we sit and watch countless rowers glide down the river while a collage of runners and dog-walkers make use of the leafy Thames Path on the other side. The space directly opposite the pier is a designated conservation area, so those pretty vistas and the mesmering, unobstructed view of the su

A star-studded roster of London’s funniest people will be taking to the roof of the Bill Murray Comedy Club for the annual Angel Comedy Street Party on sunday. So far, the lineup features Barry Ferns, Paddy Young (of Saturday Night Live UK), Spencer Jones and star of Time Out’s Love Thy Neighbourhood podcast Helen Bauer. The day will be rounded off with special musical chaos from Chloe Petts alongside duo Flo & Joan. We don’t know exactly what that chaos will involve, but we do know that the trio have been dubbed themselves The Spooky Richards. Tickets are free of charge but donations are encouraged. All the money collected will go towards Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants, which helps people seeking sanctuary, providing English classes, expert advice, and a welcoming community. 

Peckham’s finest will be out in full force at a free festival on bank holiday Monday. The second annual On the Rye festival will take over the south London park with non-stop sets spanning lovers rock, soulful house, Afro-Cuban rhythms and more from the likes of the Handson Family, Buena Vista Social Club, Donut, Rebel Clash, Carroll Thompson, Born n Bread and Marcia Carr. Local vendors will line the green selling street food, drinks and artisan crafts and there’ll be loads of family-friendly goings on from a bouncy castles and face-painting to a kids’ festival rave and chess classes with local club Say It With Your Chess. 

London Rivers Week has been committed to celebrating and restoring London’s rivers for 10 years now. In that decade, the need to appreciate our city’s waterways has only grown. The theme of the charity event this year is ‘Know Your Local River’, encouraging Londoners to connect with and take pride in the river nearest to them. To help you do that, there’ll be guided walks, exhibitions, volunteer sessions, lectures, workshops, clean-ups and talks going on in every corner of the capital. See the full programme here. 

Large, blocky and wrapped in sage green, 1 Hotel Copenhagen is, frankly, unimpressive from the street outside. But any doubts about the place evaporate the moment you push through its revolving doors. Within seconds, the divinely soft scent of pine that ripples through the building has you sighing into a state of bliss. Straight ahead is a cascading set of wooden stairs that look like a flora adorned version of the Met steps, beckoning you up to the palatial, plant-filled atrium and lobby above.  Hotel 1 Copenhagen flung its doors open in August 2025 and is the brand’s second European outpost (after London). The place fits the city like a glove – it’s hard to imagine somewhere better suited to 1 Hotel's simple glamour, laid-back luxury and eco-conscious ethos than the Danish capital.  What are the rooms like at 1 Hotel Copenhagen?  All of the 282 rooms at 1 Hotel are all appropriately Scandi – bright, airy and done out in soft, organic tones. We’re set up in the Junior Suite, which was soaked with natural light and filled with plush cream, reclaimed wood and canvas furnishings. Wherever there’s space for a plant, there is one – on every coffee table, peaking out of  the middle of the sofa or perched next to the bathroom sink.  A lot of thought has gone into making the rooms ultra sustainable, and encouraging the guests to live mindfully. There’s a sand-timer opposite the rainfall shower that keeps you conscious of how much water you’re consuming (in a gentle, non-pass-agg way

Bar Flor is laden with loveliness. You’d expect little else from Aaron Potter and Laura Hart, the chef and interior stylist duo who gave us the ever-so-elegant Wildflowers. One floor above that restaurant is Bar Flor, which comes complete with whimsically hand-painted walls, reminiscent of the interiors of Charleston House, pale wood finishes, cosy velvet-clad pews and gentle, romantic light.  Bar Flor bills itself as a more playful, more spontaneous sister (the Type-B sibling, if you will) to the pristine Type-A restaurant below. The menu is Basque-country inspired – a copious lineup of European wines, vermouths and sherries alongside lager, Basque ciders and cocktails, complemented by a snappy selection of pintxos.  I was pulled towards the cocktails, which range from the house Adonis, made up of Cocchi Torino vermouth, Manzanilla sherry and a dash of orange bitters, to the luxuriously smoky Flor Margarita. Plates of dangerously moreish bar snacks filled the table throughout the evening, arranged on pretty floral plates that look like they’ve been pulled from a Spanish abuela’s kitchen cupboards. Dishes change on a weekly basis, but standouts on the night we visited included the delicate triangles of cave-aged manchego doused in honey, as well as shudderingly salty, briny gildas and (the showstopper) a fried calamari sandwich with garlic aioli oozing over the edges of the crusty bun.  Order this I couldn’t keep my hands off Bar Flor’s Peschiole Martini – a sugary, tangy co

Cameron House is nearly every Scottish stereotype wrapped up in a pristine package.  As we glide down its long drive, the enormous Loch Lomond stretches to the left while baronial towers stand proud to the right, and when we step through its grand front doors, golfers hang about the lobby and bespoke tartan pops up everywhere from the staff uniform to headboards. See? Scottish as hell. Spanning 400-acres, the hotel's high-end touches and abundance of facilities might seem intimidating at first. But, in true Scot fashion, as vast and luxurious as it is, Cameron House somehow still feels homely and down to earth.  Why stay at Cameron House? The bonny vistas over Scotland’s largest loch and the Trossachs National Park are enough reason to stay at Cameron House on their own. But add to that its grand architecture, its endless grounds, its impeccable dining, its proximity to Glasgow, and a night here becomes near irresistible. And if big names mean anything to you, you may be interested to know that it has earned nods of approval from the likes of Barack Obama, Sir Alex Ferguson, Leonardo Dicaprio, Cameron Diaz and Robbie Williams.  It has a compelling history, too. The site was originally home to a castle in the 14th century, which was remodelled in the 17th century. Then, for three centuries, it was home to esteemed Scottish family the Smollets (owner and famous novelist Tobias Smollett famously wrote ‘I have seen Lake Garda, Albana, de Visco, Bolsetta and Geneva. Upon my honour

What is it?  Brockwell Park is a much-needed slab of green (84 acres) just south of Brixton. Locals from the surrounding areas flock here in summer to sun-worship (if they’re lucky), fly kites, play football, swim in the outside pool, garden in the community greenhouses and parade a stunning array of dogs. The vast space was once the private grounds of Brockwell Hall and was opened to the public in 1891 by the London County Council. The hall still stands today and is one of several grade II listed buildings dotted about the park, including the emerald green Tritton Tower Clock, which was gifted to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.  Why go?  It's big, diverse and interesting, with numerous areas to appeal to different tastes, from the calm, rolling meadows around Tulse Hill and walled ‘Old English’ flower garden to the BMX track and sloped football pitches by the Dulwich Road. The playground in Brockwell Park is a favourite, with its aerial slide, massive sandpit and sections for different age groups; nearby you’ll find duck ponds and a huge paddling pool. There’s also a lovely little minature railway open at the weekends May to October, weather permitting – it’s not particularly massive but it’s been just £1 for a return for years now. Don’t miss:  Regular events at the park include circuses and a busy schedule of summer concerts and festivals including Wide Awake, Mighty Hoopla, Field Day and Cross the Tracks. But one of the most beloved annual events is the Lam

After a year out, Dialled In is returning to the capital city for its fifth birthday celebrations. Once again, the all-dayer will bring established and emerging artists from all over diasporic and South Asian countries and cities to east London. Unlike past editions, this year’s event will take over multiple venues throughout Dalson, from Café OTO to The Divine to Rio Cinema. It’ll see former member of The xx, Baria, make her first return to the London festival circuit in fifteen years, a rare London live set from rising star Gayathri Krishnan and the London debut of Lifafa, frontman of Peter Cat Recording Co. That’s alongside appearances from the likes of Sarathy Korwar, Mya Mehm, Anish Kumar and Raf Reza. This year will also see the festival expand into the realms of food, film, dance and comedy. 

Afternoon tea is a classic Mother’s Day activity, so you can’t go wrong with this offering from Biscuiteers, available at both its Notting Hill and Belgravia cafés for a month from March 8. The spread will include Biscuiteers’ signature hand-iced biscuits, Tregothnan tea, plus the mini sandwiches (with fillings like cheese and fig, ham and truffle and smoked salmon and cream cheese), patisserie (think coconut and mango mousse cake and strawberry and champagne macarons) and freshly baked scones crucial to any good afternoon tea. If you’re willing to spend a little extra on mumsie, you can add a glass of bubbly or a DIY biscuit icing session. There’s also a complimentary (undisclosed) gift included for the woman of the hour.

We Brits often take our access to other countries for granted. Our passport is one of the strongest in the world and there are dozens of new cuisines and entirely different cultures that we can reach within just three hours. That’s less than the time it takes to get from Perth to Melbourne or New York to Texas. So, while no UK beaches feature on Beach.com’s new Global Beach Index 2026 (a crime, if you ask us), you don’t have to go too far to find beaches that did make the cut. While top spot was in the Caribbean and only a few European bays feature on the list, two of them are around three hours from the UK.  Beach.com curated its index based on expert nominations,  in-depth analysis of nearly 100,000 reviews, half a decade of NASA satellite data and a decade of EU Program data. It ranked the beaches according to 18 metrics, which included popularity, water quality, accessibility and climate.  In at number nine was Praia da Falésia in Portugal. The Algarve beach is just 40 minutes from Faro Airport, which you can get to from most UK airports in roughly two hours and 40 minutes. Beach.com said that visitors to the 8km-long Praia da Falésia ‘rave about its pristine environment’, natural beauty and consistently clear water.   Photograph: ShutterstockSu Giudeu beach in Chia, Sardinia   Spiaggia Su Giudeu in Italy is the other closest beach to Britain on the list. Located on the southern coast of Sardinia with huge white sand dunes and calm cobalt water, it ranked 19th because,

There are few more iconic pieces of British fashion than the Burberry trench coat. The trench has been worn by Britons and on fashion sets across the world since the 1910s. It was taken to the Antarctic by Irish explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton in the early 1900s, was sported by British officers during WWI and II, featured in some of old Hollywood’s most iconic scenes (the Breakfast at Tiffany’s kissing-in-the-rain scene, for example, and the ‘here’s looking at you kid’ moment in Casablanca) and is still going strong today.  Now, as part of the brand’s 170th birthday celebrations, Burberry has announced an exhibition at the V&A dedicated to that legendary trench coat.  The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon will be a free display in the Prince Consort Gallery at the V&A South Kensington running from September 21 2026 until January 3 2027. Split into three main sections, it’ll feature rare material from Burberry’s archive alongside pieces from the V&A’s own collection, tracing the trench from its origins to its status today as a bona fide British icon.  Photograph: BurberryA womenswear catalogue featuring Burberry trench The first section of the show, titled ‘Invention’ will explore how Thomas Burberry invented cotton gabardine in 1879 and how that went on to be used in the Burberry trench which, at that point, was sold as a functional and practical piece of protective outerwear that was far more chic than the other options on the market. Next, ‘Craft’ will unpick the artisanry

Did you hear? Next month the UK will witness the most significant solar eclipse of the last 30 years. It won’t be a total eclipse (we’re not getting one of those until 2090) but it will be an impressive sight all the same. And that’s not the only celestial spectacle we’re being treated to in the coming weeks.  Before the eclipse arrives, the night sky will put on not one but two dazzling meteor shower displays in a single night as the Earth passes through the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids. Both showers are active right now, but will reach their peak and be at their most visible in a matter of days. Here’s how to catch a glimpse of them.   What are the Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids meteor showers? A meteor shower happens when the Earth passes through debris in the solar system left by a comet. When the bits of rock and dust collide with our planet’s atmosphere, they vaporise and create fiery streaks of light that we like to call shooting stars. The Southern Delta Aquariid is thought to have originated from the breakup of comets called Marsden and Kracht, though another theory is that it came from a comet called Comet 96P/Machholz. The Alpha Capricornids were created around 3,000 to 5,000 years ago when half of a comet named 169P/NEAT disintegrated.  The Southern Delta Aquariids are active from July 12 until August 23 and the Alpha Capricornids are active from July 3 to August 15, but they will both reach their maximum (or their ‘peak’) on the sam

There have been lots of rumours about new Eurostar routes over the past year or so. In June, the cross-Channel operator signed a memorandum of understanding in which it committed to trying to establish a direct connection from London to Switzerland. Last December, it did the same for routes to Cologne and Frankfurt. But those are not confirmations that the routes will actually happen and even if they do, they wouldn’t be expected until the 2030s. However, Eurostar has just confirmed that we will in fact get one brand new direct route before the end of the year. Eurostar will start running direct journeys from London St Pancras to Antwerp in December. Trains that already run between London and Amsterdam will travel further to go through existing stops at at Lille-Europe, Brussels-Midi, Rotterdam-Centraal and Antwerpen-Centraal. There’ll be up to four services a day going to Belgium’s second city, starting from December 14.  At the moment, getting from London to Antwerp by train takes around three hours and 15 minutes – you’ve got to get the Eurostar to Brussels then catch a separate Belgian National Rail Company (SNCB) train. The new direct route slices more than half an hour off that time, taking around two hours and 45 minutes.  Photograph: ShutterstockAntwerp, Belgium The one catch is that the route will only be direct on the route going from London. That's because there are no UK border and customs facilities at Antwerp Centraal. To get back, travellers will have to book

When the brand new King Charles III England Coast Path officially launched back in March, it hadn’t actually been completed. Eventually it’ll span all 2,700 miles of the English coast, making it the longest managed coastal path in the world. New chunks have continued to open since the path was first inaugurated and the latest to make its debut is a 34-mile section across the Furness Peninsula in Cumbria.  The new section opened on July 23 and connects the villages of Foxfield and Greenodd. To prepare the path, 10 sets of steps, 23 bridges, 60 gates, five kilometres of fencing and surfacing and more than 300 signs and waymarkers were installed. Its launch marks the latest milestone in the completion of the 200-mile coastal stretch from Gretna to Silverdale, on the Lancashire border. Walking the segment, ramblers will follow the peninsula via Kirkby-in-Furness, Askam-in-Furness, Barrow-in-Furness, Bardsea and Ulverston before crossing the Leven Estuary. It offers spectacular views across Morecambe Bay and the opportunity to spot creatures like curlew, oystercatcher, redshank and dunlin. Newly created parts of the path also steer walkers away from previously unavoidable parts of the shore, enabling them to stay safe from the tide and protecting rare wildlife on the sands and muds.  Photograph: ShutterstockBarrow-in-Furness Claire Argent, Natural England Deputy Director for Cumbria said: ‘The Furness Peninsula is one of those places that genuinely takes your breath away, whethe

This week, global consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG) revealed its inaugural Intelligent Cities Index. And would you believe it! Our fine city of London has come out on top.  The index isn’t about which city is better at sudoko or most likely to win a pub quiz. Rather, it focuses on how cities use stuff like AI and digital tech to serve their residents and businesses. BCG assessed 61 major cities across the world based on five main factors: resident outcomes, strategy, technology adoption, government delivery and the conditions that support innovation.  London particularly excelled in the resident outcomes category, which covers quality of life, economic opportunities and the city’s ability to support jobs, businesses and entrepreneurship. Across all metrics, it scored a total of 85 out of 100, five points above its closest rivals Dubai, New York, Washington and Amsterdam.  Arturs Smilkstins, managing director and partner at the group said: ‘London’s position may look surprising for a city with so much ageing infrastructure, but the ranking shows that being an intelligent city is not about having the newest physical assets. It is about how well a city uses technology, AI and digital services to make those assets work better for residents and businesses. Photograph: Sven Hansche / Shutterstock.comLondon skyline, April 2026 ‘London’s strength is the breadth of its performance, from quality of life and economic opportunity to public-service adoption, government deliv

Last week, after months of pulling up stools, sinking pints, scoping out beer gardens and tucking into pub grub, Time Out brought to you its guide to the best pubs in the UK for 2026.  We know, we know – everyone will have different opinions over what makes a great pub. But there are certain criteria that help boozers stand out above the rest. Every pub on our newly updated list has exceptional staff, charismatic decor, a perfect line-up of drinks and an unshakeable sense of community. On top of that, some sit within magnificent landscapes, some have a long history of legendary DJ sets and others have a quality food menu to boot.   The guide is mostly made up of pubs outside of London, but there was one special boozer in the capital that snuck onto the list. And that boozer was the Old Nun’s Head in the southeast of the city.  During the Reformation, the pub’s Nunhead site was home to a nunnery. Its name comes from the story of a rebellious Mother Superior who was murdered and had her head stuck on a pikestaff on the green. Thankfully, these days it’s a far less macabre place. In fact, our writer called it the ‘funnest’ pub in London. It’s also currently top of Time Out’s list of the best pubs in the city. Photograph: Rosie HewitsonPop-Up Dyke Bar at The Old Nun’s Head     Rosie Hewitson, Time Out London’s things to do editor, wrote that the Old Nun’s Head is ‘an excellently offbeat, queer-friendly boozer in the bones of a grand 1930s building’ and in recent years has beco

At Time Out UK it’s our job to keep tabs on all of the greatest goings-on across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We spend our days meticulously judging everything from the country’s best pubs to its best music festivals, its finest wild swimming spots to its best waterparks. Now we’ve put all that knowledge together to compile a brand-new list of the top 25 things to do in the UK.  Of course, a guide to the UK’s greatest things to see and do must include the big hitters. Everyone should experience the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at least once, London’s world-class free museums and galleries are unmissable and landmarks like Stonehenge and the Giant’s Causeway are always worth the journey. But our guide also includes a few local gems and several new additions for 2026.  Photograph: ShutterstockStirling, Scotland The number one thing to do in the UK this year is paying a visit to our top destination of 2026: Stirling. This summer, the UK finally got a train directly connecting London to the Scottish city, so it would be rude not to take advantage of it. Not only does it have the historic Stirling Castle and the National Wallace Monument but it also has a series of brilliant events happening over the next few months. There’s the annual Stirling Highland Games, the Interesting Things music and arts festival, Stirling Cocktail Week and in September Radio 2 in the Park, headlined by Chaka Khan and Simple Minds.   Other new additions to our guide include a hike along

Ten miles southeast of Glasgow, the 17th-century Crossbasket Castle has been running as a lavish hotel for a decade. In its hundreds of years of existence the Crossbasket has lived all sorts of lives – it began as a tower house and through the centuries was passed through the hands of landowners, lawyers and famous chemist Charles Macintosh. Now, it’s preparing to enter a new era.  The estate is introducing 12 luxury cabins that’ll sit along the banks of the River Calder, a short stroll from the castle. Each is designed to feel totally secluded. Each fits up to four guests with a double bed and double sofa bed, with a bathroom in an enclosed balcony with a freestanding copper bath, a floor-to-ceiling window and views of the surrounding woodland.  Breakfast is served in the nearby Foveran’s atrium, where you can fill up on pastries, bloody mary, charcuterie, omelette filled with smoked haddock, gruyère, cheddar, potatoes and spring onion, a breakfast grill or ‘porridge brûlée’ spiked with Drambuie liqueur. In the evenings, the hotel restaurant Trocadero’s offers fine dining, live music, a dessert trolley and cocktails.  Image: Crossbasket CastleCrossbasket Castle Cabins Alongside the luxe lodgings, Crossbasket is working on its brand-new Four Angels Spa, which is due to open in the autumn. It’ll feature organic products from the Isle of Harris plus four treatment rooms, ‘immersive experience showers’, a sauna, a steam room and heated loungers.  Alison Timoney, owner of Cross

Everyone enjoys a good snoop, whether that’s sneaking a peek through the window of the fancy townhouses in Notting Hill or ambling around an empty old church you’ve just stumbled upon. London’s annual Open House Festival gives you permission to snoop around hundreds of buildings to your heart’s content. The week-long event gives members of the public the chance to poke around places that normally have their doors firmly shut to outsiders. All sorts of buildings across all 33 of the capital’s boroughs take part. Creative studios, royal dwellings, secretive municipal offices, historic archives and even private homes. Some are historic structures that are embedded in London’s DNA. Others are just really cool to look at. The 35th edition of Open House London is taking place from September 12 to September 20. It’s all free, but many of the buildings require booking in advance and tickets get snapped up incredibly fast. So, get it in your diary: bookings open on August 19. Don’t know which places are worth booking? Here’s a roundup of the buildings we’re most excited to peek inside.  The 6 best London buildings to visit during Open House 2026 Lloyd’s Building  This year marks four decades since the revolutionary Lloyd’s Building became part of London’s skyline. The building is home to the Lloyd’s of London specialist insurance market, but that’s the least interesting thing about it. Designed by Lord Richard Rogers, it consists of a series of towers around a central space, with du

Wimbledon has been and gone for another year and we’ve finished riding the highs and lows of the World Cup, but 2026’s summer of sport isn’t over yet. Now, it’s time for the Commonwealth Games.  This year’s Games were originally supposed to take place in the Australian state of Victoria but it pulled out after the cost of hosting became ‘truly too much’. Glasgow stepped in to save the day. Although it’s going to be a more stripped back version of the Games than we’re used to (there are 10 sports on the programme compared to 17 when Glasgow last hosted), it’s one of the best things going on in the UK this year.  Athletes from 74 nations and territories are now in the city gearing up to compete across the next 10 days. New one-mile world record-holder Josh Kerr will be there, as will English swimmer Adam Peaty, reigning gymnastics Olympics champion Rhys McClenaghan, Jamaica’s five-time Olympic champion track runner Elaine Thompson-Herah and Scotland’s own long-distance runner Eilish McColgan.  Even if you don’t get tickets to any matches or races, Glasgow itself will be abuzz with cultural events inspired by the Games (and if you kept up with the World Cup, you’ll know that Scots know how to throw a good party). There’ll be free outdoor gigs, a short film festival, ‘come and try’ sports sessions, dance performances and more. But back to the main event – here’s everything you need to know about the Commonwealth Games 2026.  When are the Commonwealth Games 2026? The games kick of

There are walkers and then there are hikers. People who prefer to get in their steps on leisurely Sunday strolls through forests and along brooks versus those who like to take on rocky terrain and enjoy arduous climbs up unforgiving mountains. For those who fall into the latter category and are looking for a new challenge, new research by PureGym has revealed the most physically demanding hikes in the world – and two of them can be found here in the UK.  To determine how tough the routes are, PureGym looked at factors like distance, elevation gain, gradient, maximum altitude, amount of scrambling required, wind speeds and the average temperature. Each metric was given a weighted score and then combined to give the hike a score out of 100.  Borneo’s Mount Kinabalu Summit was named the hardest hike in the world, but there’s no need to travel all that way for a challenge. Two treks in Scotland also made it into the top 10. The Cuillin Ridge Traverse on the Isle of Skye was ranked the fifth hardest in the world and the Ring of Steall in the Nevis Range was ranked ninth. Cuillin Ridge Traverse Photograph: ShutterstockCuillin Ridge The 12km hike up Cuillin Ridge involves intense climbing up 22 peaks with a total ascent of 3,000m. This is no standard trek, it requires proper mountaineering gear like climbing rope, a harness and a helmet. To get down, you’ve got to abseil. All in all, the ridge usually takes highly competent climbers around 12-30 hours to complete, which includes