Rosie Hewitson

Weekends are certainly gloomier and darker now that the clocks have gone back, but London is doing its level best to lighten up the November nights. It’s Christmas light switch-on time, and now you can see huge thoroughfares like Oxford Street and Carnaby Street glowing in the dark. If you want more Yuletide cheer, Battersea Power Station’s ice rink has opened, as has Southbank Centre’s winter market, where you’ll find hot mulled wine and plenty of gift inspo.If you think it’s far too soon for any talk of Christmas – and we don’t blame you – there’s plenty of non-festive fun to be had, too. Head to brilliant gigs from small grassroots acts and big names at this year’s London Jazz Festival, which will be taking over a multitude of great London venues this week. See Kiera Knightley star in Robert Icke’s West End adaptation of the Oscar-winning German film The Lives of Others, the first-ever screen-to-stage adaptation from the director. Plus, cinephiles are in for a treat as art house streaming platform MUBI launches its inaugural London festival, and you can also delve into the world of Eastern European cinema at the London Baltic Film Festival. Or wander around Tate Britain’s new exhibition dedicated to The Bloomsbury Group’s Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant.  As the weather gets ever colder, it’s also the perfect time to start planning cosy activities, including Sunday roasts, cosy pub hangs, and autumnal walks. Get out there and enjoy! Start planning: here’s our roundup of the

November 2026: The penultimate stretch of the year has arrived, and London is looking mighty festive, thanks to the colourful market stalls, winter pop-ups, twinkling lights and towering Christmas trees springing up around the city. Whether you’re a lifelong Londoner or an out-of-towner stopping by for some Christmas shopping, it’s brilliant time to visit the city’s attractions while they’re decked out in their festive best. Look out for Up at the O2’s Snow Globe Climbs, the Southbank Centre’s riverside Winter Market, carol services at St Paul’s Cathedral, pop-up ice rinks at Somerset House and Hampton Court Palace, and Kew Gardens’ ever-popular light show. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped right inside a scene from Love Actually. As Bill Nighy’s aging rocker says, ‘Christmas Is All Around’. No matter what your vibe, tastes or interests, there is always something to do in London. Whether you want to see cutting-edge art exhibitions, iconic attractions, secret spots, world-beating theatre, stunning green spaces, it’s all here and you can probably fit all this in and more still barely feel like you’ve scratched the surface of the city. And that’s before you factor in all those historic London pubs, the latest must-visit restaurants and vibrant LGBTQ+ venues. And if you need somewhere to stay? Check out London’s best hotels or Airbnbs. This London bucket list (curated by our editors and always hotly debated in the Time Out office) is a good place to start because exploring this ci

Sometimes, it’s worth waiting until the last minute to pick up your Christmas gifts. In the winter months running up to Crimbo, the capital becomes home to tons of wintry fairs. Markets pop-up all over the city, stacked with stalls selling unique pressies from small businesses and independent designers that you’d never find in the big shops online or off. They’re perfect for browsing as the big day looms and a good excuse to treat yourself to Christmas snacks and mulled wine as you tick gifts off your list. You’ll find everything you need to make someone’s Christmas Day memorable at London’s seasonal markets, from ceramics and plants to pressies from around the world. Be sure to bookmark this page, because we’ll be adding more markets around the city as they’re announced.  London’s best Christmas markets at a glance: 🧀 Best for foodies: Southbank Centre Winter Market ⛸️ Best for entertainment: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland Market 🎄 Best for festive atmosphere: Christmas at Leadenhall Market 👩‍🎨 Best for creative gifts: DIY Christmas Art Market ♻️ Best for sustainable gifts: Urban Makers Christmas Market RECOMMENDED: Our complete guide to Christmas in London.

November 2026: The penultimate month of the year is upon us, and London’s spooky decorations are being replaced by festive ones. The capital starts to look increasingly Christmassy as November progresses, thanks to the plethora of skating rinks, twinkling lights, colourful trees and Christmas markets popping up all over the place. And with London’s big attractions looking their sparkly best, it’s also a great time to do some sightseeing; take a ride on a twinkling London Eye illuminated with over 12,000 lights before heading to the Southbank Winter Market next door, embark on a special Snow Globe Climb at Up at the O2, check out the V&A’s Festive Fridays late openings, or overdose on festive cheer at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland. The London Eye. Hyde Park. Wembley. The Shard. London landmarks are iconic for a reason!  Even if you’ve lived here for years and pride yourself on steadfastly avoiding ‘tourist traps’, you really ought to check these places out at least once. Marvelling at the capital’s museums, galleries, monuments and parks is a London rite of passage, whether you’re a day-tripper visiting for the first time, or a lifelong local who knows the entire Tube map by heart.  But where to begin? Right here of course, with our massive list of the capital’s 50 best attractions. We’ve thought long and hard about what is worthy of your London bucket list, so you can expect to find a real mixture of iconic institutions known throughout the world and (comparatively) lesser-k

October 2026: Sunday roast season has finally returned to London. A boozey, end-of-the-weekend lunch is what we're all about in this city. Enjoy masterful takes at by Elm at The Montpelier in Peckham, The Golden Tooth on Green Lanes, The Duke Organic in Islington, and The Camberwell Arms in south London. And we're happy to announce the re-launch of two of our all-time favourite roasts; the vegan slap-up dinner at LD's Kitchen, now at the Imperial Palace of Big Red in Camden, and Ling Ling's Chinese-inspired roast at Godet in Islington.  London’s best Sunday roasts at a glance: 🥩 Central: Quality Chop House, Clerkenwell 😇 North: Ling Ling's at Godet, Islington ⛪ South: Elm at The Montpelier, Peckham 🌈 East: The Nelson’s, Hackney 🍻 West: Blue Stoops, Notting Hill Sunday lunch. There’s nothing quite like it. An elemental meal, one that Londoners take incredibly seriously. Debates about what constitutes the ‘perfect’ Sunday roast have been known to last for hours. There is no shortage of top roasts and Sunday lunch options in London. We’ve rounded up the city’s best Sunday meals from a host of pubs, restaurants and breweries all around town. What makes a good roast? For us, it’s simple; a welcoming room is a good start, maybe in a pub with an open fire during the winter months. Then it comes to the plate – we need perfect roast potatoes, well-cooked lamb, beef or pork and a decent plant-based option too. A Sunday roast is more than just lunch - it’s self-care. From snug ne

November 2026: We've recently given this list a reshuffle to make sure we're recommending you the finest burgers in town, along with a brand new Number 1 which you can find at Whole Beast in Brixton. Smash burgers still take up a lot of real estate and with good reason; they're more managable then the hefty burgers that were in style a few years ago. But one particularly big boy makes the grade; the burger at Dove in Notting Hill, of which only 10 are made every day. Smaller, smashier offerings can be found at French import Dumbo in Shoreditch and Soho, Jupiter Burger in Hackney and Chuck's in Fitzrovia. Want a bit of both in one burger? Try the offering at the Empire Tavern in Hackney.  Fancy a burger? Of course you do. The simple meat-between-buns combo is always a winner, whether for a quick fast-food fix or a decadent, gourmet feast. We’ve selflessly toiled away, trying and tasting a vast range of patties to compile this list of London’s best burgers, including the inescapable smash burger. London’s finest are utter meaty marvels: juice-seeping, oozing with flavour and far more complex in creation than they’re ever given credit for. Roll up your sleeves and tuck in to the best burgers in London right now. RECOMMENDED: These are London's best pizza restaurants. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

November: After a hectic month of exhibition openings and 2027 season announcements in October, you’d be forgiven for thinking that London’s museums and galleries might be having a quiet one in November, but the penultimate month of 2026 is actually looking pretty busy. There are a smattering of must-visit exhibitions opening late into the festive period this year, including Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant: Inside Bloomsbury at Tate Britain, Van Eyck: The Portraits at the National Gallery, and ‘Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires’ at the V&A. But the biggest new opening of all? The brand new London Museum, which finally throws open the doors to its new home in the old Smithfield Market on November 28, after a four-year closure and a £437 million revamp project. We truly can’t wait to see the results. Museums are one of the things that London does best. This city boasts grand institutions housing ancient treasures, modern monoliths packed with intriguing exhibits, and tiny rooms containing deeply niche collections – and lots of them are totally free to anyone who wants to come in and take a gander. And with more than 170 London museums to choose from, there's bound to be one to pique your interest, whatever you're in to.  Want to explore the history of TfL? We’ve got a museum for that. Rather learn about advertising? We’ve got a museum for that too. History? Check. Science? Check. 1940s cinema memorabilia, grotesque eighteenth-century surgical instruments, or perh

The clocks may have gone back, leaving us in gloom by 4 o’clock, but London is doing its level best to lighten up the dark November nights. It’s Christmas light switch-on time, and now you can see huge thoroughfares like Oxford Street and Carnaby Street glowing in the dark. If you want more Yuletide cheer, Battersea Power Station’s ice rink has opened, as has Southbank Centre’s winter market, where you’ll find hot mulled wine and plenty of gift inspo. If you think it’s far too soon for any talk of Christmas – and we don’t blame you – there’s plenty of non-festive fun to be had, too. Head to brilliant gigs from small grassroots acts and big names at this year’s London Jazz Festival, which will be taking over a multitude of great London venues this week. See Kiera Knightley star in Robert Icke’s West End adaptation of the Oscar-winning German film The Lives of Others, the first-ever screen-to-stage adaptation from the director. Plus, cinephiles are in for a treat as art house streaming platform MUBI launches its inaugural London festival, and you can also delve into the world of Eastern European cinema at the London Baltic Film Festival. Or, wander around Tate Britain’s new exhibition dedicated to The Bloomsbury Group’s Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. As the weather gets ever colder, it’s also the perfect time to start planning cosy activities, including Sunday roasts, cosy pub hangs, and autumnal walks. Get out there and enjoy! Start planning: here’s our roundup of the best thi

London does Christmas trees better than almost anywhere, and it doesn’t stop at the classic fir. Come November, the city’s squares, stations and hotel lobbies start competing for the most jaw-dropping tree in town, and the results run from the traditional to the downright bonkers. They’re the perfect excuse to wrap up warm and wander, ideally with a mulled wine in hand, between Christmas markets and light switch-ons. This year the big one has an extra reason to celebrate. Trafalgar Square’s Norwegian spruce, sent over by Oslo as a thank you for Britain’s support during the Second World War, has been gifted every year since 1947, which makes 2026 its 80th. Covent Garden always goes big on sparkle, while the city’s grandest hotels hand their lobbies over to fashion designers and artists, with Claridge’s having had everyone from Karl Lagerfeld to Louis Vuitton dress theirs over the years. So grab your camera and your warmest coat. These are the Christmas trees worth seeking out in London this year. RECOMMENDED: Where to buy a Christmas tree in London.

Now that the clocks have gone back, the weather has gone all blustery and autumnal, and Halloween has been and gone, it’s time to remember, remember the fifth of November.  Of all of the UK’s winter traditions, there’s nothing like gathering in a park in the nippy nights of early November to watch a pile of flaming wood and fireworks piercing the sky. Bonfire Night – aka Guy Fawkes Night –might sound strange to those unfamiliar with it, but it’s a great British tradition and one of the highlights of the second half of the year. London puts on a plethora of Bonfire Night and fireworks displays with sparkly skies, yummy street food and so much more.  When is Bonfire Night in London? You know the old adage! Bonfire Night is officially on November 5 every year, and this year, that falls on a Thursday. You’ll find some displays on the night itself, but most will be taking place on either the weekend before or after so you can really make the most of the fun. These days, fireworks displays are about more than bonfires and colourful skies – it’s now the norm for events to boast funfairs, food stalls and more. Top tips for Bonfire Night in London  Book in advance: Some events you can just rock up to and pay on the gate; others sell out early and don’t keep tickets back for the spontaneous among us. The key to not being disappointed is being organised! Wrap up: The unpredictable great British weather rarely ever plays ball. It’s too early to say what exactly the heavens will decide

Bored in London? Well, you could easily kill hours in one of London’s huge and downright brilliant department stores. Whether you’re on a mission to nab the latest designer drops, stock up on posh biscuits for your nan, or lose yourself among gleaming beauty counters, the capital’s legendary shopping halls have something for everyone.  From Harrods’ over-the-top opulence to Fortnum’s fancy hampers, these icons are as much a part of London life as red buses and slightly disappointing weather. They’re where locals and tourists alike come to browse, snack, sip, and spend – often all at once. So polish your credit card and prepare to splash the cash. Here’s our list of London’s best department stores. RECOMMENDED: The best thrift stores in London London’s best department stores at a glance 🍷 Best for food and drink: Fortnum & Mason 👠 Best for luxury fashion: Harrods 🏠 Best for homeware: John Lewis 😎 Best for trend-hunters: Selfridges 🎁 Best for cool gifts: Dover Street Market

It’s easy to leave planning New Year’s Eve to the very last minute – often you get so tangled up in the tinsel-decked glories of Christmas that you forget there's another big bash, just a week later. But New Year’s Eve is the kind of night that you forget at your peril. Attempt to wing it and you might well end up stuck at home with a glass of flat prosecco in front of Jools Holland’s Hootenanny, because all London's best clubs and parties book out weeks or months in advance.  But fear not, we’re here to make sure you give 2026 a seriously good send-off. Here’s our list of London best NYE bashes for ringing in 2027, from never-ending club nights to LGBTQ+ friendly celebrations. Assemble your crew, book your tickets, plan the perfect ‘fit and prepare to say a big fat goodbye to the year gone by. RECOMMENDED: Find things to do in London on New Year’s Day.

If you’re anything like us, the latter two months of the year tend to be so rammed with work parties, shopping trips and general festive mania that staying up to date with the city’s cultural happenings is nigh on impossible. But the V&A is helping bring some much needed culture to your festival social calendar with its Festive Fridays lates, where you can combine mulled wine and Christmas shopping with free entertainment and the opportunity to see its big autumn exhibition openings. Head down to the South Kensington institution after work to check out late openings of Constantinople to Istanbul and Freddie Mercury: Splendid Things, enjoy live performances in the Dome every half-hour throughout the evening, courtesy of the Rock Choir and a Freddie Mercury tribute act, and do some gift shopping across the museum’s three retail spaces, including its Exhibition Road Festive Shop pop-up.  There’ll also be festive drinks on offer at the cafes, and a professional gift wrapping service you can drop-in on after you’ve picked up some pressies. 

Having closed the doors of its last home all the way back in 2022, the attraction erstwhile known as the Museum of London will finally reopen at its new Smithfield home on November 28 2026, where it will be known as London Museum; a catchier name, for sure, but an absolute nightmare for anyone trying to find it on Google.  The new venue will boast an underground gallery space in the old Great Northern Railway depot and a big window in the market’s old salt store allowing visitors to watch trains carry passengers through Farringdon – a feature meant to connect the museum to the ‘London of today’. A decade in the making, it’s set to arrive towards the end of the year, just on time for the museum’s 50th anniversary.  A full preview of its inaugural exhibitions can be found here.

Following similar openings in Tokyo, Madrid and NYC, powerhouse record label Universal Music oppened this shop in 2025 in the heart of Camden Market, the neighbourhood synonmous with punk, Britpop, UK garage, heavy metal and indie sleaze. It peddles exclusive merch, limited-edition drops, and signature collections from label artists including chart-topping acts like Olivia Dean, Loyle Carner and Sam Fender, plus heritage artists The Who, Sex Pistols and The Rolling Stones. Inside you’ll also find a DJ booth and small stage, allowing the shop to host live gigs, signings, pop-ups and more. 

Every year, thousands of professional and amateur photographers around the world submit their best portraits to this prestigious competition (fka The Taylor Wessing Photo Prize), which has helped launch the careers of many top photographers. Around 60 finalists are selected and put on display at the National Portrait Gallery, giving an insight into the lives of friends and family of those behind the lens, or capturing a moment in time with stars in the spotlight. One image from the four finalists will take home the big prize (£15k in prize money...maybe we should enter next year!)

If you haven't yet set foot in the Institut Français, housed in an ornate red-brick building in South Kensington, then its annual film bonanza is a great excuse to visit.  The venue’s newly spruced up Ciné Lumière is hosting another feast of French cinema this November, with a line-up spanning buzzy UK premieres, restored classics, fascinating documentaries and special events, with 40 Gallic cinematic treats being screened across the 2-week bonanza.  Highlights of this year’s edition include Palme d’Or nominee A Woman’s Life (La Vie d’une femme), the UK premiere of The Birthday Party (Histoires de la Nuit) starring Monica Bellucci, Anat Even’s Collapse, which is a personal account of the destruction of Gaza. There’ll also be standout films from Cannes, including Palme d’Or winner, Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord, which earned a 12-minute standing ovation.  There's also a strand of films for families, a series of restored documentary and essay films, and a Classic Cinema screenings where you can watch some of the most respected flicks from French movie history. Films are screened during the festival, then are available to watch at various locations across the UK right into December. Browse the full programme here for details. 

Curling has been growing in popularity in recent years, nudged on by its compelling showings at various Winter Olympics, and now London has not one but two pop-up outdoor arenas where you can have a go. Club Curling is setting up shop in both London Bridge's Vinegar Yard and in Chelsea this year. Go along with mates to test your skills on synthetic curling lanes, on which you can curl your heart out for 45 minutes before rewarding yourself with a tasty cocktail at the retro Italian après bar the Club Curling Lounge. 

What is it? Originally built in the 1850s as a depot for processing coal arriving by train from the north, tthis area of King’s Cross has been home to light industry storage facilities and even iconic rave venues like Bagley’s. But after a £100 million redevelopment project, it now boasts 100,000 square feet of swanky retail and dining space, featuring a striking roof extension designed by Thomas Heatherwick.  Why go? It’s impossible for a shopping district that’s born out of gritty industrial wasteland to be anything other than trendy. Worlds away from Westfield (much as we love the multiplex), the list of stores, bars and restaurants in Coal Drops Yard is pretty alternative. You’ll know plenty of the shops – Aesop, Cos, Paul Smith, Earl of East – but it’s also a great place to find new brands to obsess over, such as Parisian womenswear label ba&sh, kids-friendly lifestyle shop Cissy Wears and premium raw denim outfitters Blackhorse Lane Atelier. Don’t miss Few shopping centres can compete with Coal Drops Yard when it comes to their food offering. Among the 40-odd eateries, you’ll find outposts of trusty tapas restaurant Barrafina, Middle Eastern fave Bubala, cult Sri Lankan spot Hoppers, trend-setting Taiwanese restaurant BAO and virally popular Bombay cafe Dishoom. When to visit From Thursday to Sunday, the adjacent Lower Stable Street hosts a lively, B Corp-certified market featuring a curated roster of local designer-makers and emerging brands, making for even more fun b

What is it? Built in 1819 by Lord Cavendish, to provide ‘industrious females’ with employment, and to stop people throwing oyster shells into the garden of Burlington House, Burlington Arcade is the grandest in London. These days it features more than 40 luxury and independent ‘boutiques’ spanning fashion, jewellery, perfumes and edible treats.  Why go? With its ‘whale mouth’ entrance and soft globe lights, Burlington offers a far more genteel shopping experience than the flurry of Piccadilly just a few metres away. Decorum is guarded by the ever-present Beadles who to this day prevent shoppers from whistling, running, and ‘making merry loudly’; you’ve been warned.  Luxury goods abound in the form of silk ties from E. Marinella, custom gloves from Sermoneta Gloves and handmade hats from Borsalino. Or if it’s blingy watches you’re after, you can take your pick from David Duggan, Maunder Watches, Somlo London, Bell & Ross, Diamond Watches and the Vintage Watch Company.   Don't miss In keeping with the Regency glamour of the place, Burlington Arcade still houses a proper shoe-shine boy, who will work his working with waxes and creams for £9 a pop. Suits you guv’nor! When to visit The opening times for individual boutiques vary, but the Arcade itself is open Mon-Fri, 8am-7pm, Sat 9am-7pm and Sun 11am-6pm.  Time Out tip   Vintage Patek Phillipes a bit beyond your tax bracket? Opt for some slightly more affordable luxury and treat yourself to some rainbow-hued macarons and dainty

Electronic music will be returning to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Royal Naval College for a third summer running in 2027, as Labyrinth On The Thames – masterminded by promoter Labryinth – see different artists from around the world take over the historic digs over several dates across the summer.  Around 76,000 ravers attended the 2026 edition across eight sold-out dates, with the series shortlisted for best Independent Festival of the Year at the UK Festival Awards, and we’d imagine it will only get bigger and better for 2027.  Especially given that the first headliner announced for next year’s festival is Belfast-born, London-based electronic music heavyweights BICEP, who will take to the open-air stage on Saturday 31 July 2027 for BICEP LIVE. The duo’s only headline show in the capital next year, it’ll also be the first time London audiences will be able to hear songs from their hugely anticipated third album, SLUG, played live.  Fans can sign up for the presale here for access to tickets from 10am on Thursday October 29, with the general release taking place the following morning. Further headliners for 2027 will be announced in the coming weeks. 

With its 32nd edition due to take place in 2027, the Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Festival has long since established itself as a key date in London’s cultural calendar. Each year, the institution invites one celebrated artist to curate the festival, with such luminaries as David Bowie, Grace Jones, David Byrne, Chaka Khan, Patti Smith and Harry Styles having previously taken on the exciting task. And next year? London-based Grammy and MOBO Award-winning electronic musician FKA twigs has the honour of curating, and will also headline the festival with a ‘landmark’ one-off performance. Details of her line-up won’t be revealed until next year, but you can expect some unique gigs that we imagine will feature emerging and established talents from London’s underground scene in the mix, alongside dance music heavyweights and one or two unexpected names working in different genres. We can’t wait to see who makes the bill. 

Every winter the Southbank Centre turns the banks of the Thames into a frosty wonderland, full of little wooden Alpine-style cabins selling gifts, warming drinks, and snacks. You’ll find huts serving up truffle burgers, duck wraps, mulled wine, Dutch pancakes, churros and many more tasty morsels to nibble on while you look through gifts, jewellery and decorations made by independent craft traders. Or, once you’re done browsing, snuggle up at pop-up king Jimmy Garcia’s riverside venue Fire And Fromage, where you can snaffle all you can eat raclette, sip on seriously decadent hot chocolates, and even toast your own marshmallows round a cosy fire pit.  When is Southbank Christmas Market open? The market opens on November 2, and will stay open until January 3 in the New Year. Do you need to buy a ticket? No, it's free to enter and have a wander. 

Planning a mammoth Christmas shopping trip soon? Barnet’s winter ice-skating pop-up is back, popping up in the John Lewis car park adjacent to Brent Cross Shopping Centre for the winter season. Adorned with festive garlands, wreaths and fairy lights, the 6,781 square foot space can accommodate 150 skaters at a time, and is covered so it can be enjoyed during even the most extreme winter weather. It’s the perfect place to reward yourself after a hectic afternoon lugging shopping bags around. Opening times: Mon-Fri 3pm-9pm; Sat-Sun 10am-9pm.  Price: £15; children £13; family of four for £50.

Well that flew by! It seems like only yesterday that Julie Hesmondhalgh was fangirling over Myha'la in a Scottish church, and Ross Kemp was accusing Bella Ramsey of murdering him in plain sight before the first challenge was even complete. But somehow we’re already at the endgame.  After plenty of backstabbing, treachery and some truly maverick tactics from a certain Richard E Grant, the Celebrity Traitors is coming to an end. Will Maya Jama continue to completely evade any scrutiny? Will James Acaster become the first Traitor in history to win begrudgingly? Or will James Blunt stop being confidently wrong and accuse an actual traitor for once? We’ll get all the answers tomorrow night.  When is the Celebrity Traitors finale? The Celebrity Traitors Series 2 finale airs on Friday, October 30, 2026 from 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The climactic final episode will be movie-length, at 80 minutes long. And if you want even more action, Claudia Winkleman and the finalists will be joining Ed Gamble and a studio audience for a very special edition of Uncloaked straight after.  And if you fancy watching the finale somewhere with a wee bit more atmosphere than your living room, there are a bunch of live screening parties happening across London, many of which are free to attend. Don your best cloak, grab yourself a goblet of wine and settle in to catch all the drama at one of these London venues screening the final episode. The best Traitors finale screening parties in London Big

Dalston’s Kingsland Road is arguably the best destinations in the capital for masterful mixology, thanks to a string of great cocktail bars that includes Brilliant Corners, Ellie’s and Bar Lotus, alongside the OG branch of Three Sheets, which has been lauded by numerous drinks industry awards, including peaking at number 16 in the World’s 50 Best Bars list, and celebrated its tenth anniversary last month. And this little corner of east London is about to get even better for fancy drink-lovers, because the award-winning sibling duo behind Three Sheets – which also boasts a second location in Soho – are opening a martini, wine and oyster bar just a stone’s throw away from their original spot.  Launching on November 13, Berryman’s will be open from 5pm Thursday to Sunday, with 20 covers and a walk-in only policy. On the menu, you’ll find an ever-changing wine list, and a rotating selection of martinis, such as a house vesper, a white cosmopolitan with gooseberry, and other seasonal signatures.  The bar takes its name from Max and Noel Vennings’ mother’s maiden name, with a seafood-heavy food menu paying homage to her Cornish roots. Designed by Head Chef Ethan Pack, formerly of Claridge’s, the food offering is built around Cornish oysters, with a selection of garnishes including strawberry mignonette, gherkin granita, kashmiri and clementine ponzu, or house hot sauce made with green habaneros and lime. Pack’s menu will also feature plenty of Mediterranean influences, with Bikini

From West End Live, Pride and Carnival to Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, Soho Village Fête and King’s Cross Summer Sounds, Londoners are already absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to wallet-friendly fun over the warmer months.  But next summer there’ll be even more free fun in the capital, as a major new multidisciplinary arts festival launches in South Kensington in partnership with South Asian cultural foundation Serendipity Arts.  SW7’s long-standing Great Exhibition Road Festival will be teaming up with Serendipity – a not-for-profit that’s already responsible for South Asia’s largest arts festival, in Goa – to stage the nine-day festival, which will spotlight talent from India and its diaspora, including established and emerging creatives from London’s South Asian communities.  Photograph: Serendipity ArtsSamvatsar Katha performing at Serendipity Arts Goa in 2026 An all-female curatorial team will be curating events across South Kensington’s impressive number of world-leading cultural institution, including the V&A, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Royal Albert Hall, educational institutions like Imperial College London, the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Art, plus the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, founded by Prince Albert as a means for organising investment in these institutions.  The inaugural festival is scheduled to take place June 19-27 2027, with further

Halloween is fast approaching, but some of us don’t need leering pumpkins, dangling skeletons or teenagers coated in blood to feel pure existential terror. We just have to spend a minute or two thinking about our financial situation, present and future. Still, petrifying though London’s impact on our collective bank balances might well be, this city has also been uncannily generous in serving up free things to do this weekend.  Banish the gloom at a free Diwali party. Say ‘up yours!’ to consumerism at a celebration of punk culture. Or sip a free matcha at an Oatly pop-up. Whatever you pick, you won't have to shell out for tickets, so you can leave your bankcard dozing peacefully in its leathery bed. The weekend is waiting for you: here’s our pick of budget-friendly ways to banish the gloom. The 6 best free things to do in London this weekend  1. Go to a cockney knees-up at the Imperial War Museum’s weekend fest This weekend, Imperial War Museum is throwing an inspiring line-up of events celebrating the power of storytelling, to tie in with its current exhibition, Childhood in War. There are free family-friendly illustration and storytelling workshops, hands-on object handling sessions, and a Sunday singing session that’ll transport you straight back to the jollier bits of WWII, courtesy of musician Tom Carradine. He’ll lead two music hall style singalongs, complete with puppets, at 10.15am and 12 noon. Grab a wristband on arrival to be sure you get a spot, then bellow with th

It’s chucking it down in London this week, the clocks go back on Sunday, and the glorious sunshine, warm tinnies and mild sunburn of festival season feel very far away. Still, there’s plenty to look forward to during the long winter ahead, with line-up announcements coming thick and fast during these drizzly October days. Already we’ve heard the exciting news that FKA twigs will be curating Meltdown and Bon Jovi will be returning to BST Hyde Park in 2027. And now, Peckham’s big dancey weekender has announced the first names on next year’s line-up too.  GALA Festival will return to Peckham Rye Park over the late May bank holiday weekend from Friday May 28 to Sunday May 30 2027, with a three-day line-up of electronic music heavyweights including both local favourites and big names from further afield.  The biggest name on the bill this year is prolific producer Four Tet, who makes his long-overdue GALA debut to headline Friday’s bass-heavy line-up, which also features Shy FX, Skin On Skin, Blawan, Oppidan, Introspekt and Benji B & Judah. The opening day will also feature stage takeovers from legendary local radio station Rinse FM, Benji B’s label Deviation, dubstep night HVYWGHT and all-female collective BORN N BRED.  Photograph: Jake Davis / Khroma CollectiveGala Festival 2026 The Saturday of the festival turns up the club energy with a house- and techno-led lineup featuring HAAi, Egyptian Lover, Angel D’lite, Peach, Freakenstein and Ogazon & Ryan Elliott. London’s iconic q

As one of the curtain raisers for the city’s packed summer schedule of live music, the Southbank Centre’s two-week long festival Meltdown has long been an important date in London’s cultural calendar. Each year, the arts institution invites a musical icon to curate the festival, giving them free reign to pick some of their favourite musical talents, nightlife collectives and local creatives to star across a programme of gigs, participatory events and after-hours parties across the sprawling venue’s various stages. With luminaries including David Bowie, Grace Jones, Nick Cave, Little Simz and Harry Styles having previously stepped into the role, news of who will oversee each year’s Meltdown is always hotly anticipated. And we’re thoroughly excited to announce that the London-based Grammy and MOBO Award-winning electronic musician FKA twigs is curating the next edition, which will take place from Thursday June 10 to Sunday June 20 2027, and will also headline the festival with a ‘landmark’ one-off performance. ‘From Croydon College, to performing in underground cabaret clubs, dancing til sunrise in warehouses on the docks, and last year being lucky enough to sing in one of the largest arenas in London, the cultural and artistic clash in this city is like no other,’ FKA twigs said, of London’s arts scene. ‘I intend to bring you a slice of all that has raised me and continues to inspire me: celebrating the diversity, freedom and creative energy that I believe makes London one of

London summer may be drawing to a close, but if you’re already dreading the day when you have to retrieve your chunky knits from that old suitcase under your bed, then allow us to give you something – or, in fact, 10 things – to look forward to as the nights get darker.  London’s parks are looking a little lifeless after a season of back-to-back heatwaves and non-stop festivals, but the capital’s art scene is bursting into life. Autumn is unquestionably the best season of the year for art-lovers, with loads of art fairs in town – including major industry fixtures Frieze and Frieze Masters – and blockbuster exhibitions opening at the city’s biggest galleries. From renaissance portraiture to contemporary fashion photography, major impressionists to minimalist pioneers, there are so many great shows on the horizon that it’ll require some deft planning to pack them all in. So grab your diary and read on for our pick of the best exhibitions coming to London this autumn.  RECOMMENDED: The London non-art museum exhibitions we’re looking forward to this autumn. 10 London art exhibitions we’re most excited about in autumn 2026 Image: Jenkin Van ZylStill from ‘Enclosure’ by Jenkin Van Zyl 1. Jenkin Van Zyl: ‘Enclosure’ at Somerset House Named one of Time Out's young London artists to watch a few years back, Jenkin Van Zyl asks pertinent questions about the systems we create for ourselves and the human need for self-preservation. His immersive installations cast visitors in a variet

Autumn doesn’t technically arrive until next week, but if you’re anything like us your calendar is fast filling up with fun things to do. Not only does autumn promise beer-chugging, spooks and big bangs, it’s also arguably the biggest season of the year for London’s cultural quarters, with loads of exciting new theatre shows and blockbuster art exhibitions on the horizon.  And that’s not all; London’s museums are nice and busy over the next few months too, with big exhibitions touching on everything from Korea’s rich tradition of decorative arts to the literary legacy of a beloved 20th-century crime writer, as well as the long-awaited reopening of one of the city’s most significant cultural institutions.  Have your diary to hand, and read on for our pick of the best exhibitions coming to London’s museums this autumn.  8 London museum exhibitions we’re most excited about in autumn 2026 1. ‘The Bayeux Tapestry’ at The British Museum You don’t really need us to explain the significance of the British Museum’s blockbuster autumn exhibition. Back on English soil for the first time since it was actually woven nearly 1,000 years ago, the Bayeux Tapestry is not just a spectacular piece of craftsmanship, but also the primary source for our understanding of surely the most momentous year in the story of our own country. Laid out flat in one continuous 70-metre strip, it’s an astonishing artefact that teeters somewhere between outsider art, medieval illumination, action cartoon, histo

September is a hectic time for London’s art galleries. Not only does it signal the beginning of the busiest period of the year for major exhibition openings, and the impending arrival of some major art fairs, but it’s also when a lot of the big galleries announce their exhibition programmes for the following year.  We’ve heard what’s in store at Tate and the Courtauld, and now the National Portrait Gallery has revealed its programme for the new year. The smaller of Trafalgar Square’s two popular galleries has had a great year in 2026, with an excellent exhibition on Catherine Opie and a hugely popular show marking the centenary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth. An enticing exhibition from Tim Walker is opening next month.  And next year’s programme looks just as exciting, with major shows on a cult post-war figurative painter, an underrated female Impressionist and a major figurehead of British Pop Art on the cards.  National Portrait Gallery 2027 exhibition programme Image: Whitworth, The University of Manchester. Photograph by Michael Pollard.‘Got a Girl’ (1960-61) by Peter Blake © Peter Blake. All rights reserved, DACS 2026. The year kicks off with Peter Blake: Pop Art Life (Feb 11-May 23), a major retrospective for the 94-year-old artist who was a key figure of the British pop art movement. A first major institutional show dedicated to the Royal Academician’s portraits, it will bring together highlights from his eight-decade-long career, including images of musical icons like

Housed in the North Wing of Somerset House, the Courtauld Gallery might be relatively small compared to some of London’s other major art institutions, but gosh does it punch above its weight. Founded in 1932 by art collector Samuel Courtauld, the gallery boasts a genuinely jaw-dropping collection of paintings and drawings dating from the Middle Ages through to the modern day, with a particularly impressive collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. And alongside its stellar permanent collection, the gallery has an excellent reputation when it comes to its programme of temporary exhibitions; recent hits have included Monet and London and Seurat and the Sea, while the coming months promise hotly anticipated exhibitions on Pakistani painter Salman Toor and Bloomsbury group artist Winifred Gill.  And next year’s schedule looks equally exciting, featuring the mother of American Modernist painting, one of the twenty-first century’s best-loved female artists, and a Flemish Baroque master.  Image: Courtesy of The Estate of Paula RegoPaula Rego, ‘Scavengers’ (1994), pastel on canvas. Private Collection © The Estate of Paula Rego. The 2027 season kicks off with Paula Rego: Dog Woman (Feb 5-May 23), exhibition focused on a series of sensual and unsettling pastel works exploring ‘the animal in the human’ created by the late British-Portuguese artist in the mid-nineties. The exhibition constitutes the most comprehensive display of these groundbreaking works since their crea

With commercial galleries closed for the month while collectors and gallerists head off to the Mediterranean on their yachts, and major institutions busy preparing for a hectic schedule of autumn openings, August is famously a pretty quiet month for London’s art scene.  But don’t let the lack of new exhibitions dissuade you from making time in your busy schedule of summer festivals, day trips and Aperol dates to see some art. Late summer is the perfect time to catch up on all those big shows you’ve not had a chance to see yet, not least because several of the year’s biggest and most talked-about exhibitions are entering their final days. Clear your weekend, and head to one of these in the nick of time.  RECOMMENDED: The top 10 exhibitions in London. Five amazing London art exhibitions closing in August 2026 Zurbarán at The National Gallery From still lifes of plump, waxy lemons to monumental saints, bloodied martyrs and ecstatic Virgins, baroque master Francisco de Zurbarán did it all. He painted vast multi-canvas scenes that once lined the walls of convents and monasteries across Spain, worked for private patrons, the court of Philip IV of Spain and clients across the Spanish Americas, where more than 100 of his paintings ended up. And now, improbably, many of them are at the National Gallery. The artist’s first UK exhibition is a chance to see more than 40 of his monumental, awe-inspiring pieces in the same room, thanks to major loans from the Louvre, the Art Institute of

Wherever you go tonight, you won't be able to miss England vs Argentina. Pretty much the whole of London will be glued to the TV screen from 8pm tonight, as the Three Lions take on the current world champions for a place in the World Cup final. And each triumphant goal celebration or agonising near miss will be accompanied by a surround sound of roars and groans, spilling out of houses and pubs in every corner of London. Still, why settle for secondhand excitement? Even if you’ve left it til today to figure out where to watch tonight’s game, it’s not too late to watch the match somewhere with bags of atmosphere. The keen beans might have booked tables weeks ago, Big Penny Social and Boxpark might have sold out in seconds, but there are still pubs, bars and public screenings taking walk-ins all across town. Show up early to bag a good spot for the most hotly-anticipated game since, well, the last international final – whatever happens, you won't regret coming along for the ride. RECOMMENDED: Where to watch the World Cup in London. The best walk-in venues for England’s World Cup semi-final Central London The Box, Piccadilly A 7,200 sports bar on the corner of Piccadilly Circus, The Box has plenty of room for walk-ins, and serves up some hefty World Cup-themed sharing platters alongside beer buckets and cocktail steins.  23 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 7EF Mercato Metropolitano, Elephant & Castle  Spanning 17,000 square feet and featuring more than 40 food and drink vendors, the OG