Rosie Hewitson

Monday July 28: If you’re anything like us, you’re probably nursing a mild hangover this morning after toasting the Lionesses’ big win yesterday, but the party is only just getting started. The back-to-back European champions will be celebrating with an open top bus tour through central London later in the week. And there are plenty more parties besides the trophy parade, with Boiler Room Festival and new riverside festival Labyrinth arriving this weekend. August also arrives this week, with plenty more late summer fun on the horizon, from outdoor cinema and al fresco theatre to Notting Hill Carnival and bank holiday antics. Got a few hours to kill today? You’re in luck. London is one of the very best places on the planet to be when you find yourself with a bit of spare time. In this city, you’re never too far away from a picturesque park, a lovely pub or a cracking cinema, and on any given day, you’ve got a wealth of world-class art shows, blockbuster theatre and top museum exhibitions to choose from if you’re twiddling your thumbs. Use your spare time wisely with our roundup of the best things happening in London today, which gets updated every single day and includes a specially selected top pick from our Things to Do Editor seven days a week. Bookmark this page, and you’ll have absolutely no excuse to be bored in London ever again! Find even more inspiration with our curated round-ups of the best things to do in London this week and weekend

Summer nightlife is all about outdoor festivals and laidback parties. So anyone with a penchant for gothic 'fits and dark raves will be eagerly looking forward to Halloween in London, when the vibes are less chilled, more chilling, and throbbing soundsystems go bump in the night. This year, the day of spooks and scares falls on Friday, October 31 2025. That's seriously good news for anyone planning a fright night to remember, without the terrifying prospect of making it into work the morning after. But while there’s plenty of options for Halloween night itself, there will also be opportunities to join in the fun all through the ‘Halloweekend’ that follows. That means scary club nights aplenty, but also gothic cabaret shows, frightful live music, spooky museum lates and scary movie screenings. What better excuse to assemble a sickening Halloween look and venture out into the night. And best of all, you've got all Sunday to sleep it off, and wipe off all that creepy make-up before the new week starts. RECOMMENDED: Our complete guide to Halloween in London.

We know, we know. It's wrong to wish away the last of summer's sunny days and balmy nights. But even so, there is a pleasant anticipatory chill that comes with making plans for Autumn. The arrival of October means many things to different people. For some it’s horror season, for others it’s cosy candle-lit evenings in front of the telly with a hot, spiced drink. For others, it’s pumpkin time, and a golden excuse to get picking, carving and cooking. And if you're keen to transform your home into a gorgeous gourd-filled wonderland, farms near London have got you covered. As Autumn arrives, they transform into bustling pumpkin patches, often with photo opportunities, craft workshops, and spooky goings on thrown in so you can make a real outing of it. Whether you want to stock up on pumpkins to carve into a Halloween lantern, fill your basket with , there are loads of places where you can pick your own bulbous squash – all very close to the capital. Just make sure you book in advance to make sure you get pick of the crop. Here are our favourite places to go for making the most of pumpkin season in 2025. RECOMMENDED: Halloween in London.

The summer is flying by all too fast. The first weekend of August is already upon us (2-3 August). Don’t let the season slip through your fingers! There’s plenty to fill our diaries up with to savour those two sweet days off.  When you’re busy doing all the things we love about London summer: beer garden hangs, alfresco dining, picnics in the park, open-air theatre and cinema and lido visits, make the most of the party-heavy weekend that lies in store with the return of Boiler Room Festival and the arrival of new festival Labyrinth.  In the meantime, catch up on some of the summer’s major exhibitions, from the Royal Academy’s annual summer show and the Tate Modern’s major retrospective on Aboriginal artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye, to the Design Museum’s More Than Human and Virtual Beauty, which opens at Somerset House this week. Get out there!  Start planning: here’s our roundup of the 25 best things to do in London in 2025 Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.

By August you might be feeling burnt out by the preceeding months of beer-garden-drinking, day-festivalling and sun-lounging. But we’re here to tell you to rally, because there are plenty of reasons to get excited about the final month of summer in London. The biggest thing happening? It’s Notting Hill Carnival – the biggest festival of its kind in Europe that takes over the streets of west London for the bank holiday weekend.  When you’re not having a riotous time dancing to tinnitus-inducing dance hall with a pocket full of Red Stripe, there are plenty of other ways to get your fill of live music this month. All Points East, Body Movements and Boiler Room Festival are just a few of the festivals pitching their tents and blasting music across various parks in London. UK Black Pride is also back for its 20th anniversary this year, with what promises to be its biggest and boldest event yet. It’s also your last chance to catch huge theatre shows and art exhibitions, including Evita starring Rachel Zegler, Inter Alia with Rosamund Pike and Leigh Bowery! at Tate Modern Before September hits, let’s hope there’s enough sun for a London lido swim, lazy days in the city’s parks, outdoor-cinema sessions and all the other alfresco pleasures that summer in London has to offer.  Plan your whole year with our BIG London events calendar.

If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably started the week with a hangover after toasting the Lionesses’ big win yesterday, but the party is only just getting started. The back-to-back European champions will be  their win with an open top bus tour through central London on Tuesday, kicking off a party-heavy week that also sees the return of Boiler Room Festival and the arrival of new festival Labyrinth.  Elswhere, catch more of the BBC Proms, check out Somerset House’s new exhibition Virtual Beauty, or sample some show-stopping concoctions at Cocktails in the City.  Start planning: here’s our roundup of the best things to do in London this August in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.

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.  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 an underrated area. And you might save a bit of dosh too. But don’t fear: if you’re more of a hotels guy, 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 destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, amenities and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. Ella Doyle is Ti

The British Summer always feels like it’s passed by in flash when it gets late August, so be sure to make the most of the last – and longest – weekend in the month (Saturday August 23 to Monday August 25 2025). And we think the year definitely saves the best bank holiday till last, mainly thanks to the fact that it means Notting Hill Carnival is back. August in London wouldn’t be the same without Europe’s biggest street party. Heading to west for the big day? Make sure you look at our guides to the soundsystems, timings and fringe events, so you’re fully prepped for the party.  The long weekend also brings some of London’s finest music festivals. All Points East, Rally, South Facing and Body Movements will be popping up again for the weekend with stellar line-ups featuring some huge acts. Or, venture south for Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, south London’s annual celebration of outdoor theatre, which will fill the streets with spectacular installations and community shows.  We’ll be updating this page as events are announced, so be sure to check back here regularly in the run-up to the long weekend. This is the last gasp of the summer, so make it count! RECOMMENDED: Our full guide to the bank holiday in London.

If you’re into art, London is pretty damn hard to beat. From world-famous museums and landmark galleries to cutting-edge commercial spaces, local community hubs and striking public art on every other corner, this city is full of fascinating, beautiful, challenging things to look at. And that’s before you even get to the ever-changing lineup of temporary exhibitions.  In fact, some people might even go as far to say there’s too much art to see. But that’s where we come in. For decades, Time Out’s experts have been visiting and reviewing all the sculpture, painting, performance, photography and other art shows 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 art exhibitions 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

Fight your way off the tube at Camden Town and you're immediately swept up in a hectic crowd of gig-goers, thrill-seekers, tattooed rebels and baffled tourists. This is London at its most fun and chaotic, with legendary markets, counterculture history and music venues galore. Once, it was a stomping ground for spike-haired punks and spike-heeled goths: then, in the '00s, Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty stumbled in and out of its pubs. Now, Camden's formerly chaotic markets have been tidied up, with redevelopment projects rubbing off this area's rough edges. It would be easy to feel that London's storied home of counterculture has seen better days. But look closely and you'll see traces of the subversive, independent spirit that once made it great. 🏘️ Ultimate guide to where to stay in London I'm a big defender of Camden as one of the weirdest, most fun bits of London. As a teenager, I'd head down for gigs and to waste my pocket money on bags made entirely of zips; now, I can't resist its markets, tranquil canals and stellar line-up of arts venues. If you want to discover its very best bits, here's where to look. RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in CamdenThe best bars and pubs in CamdenThe best hotels in Camden

No matter what your view on the scenester’s paradise of east London, it’s likely you’ll still have been lured there at least once or twice. Stumbling about on a Shoreditch side street in the early hours of the morning in search of a night buses home after a few too many £7 craft beers is a London right of passage, after all. But, amid the themed cafes, ping pong bars and hybrid art-gallery-slash-barber shop businesses, east London packs in some of the city’s very best museums, markets, restaurants and green spaces. Plus, there are more than a few London institutions here: from teeth-stickingly chewy, late-night bagels on Brick Lane, full English breakfasts with a side of Italian/cockney banter at E Pellici and Columbia Road’s flower market (aka the best way to spend a Sunday morning in London).  There’s something for everyone out east, whether you’re looking for brilliant restaurants like Mambow and Sune, lovely green spaces like Dalston East Curve Garden and Walthamstow Wetlands, or dazzling London history like Dennis Severs’ House and the Museum of the Home. Whatever your tastes, here’s our edit of the most enticing attractions, as picked by east London-loving Time Out editors. RECOMMENDED: The 50 best things to do in London This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here. So east London it hurts? Follow our Time Out East London WhatsApp channel for the latest news, openings and goss from the

The future of some of London’s day festivals may have been thrown up in the air earlier this summer, but Londoners are still exceptionally lucky to have an abundance of day-long musical extravanganzas to choose from, with something taking place almost every weekend throughout the warmer months. Forget trekking across the country to live in a field for five days. When you live in London, you can hop on the tube, and an hour later 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. We Londoners love live music, so it’s no surprise that we’re absolutely spoilt for choice when summer rolls around. You’ve got festivals devoted to hip-hop, jazz, leftfield pop, disco, afrobeats, heavy rock ‘n’ roll. Whatever your taste may be, my god does London have a day festival for you. We are right in the thick of festival season right now. You’ve probably already secured the tickets and started planning your outfit, but if you’re doing things a little last minute this summer, there is still time to plan your day festis. 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

Forget natty wine, Aperol Spritzes and ‘absolutely filthy’ martinis. If there’s one drinks trend that defines the 2020s, it’s agave. Nine Lives was one of the first London cocktail bars to espouse the virtues of Mexican spirits when it opened in 2017, and the subterranean venue tucked down a quiet Bermondsey alleyway remains a must-visit spot if you’re into tequila and mezcal.  The sizeable menu of mostly agave-based drinks divided into four sections – Long and Light; Straight Up; On The Rocks and Fizzy Rascals – featuring some great twists on modern classics (the ‘Cardboard Concord’ is a yummy mezcal-based twist on the Paper Plane) and a smattering of lesser-known Mexican concoctions (here’s hoping the Cantarito catches on in London before long!) The bar’s name is inspired by a staunch commitment to zero waste that extends from the menu –  house bitters are made from discarded citrus peels, Discarded Spirits products are used across the menu and additional waste is composted for growing herbs  – to the decor, which features upcycled furniture, an abundance of rattan lampshades and the general air of a mid-century Mexico City drinking den that might be frequented by William S Burroughs.  Throw in a solid menu of Mexican munchies courtesy of resident kitchen Tigre Tacos and a very credible DJ residency serious making use of the bar’s custom-built hi-fi system, and you’re looking at a seriously zeitgeisty little spot.  Order this The Saturday afternoon brunch menu is £65 a head

The UK’s biggest beer hall, Walthamstow’s Big Penny Social is always a vibey place to catch big international games. It’ll be showing all the ginormous 16x19ft screen, with pre- and post-match entertainment during England matches courtesy of all-female brass band Sassy Brass, pints flowing and a huge menu of pub classics to keep you fuelled up for all that shouting. England matches are ticketed, and get you one free house drink. Book online here. 

Five Points not only makes great beer, it also provides a great place to drink it. The Hackney brewery’s Mare Street taproom comes into its own during the summer months, when you can sink pints of JUPA in its sunny courtyard while feasting on beer braised pork tacos and smoked half chickens from resident BBQ joint From The Ashes. And this summer you can also catch every minute of the Euros on screens both indoor and outside. It’s the perfect time to try the brewery’s new Negroni Sour, too. 

You can’t miss Village Underground thanks to the four brightly coloured, graffiti-covered tube carriages perched on its roof. But the main draw of this venue that opened as an affordable artists’ studio in 2009 is the renovated Victorian warehouse space inside. Set underneath some cavernous railway arches, Village Underground is one of the city’s most atmospheric gig and club venues, which often hosts top electronic DJs and exciting up-and-coming artists. Its studios also house around 30 creatives working in a range of disciplines, its previous tenants include the likes of immersive theatre company Punchdrunk and LGBTQ+ nightlife collective Sink the Pink. 

One of London’s ‘magnificent seven’ garden cemeteries, this 12.5 hectare parkland dates nack to the early eighteenth century, when it was first planted by Lady Mary Abney. Managed by the Abney Park Trust, it hosts a variety of events within its grounds and Grade II-listed chapel – the oldest surviving non-denominational chapel in Europe – including open-air theatre and cinema in the summer months, and nature walks and literary salons throughout the year. From Abolitionists and trailblazing feminists to political campaigners, performances and pioneering educationalists, some fascinating residents have been laid to rest in the cemetery, and visitors can learn more about them on one of the park tours, which run more or less monthly on a donation basis.  Hackney Council recently completed a major National Lottery-funded restoration project to create a new accessible entrance on Stoke Newington Church Street, restore the chapel, add a cafe and events space, and promote biodiversity by adding new green roofs and habitats suitable for bees and other insects. 

A longstanting Soho tradition – it celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025 – this annual neighbourhood knees-up is organised by volunteers from the Soho Society, and sees the garden of Soho’s St Anne’s Church bursting with live music and entertainment.  The main draw of the day is the Soho Waiters’ Race. A tradition dating back to 1955, it starts at 3.15pm outside the French House, and sees a gaggle of waiters pelt through the streets of Soho, each holding a tray stacked with a bottle of champers, a glass and a napkin, all of which must be intact when they cross the finish line Another crowd favourite is the Soho Dog Show, which awards eight different prizes including ‘Dog who looks most like their owner’.  Alongside this, visitors can expect six hours of entertainment including live music, drag performances, snail racing, a spaghetti-eating contest, a tug-of-war, foodie stalls, tarot readings and a Pimms bars.  Best of all? It’s absolutely free to attend, although the gardens have a maximum capacity of 500, so turn up nice and early or be prepared to queue.

Dreaming of a Mediterranean getaway this summer but not got the annual leave or the spare cash to make it happen? This Sunday, you can spend the afternoon in Italy for the price of a tube fare. Just head to Clerkenwell Road, where the annual Procession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel revives the spirit of what was once London’s Little Italy. A tradition dating all the way back to 1883, the procession starts at St Peter’s Italian Church (built in the 1860s for the area’s then booming Italian population) at 3.30pm, and forms the centrepiece Italian-style festival, or sagra, on the streets of Clerkenwell from 11am.  Join the crowds lining the roads to watch life-size scenes of saints, martyrs and other Biblical types cruise by on floats, then scoff arancini, prosciutto, gelato and cannoli at the stalls set up on Warner Street. Here’s hoping for a little bit of Neapolitan sunshine to make it even more like being on holiday. 

What is it? This Grade II-listed east London gem is the oldest surviving Grand Music Hall in the world. Opened in the mid-19th century by businessman John Wilton in buildings erected in the 1690s, Wilton’s has survived the intervening century and a half more or less intact, thanks in part to the efforts of one-time Poet Laureate John Betjeman and the Methodist Church. These days it stages more 300 performances a year, encompassing an eclectic range of more than 80 different productions, from opera, musicals and concerts to touring dates for big-name theatre shows. Why go? Walking down Graces Alley towards Wilton's is like stepping back in time. The exterior – cobbled together from five Victorian house fronts – is chicly shabby, with peeling paint in mismatched colours, and long-extinguished gas lamps hanging along the walls beside flower baskets. A sensitive refurb back in 2015 made the wise decision to keep the same artistically crumbling vibes going in its church-like auditorium, adding modern lighting, heating and ventilation but retaining most of its faded period features. Inside you’ll find ‘barley sugar’ cast iron pillars, the sloping wooden floor, the carved balcony and the classical arches around the upper walls. And the attractively crumbling plasterwork, gilt, and exposed brickwork throughout the building make it one of London's most beautiful theatres. Don’t miss Wilton’s bohemian downstairs bar, where you can enjoy a quiet cocktail in one of its conspiratorial no

It’s surely a recession indicator how much London has fallen in love with the concept of the ‘dive bar’ of late. Last year saw the opening of Rasputin’s, a dimly lit Mare Street spot just a few doors down from OG east London dive Helgi’s. Opened by the gang behind Dom’s Subs, it quickly made a name for itself with its £12 ‘Reaganomics Special’ – a martini and two hot dogs – which patrons order from a bar decorated with all manner of bric-a-brac and retro TVs playing schlocky B movies. Then MeatLiquor got in on the act with Bloodsports, a Covent Garden sports bar that’s open ‘til 2am , has both a pool table and karaoke machine, screens every sporting fixture you could ask for alongside classic horror films, and offers an ‘Austerity Measure’ boilermaker – i.e. a tinnie of Carlsberg and an American-sized shot of bourbon – on its sizeable drinks menu.  The latest place to capture the hearts of London’s thrift-conscious, Americana-loving booze hounds is this poky joint opened by the same people as vegan Sichuanese restaurant Facing Heaven. Also found on Hackney’s Mare Street – Hackney Central is London’s answer to the Lower East Side at this point – Easy 8 is replete with classic ‘dive bar’ signifiers; think fairy lights, wood-panelled walls, a confusing array of wall decor encompassing both a Scully and Mulder poster and a framed Sacred Heart of Jesus picture, liberally tagged loos and eerie red lighting reminiscent of a David Lynch movie. Order this The menu is short and sweet,

What is it? Consisting of ten reservoirs and over 200 hectares, Walthamstow Wetlands is a fully operational Thames Water site used as the main source of water supply to 3.5 million people. The largest urban wetland in Europe, it’s also a Site of Special Scientific Interest and an internationally significant conservation site, as well as a great place for Londoners looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life for a few hours.  Why go? To get a good old dose of nature. With a vast range of habitats, from sheltered scrubland and dense reed beds to large bodies of clean water, the Wetlands are teeming with wildlife. If you’re into bird-watching, this is a prime spot for spotting swans, kestrels and geese. The twelve reservoirs comprise the largest fishery in London, and are regularly restocked with rainbow trout, making this a great place for both beginners and experienced anglers to go fishing.  E17’s industrial history also gives the area a striking and unusual aesthetic, with old metalworks and gunpowder mills dotting the fecund green spaces. Go exploring and you may also come across toads, frogs, hedgehogs and a huge variety of waterfowl among them. Don’t miss Built in 1894, the former Marine Engine House now serves as a visitor centre and café. Serving up locally-roasted coffee, toasties and homemade bakes, it’s the ideal place to stop by and refuel after a long hike.  When to visit The Wetlands are open from 9.30am daily, but closing time varies depending on

Are you a fan of plummy Spanish reds? Great news, if so. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Rioja region’s ‘Denominación de Origen’, east London is hosting a huge new wine festival dedicated to Spain’s most iconic red. Visitors will be able to sample over 50 varieties of the wine by the glassa, take part in masterclasses with TV presenter and wine expert Olly Smith and some of the region’s top winemakers, try dishes from celebrity chefs José Pizarro and Omar Allibhoy and snack on pintxos and other Spanish fare from a variety of street food vendors. There’ll also be DJs spinning tunes (Rosalía and Bad Bunny, we’d imagine) and a competition where you can win a bottle of Rioja from your birth year. Best of all? You don’t eve have to pay for entry, or if you pay for entry you’ll get wine sample tokens worth more than the price of your ticket (including 2 for 1 entry on Sunday which gets you £24 of wine tokens for just a tenner). Salud to that!  

Missing The Glory, the infamous London pub that was a key part of the capital’s queer scene? The Divine is the venue run by that much-missed space’s team and owned by iconic drag queens Jonny Woo and John Sizzle. Located just a short sashay down the road on the site of long-lost Dalston bar Birthdays (gosh, remember that place?) the venue is similarly split across two floors; a main bar upstairs where you can enjoy a quiet(ish) drink, and a performance venue in the basement. Head down to check out the ecclectic programme of outré cabaret shows, drag competitions and fringe theatre, before dancing until the small hours as the place transforms into a sequin-studded, drag-fuelled, pop-tastic disco. RECOMMENDED: ‘Dark, sexy, shambolic’: an oral history of The Glory

If you ask us, supporting the Lionesses should come with some sort of medical warning. Our hearts our still racing after Tuesday night’s agonising semi-final against Italy, when teenage sensation Michelle Agyemang once again rescued England from the jaws of defeat with an equaliser six minutes into stoppage time, before Chloe Kelly smashed home the rebound of her saved penalty late in extra time to take Sarina Wiegman’s comeback queens to another European final.  When is the England vs Spain Euro 2025 final? The reigning champions will get a chance to retain the historic title they clinched at Wembley three summers ago this Sunday July 27 at 5pm (BST), as they face Spain in the final in Basel in a repeat of the 2023 Women’s World Cup Final and a mirror of last summer’s Men’s Euros Final. England have faced Spain three times in the Women’s Euros, with those games coming in the three most recent tournaments. Spain won 3-2 in a group stage meeting in 2013, while the Lionesses won 2-0 in the 2017 group stages and came from behind in the quarter finals in 2022 to win 2-1 in extra time. Who is the favourite to win the Women’s Euros? The bookies have given Spain marginally better odds than England, but in reality the match-up looks too close to call. Spain were the clear favourite heading in the Euros, put in some thoroughly dominant displays during the group stage of the tournament, and count current Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí and two-time winner Alèxia Putellas in their s

Westfield London recently reclaimed its title as the biggest shopping centre in Europe, so it’s only fitting that the west London retail destination will be the site of Europe’s largest immersive attraction from next year. Due to open in summer 2026, London’s first Amazement Park® is the latest project from the team behind both South Downs-based festival Boomtown Fair and Bristol-based immersive art experience Wake The Tiger, which has been visited by half a million people from over 70 different countries since opening in 2022.  Photograph: Andre Pattenden The new venue will take over the space that formerly housed interactive play space KidZania, which welcomed more than 2.5 million visitors before closing last January, and hopes to attract 600,000 visitors a year by 2027. As a certified B Corporation, Wake The Tiger has committed to keeping sustainability and community engagement at the heart of its work, and intends to involve hundreds of artists, makers and multidisciplinary creatives in the creation of the 80,000 square foot Westfield venue. Photograph: Andre Pattenden Speaking of the expansion, Wake The Tiger Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Luke Mitchell said. ‘This is a culmination of over 20 years of creative world-building. The space in Westfield London has totally blown our mind. It’s as if it was created for us and we can’t wait to transform it into an alternate dimension.’ Details of what the space will look like and how the experience will operate are y

If you’re the kind of nosy neighbour who’s always peering out from behind your front curtains whenever there’s even a whiff of some drama happening outside, you’ll love Open House. The annual festival takes place every September, and offers curious Londoners a rare chance to pull back the curtain and go through the keyholes of some of the capital’s most renowned – and often most secretive – buildings, completely free of charge.  From historic royal dwellings to magnificent specimens of modern architecture, churches and bridges to art studios and municipal buildings, a whole load of interesting real estate across nearly every London borough is open for snooping during the festival, which returns from 13-21 September. Having partnered with Airbnb, Open House is promising its biggest and boldest festival yet in 2025, with over 800 events on the programme, announced earlier this week. So to help you decide which spots are most worth snooping around ahead of bookings going live on Wednesday 20 August., we’ve rounded up some of the most iconic London buildings taking part this year.  The 5 best buildings to visit during Open House 2025 Lincoln’s Inn The oldest of London’s four Inns of Court – its records date all the way back to 1422 – Lincoln’s Inn has been home to London’s elite legal minds for more than 600 years. The 11-acre site encompasses an array of facilities used by its members, including the Grade I-listed Old Hall and Grade II-listed Great Hall, a chapel, one of the UK’

July arrived earlier this week, summer is in full swing, and London is looking its cheery best. But as glorious as summer in the city can be, it can also get rather spenny, what with all the summer holidays, music festivals, day trips and mammoth beer garden sessions drinking £11 Aperol spritzes that it usually entails.  Keen to go one weekend without having a heart attack when you check your bank balance? There’s no shortage of wallet-friendly summer fun to be had around town if you know where to go. Here’s our pick of the best free activities on this weekend.  The best free things to do in London this weekend, July 5-6 Take to the streets for London’s Pride Parade Photograph: Michalakis Ppalis / Shutterstock Pride month might now be over, but the biggest event of the ‘Pride season’ arrives this weekend, with over a million revellers expected to take to the streets of London on Saturday for the city’s annual Pride parade. The biggest Pride event in Europe, Pride in London features more than 500 groups, and around 35,000 participants. Attendees can also catch a host of live performances at the Main Stage in Trafalgar Square and five additional stages dotted around Soho and the West End, with the legendary Chaka Khan headlining, with the party continuing late into the night at bars and clubs around Soho. Check out our Parade guide for timings, line-ups and everything else you need to know ahead of the big day.  Start at Hyde Park Corner, W1J. Sat July 5. Free. Catch some hi

London’s arts institutions love a good sleepover. You can already get 40 winks at the Natural History Museum’ Dino Snores nights, the Science Museum’s Astronights and the British Museum’s sleepovers, and now another beloved London arts venue is hosting a truly special, limited-edition overnight experience this September in collaboration with British-German composer Max Richter in celebration of the tenth anniversary of his opus, SLEEP. Comprising 204 individual tracks, SLEEP is an epic, 8 hour and 30 minute-long lullaby created for listeners to fall asleep to, and has previously been performed live at overnight events in a bunch of iconic global settings, including Sydney Opera House, the Philharmonie de Paris and The Great Wall of China. The events – and the mammoth task of preparing for such lengthy performances – were also captured in a documentary of the same name, directed by Richter’s creative partner Yulia Mahr. And now it’s the turn of Alexandra Palace to host more of his truly special all-nighters. The north London music venue will be hosting two performances of SLEEP this September, marking the first time the piece has been performed in London since 2017. The concerts will start at 10pm and finish at around 6am as the sun rises, and audiences will be provided with beds and bedding, as well as being served a light breakfast at the end of the night.  Fancy bunkering down in the Grade II-listed Great Hall for the night? Tickets for the event are on sale now via the Ale

To those of us who have been knocking around east London since the early 2010s, the name Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium evokes memories of east London at the height of hipsterdom, back when tourists queued up for a table at the Cereal Killer Café, and flamboyantly dressed art school kids partied late into the night at Plastic People and the Joiner’s Arms. But while other hipster hotspots have fallen by the wayside, the UK’s oldest and most famous cat café has survived a decade of enormous upheaval in this particular corner of east London.  Taking inspiration from the pet cafés found across Japan, Lady Dinah’s opened in Bethnal Green in 2014 after a successful crowdfunding campaign, and has been serving a loyal, kitty-loving customer base ever since, while also helping to rehouse dozens of rescue cats thanks to its policy of taking on kitties that have been turned away by shelters, and making them available for adoption by customers. It’s no surprise, then, that current owner Lauren Pears’ recent announcement that she planned to close the business at the end of June after failing to find a buyer received dozens of comments from customers sad to see the end of a much-loved London spot.  But there is hope for Lady Dinah’s yet. Café manager Freyja Westwood has launched a crowdfunding campaign to purchase the café and keep it open, and has already had an excellent response from the spot’s many fans, raising just over half of the £50,000 goal in the first week.  As Freyja says in a camp

We’ve made it to another bank holiday, and the city is gearing up for a whole bunch of festivals, day trips, cultural excursions and nights out over the long weekend. But while we’re hardly ones to grumble at the prospect of an extra day off work, we’re well aware of how spenny these extra days off can get. Making it to the end of May without dipping into the ol’ overdraft can be a challenge, with not one but two bank holidays to get through. But to help, we’ve roundup up a bunch of fun stuff happening around the city that won’t cost you a penny.  The best free things to do in London over the late May Bank Holiday weekend Sink one of 1,000 free pints at Venn Street Records It’s the bank holiday, of course you’re going to be going for a few beers with mates. But all that boozing adds up, so what if we told you that the good people at Venn Street Records are going to be giving away 1,000 free pints this weekend. The vinyl store will be dishing out 250 pints of Camden Hells each day across the bank hol, starting on Friday, May 23 from 5pm until close each day. There will be performances too: on Sunday 25 at 6pm Glasto veterans Brass Funkeys will throw down a special brass set. Tickets are advised, and you can book online here.  78 Venn Street, SW4 0BD. Fri May 23-Sun May 25. Free (advanced booking advised). Photograph: Venn St Records Give your wardrobe a sustainable makeover at Westfield Good Festival Planning a big spring clean of your wardrobe over the bank holiday? You’ll

The wait is over! An agonising 17 years after Tottenham Hotspur last won any silverware – and four decades since they did so in Europe – the Lilywhites have finally got their hands on another trophy.  Wednesday night saw Ange Postecoglou’s injury-stricken team see out a 1-0 victory against fellow English side Manchester United in the Europa League Final in Bilbao. Welsh winger Brennan Johnson was credited with scoring the only goal in the tie (although some would put it down as a Luke Shaw own goal) in a nerve-shredding match, which also featured a magnificent goal-line clearance by defender Micky van de Ven and a late save from goalkeeper Vicario. Over 40,000 Spurs fans watched the victory unfold from inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before flooding the pitch afterwards to celebrate the end of the historic club’s notorious trophy drought. The celebrations then continued long into the night at the area’s pubs and bars, many of which had secured late licenses just for the occasion.  RECOMMENDED: The best Spurs pubs in London. When is the trophy parade? The party isn’t over yet! The club will also be staging an open-top bus parade around Tottenham so that Spurs fans who didn’t make it over to Bilbao will have a chance to celebrate with the team. Kicking of the bank holiday weekend, the parade is due to take place tomorrow evening, on Friday May 23. What time does the trophy parade start? The celebrations will kick off at 3pm from a stage erected outside the north stand o

As one of London’s most famous and well-reputed art galleries, it’s no surprise Tate Modern is also one of the city’s most popular attractions, welcoming around 6 million visitors through its doors each year. And while we’re big fans of the gallery’s efforts to bring modern art to the masses, this does mean that the South Bank institution can get rather crowded, particularly during peak tourist seasons. It’s great news, then, that the gallery will soon be offering early risers the opportunity to take in its world-class collection without having to battle through the crowds, on exclusive  Before Hours tours available through GetYourGuide. Launched in response to GetYourGuide’s own research, which found that a growing number of travellers are concerned about crowding and overtourism, the ‘All Art, No Crowds’ campaign sees the travel experience company partner with Tate Modern, alongside MoMA in New York and the Vatican Museums, to delivery monthly small-group tours before the galleries officially open each morning.  Beginning over the coming bank holiday weekend, the hour-long tours will allow ticket holders to get to know the Tate’s impressive displays with the help of an expert guide or curator, delving into a century of art, from early 1900s modernism to major artists working today, and taking in works that typically draw large crowds and can therefore be difficult to appreciate fully during the gallery’s regular hours.  Tate Modern’s Senior Manager of Tours, Experiences an

The eyes of north London (or at least the Lilywhite half of it) will be on Bilbao this Wednesday evening (May 21), as the second-biggest competition in European club football reaches its conclusion with an all-English final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.  Naysayers argue that nobody cares about the Europa League, but it’s a crunch game for both of the ‘Big Six’ teams. With the pair looking set to finish in the bottom quarter of the Premier League, victory is their only avenue for securing European football in the 2025/26 campaign, and allows one of them to salvage something from a torrid season.  For Spurs, it would also mean securing a first piece of silverware since 2008, and the club’s first European trophy since 1984, ending a trophy drought that weights more heavily on the storied club with each passing season.  Many local fans will be heading to the boozers and beer gardens of north London to watch Ange Postecoglou’s team face the Red Devils. Looking for a lively atmosphere in which to catch all the nail-biting action? Look no further than our roundup of London’s best Spurs pubs. RECOMMENDED: London’s best football pubs. The Bluecoats Once home to the Bluecoats School for Girls, this quaint Jacobethan building was built in the mid-1830s, but has more recently been the site of solid match day boozing thanks to its proximity to the Spurs stadium. You won’t need a reservation for the big match, but you will need to head down early as the place will be op

It’s mid-May, and London is in for another pretty balmy weekend. But if you’re anything like me, a week of (mostly) gorgeously sunny evenings has seen you spending plenty of time outside the house, tapping your credit card with reckless abandon as you treat yourself to mid-week beer garden sessions, alfresco dinners with friends, and a few new bits for your summer wardrobe.  But don’t resign yourself to a weekend on house arrest just yet. There’s all sorts of wallet-friendly fun to be had around the capital this weekend, including a whole host of freebies on offer, from pints to haircuts. Give your wardrobe a free makeover at Westfield Good Festival Photograph: Westfield Planning a big old wardrobe clearout? You’ll love Westfield’s free festival of pre-loved fashion. The world-renowned shopping centre has teamed up with pre-loved fashion marketplace Depop to stage a series of experiences that will inspire you to embrace embrace sustainable shopping habits. Head down early doors this weekend to shop a curated edit of second-hand threads at an IRL Depop Marketplace, take part in free styling workshops, enjoy free skincare consultations from Kiehl’s, and even nab up to £40 of free clothing alterations courtesy of door-to-door repair business Sojo.  Westfield London, W12 7GF. Fri May 16-Sun May 18. Free (first come, first served). Get a free trim from celebrity barber A Star Fancy getting a trim to rival Jack Grealish’s or Jude Bellingham’s? To mark Mental Health Awareness Week

The Hackney Half Marathon is arguably the most fun of London’s running events (if you can imagine that running for 13.1 miles straight can actually be fun). This Sunday, bands and DJs will be on duty all over the course, keeping more than 20,000 participants energised with pumping beats and classic motivational tunes, and thousands of spectators will line the streets to whoop and cheer their loved ones on. But the vibes won’t stop once you cross the finish line. If you can muster up enough energy and are still able to put one foot in front of the other, don’t miss out on the atmosphere of celebration throughout the borough post-race. There’ll be a bunch of afterparties ready to welcome runners and their supporters all afternoon and into the evening. And make sure you keep that medal around your neck – you could be awarded with a freebie or two.  These are all the best runner freebies, perks and afterparties you need to know about ahead of the Hackney Half this Sunday.  RECOMMENDED: Hackney Half Marathon 2025 – route, start time and everything you need to know. The best Hackney Half freebies and perks 2025 These are all the discounts and free stuff on offer for Hackney Half finishers that we know about so far. (Spoiler: it’s mostly booze.) UBA What you get: A free Hugo spritz and a taco of your choice from Shoreditch’s pan-Asian restaurant, UBA. Your options include salmon ceviche, beef, artichoke, tuna ceviche or hamachi ceviche.  How to claim: Turn up to dine-in at UBA with