Rosie Hewitson

Monday June 30: It’s the final day of the month, and if you’re anything like Time Out’s editorial team, your bank balance has taken some serious beating over the last few sunny weekends. Save your pennies ahead of pay day by heading to BST Open House, a free festival of family-friendly fun kicking off in Hyde Park today. Read on for more details. 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

When you’re really in need of a bit of relaxation – or just fancy treating yourself to a luxurious day of pampering – there’s no better place to head than a gorgeous spa where you can escape from reality in a sauna, hot tub or via a soothing massage. We’ve rounded up the very best spas in London right now and there’s something for all tastes, from gloriously atmospheric stone baths to the spots with the most up-to-date high-tech facials. Unwinding doesn’t have to cost the earth – there are plenty of affordable spas across the city, as well as the capital’s offerings of plush, high-end wellness suites. Whichever you choose, you’re guaranteed to leave feeling like you’re floating on air. RECOMMENDED:The best hotels in LondonThe best Airbnbs in London

It’s set to be a proper scorcher of a weekend. June is here and summer in London has officially started, which means we can start filling up our sweet days off with all those things we love about the season: beer garden hangs, alfresco dining, picnics in the park, open-air theatre and cinema and lido visits. To help us make the most of the fine weather, London’s ever-inventive events organisers have put on a smorgasbord of things to do in the capital.  It’s a good week for alfresco activities this week. Party in the streets to Krankbrother’s mega summer series, where Eris Drew + Octo Octa will be co-headlining an outdoor party on Shoreditch’s Clifton Street, hit up the Kew Midsummer Fete for traditional park games and rides, or embrace the start of the outdoor cinema season at Vision cinema’s park-based screenings. There’s also plenty for film buffs as Raindance and SAFAR film festivals are in town with hundreds of screenings of new and vital cinema, theatre fans can enjoy a new production from whimsical auteur Emma Rice, who is taking on Hitchcock’s seminal film ‘North by Northwest’ for her latest show and a quiet but beautiful Bush Theatre production Miss Myrtle’s Garden set in an overgrown Peckham garden. Start filling your diary and 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.

As soon as June hits, London is packed with parades, parties and protests for Pride Month to mark the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots. The London Pride parade is traditionally the focus of festivities, but there are plenty of other LGBTQ+ events taking place both before and after it. Over a million people take to the streets of London for the celebration each summer. Recommended: The best gay bars in London.London’s best LGBTQ+ club nights. When is London Pride? This year’s London Pride parade will take place on Saturday July 5. The 2025 parade route is yet to be announced, but in previous years it has started at Hyde Park Corner before wending its way down Piccadilly, then south to Haymarket and Trafalgar Square, before culminating at Whitehall Place.  How to get tickets for Pride in London 2025 Unlike other big events like Brighton Pride, Pride in London is free and unticketed. Still, it does get pretty hectic, so if you'd like to watch the action with an unimpeded view from a comfy seat, you can book yourself a spot in the grandstand on Haymarket when tickets go on sale shortly. How to take part in Pride in London 2025 Applications have now closed for groups wishing to march in the official parade, but if you want to be a part of the celebrations you can still apply to volunteer. An event as big as Pride relies on a whole bunch of people giving up their time to make it happen, including around 150 year-round volunteers working on fundraising, retail partnerships,

Normal golf is all about focus, consistency and stamina (and wearing those weird sweater vests). Among the unintiated, it may even be called boring. Crazy golf is an entirely different ball game. With blasting music, flowing beer and cocktails, some bizarre fibre-glass obstacles and (sometimes) prizes up for grabs, it’s a wild ride. You certainly won’t be bored.  London’s craziest courses transport you to Jurassic era jungles, English Riviera fairgrounds, tiki bars and haunted nightclub toilets. Whether you’re in search of a first date spot or need a bit of organised fun for you and your work colleagues, we’ve caddied all the finest spots together for your perusal. Check out the list below and get ready to swing into action. RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in London this weekend

Why not enjoy your dinner with a side of strange? London is home to hundreds of amazing restaurants, but sometimes everyone hankers for a talking point with their tapas. We’ve rounded up a serious bunch of entertaining eateries: oddball decor, kooky culinary concepts and – yes – cats. Our list of unusual restaurants will delight animal lovers, garlic fans, and yodellers and more. You’ll find these joints in venues as varied as a boat, a prison and a church crypt. This is dining with a difference.  RECOMMENDED: The best weird bars in London. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

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 perhaps a wall of 4,000 mouse skeletons? Check, check and check! Being the cultured metropolitans that we are, Time Out’s editors love nothing more than a wholesome afternoon spent gawping at Churchill’s baby rattle or some ancient Egyptian percussion instruments. In my case, the opportunity to live on the doorstep of some of the planet’s most iconic cultural institutions was a big reason why I moved here at the first chance I got, and I’ve racked up countless hours traipsing around display cases and deciphering needlessly verbose wall texts in the eleven years since. From iconic collections, brilliant curation and cutting-edge tech right down to nice loos, adequate signage and a decent place to grab a cuppa; my colleagues and I know exactly what we want from a museum, and we’ve put in a whole lot of time deliberating

The lidos are full, the parks are a patchwork of picnic blankets, and the tinkling sound of cream vans has become an ever-present sound on the city streets; it can only mean one thing: June is in full swing and London summer has arrived. The weather gods have finally decided to shine on us, and the city is set for balmy, 30C temperatures this week, and luckily, London’s ever-inventive events organisers have plenty of ways for you to have a good time while you soak up all the Vitamin D.  It’s a good week for alfresco activities this week. Party in the streets to Krankbrother’s mega summer series, where Eris Drew + Octo Octa will be co-headlining an outdoor party on Shoreditch’s Clifton Street, hit up the Kew Midsummer Fete for traditional park games and rides, or embrace the start of the outdoor cinema season at Vision cinema’s park-based screenings. There’s also plenty for film buffs as Raindance and SAFAR film festivals are in town with hundreds of screenings of new and vital cinema, theatre fans can enjoy a new production from whimsical auteur Emma Rice, who is taking on Hitchcock’s seminal film ‘North by Northwest’ for her latest show and a quiet but beautiful Bush Theatre production Miss Myrtle’s Garden set in an overgrown Peckham garden. Start filling your diary and 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 you

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

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

London summer has officially kicked into gear. And that means that the Wimbledon Tennis Championships – aka the oldest, and arguably the very best, tennis tournament in the world – is back very, very soon.  This year the tournament is happening from Monday June 30, 2025 to Sunday July 13, 2025. Thousands will be descending on SW19 to see the matches go down in real life but live screenings will be peppered all over London for thousands more who missed the ticket ballot or can’t be bothered to queue in the hopes of getting in day of.  With a jug of Pimms in one hand and a punnet of strawberries in the other, you’ll hardly know the difference. Even better – most of watch parties won’t cost you a single penny. So, pack your picnic blanket, fill your flask and pull up a pew at a summery screening near you.  RECOMMENDED: Our full guide to Wimbledon 2025.

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

The RA’s annual showcase of all the artists you need to know about right now is back to brighten up the summer holidays. Now in its 257th year, the world’s oldest open submission exhibition (which means anyone can enter their work to be considered for inclusion) is curated by a different member of the Royal Academy each year. The artist who was tasked with the big job in 2025 is British-Iranian architect Farshid Moussavi. The great thing about the Summer Exhibition is that it’s open to all, and the selectors pick from thousands of entries. That means that your mate’s mum’s weird little whittled sculptures of George Michael might be shown alongside something by Antony Gormley. It’s a good opportunity to spot an art star of the future, but it also still knows how to get the big art names in. And there’s a huge amount to see. From miniature paintings to enormous canvases, architectural models to photography, the exhibition features literally hundreds of works, meaning there’s something for everyone. And hey, most of it is for sale, so you may just be able to nab a bargain. Inside the Royal Academy’s 2025 Summer Exhibition

All Points East returns to Vicky Park for its seventh edition in 2025. Since debuting in 2018, the festival has garnered a reputation for building some of the most exciting line-ups in the UK. Its headliners are often indie or dance-focused big-hitters, while its undercards are packed with cult heroes and rising stars you can say you saw first. As well as the ticketed weekend events, look out for All Points East In the Neighbourhood, the festival’s free midweek programme of community activities including film screenings, live sports, theatre, family fun and more.  When is All Points East 2025? All Points East returns in its usual slot in 2025, taking place in Victoria Park over the weekends of August 15-17 and August 22-24. How much are tickets? Each show is priced differently, as are the different levels of access on offer. Ticket prices for all 2025 shows are yet to be announced, but so far, general admission tickets range from £68.85 to £79.75, with VIP offerings available for between £112.65 and £154.75. If you want to beat the crowds to a prime spot, you can nab a primary entry ticket. There are also payment plans available if you’d prefer not to drop the full ticket price all at once. Really want to go but can’t afford to drop the full ticket price all at once? Payment plans are available. Every year APE also organises a free mid-week programme in collaborating with Tower Hamlets Council for locals called In The Neighbourhood. Details of 2025’s edition haven’t been rele

Some of the biggest stars on the planet will take over Hyde Park this summer as BST returns for its 12th edition. Taking place across weekends in June and July, Hyde Park will host an upmarket festival vibe complete with food, drink and a posh VIP area. Here’s all you need to know about the BST Hyde Park’s 2025 edition.  When is BST Hyde Park 2025? As in previous years, BST Hyde Park takes place over several dates in late June and early July. Acts have been announced for Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June, Friday 4, Saturday 5, Sunday 6 July and Friday 11, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July.  How much are tickets? Tickets typically range in price depending on who’s playing and what kind of access you want. The cheapest general admission tickets cost £79.95 plus booking fee, with VIP tickets costing up to £369.95 plus booking fee. Check the website for the full range of tickets and prices. There are also a number of free community events taking place throughout the weeks as part of the BST Open House series. These include Wimbledon screenings, an outdoor cinema, outdoor theatre shows, DJ sets and gigs from bands like Dub Pistols. See the full schedule on the BST website.  Who’s on the lineup? Three headliners have been announced for BST Hyde Park 2025. First up is Gen Z pop hero Olivia Rodrigo, followed by US country singer-songwriter Zach Bryan, who does two consecutive nights at the festival.  The second weekend opens with a headline show from folk-pop artist Noah Kahan

Now in its fourth year, South Facing might still be a fledgling festival compared to some of the other events on the calendar, but it continues a long and impressive legacy of live music events at the Crystal Palace Bowl, which has previously hosted the likes of Elton John, Bob Marley, Vera Lynn and Pink Floyd. South Facing brings the same level of thrilling eclecticism with its line-ups for summer 2025. When is South Facing 2025? South Facing will return to Crystal Palace Bowl for several summer dates. Festival organisers have announced programming on August 8, 16, 22, 23, and 24. How much are tickets? Ticket prices vary depending on the show and the tier you’re interested in. General admission for events announced thus far starts at £39.50. Discounted tickets are available for kids for select nights of the festival, while early bird tickets are cheaper and tickets for some events can be reserved with a £10 deposit. Who’s on the lineup? The Crystal Palace bash has confirmed a diverse mix of events for its 2025 run. Hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes will take over on August 15, joined by Redman, Big Daddy Kane, Chali 2na and more. Multi-platinum Dutch dance duo Tinlicker play their biggest London show yet on August 16 while Basement Jaxx will also play two headline shows on August 22 and 23. The series also features takeovers from Flackstock, Mogwai & Lankum, Morcheeba, an intimate day festival celebrating the life of TV presenter Caroline Flack while raising money for mental healt

Popping up each summer on the steps where the Regent’s Canal passes Granary Square, Everyman’s Screen on the Canal is one of the city’s best loved outdoor cinemas, thanks to its atmospheric setting, eclectic programming and the fact that it doesn’t cost viewers a penny. And this year’s pop-up will be looking more Instagrammable han ever before, thanks to designer and architect Yinka Ilori, who has created an eye-popping screen design echoing ‘the fantastical landscapes’ explored in Disney movies. Pop down on a sunny afternoon to catch live coverage from Wimbledon every day of the tournament, plus the usual mix of live sports, classic movies, family-friendly flicks and recent hits including Breakfast at Tiffany's, Grease, Parent Trap, Top Gun: Maverick, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Encanto. Best enjoyed with a couple of tinned cocktails and some picky bits from the nearby Waitrose, or classic cinema snacks from Everyman’s on-site bar.  Check out the full film schedule here.

With its 30th edition taking place this summer, the Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Festival has long since established itself as a key date in London’s cultural calendar. Each year, the Southbank invites one celebrated artist to curate the festival, with such luminaries as David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Grace Jones, David Byrne, Nick Cave, Anohni and Chaka Khan have previously taken on the exciting tast. This year it’s the turn of Mercury Prize-winning rapper, Top Boy actor and previous Time Out cover star Little Simz.  She’s promising a boundary-pushing line-up for the eleven-day festival, featuring plenty of local and grassroots organisations, sets from the likes of The Streets and Ghetts, and the one-of-a-kind performances that have characterised Meltdown over the years culminating in a headline gig with the curator herself. The Southbank Centre has also announced a series of Meltdown Lates – club nights that will take place in the the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer. It will see DJ sets from the likes od Little Simz, Sippin’ T, Talylah Elaine, DONCH, Jordss, NARX and PÉJÚ. Plus, there are a series of free talks and workshops taking place, with fashion designer Tolu Coker, actors Letitia Wright and Tosin Cole and artist Yinka Ilori all on the line-up to speak.  Line-up includes: Little Simz and Chineke! Orchestra, James Blake, BADBADNOTGOOD, Mahalia, The Streets, Ghetts, Sasha Keable, Lola Young, Nubya Garcia.  Find more great London festivals here.

After a successful debut in 2024, not-for-profit festival Earthfest returns this spring with four days of sustainability-focused talks, workshops and live performances taking place in venues around King’s Cross and Granary Square. Activities kick off with a Music Summit on the Thursday, where artists, record labels and activist groups like Julie’s Bicycle and Music Declares Emergency will be discussing the pressing issue of sustainability in the music industry, with a host of eco-focused live acts performing, before Friday’s Industry Day offers those working in sustainability the opportunity to connect over the challenges and opportunities in their industries. The four-dayer will be rounded out by a weekend filled with eco-friendly fun, including live music, street food, wellness sessions, a Fashion Quarter hosting swap shops, repair cafés, and upcycling workshops, an eco Expo where visitors can familiarise themselves with up-and-coming new eco-friendly brands, and key-note speeches from the likes of celebrated zoologist Jane Goodall and BBC Springwatch presenter Megan McGubbin. 

Get to know the surprising queer histories behind some of the art and artefacts in the British Museum’s vast collection on this free tour of the iconic institution. Led by a knowledgeable volunteer, the 70-minute tour takes in a huge variety of objects ranging from the ancient world to the present day, illuminating the fascinating stories behind some of the musum’s most famous artefacts and lesser-known gems, including the Townley Diskobolos, the Gilgamesh Tablet and the Warren Cup. Can’t make it to one of these dates? There’s also a self-guided version of the tour with free audio commentary you can access through your preferred streaming platform. 

What is it?  The Grade II-listed former Topshop flagship at 214 Oxford Street has been transformed into everyone’s favourite DIY mecca. After years of anticipation, Ikea Oxford Street finally opened its doors in the spring of 2025. Of course, given its size and iconic location, this isn’t any old Ikea store. It flaunts six colourful floors and 5,800-square-metres of home interior bliss, complete with the Swedish deli selling those famous, delightfully dirt-cheap meatballs. Shoppers can get inspired by the tastes and creativity of everyday Londoners, with roomsets co-created with real life people based on their own London homes and the three ‘Curated Shops’ on the ground floor displaying shopping edits by local residents. You want more? There’s a live studio set up to host events and interactive experiences and a re-shop and re-use section where customers can pick up second-life, second-hand and discontinued IKEA products. What does it sell? There’s a selection of around 3,500 IKEA home furnishings and small furniture pieces (duvet covers, plants, cutlery sets, desk lamps etc) that you can buy right away. For any larger bits that catch your eye, you’ll be able arrange home delivery.  Opening times  Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 12pm-6pm.  Time Out tip  If you live or work nearby Oxford Street, it could be worth becoming an IKEA Family member. The free membership gets you free tea or filtered coffee and a selected £3 meal everyday from Monday to Friday, as well as other exclusive offe

The UK is experiencing a much-publicised Guinness shortage at the moment – it’s no wonder, now that one in every ten pints poured in the capital is the black stuff – which makes the opening of this swanky new spot in Covent Garden all the more exciting. After years of teasing and two pushed-back opening dates, the Guinness microbrewery in Old Brewer’s Yard is tipped to open later this year following a £73 million building project. Located on a historic site that first produced beer over 300 years ago, the 50,000-square-foot building will feature plenty of event spaces, an open-fire kitchen and restaurant featuring a rooftop with 360-degree views, a merch shop and, most important of all, a micro-brewery pumping out 14 different limited-edition brews. Actual Guinness won’t be brewed on site but it will be readily available for drinking. The exact opening date is yet to be announced, but the city’s Guinness lovers should be able to split the G in its hallowed halls before the year is up. It’s hoped that it’ll launch in the run up to Christmas. 

Founded during the Arab Spring in 2011, biennial festival Shubbak has become one of London’s largest celebrations of contemporary Arab and South West Asian & North African (SWANA) culture. Engaging with the hopes, ambitions and artistic excellence of this part of the world, the 2025 edition of Shubbak (which means ‘window’ in Arabic) features a plethora of performances, exhibitions and community-driven events scheduled over three weeks across a diverse array of venues, including the Southbank Centre, The Place, Battersea Arts Centre, The Garden Cinema and Mimosa House. This year’s festival launches at the Southbank Centre with The People’s Catwalk (May 23), a powerful and inclusive showcase of SWANA fashion modelled by models of all shapes and sizes. This is followed by the largest Palestinian theatre production staged in the UK for 25 years, as Palestine theatre collective Khashabi Ensemble performs striking visual theatre piece MILK (May 24-25).  The plight of Palestine features heavily across the rest of the programme too. Camden’s Theatro Technis plays host to a week-long programme of Palestinian theatre curated by PalArts (May 26-Jun 2), while P21 Gallery hosts an exhibition on The Art of the Palestinian Poster (May 23-Jun 14),  the New Cross Inn hosts the latest edition of fundraising gig series Punks For Palestine (May 26) and the Barbican stages Music For Palestine (June 6) featuring a trio of Palestinian acts.  These are just some of the 40+ events encompassing theat

Footie tournaments and music festivals are two of the best things about summer, so Offside sounds like a genius idea to us. Billed as ‘London’s first football and music festival’, the one-dayer in Burgess Park is promising fans of the beautiful game a unique combination of music, comedy and a star-filled roster of speakers that will leave you more excited than ever for the coming season. Expect live recordings of some of the most popular footie podcasts out there, conversations with Premier League stars and appearances from some legends of the game, merch and giveaways, alongside seven bars, loads of great street food, DJs and live acts. Earlybird tickets are an absolute steal at £15, so nab yours quick! Line-up includes: Jill Scott, Sam Allardyce, Alan Pardew, Duncan Ferguson, Pete Tong presents El Clasico, Norman Jay MBE

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

There’s nothing quite like the FA Cup. The oldest competition in football reaches its conclusion this weekend, as Crystal Palace take on Manchester City at Wembley Stadium. Crystal Palace will attempting to win the competition for the first time in their history, having lost in the final in 1990 and 2016, while seven-time winners Manchester City will be hoping to salvage a disappointing season which has seen the club suffer its earliest exit from the Champions League in twelve years, and miss out on the Premier League title for the first time since 2020. RECOMMENDED: How to watch the FA Cup final on TV this weekend: channels, pundits, kick-off time and more. Who are the favourites to win the FA Cup 2025? The sky blues are still the bookies’ favourite to lift the trophy on Saturday afternoon, with bookies giving them around a 73 percent chance of winning, but with Pep Guardiola’s team having struggled for form all year, there’s every chance the south Londoners could cause an upset.  When is the FA Cup Final 2025 and what time is kick-off? The FA Cup Final takes place on Saturday May 17 at the home of English football, north-west London’s Wembley Stadium. The match kicks off at 4.30pm and should be finished by around 7.30pm at the latest, even if it ends up going to extra time and then penalties. Keen to catch the big match but not got a ticket to Wembley? London’s pubs and bars will be stepping up to the occasion with all the giant screens and pub grub you could hope for. Her

Reckon you’d make a good 007? Always thought you’d ace that bit in Mission Impossible where Tom Cruise abseils into the CIA headquarters? Then you’ll welcome the opportunity to test out your espionage skills at a new immersive experience arriving in London later this month.  Opening on Friday May 30, SPYSCAPE London is described as a ‘pioneering interactive museum and social gaming experience’ where visitors are able to take part in a range of challenges designed with the help of experts from the fields of intelligence and espionage. The Covent Garden location will be the first overseas outpost for SPYSCAPE, which originally launched in New York in 2018, where it has welcomed over one million visitors to date. Designed specifically for London audiences, the 25,000 square foot venue promises to offer ‘a new take on immersive activities, seamlessly blending the history, the art, and science of espionage and psychology in the modern world.’ Created with the help of real life spy trainers from British Intelligence, psychology professors from Imperial College London and specialists from the CIA and Special Ops, the venue offers two experiences featuring a range of high-tech challenges designed to test players’ mental and physical capabilities.  SPYSCAPE is a narrative-led challenge where players get to crack codes, run surveillance and conduct lie detection tests all while learning about real hackers and spies throughout history and exploring rare gadgets. At the end of the 90-mi

How did you celebrate your 25th birthday? If I recall correctly, mine involved half a dozen pints, a couple of shots, a drunk Maccies on the night bus home and a monumental hangover the next day.  But the Tate Modern is a hell of a lot more sophisticated that I was at 25, and its quarter-century celebration this weekend knocks my little pub gathering out the park. Featuring four days of free workshops, talks, participatory performances, live music and late night DJ sets, the massive weekender starts tomorrow, and the gallery has just announced yet more cool stuff happening across the weekend.  Alongside already-announced DJ line-ups curated by some amazing London crews and collectives the gallery has revealed two huge headliners. Friday’s late opening spotlights south London’s vibrant creative communities, and will feature a headline set from The xx member turned solo artist Romy, who will be taking to the decks for a 2-hour DJ set from 10pm-midnight, with earlier sets curated by the likes of Peckham listening bar Jumbi and British Caribbean festival Radiate.  Saturday night’s festivities will see the gallery taken over by yet more cutting-edge artists and collectives, including a rare London set by Afrobeats station Cultur FM in the Tanks, featuring a headline set from BBC Radio 1 DJ Jaguar. Other DJs throughout the evening have been curated by South Asian creative collective Daytimers, female-fronted Peckham station foundation.fm, Afro-Caribbean LGBTQ+party Queer Bruk and a

Opened in 1992 in an old branch of Barclays bank, Camden’s Jazz Cafe has long since established itself as a legendary London music venue. Over the years, the 450-capacity spot has played host to some truly iconic acts from the world of jazz and soul music, including D’Angelo, Bobby Womack, Gil Scott-Heron, Pharoah Sanders and local legend Amy Winehouse. The venue’s inaugural Jazz Cafe Festival was a hit last summer, and will return to Peckham’s Burgess Park this August. We’re therefore expecting big things from the Jazz Cafe’s new project, which was announced this week. Jazz Cafe owner the Columbo Group has been granted planning permission to transform a disused theatre into an east London outpost for the Camden institution. Built in 1896, Stratford High Street’s Rex Theatre has gone through multiple iterations over its 130-year history, initially hosting theatre and opera before being converted into a cinema in 1933, a bingo hall in 1969 and later a nightclub. After being repossessed by Newham Council in 2013, the building has been largely vacant since, but will finally reopen as Jazz Cafe East after the council accepted a bid for the venue.  Operating since 2006, the Jazz Cafe group owns several other major London venues alongside the OG Jazz Cafe, including nightclubs XOYO and Phonox, music venue chain The Blues Kitchen and north London pubs The Parakeet and The Old Queen’s Head. The business’s foray into Stratford has been enthusiastically welcomed by the local community