India Lawrence

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

Dreaming of sand between your toes, wind blowing in your hair and sun beating down on your skin? You might just be due a trip to the beach. Here in the UK, we can’t quite guarantee the sunshine, but we can guarantee some seriously stunning beaches which will rival those of Mediterranean (and might even be contenders for the best beaches in the world).  We have white sand beaches, we have pebbles, we have towering chalk cliffs and rock pools galore. We pretty much have a beach for every occassion. Not sure where to go? We’ve rounded up the best beaches in the UK right here, from Scotland to Cornwall, all chosen by Time Out travel writers who have been to visit them IRL. You’ll also find our expert reccs for where to stay, so you can make the most of your beachy getaway. Enjoy.  Where are the UK’s most beautiful beaches? Pretty beaches are dotted all over the UK, but you’ll find some absolute beauties in Scotland, Cornwall and Wales, where the water is often clear, beaches are surrounded by tall cliffs and greenery and you might even find sand between your toes. On our list of the UK’s best beaches, we’ve included the prettiest and most serene stretches of coast out there, but we’ve also included those better for vibes, families and big old picnics. They might not be lookers, but they’re perfect for a seaside day out.  RECOMMENDED:🏖️ The most amazing hidden beaches in the UK🌊 The best outdoor swimmming pools in the UK🏊 The most amazing wild swimming spots in the UK🌤️ The be

Europe might be home to 44 countries, 34 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and seven Wonders of the World – but the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen here could be something totally unknown. That’s the thing about beauty: it’s personal. So rather than list 35 of the most famous sights on the continent, we instead every year ask our network of editors and travel writers to name us the most beautiful thing they’ve seen on their European travels.  The result? Beautiful places that come with a story. Like taking boats out on Germany’s hidden lakes, and tucking into picnics in the park in Portugal at sunset. Holidays spent exploring vast sand dunes in France, afternoons wandering through Art Nouveau streets in Latvia and childhood tales of clambering over jagged stones in Ireland. And that’s just a few of the memories you’ll find on this list, which stretches from Iceland all the way to Greece, from solitary islands to well-trodden walking routes. Here are the most beautiful places in Europe, according to us.  ➡️ READ MORE: The most underrated destinations in Europe Updated April 2026: We’ve just added North Macedonia’s most enchanting Lake, a frozen-in-time Bosnian village and Italy’s answer to Turkey’s Pamukkale hot springs to our list – plus many more beautiful tales.    Ella Doyle is Time Out’s Europe editor. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by experts across Europe. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links

April 2026: There's a brand new Number 1, with Holy Carrot's Spitalfields opening taking the top spot thanks to some seriously creative vegetarian cookery. Other fresh additions include Guirong Wei’s latest joint The Wei in Fulham, Cafe Kowloon in London Fields, the new Forza Wine and super fun Osteria Vibrato and new branch of YeYe's Noodle & Dumpling (all three in Soho), numbing Chongqing spice at Jiāonest in Hoxton, perfect produce at Dockley Road Kitchen in Bermondsey, perfect pasta at Burro in Covent Garden, Georgian classics at DakaDaka in Mayfair, veggie-friendly Thai at Kruk in Peckham and Mexican seafood at Cometa in Fitzrovia. Hungry yet? Every week, a frankly silly amount of brilliant new restaurants, cafés and street food joints arrive in London. Which makes whittling down a shortlist of the best newbies a serious challenge. But here it is. The 20 very best new restaurants in the capital, ranked in order of greatness and deliciousness. All of them have opened over the past 12 months and been visited by our hungry critics. So go forth and take inspo from this list, which is updated regularly. Check in often to find out what we really rate on the London restaurant scene. And look here for all the info about the best new openings in April 2026. London's best new restaurants at a glance: 🍝 Central: Osteria Vibrato, Soho 🍠 North: Ling Ling’s, Islington 🇹🇭 South: Kruk, Peckham 🍝 East: Holy Carrot, Spitalfields 🥗 West: The Wei, Fulham Leonie Cooper is Time Out Lo

March 2026: Our latest update includes everything from an early morning Michelin-starred tasting menu to udon noodle bowls, South Indian platters and Hong Kong-style toasted buns. Of course, it wouldn't be a list of the best breakfasts in London without an appearance from Dishoom and their iconic-for-a-reason bacon naan, so that's here too, as is old school East End hangout E Pellicci - one of the best classic caffs in London.  The best breakfasts in London at a glance: 🌯 Best for a burrito: Bad Manners, Shoreditch 😎 Best for celeb-spotting: The Wolseley, Mayfair 🥓 Best for a fry-up: E Pellicci, Bethnal Green 🍛 Best for a South Indian feast: The Tamil Prince, Islington 🍞 Best for Hong Kong French toast: Hoko Cafe, Brick Lane 🍱 Best for Japanese brekkie: Ikoi, Kings Cross Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and luckily for London, the city caters to every possible morning whim. These days, London isn’t just home to the fry-up, but the ubiquitous smashed avocado on toast, bowls of shakshuka and many more besides. In fact, London genuinely might be the best place to eat breakfast in the world. Whether you’re the kind of person who favours a posh restaurant over a greasy spoon, or who champions a caff over a swanky hotel, we’ve rounded up the ultimate list.  RECOMMENDED: Breakfast’s a little too early for you? Try one of London’s best brunches instead. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial gu

The smog and stress of London can really take its toll on your skin. That’s why there’s nothing better than a regular facial (or a one-off treat) to give you that much-needed top-up, leaving you feeling glowing, fresh-faced and dewy.  Just thinking about what we put our skin through is enough to give you frown lines. That’s thanks to the combined efforts of pollution and air-conditioned offices, as well as the added bonuses of harsh weather, booze, sun exposure, dehydration and – our least favourite – the inevitable passing of time. Happily, there are loads of great spas, treatment rooms and estheticians in London who can give your face a break and a much-needed zhuzh. Whether you’re after a relaxing, soothing facial massage, some instant radiance, a total skincare overhaul or something a little more intense such as microneedling or laser treatment, read our pick of facials in London.  RECOMMENDED: The best spas in London. 

When it comes to art and exhibitions, London has it all. From the niche spaces, to the avant garde galleries, and the massive crowd-pleasing museums, our city is packed with shows that will perplex, challenge, inspire, educate and leave you feeling awestruck.  The problem is... there’s absolutely tons to see. Too much, you could say. Lucky for you, Time Out exists. For decades, our experts have been visiting and reviewing all the sculpture, painting, performance, photography, history, fashion and other types of exhibitions on offer. You name it, we’ve (probably, most likely) seen it. If you’re wondering what’s actually worth your time, start here. Check out the best museum exhibitions and art in London right now, and be sure to come back weekly for the latest picks. Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED: Best photography exhibitions in LondonBest free exhibitions in London

There are a million and one brilliant hotels (and Airbnbs) in Berlin, even with some of the world’s most strict restrictions on Airbnbs and other vacation rentals. Hotels are literally everywhere here, but fear not; we’ve done the hard yards and collated some of the best into one handy guide. These are the city’s top places to stay, from an iconic historic jazz institution to. Whatever you’re searching for, here are our top hotels in Berlin. Happy travels.  April 2026 update: We’ve just added five brand-new reviews to this list, based in Charlottenburg, Mitte and more. Oh, and we’ve crowned an all-new number one – that’s ridiculously affordable. Read on to see what it is.  ➡️ Discover our guide to the best hotels in Berlin Berlin’s best hotels at a glance 💸 Best budget: Michelberger Hotel 🏛️ Best for sightseeing: Hotel de Rome 🎀 Best boutique: Wilmina Berlin 📍 Best in Mitte: Château Royal Berlin 🥂 Best luxury: Das Stue How we curate our hotel lists Our team of writers and travel experts review hotels all over the world – new openings, old classics and everything in between – to bring you fresh, honest recommendations, all year round. We have personally reviewed most of the hotels featured below, but any we haven’t stayed in have been selected by experts based on their amenities, features, pricing and more. By the way, this article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

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

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

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

How is it April already? This month on stage, London’s dance world is serving up red-hot scandal, Olivier award-winning hip-hop and reprised modern dance bangers. The Royal Ballet is bringing back Mayerling, Kenneth MacMillan’s 1978 ballet inspired by the gruesome murder-suicide pact of Rudolf the Crown Prince of Austria. Meryl Tankard has devised a new version of Pina Bausch’s Kontakthof, featuring many of the original cast. And award-winning hip-hop company Boy Blue is bringing its 2024 production Cycles to the Roundhouse. At Sadler’s Wells Elixir Festival takes place, a biannual celebration of dance which looks to challenge perceptions around dance and ageing.  India is in charge of dance listings at Time Out. She has been dancing since she could walk and has been reviewing dance in London since joining Time Out in 2022.  MORE STAGE: Dance classes in London Best theatre shows this yearBest theatre shows this monthBest comedy shows this month

There’s nothing quite like teenage friendships. In adolescence, our best buddies are the most important thing in the world; they can make us feel invincible and unstoppable. Often, we can’t imagine life without them. Wild Foxes, the debut feature film from Belgian director Valéry Carnoy beautifully, and sometimes painfully, unpacks the complexity of those friendships with deep acuity.  In a specialist sports boarding school in rural France, two promising young boxers, Camille (Samuel Kircher) and Matteo (Faycal Anaflous), are inseparable. But just as Camille – the school’s rising boxing star – is on the verge of greatness, he has an almost fatal accident, narrowly surviving thanks to the help of Matteo. The doctors say he is healed but he starts feeling phantom pains, leaving him navigating his discomfort, trauma and the pressure to perform in an environment where giving up is not an option.  Kircher is dazzling at the tortured and laconic Camille. He swings effortlessly from coy and bashful to anguished and panic-stricken. Matteo is more brazen, easily influenced by the group. Both characters are convincing. Most of the other boys, apart from the arrogant, spiky-haired antagonist Pierre (Jef Jacobs), fade into the background, acting as a mob who follow Pierre’s lead. There’s a hint of a romance with the tomboyish musician Yas (Anna Heckel), whose elegiac trumpet playing offers a tender foil to the brashness of the boys’ locker room antics. But that storyline peters out, leav

A triple bill from the Royal Ballet’s ambitious resident choreographer, Wayne McGregor, including a world premiere of a new piece from the choreographer who is known for his technically astounding by emotionally stark works. Royal Ballet dancers will perform the minimal Untitled, 2023, created in collaboration with artist Carmen Herrera. Yugen (2018) is McGregor’s lyrical response to Leonard Bernstein’s ‘Chichester Psalms’. New work, Quantum Souls, is an explorative piece performed with live percussion on stage (drums, gong, marimba and more).   

This cute south London boozer is beloved by locals not only for its epic beer garden and delicious pizzas, but for its excellent selection of live music and DJ nights. With something on almost every night of the week, the programming is as eclectic as the décor inside. Here you’ll be able to see jazz jam sessions, folk bands, reggae, indie, punk and almost everything in between. 

Found under some Victorian railway arches in Brixton, Club Cheek is one of London’s best new DIY clubs. Hosting independent and undeground nights spanning house, electro, ambient, techno and everything in between, this 200-capacity club is where you’ll find some of south London’s coolest dancers. The main room is kitted out with a custom-built four-way soundsystem, lazers, a disco ball and there’s a mezzanine where you can chill out and watch the punters below. At the bar they serve a banging ‘materita’, a cocktail made of mate tea and tequila with a spicy tajín rim. Sounds weird, but it works. 

Once the bastion of London’s indie music scene, this grubby Shoreditch boozer may have seen its heyday come and go, but it’s not worth writing off just yet. The Old Blue Last was bought by Vice in 2004, sling-shotting the grungey venue into the epicentre of the hipster scene during Shoreditch’s golden years. Everyone from Arctic Monkeys to Amy Winehouse and IDLES have played the venue’s tiny stage. That part of east London is very different these days, and the now defunct magazine sold its stake in the pub in 2021, but the Old Blue Last still on as a spot for up-and-coming bands to cut their teeth, and is a great place to see some live music on the cheap (gigs range from free to £15). It also hosts free weekly jazz nights on Sundays. 

Three legendary south London nightclubs are coming together this summer to create a mega series of shindigs, proving that south London really is the capital’s clubbing epicentre right now. Phonox, MOT and Jumbi will join forces for 13 events taking place throughout May to August; audiences will be moved between venues, going from outside to inside and day to night. Circulate has curated a stellar line-up featuring a who’s who of world-class DJs including DJ Nobu, Young Marco, Soichi Terada, Angel D'lite, Optimo (Espacio), Derrick Carter, Josey Rebelle, Heléna Starr, Gerd Janson and many more. 

As one of Britain’s most celebrated sculptors of the 20th century, Barbara Hepworth made stunning modern creations inspired by the nature and lanscapes of Cornwall, where she lived. Her abstract shapes often featured smooth ovals, holes, undulating surfaces and strings. This summer the Courtauld will stage an exhibition interested in one aspect of Hepworth’s practice: her obsession with colour, which often came up in her work in unexpected ways.  Featuring 20 of her most significant sculptures, alongside 30 drawings, Hepworth in Colour will unite for the first time her early innovative sculptures with colour of the 1940s with major examples of her work with colour from the 1950s and 1960s.  

There’s something irresistably fascinating about seeing into artist’s studios – messy materials, stacks of canvases, and a peek behind the curtain into the work spaces for some of the world’s best creative minds. To coincide with the Courtauld’s major Barbara Hepworth exhibition, the gallery is running a companion show of photographs taken by Paul Laib offering a look inside Hepworth’s London studio that she shared with Ben Nicholson in the 1930s. 

Before I enter The Music is Black: A British Story I’m handed a pair of headphones with a sensor on top. These will be my auditory guide through an exhibition that tells the story of Black British music from the past 125 years. As I move through the show, my ears are blessed with the sounds of composer and conductor Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, ‘Silly Games’ singer Janet Kay, Sade, jungle pioneer Shy FX and Little Simz. What is a music exhibition without the melodies, after all?  Kicking things off with a bang, the V&A East’s first exhibition explores the trailblazers, visionaries and unsung heroes of Black music in the UK from the 1900s to the present day. From swing and jazz, to jungle, grime and trip hop, no genre goes uncovered. More than 200 objects from the V&A’s collection are displayed, with photographs, instruments, fashion, sheet music and artworks on show.  The Music is Black doesn’t shy away from the murky past. At the beginning, you are confronted with the horrifying realities of slavery and colonialism – from a graphic showing the volume of slave ship voyages through the 16th to 19th centuries, to the 1633 Royal charter legalising the trade of enslaved Africans. There are items, like an Ethiopian prayer book, marked as looted by British troops (although there’s no mention of returning it). The stark opening is a grave reminder that early protest music paved the way for the tunes we listen to today.  It’s a comprehensive and triumphant ode to some of the best music

Big palladian windows. Forest green awnings on a manicured street. White marble surfaces. Workshop Coffee has got the kind of airy and pristine vibe you’d expect from a café in SW1. But it’s more than just a pretty brunch spot. Workshop is a café and coffee academy that takes its brews seriously. As well as all the usual barista drinks, this Belgravia caff has a monthly changing pour over menu as well as cold brews, matcha and chai. From massive cinnamon buns, to croissants and jam doughnuts, all pastries are supplied by the formidable St John bakery. I chomped on a hefty pain au chocolat with some of the finest lamination I’ve seen this side of the Channel. Bigger eats come in the form of eggs, focaccia sandwiches and salads. Perch yourself on an outdoor seat, or grab a stool in the window, and watch the west London ladies go by.

Not only is this grassroots music venue an absolute stunner inside – it’s got gorgeous chandeliers and ornate cornicing – but it’s the perfect size for a gig: not so big that you feel alienated from the stage but not so small you turn into a claustrophobic, sweaty mess. Originally built as a dance hall in 1904, Bush Hall has been putting on independent gigs, which now also extend to club nights and podcast shows, of all genres since it was returned to its musical glory in 2001. 

Northern Spain is so hot right now. It feels like every Hackney dweller and their miniature schnauzer is heading for a long weekend in San Sebastian to snack on pintxos and sip sidra. But you don’t need to drop £200 on flights to try txistorra and cheesecake, because you can feast on Basque cooking at a host of homegrown London restaurants, from steak house Ibai and hip seafood bar Tollington’s to the newly-opened Alta. The crisp loaf resembles something from a fairy feast A serene oasis inside the hectic Kingly Court food hall from the same group who brought us the wonderful Moi, Alta feels calm and sophisticated. Neutral tones and natural materials will soothe your overstimulated mind; the walls are artfully caked in mud, and sculptural cracks are highlighted with warm spotlights – perhaps a hark to Cantabria’s paleolithic cave paintings? All manner of sharing plates are on offer, with an emphasis on open fire grilling. I feel a frisson of joy when our bread and butter arrives in an extremely whimsical fashion. The crisp, warm-in-the-middle loaf has perfectly pointed ends, resembling something from a fairy feast. Equally gorgeous is sea bream crudo, bite-size morsels of fish in a zingy mandarin dressing. Then cheese doughnuts: stuffed with smokey cheddar and drizzled in hot honey. Pure gooey indulgence.  Also excellent is Alta’s ode to arroz meloso, a bed of umami rice and sweet crab meat. It’s surprisingly light and we’re this close to licking the plate clean. For the gra

From the cobbled streets of Rye, to the colourful townhouses of Primrose Hill, and the crescent-shaped groves of Bath, when it comes to pretty streets, the UK has a lot of stunners to choose from.   The Telegraph has just named Britain’s prettiest streets for 2026. The paper decided not to include any purely residential roads, instead focussing on thoroughfares that have got at least one thing to do or see there, be it a local cheese shop, or a fantastic pub.  Taking the top prize for Britain’s prettiest street was Steep Hill in Lincoln. With a gradient of 16.2 degrees, the aptly named Steep Hill isn’t the UK’s most vertical street (it’s actually fourth), but walking up is probably enough to get those glutes burning.    Steep Hill is a goldmine for historical architecture. At its top sits a Tudor house, while it also has the remains of a Roman fort’s gate (seen in the brickwork at Number 44), and two Norman houses dating back to the 12th century. The road is also known for its independent shops and businesses, which include the quaint Bunty’s Tea Room, eclectic vintage shop Heritage Country and the Mouse House cheesemongers.  Photograph: Gordon Bell / Shutterstock.com Coming in second place was Rye’s Mermaid Street, a cobbled alley known for its Georgian and half-timbered buildings. The street is named after the 15th century Mermaid Inn, which has cellars dating back to 1156.  Photograph: eyematter / Shutterstock.com Victoria Street in Edinburgh took the bronze. Designed

Despite the astronomic growth happening at UK airports like Luton, Gatwick and Heathrow, not all airports can say they are doing as well. One small regional flight hub in the West Midlands has announced it will shutter forever from this summer. RIP.  Coventry Airport, which has been operating since 1936, will close down on June 11. Its final flight will take place a few weeks earlier, on May 9.  The site won’t be abandoned however, as it’s undergoing a £2.5 billion redevelopment to be converted into a gigafactory that will produce batteries for electric vehicles, called Greenpower Park. The new factory is expected to create 6,000 jobs.  The Midlands airport was originally called Baginton Aerodrome when it opened in the 1930s. It operated as an RAF base during World War II, then in the ’50s began passenger flights to the Channel Islands. Over the years it has seen flights operated by a number of different airlines to various locations in Europe.  Photograph: Shutterstock Hards Travel flew passengers to Spain, France, Italy and Austria as part of package holidays in the ’80s. More recently, in 2004, Thomsonfly operated jet passenger flights to the sunny spots like Palma, Valencia, Rome, Nice, Marseille, Naples, Pisa, Venice, and Jersey. Wizz Air also flew passengers to Gdańsk and Katowice.  However, this period was short-lived with flights ceasing after only four years. In 2009 the airport closed briefly because of financial issues, before reopening in 2010 for only freight f

Get ready to scream. The opening date for Pleasure Beach’s mammoth new ride has been announced. When it opens, the scary-sounding Aviktas will be the largest ride of it’s kind in the UK. Aaaaaah.  Adrenaline junkies have been waiting for the arrival of Aviktas – a 138-foot-tall ride with an enormous pendulum swinging 40 riders 120 degrees back and forth – since Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach first announced it back in May 2025. Now we know it will welcome its first brave riders on Thursday May 21.  The folk at Pleasure Beach are urging locals and visitors to try the new ride, which will have outward-facing seats looking over the sea. They hope it will boost the local economy, and are encouraging people to come out and spend money in local businesses.  James Cox, director of marketing, sales and PR at Pleasure Beach, said: ‘If ever there has been a time to support local businesses and the tourism sector, it’s now.’ He added: ‘Being in business for 130 years does not happen by chance. It takes hard work, overcoming challenges, and always looking ahead. That's our promise to this town and to this sector as we enter our 130th season.’ Photograph: Jason Wells / Shutterstock.com For the first time, this summer Pleasure Beach will allow under twos to enter the park for free. Adult tickets to the beachside theme park cost £30.  The new £8.72 million gyro swing is just one of the reasons Time Out named Blackpool as one of the UK’s best places to visit in 2026. The old-school seaside re

Summer is just around the corner, and that means it is officially outdoor swimming season. We are already slipping on our swimsuits and setting our alarms to book those coveted lido spots. One town in Cambridgeshire is getting a brand new watery attraction this summer. The St Neots Splash Park will finally open in time for the May bank holiday after a year of renovation work.  The splash park is taking over the medieval town’s abandoned lido on Huntingdon Road, near Priory Park. The historic St Neots Lido operated for 40 years before being closed and sealed up in 2003. Now St Neots Splash Park is finally getting ready to unveil the swimming spot’s £795,000 renovation, which was mostly funded by a £600,000 council grant.  Image: St Neots Aquatic and Leisure CIO Family-friendly facilities in the brand new water park include a leaping water arch, a hydro blast and an aqua tent, which forms a dome of water for children to play underneath. Works on the splash pad began last year. The Independent Professional Playground Safety Inspection was successfully completed this week, with final commissioning scheduled for the week commencing April 27. The park has confirmed it will have a ‘soft opening’ on May 2, in time for the bank holiday. The date of the official opening hasn’t been announced yet.  A spokesperson for the park said they would be giving ‘local families the first opportunity to enjoy this new inclusive outdoor play space’.  ICYMI: This nature paradise will be the most po

More tube strikes are underway. RMT drivers are walking out for six 24-hour periods across April, May and June. The first two of those strikes have been this week, with one walk-out having already taken place. Another strike straddles Thursday April 23 and Friday April 24.  Before you panic and sign up to a Lime bike subscription, you do have options. Here’s everything you need to know about using the Elizabeth line during the strike period.  RECOMMENDED:🚇 How to get around London during April’s RMT industrial action.⛔️ The full list of dates and train services impacted by RMT train strikes in April, May and June 2026✈️ How to get to London airports during next week’s RMT industrial action❌ London travel disruption to watch out for this weekend: tube and train closures on April 25-26. RMT union members voted in favour of action back in February, with strikes called for the London Underground. Walk-outs that were supposed to take place in March were suspended, but for now further action will still be going ahead. The action is only affecting services on the Underground, meaning that the DLR, Overground and Elizabeth lines are all still operating. London buses will be affected by separate strikes in April and May.  RMT drivers are striking over a proposal to condense the working week into four days, resulting in changing shift patterns.  A representative from RMT said: ‘Our members will not accept TfL's plan to condense the working week for tube drivers where shift patterns wi

Swiss valleys, rolling Tuscan hills and medieval German villages. When searching for breathtaking views, Europe is an absolute goldmine.  Now travel editors at Travel + Leisure have named the 20 most beautiful places in Europe. Journalist Lydia Mansel interviewed two industry insiders: Jim Strong, a member of Travel + Leisure's Travel Advisory Board and president of Strong Travel Services, and Emma Major Schroeder, owner and luxury travel advisor at Major Traveler, to come up with the definitive list. Two British locations were ranked in the list of locations.   ‘Wee Mad Road’ in Scotland ranked in ninth place. Found in the northwestern part of the Scottish Highlands, this endlessly curving road is as beautiful as it is remote. Part of Scotland’s North Coast 500, Strong warned that this scenic road trip is ‘not for the faint of heart’: the 14-mile stretch is a rugged and treacherous single-lane road filled with hair-pin turns. However, braving the drive pays off, because along the route you’ll be rewarded with views of lochs, valleys and beaches. Strong added: ‘The western side of Scotland offers some of the most dramatic and strange sights while driving on small, one-lane roads.’ Photograph: Shutterstock The other UK inclusion (in fourth place) was Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent. Once called the ‘most famous 20th century garden in England’, Sissinghurst’s garden was created by writer Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson in the 1930s. The 16th-century tower on the g

Hackney Art Week is back, and in 2026 it’s going to be even bigger than last year’s event.  The east London art festival has promised it will ‘expand across the borough’ this summer, with the fair taking place in Hackney from June 4 to 14. The extravaganza will bring together 60 artists and creatives across 50 venues in the borough, taking place across Dalston, Clapton, London Fields, De Beauvoir, Stoke Newington, Haggerston, and Hackney Wick.  Hackney Art Week was founded in 2025 by local residents Lisa Baker and Anna McHugh. Across 10 days, the borough will be taken over by exhibitions, markets, workshops, performances, immersive installations, street parties and even an art treasure hunt. Venues getting involved include Raleigh Chapel, Chats Palace, The Rose Lipman Building, St Augustine’s Tower, ESEACC at The Old Bath House and more. It will also take over pubs, bakeries, delis and other well-loved Hackney spots.  Photograph: Jeanne Gourlaouen / courtesy of Hackney Art Week Highlights from this year’s programme include the Dalston Cultural Quarter Takeover, on June 6 and 7, where workshops, artist open studios, a ceramics market and a street-level sound system will take over Arcola Street. The Sandwich Walk by Jeanne Gourlaouen will be a surreal installation on Wilton Way where absurd shoe-slash-sandwich sculptures will cause visitors to look twice. The Collagism™ Art Hunt will see the streets around London Fields transformed into a living collage, becoming a borough-wi

Calling all ’90s babies. A free exhibition has opened at the Barbican, and it’s celebrating the era of Cool Britannia with all things Spice Girls and Britpop.  Mel B’s leopard print catsuit, Gerri Halliwell’s union jack print boots and Liam Gallagher’s tambourine are some of the best things that will be displayed in the exhibition that will be focussing on one year specifically: 1996.  The free exhibit, called 1996: A celebration of the wildest year of Britain’s wildest decade – 30 years on, is created by former Sun editor and its ‘Bizarre’ columnist, Dominic Mohan. It opened at the Barbican Music Library yesterday (April 16).  Why 1996? This was the year the Spice Girls released ‘Wannabe’ and scored three number ones. Oasis played Maine Road and Knebworth, the Sex Pistols reunited, and Pulp, Blur and Suede were in the charts. The Trainspotting film came out, and Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst emerged as two of the most provocative voices in British art. England made it to the semi-finals of the 1996 Euros, and Tony Blair was Prime Minister, bringing in an era of New Labour.  Photograph: City of London Corporation Music fans and nostalgia hunters will have plenty to get stuck into in the exhibition. On display alongside the Spice Girls’ outfits will be previously unseen Oasis memorabilia; items from record producers and DJs Paul Oakenfold, Dave Pearce and Judge Jules; concert flyers and tickets; music magazines; and tabloids’ front pages. A Brit Awards trophy is also on displ

A decade in the making, the V&A East is finally here. Located on Carpenter’s Road in Stratford on the same stretch as the BBC, Sadler’s Wells East and UAL, the V&A East Museum is the final piece in the puzzle of east London’s shiny new creative quarter.  This new edifying hub on a former brownfield site is also the V&A’s final opening in a flurry of developments that have arrived in London over the past few years – including the V&A East Storehouse, the David Bowie Centre and the revamped Young V&A –  that have turned the museum group into a cultural megalith in the capital.  The museum officially opens this Saturday April 18. Time Out was lucky to get a sneak peek inside the new building ahead of its grand opening. Here’s what the V&A East Museum has in store.  What exactly is the V&A East? Not the V&A East Storehouse and not the V&A in South Kensington, the V&A East sits somewhere in between these two museums. It’s sort of like the Victoria and Albert Museum’s edgy, younger sibling. Instead of a west London gallery packed with ancient items, which could be considered stuffy or boring to some, V&A East feels like a museum for the masses.    Photogrpah: © David Parry/ V&A   Its permanent gallery, called ‘Why We Make’, explores creativity in all its forms. Across two floors, more than 500 objects from the V&A’s collection are displayed, spanning art, architecture, design, performance, and fashion. The display is arranged by theme, with topics including identity, wellbeing, s

Calling all history buffs! Shaw House, a Grade I-listed Elizabethan manor in Berkshire, has opened four new rooms to the public.  Built in 1581, the grand Elizabethan digs were used as a stronghold for the Royalists during the English Civil War. Now, it’s a historical landmark visited by thousands every year, as well as a venue for weddings, conferences, events and performances. It’s considered one of the best preserved Elizabethan mansions in England.  West Berkshire Council, which owns the house, has newly opened four abodes within the massive mansion: the public can now step inside the Tudor Oak Room, Queen Anne Drawing Room, Georgian Parlour and Edwardian Bedroom to see what life was really like at the manor in the olden days.  Nigel Foot, the council's executive member for leisure, sport and countryside, called the house one of the borough’s ‘most treasured heritage sites’. ‘We're incredibly proud to showcase four centuries of stories, craftsmanship and character, and to enhance the gardens and facilities for everyone to enjoy,’ he said. ‘Whether you're a regular visitor or discovering Shaw House for the first time, there has never been a better time to explore this wonderful place.’ In 1945 Shaw House was sold to be used as a school. It was first listed in 1952, and a restoration in the early 2000s turned the building into a conference and events centre. Renovations on the house’s Tudor Garden were completed last year, while work to replicate a garden that was featured

From James Bond, to Slow Horses, Brits famously love a good spy story. Soon a new museum will open in the capital unveiling some of Old Blighty’s wartime secrets: think espionage, deception and histories that have been hidden for 70 years. Trent Park House, in north London’s Enfield, has announced it will open the ‘House of Secrets’, a museum dedicated to Second World War spycraft inside a historic stately home.  During WWII Trent Park House became an key location for British espionage, and has been compared with Bletchley Park in its importance. Between 1939 and the end of the war senior German officers, including 59 generals, were held captive in the luxurious surroundings. They were treated with unusual privileges, but were unaware that their conversations were being recorded through a complex network of miniature bugging devices, hidden places such as plant pots, billiard tables and light fittings. Beneath the state rooms a team of ‘secret listeners’, many of whom were German-speaking Jewish refugees, listened in on the Germans from concealed basement rooms. These recordings produced intelligence that gave the Allies a crucial advantage against Germany. Visitors will be able to uncover this fascinating story inside Trent Park’s newly restored rooms.  Photograph: Courtesy of Trent Park House The mansion inside 413-acre Trent Country Park is also the erstwhile home of aristocrat and politician Sir Philip Sassoon, who was named ‘the greatest host in Britain’. Sassoon often

Cycling in London can be pretty intimidating. On the roads, cyclist have to avoid double decker buses, pot holes and errant foxes. But now there’s good news for two-wheeled folk, because the cycle paths in one part of northwest London are about to get much better.  TfL has announced a brand new £13 million cycleway in Brent, between Wembley Central and Harlesden. The C72 will be built over the junction of the A406 North Circular and Harrow Road/Brentfield, following quiet back streets wherever possible. It will include fully protected sections where the impact on buses and other traffic will be low.  In particular, Harrow Road will be get a segregated cycle lane. The busy A road had 90 collisions between January 2018 and December 2020. Of the 109 people injured, nine were cyclists and 14 were pedestrians.  TfL has worked closely with Brent Council to draw up the plans for the new cycling highway, which will also improve routes for pedestrians. The pathway between Wembley and Willesden Junction has been identified as one London’s locations with the greatest potential for future cycling demand, but TfL says people will only cycle there if there’s the infrastructure to do so. In a 2023 consultation, 87 percent of respondents said the scheme will encourage more people to cycle.  RECOMMENDED: 🚲 Brilliant bike rides from London to cycle out of the city. Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said: ‘Cycleway 72 is a game‑changer for our borough. For too long, people in