Amy Houghton

Summer’s on its way, and that means only one thing for footie fans: another hotly anticipated FIFA World Cup and all the thrills, spills, soaring highs and beer-soaked disappointments it brings.  This year, 16 stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the United States will host this epic tournament, which plays out from Thursday June 11 - Sunday July 19 2026. And of course, Engand fans will be glued to the screen, praying that it'll finally come home this summer. In 2022, England once again failed to end its ‘58 years of hurt’, crashing out of the tournament at the quarterfinals after being defeated by France. Could things be better this time round? Getting to the final of the Euros two years ago will give fans hopes a boost, with the bookies’ odds hovering around 6/1. Practically every pub and bar in London will be getting in on the action and vying for your attendance during the World Cup’s biggest games. However, we’ve whittled it down to the places that offer the best atmosphere and the best view of the screen, wherever you station yourself. Last year, England's manager Thomas Tuchel complained that fans were too ‘silent’: fingers crossed this summer's celebrations will prove him wrong.  RECOMMENDED: The best football pubs in London. When are the England World Cup matches? At the moment we only know the dates for England’s first three group stage matches. The Three Lions’ first fixture of the tournament is on Wednesday June 17 at 9pm BST against Crotia. Then, they’ll take on Gh

In 2026, the UK’s coastline is more in the spotlight than it has been in a long, long time. The opening of the long-awaited King Charles III Coastal Path means that the entire coasts of England, Wales and Scotland are now fully walkable – giving you even more of a reason to visit this nation’s extraordinary roster of seaside towns. Of course, being an island nation, the UK has no shortage of coastal spots. Prim, proper, picture-postcard-worthy idylls? Check. Remote, blustery retreats from stormy seas?  Yep, plenty of that. Thrill-packed resort spots with something for everyone? Britain has all of the above and much more. If you’re on the hunt for British seaside towns that are worth checking out right now – the ones that should be on your radar specifically in 2026 – that’s what we’re here for. Time Out assembled our UK travel experts to pick out the country’s most exciting seaside, port, harbour and resort towns to visit this year. RECOMMENDED: 🏖️ The best beaches in the UK.📍 The best places to visit in Britain in 2026.🇬🇧 The best new things to do in the UK in 2026. Time Out’s best seaside towns, mapped Image: Time Out

As much as we at Time Out all love London, from its restaurants and boozers to its theatre, art and museums, sometimes it’s nice to get out of the city for a bit. And while, sure, you could limit that city-escape to a swift day trip (find all the inspo you need for that here), there are also plenty of options for a longer getaway. The UK’s capital city is, naturally, extraordinarily well-connected to the rest of the country. Whether it’s a happening city like Glasgow, Bristol or Manchester or a rural idyll like the Cotswolds, Peak District or Lake District, very few places are more than a few hours’ travel away. And Time Out has definitive travel guides for all those places. From restaurants in Edinburgh to Stratford-upon-Avon’s RSC programme, we’ve got you covered wherever you pick for your weekend jaunt.  This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here. Best weekend trips at a glance 🎭 Best for theatre lovers: Stratford-Upon-Avon ⛪ Best for history buffs: Cambridge 🛁 Best for literature fans : Bath 🐴 Best for hikers: Scottish Highlands 🏖️ Best for seaside fun: Cornwall RECOMMENDED: 🇬🇧 The best places to visit in the UK in 2026.📍 The best new things to do in Britain in 2026.🌊 The best seaside towns in the UK in 2026.🎤 The best music festivals in the UK to book for 2026..

May truly is one of London’s finest months if you ask us. Not only is the city pleasantly warm and bursting with colourful spring blooms, but everyone is giddy with the possibilities of the coming summer. And most excitingly of all, there are not one, but two bank holidays on which to embark on inaugural rooftop bar excursion of the summer, rock out at one of the year’s first music festivals, lounge about in your favourite park, check out all those must-see exhibitions you’ve been meaning to catch or escape the city on a day trip or mini-break. And if that isn’t enough to keep you entertained, here’s our guide to the best events, parties, pop-ups and things to do in May 2026 in London. You’re in for one sweet, sweet month. London’s best things to do in May at a glance: 🪩 Best for party people: GALA Festival 🍝 Best for foodies: SicilyFEST 🌷 Best for botanists: RHS Chelsea Flower Show 🎨 Best for a culture fix: V&A East 🎶 Best for pop music stans: Mighty Hoopla  🎭 Best for theatre-goers: 1536 on the West End 🧒🏻 Best for families: Jurassic Creatures at the Natural History Museum

We’ve made it through the most depressing month of the year, the endless wait for that post-Christmas payday is finally over, and festival season 2026 is on our minds. By the time summer rolls around, Londoners will be absolutley spoilt for choice. 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.  The future of events in Brockwell Park was thrown up in the air in 2025, but you’ll be glad to know that most of the south London park’s usual lineup of events will return in 2026, with Cross The Tracks, Field Day and Mighty Hoopla all in the diary for late May. And the line-up announcements for next year’s events are already coming in thick fast, with huge acts like Tyler, The Creator, Lewis Capaldi, Lorde, Lily Allen, Blood Orange and Deftones all set to take to London stages come the summer. 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

London summer has officially kicked into gear. And that means that the Wimbledon Tennis Championships – aka the oldest, and arguably the very best, tennis tournament in the world – is back very, very soon.  This year the tournament is happening from Monday June 29 - Sunday July 12 2026. Thousands will be descending on SW19 to see the matches go down in real life but live screenings will be peppered all over London for thousands more who missed the ticket ballot or can’t be bothered to queue in the hopes of getting in day of.  With a jug of Pimms in one hand and a punnet of strawberries in the other, you’ll hardly know the difference. 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. Most haven't been announced for 2026 yet, but check back and more will be added closer to the time. RECOMMENDED: Our full guide to Wimbledon 2026.

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

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 Aperol Spritz.  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. 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.  Other London music festivals are popping off throughout the month, and it’s 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

Whatever your vibe (and whatever your budget), London’s got it all – and anyone will find something they love here. Historic pubs, leafy parks and gardens and an unmatched restaurant scene make this city worth visiting year-round, but before you’ve booked anything in London, you kind of have to know where you’re going to be based. To get you started, we’ve rounded up the city’s best Airbnbs available to book right now, with expert tips from our local editors. And, new for 2026 is our top Airbnb, a garden flat in Leyton, perfect for a summer BBQ! Should I choose an Airbnb or a hotel in London? London is not short on lovely hotels, ranging from budget to luxury and just about everything in between. But it’s fair to say that even the cheaper options cost a pretty penny – and you’ll often find them in more central, touristy areas in the city. If you want to live like a Londoner, an Airbnb can allow you to properly immerse yourself in a more residential area of London – and all the locally-loved bars, pubs and restaurants that come with it. You’ll find lots of our local tips below, but for a detailed breakdown of the best neighbourhoods to stay in London, check out our ultimate area guide. More of a hotels guy? No problem. Here’s our list of the best hotels in London.  📍 RECOMMENDED: Ultimate guide to the best hotels and Airbnbs in London Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every Airbnb featured, our writers have based our list on expert knowledge of the de

Tell someone you’re taking a city break to Belgium and you’re generally met with a painfully unenthusiatic ‘oh, that’s cool’. For one reason or another, that small nation bordered by holiday heavyweights like France and the Netherlands, has long been cursed with a reputation for being the most beige country on the continent. Travellers are slowly starting to see through that myth, though. Increasingly, people are booking trips to the likes of Brussels for its grand political prestige, Antwerp for its fashion crowd or Bruges for its historical cobbled streets. But what if I told you there’s another Belgian city that gives all three of those, as well as Europe’s more famous cities, a run for their money?  Thirty miles east of Bruges, Ghent is a small and endearing city that’s understatedly cool. It’s packed with stunning cycle routes and environmentally and socially conscious communities, littered with fantastic slow fashion stores and a wealth of organic shops. It’s also the veggie capital of Europe – every week its cafes and restaurants focus on serving plant-based fare as part of the ‘Veggie Thursdays’ initiative – and in 2024 it held the title of the European Youth Capital. Oh, and here’s an adorable fun fact: every time a baby is born in one of Ghent’s maternity wards, parents can press a button that causes the city’s streetlamps to flicker in celebration. Does it get more wholesome than that?  ➡️ READ MORE: The best city breaks in Europe for 2026, picked by Time Out edito

We know that London is the best city in the world. But like any metropolis, it can also get a bit much sometimes. Occasionally, what you want isn’t to drink cocktails in a trendy bar after seeing the hottest Gen Z bedroom popstar at the Islington Assembly Hall, but a little peace and quiet, actually. Enter: the weekend getaway, invented by the Victorians (probably), there’s a reason why Londoners have been taking sojourns to the seaside on sunny bank holidays since the 1800s.  Together, we’ve come up with a cracking list of our favourite day trip destinations near London. There’s something for everyone here, from historic cities and cute villages to sandy beaches and rolling countryside. We've included some recommendations for ace restaurants, quaint little pubs, and our favourite things to do at each destination on the list – all of which are close enough to the city that you can get there and back in one sweet day.  Best day trips from London at a glance 🍔 Best for foodies: Margate 🎭 Best for culture lovers: Stratford-Upon-Avon ⛪ Best for history buffs: Canterbury 🛁 Best for families: Bath 🐴 Best for hikers: New Forest 🍺 Best for pub crawls: Lewes 🏖️ Best for seaside fun: Brighton RECOMMENDED:✨The best day trips an hour from London👪 The best family day trips from London☀️ The best weekend trips from London🏘️ The best Airbnbs near London🌳 The best quirky Airbnbs in the UK This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial conte

In 2026, European travel is shifting fast. We’ve seen overcrowding, overheating and plenty of anti-tourism measures across the continent – and as a result, travellers are actively seeking out quieter, lesser-known destinations away from the tourist crowds. And if that sounds like you, you’re in luck – here at Time Out, underrated destinations are our bread and butter.  This list has been updated for 2026 by Time Out’s global network of local experts who have been to every single destination featured (often multiple times), highlighting destinations that are not only overlooked, but genuinely worth visiting right now. We’ve got alternative Scandinavian city breaks, remote islands only accessible by ferry, and destination dupes for some of Europe’s hottest beach holidays, from the Algarve to the Amalfi Coast.  ➡️ Discover the best city breaks in Europe for 2026 Why travel to underrated destinations in 2026? Sure, we love the classics for a reason. But if you’ve ever queued an hour for a pastry, spent your day’s budget on a coffee or had to book a museum three months in advance, you’ll know why more and more of us are searching for under-the-radar breaks: it’s the crowds. In fact, in some cities – the likes of Amsterdam, Venice, Barcelona – overtourism is so bad, they’ve been forced to clamp down on crowds with anti-tourism measures, from daily visitor limits to outright bans on new hotels. If you’re coming up against these, then we’d say that’s a pretty good reason to head some

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

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

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

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.

Gather your brood and join Hackney’s ceilidh band Cut A Shine for its afternoon of family friendly St Patrick’s barn dancing. The bandmembers will teach you and the little’uns all of the crucial ceili moves and ensure that everyone is kept fueled with traditional Irish stew and champ (vegan option available). Things will round off at 3.30pm with a disco where the kids can show off all their newly-learned Celtic choreography. Oh, and there’s a fully stocked bar of Guinness and whiskey for the grown ups. 

Prepare to have your senses thrown into chaos. Anish Kapoor’s first major UK exhibition in the UK took place at the Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery in 1998. Nearly 30 years later, the internationally acclaimed sculptor’s work is coming back to the gallery for his largest UK show to date. The exhibition displays recent pieces by Kapoor made with futuristic light-absorbing nanotechnology, as well as works that defined the early part of his career.  There will be huge disorientating mirror sculptures, a colossal PVC installation, a foreboding mass of red and black wax drooping from the ceiling, and a striking collection of carnal paintings made using silicone, resin and pigment.  

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

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.

A brand new underground rail line could be on the cards for Liverpool. Back in December, it was revealed that the city’s local authority, Liverpool City Region, wants to build a subterranean tunnel connecting Liverpool Central station to Liverpool Lime Street station in a scheme that would be ‘as transformational’ as the Liverpool One shopping and leisure complex which launched in 2008.  The tunnel isn’t the only part of the plan. Central Liverpool, as the proposals are currently being called, will cover a distance of 86 acres around the existing Liverpool Central Station and will feature new shops, new public spaces and new homes, too.  The plans were first revealed by Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotherham five months ago He told the Liverpool Echo at the time: ‘This is a scheme about innovation, transformation, jobs, skills, it is about social value. It is about the way that whole area will function. It is a bit like Kings Cross and St Pancras in London, where they redesigned the whole area, that is what we want to do with the centre of Liverpool, we want to redesign it.’ The local authority is seeking funding from the government for half the cost of the scheme and says that the rest would come from other sources. Given that the overall cost of the scheme is expected to reach £5bn, it’s looking for £2.5bn from the government.  Image: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Rotherham added: ‘We would connect Lime Street and Central better than it currently is. That

You’ve done everything you possibly can to ensure your trip goes smoothly – booked your train to arrive at the airport hours ahead of boarding, put all your documents in separate pouch, arranged pick-up on the other side. Then, at the final hurdle, you hear that your flight has been delayed and all of your meticulous planning feels pointless.  While you can never fully anticipate whether your flight will be on time or not, you can, based on an airport’s track record, figure out when it’ll be more likely. For the fourth year in a row, Manchester Airport has been identified as the UK’s worst airport for flight delays.  Analysis of data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) by the Press Association (PA) shows that in 2025, flights travelling out of Manchester airport were, on average, 19 and a half minutes behind schedule. It’s not ideal for those who rely on Manchester Airport to go abroad, but the silver lining is that that’s actually a 30-second improvement on the previous year.  Photograph: Shutterstock A spokesperson for the airport responded by saying that many of the things that cause flight delays are ‘outside of an airport's control’. They commented: ‘The two most significant factors contributing to delays in the last year have been industrial action affecting air traffic control in Europe and the weather. ‘These were exacerbated by airspace restrictions above conflict zones, meaning airports with significant long-haul networks, like Manchester, were more significa

With its South Parade Piers, rows of colourful beach huts and cobbled streets, Southsea brims with British retro seaside charm. But, to be worthy of a place on Time Out’s list of the UK’s best seaside towns to visit, it needs a little more to it than that. Sure enough, Southsea has also got fascinating historical landmarks, an enviable cluster of pubs and a brilliant programme of summer events.  So what exactly does the perfect trip to Southsea look like? For a slice of history visit the Southsea Castle (it’s free entry), which was built by Henry VIII in 1544 out of concern over French attack. Stop by The D-Day Story to be taken through the story of Operation Overlord during the Normandy D-Day landings, or catch a boat to the Solent Forts, which were commissioned by Lord Palmerston in the 1860s to ward off Napoleon III.  Southsea was recently declared one of the UK’s greatest pub towns by the Telegraph, so sitting down for a pint or few is a must. The paper called it a place of ‘elaborate ceramic facades and well-run pubs’ and particularly recommended the Hole in the Wall and the Lawrence Arms with its massive beer garden. There’s also the beloved Phoenix, a near-century-old theatre pub full of references to stars of the British stage.  Photograph: Pablo L Mendoza / Shutterstock.com For sustenance, pick up some pie, mash and liquor from Pies and Vinyl, flammeküche from Belgian bar and kitchen Huis, sushi from Sakura or a selection of sweet treats from artisan bakery Bread A

Since the 1960s, the nine-mile-long Maid Marian Line between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire has only served freight trains. But, because it connects the Robin Hood Line from Nottingham to Worksop with the Erewash Valley line, local leaders have argued that bringing back passenger trains would ‘dramatically improve’ travel across the region.  A campaign to return passenger trains back on the Maid Marian Line has been ongoing since before the pandemic. Ashfield and Mansfield District Council and Derbyshire County Council completed a joint feasibility study and an outline business case report in 2020.  The plans were put to the side for several years but have now reemerged as the East Midlands Combined Authority (EMCCA) seeks to commit £150 million to regional transport projects over the next three years. A total of £500,000 of that funding has been allocated to carry out a new study, develop the business case for the Maid Marian line and enable the proposal to ‘be considered as an option for capital funding in the later years of the programme’. The study would looks into things like what passenger demand could look like, how services might operate, what infrastructure would be required and how much a full reopening could cost.  The investment is by no means a guarantee that the line will reopen, though. Claire Ward, the East Midlands mayor, said: ‘We’ve had a series of different investments that we want to put in, including looking at the Maid Marian line, considering the feasi

Say what you want about London, but you can’t argue that it’s not green. In between all of the skyscrapers, office blocks and densely packed streets, the capital has more than 3,000 parks and open spaces. And there are all sorts of projects going on right now to bring even more greenery to our glorious city.  The latest of those projects is at Cremorne Wharf Depot Foreshore in Chelsea Riverside. At the moment the wharf, which sits on top of the Thames Tideway Tunnel (aka the super sewer), is considered a wasteland. But following approval from Kensington and Chelsea's planning committee on April 28, it’s set to be transformed into a public park. Image: RBKC Around an acre in size, the space will be filled with seating, planting, trees, artwork and play areas. Plans show it divided into difference zones for activity, socialising and quiet time. A new pedestrian link to the Thames Path will also be created as part of the development through a part-demolition of the western boundary wall. Once complete, the new park will be open from 7.30am until dusk.  The park won’t be permanent, though. The plants and infrastructure will all be moveable to that the space can be used as a wharf again in the future.  Meanwhile, another public space above the super sewer opened near Blackfriars Bridge in January; a new nature reserve was declared in west London back in March and a brand new garden opened in Regent’s Park in April.  ICYMI: A new 14-mile ‘nature corridor’ will transform four boro

The ruins of prehistoric roundhouses can still be seen in the area around the village of Gairloch in the northwest Highlands – nearly 200 have been found within 20 miles of the village. Atlantic roundhouses are considered unique to Scotland and were common throughout the country in late Bronze Age and Iron Age. Archaeologists still can’t really agree on whether they were primarily built for defensive, domestic or ceremonial purposes.  Thousands of years later, all that remains of the buildings are low circles of collapsed stones. But now Gairloch Museum is working on a project to bring the past back to life. It’s planning to build a full-scale reconstructed Iron Age roundhouse.  Highland Council granted planning permission for the project back in January and voted to provide £45,000 in funding at the end of April. Overall, the development needs £279,725 in order to go ahead.  The museum is taking on a skilled team of heather thatchers, turf builders, traditional joiners and dry stone dykers to bring the roundhouse to life using traditional techniques. Its design has been based on archaeological evidence gathered from excavations of a roundhouse site at nearby Achtercairn and it’ll be built with local natural materials.  The building won’t just be there to look at, the museum says that it will serve as a new space for education, heritage and community use. It’s hoped that the the construction phase of the project will get underway in June 2027 and be completed by the October. 

A hotel doesn’t have to have a grand façade, a glossy hi-tech spa or sultry, velvet-clad bar to be great. Sure, in Condé Nast Traveller’s list of the world’s best new hotels, two of the three British entries are intimidatingly swanky new establishments in London (Six Senses and The Chancery Rosewood). But for those who prefer staying somewhere more low-key and down to earth, the third is Fowlescombe Farm, a ‘truly spoiling yet authentic farm stay’ in Devon.  Fowlescombe Farm was established almost 500 years ago. It entered a new era when it was taken over by the Owens family in 2019, who transformed it into a regenerative organic farm and luxury retreat that officially opened last May. The estate’s Victorian farmhouse has 10 suites available to book and all stays are inclusive of every meal (and snacks!) and of every experience you might want to try out. It also offers complimentary transfers from and to Totnes train station if guests need it.  In the suites, you can expect minimalist design and earthy palettes with custom oak furniture, Welsh sandstone floors, and Naturalmat mattresses made with wool from the farm’s own flock of Manx Loaghtan sheep. But the rooms are just the beginning of a stay at Fowlescombe. Unlike other hotels which may simply act as a base while you’re visiting a wider area, Fowlescombe is a whole experience in itself.  Photograph: John Tonks Here, guests are invited to muck in – if you like, you can help gather eggs for breakfast, forage for herbs

When the BT Tower first opened as a communications centre in 1964, we doubt anyone ever envisioned that one day, decades in the future, people would be swimming on top of it. But under newly revealed plans, that could really be the case.  We’ve known for a while now that London’s legendary BT Tower will be transforming into a luxury hotel. It was bought by American hotel chain MCR Hotels in 2024, which brought on the expertise of all-star architect Thomas Heatherwick (the guy behind Coal Drops Yard and the Google offices) to help turn its vision for the landmark into reality. Heatherwick has since stepped back from the project and now Shoreditch-based architecture firm Orms (the people behind Outernet) is in charge of the hotel’s design.  Since Orms came on board, we’ve been waiting with hot anticipation for its ideas to be unveiled. Now, we need wait no longer. MCR and Orms have revealed their plans to create a new publicly accessible square around the site and to install a swimming pool on its rooftop. The proposals would make the top of the tower and its podium buildings accessible to the public for the first time in nearly 50 years.  Photograph: Alex Segre / Shutterstock.com On the consultation website, the company says: ‘MCR intends to bring one of Britain's most iconic buildings into public use through a hotel‑led, mixed‑use development that celebrates the BT Tower's rich heritage, complements Fitzrovia's historic character, and delivers meaningful placemaking and emp

TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards is an annual roundup of things that are worth travelling for, based on the opinions of its hundreds of thousands of users. Its ‘Best of the Best’ label is given to attractions that have received a particularly high amount of ‘above and beyond’ reviews on the site over a year. Less than one percent of the more than eight million listings on the site ever earn the ‘Best of the Best’ title, so it’s not an accolade to be sniffed at. So far this year, the awards have covered the world’s best attractions, the best cities for food, the best beaches and the top trending destinations. Now, TripAdvisor has revealed the best of the best amusement and water parks in the world. And in tenth place was the UK’s very own Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The 130-year-old theme park has an average TripAdvisor rating of four out of five, based on nearly 16,000 reviews. It’s home to more than 125 attractions, from an old-school wooden coaster and a 235ft high hypercoaster to a Wallace & Gromit ‘Thrill-O-Matic’ and a load of rides at Nickelodeon Land. Its Grade II-listed Sir Hiram Maxim's Captive Flying Machine is thought to be the oldest continuously operating amusement ride in Europe, having first opened all the way back in 1904.  Image: Pleasure Beach That’s not to mention the absolutely enormous new addition due to open later this month. Aviktas is a giant 138ft tall pendulum ride that’ll officially be the largest of its kind in the entire UK. It’ll start op

London truly has a deluge of pizza. For a long time, most of that pizza was of the floppy, tangy, Neapolitan kind – the type you get at Napoli on the Road, Rudy’s or Yard Sale. But while Neapolitan still very much has its place, its glory days are long gone. Now, the capital has a huge thing for New York-style pizza. NYC-style pies are characterised by a thin crispy base and thick marinara topping. Alongside the likes of Bad Boys Pizzeria, Crisp and Vincenzo’s, one of Time Out’s favourite places doing New York-style is Carmela’s in Islington. So, we’re buzzing at the news that the Carmela’s team is launching a brand new slice shop in a matter of months.  The new joint will be called Carmy’s and will land at at 1 Monmouth Street in Covent Garden in the summer. The pizzeria’s founding trio is made up of Phil Chaykin, Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany. Chaykin is also the brains behind Ugly Dumpling in Soho while the other two are best known as social media restaurant reviewers Bite Twice. Photograph: Carmy’s This joint will focus on snappy order-and-go service and offer just three types of individual slices (and whole pies): cheese, pepperoni and a rotating special. Its manifesto is ‘product, consistency and speed’ and there’ll be ‘no reservations, no dining room, no overcomplication’. Just like Carmela’s, all of the ingredients will be sourced from the UK or Italy. An announcement of the new slice shop read: ‘Carmy’s isn’t trying to reinvent pizza. It’s trying to do New York

If you’re craving the sand between your toes, the foreshore of the Thames really isn’t going to cut it. You need a golden sweeping bay, salty coastal air and the actual sea lapping at your feet. The good news is that, for Londoners, you don’t need to go very far to find all of that. The southeast coast, with its old-school resorts, dramatic chalk cliffs and sprawling bays, is right on the capital’s doorstep.   So, as summer approaches, we’ve put together a ranking of the finest beaches within easy reach of London. At the very top of our list is Tankerton Beach and the Street in Whitstable. Granted, it’s a predominantly shingle beach, but there is a sandy stretch that is exposed at low tide.  Tankerton Beach itself extends for 1.5 miles and is a quieter alternative to Whistable Beach right in front of the main town. Blanketed with pebbles, backed by grassy slopes and dotted with rock pools, its clean and calm waters make it a delightful spot for some wild swimming.  Photograph: Shutterstock The Street is a unique 750-metre sand spit that pokes out from the main beach and is only exposed at low tide. It’s named such as it allows visitors to walk towards the horizon with the sea either side of them. Look back towards land and you’ll have a lovely view of the groyne-dotted beach and its adorable parade of beach huts. To get there, Londoners can jump on a train from Victoria, Cannon Street or St Pancras International to Whitstable. All of those journeys take roughly 70 to 80 mi

Don’t get us wrong, Britain’s seaside towns are worth a visit any time of the year. But it’s during these warmer months that they start to really come into their own – when the spring sun reflects off the sand and sea to reveal them in all their shining glory, and we can comfortably spend all day outside walking down their promenades, exploring their cobbled streets and bathing on their beaches.  As an island nation, we’re spoiled with picture-perfect coastal towns. But there are some which, thanks to artsy credentials, pristine beaches, old-school entertainment or a particularly stand-out food scene, we think are particular must-visits this year. So, we’ve put them all together and ranked them in one big list.  Number one in Time Out’s guide to the best seaside towns to visit in 2026 is the Welsh village of Saundersfoot. Though far smaller than its popular neighbour Tenby, Saundersfoot is one of Pembrokeshire’s most energetic spots. Its centrepiece is its gorgeous golden Blue Flag beach, but lining that beach is a brilliant host of shops, caffs and pubs that give Saundersfoot its lively spirit.  RECOMMENDED: The UK’s best seaside towns, mapped. Photograph: Ross Grieve On the harbour Catch Beach Club has a fab cocktail menu and fresh seafood to graze on. Further along the shoreline, you’ve got to stop by MamGu’s Kitchen for coffee, Welsh cakes and Welsh soul food. For pints, there are pubs aplenty (the Royal Oak and The Old Chemist Inn both have great atmospheres) or for fi