Rosie Hewitson

Second only to Christmas as the funnest holiday of the year (although we’re fans of Bonfire Night too), Halloween has so much more going for it than trick-or-treating. Kids love dressing up, pumpkin carving and spooky outfits are practically mandatory at this time of year. From pumpkin picking to scary movies, there are loads of wicked things to do for them this Halloween, including during the half-term holiday in the run up to All Hallows’ Eve on Tuesday October 31 2023. Happy Halloween! RECOMMENDED: Our complete guide to Halloween in London for everyone.

Halloween falls on Tuesday October 31 2023, and while Tuesday nights don’t always lend themselves to spooky, spine-chilling fun, you can always count on the capital to provide you with the biggest, baddest events for the occasion.  There’s plenty of fright-filled fun to be had throughout October, whether you want to watch horror films on the big screen, join a lantern-lit ghost tour, learn about London’s graveyards, carve pumpkins, or let your synthetic wigs down over themed cocktails. So when you’re after something strange in your neighbourhood, who ya gonna call? Time Out London, that’s who! We might not be so great at ghost-busting, but we’ve got everything else covered this ‘scary szn’ with our whopper list of the very best Halloween events in London for 2023. RECOMMENDED: Your ultimate guide to Halloween in London

Dust off your suitcase, set up your out-of-office, and find those swimming trunks shoved in the back of the wardrobe... There is nothing better than a well-deserved break right on home soil. Yeah, you could fly to some tropical paradise or European city, but the UK has some incredible hidden gems worthy of a staycation. We're all about celebrating the bits that make the UK great: diverse climates, lush environments, gorgeous coastlines, and good ol' pub grub. With a wealth of countryside, forests and secluded sandy beaches, there are endless opportunities to explore the country. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the best Airbnbs in the UK for you to look at. Cuppa anyone?💕 The best romantic weekend getaways in the UK🪵 Amazing cabins and cottages in the UK🧘 The best wellbeing breaks and yoga retreats in the UK Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every Airbnb featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities 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.

There’s been a cosy fogginess hanging in the London air this week, which can only mean one thing: the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness has landed. September is in full swing and, as ever, it brings a whole new slew of cultural treats to the capital. Whether you’re into art, theatre, cinema, exhibitions or eating out, Autumn is always ripe with new openings.  Coming to the stage this week is Tyrell Williams’s massively acclaimed debut play ‘Red Pitch’ about Black British teenage male friendship on the vanishing community football courts of London. Or, for a different vibe entirely, grab tickets to Christopher Luscombe’s revival of Noël Coward’s pristine comedy ‘Private Lives’, which is a trad affair stuffed full of dinner jackets, ball gowns and childlike quarrels.  Art lovers should get a load of Jack Warne’s fuzzy, hazy paintings which are all visualisations of his childhood memories influenced by the fact he has temporary blindness as the result of a rare genetic condition. Or, make a beeline for Swiss-American artist Christian Marclay’s new art film ‘Doors’ which is a brilliantly terrifying splicing together of cinema history.  On top of that, you can fill your belly with F Cook pie and mash on Broadway market again as the legendary shop pops up in its old home for one day only this week. Fill your eyes with bombastic flower arrangements at the Gothic chalk white castle Strawberry Hill House’s annual flower festival. Or, hit up music and philosophy festival HowTheLi

Have you noticed a fogginess hanging in the London air this week? It can only mean one thing: the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness has landed. September is in full swing and, as ever, it brings a whole new slew of cultural treats to the capital. Whether you’re into art, theatre, cinema, exhibitions or eating out, Autumn is always ripe with new openings.  Coming to the stage this week is Tyrell Williams’s massively acclaimed debut play ‘Red Pitch’ about Black British teenage male friendship on the vanishing community football courts of London. Or, for a different vibe entirely, grab tickets to Christopher Luscombe’s revival of Noël Coward’s pristine comedy ‘Private Lives’, which is a trad affair stuffed full of dinner jackets, ball gowns and childlike quarrels.  Art lovers should get a load of Jack Warne’s fuzzy, hazy paintings which are all visualisations of his childhood memories influenced by the fact he has temporary blindness as the result of a rare genetic condition. Or, make a beeline for Swiss-American artist Christian Marclay’s new art film ‘Doors’ which is a brilliantly terrifying splicing together of cinema history.  On top of that, you can fill your belly with F Cook pie and mash on Broadway market again as the legendary shop pops up in its old home for one day only this week. Fill your eyes with bombastic flower arrangements at the Gothic chalk white castle Strawberry Hill House’s annual flower festival. Or, hit up music and philosophy festival HowTheLightG

Charge the steins! You don’t have to travel all the way to Germany for a lederhosen-clad knees-up this Oktoberfest – and you don't even have to wait until October. Munich’s world-famous beer festival is very much on in London and starting this September; with big steins of beer, platters of excessively long wurst and loud oompah bands blowing brass like they don’t give a schnitzel.  Whether you’re after a traditional beerhall or raucous table dancing, authentic Bavarian beers or east London craft IPAs, you can find the perfect Oktoberfest for you right here in London. Give yourself a warm willkommen at one of these London Oktoberfest events.  RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in London this autumn.  

September 2023: September has arrived already, and with it the darker nights and the start of a new school year. But its not all bad news! The arrival of autumn also means that London’s cultural scene is back from its summer holiday, with absolutely loads of cracking new theatre, major art and museum exhibitions opening this month, not to mention a plethora of culture-forward festivals like Open House London, the London Design Festival and Totally Thames. And while August was definitely a bit of a washout, we’re due a late summer heatwave over the first half of September, meaning there should be plenty of time to cram in a few more park hangs, beer garden sessions, lido visits and alfresco theatre trips before the cold weather arrives. So get out there and make the most of it! No matter what your vibe, tastes or interests, there is always something to do in London. When the sun’s out, London’s parks turn into leafy social clubs, restaurants dust off their outdoor seating and fountains erupt from dusty concrete squares and suddenly the city air is filled with alfresco theatre.  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 somew

I moved to this city in the deep, dark depths of the pandemic. My first flat was, obviously, awful. The landlord was dodgy (shock). It was full of mold. The shower was next to the kitchen and had no door. Still, though, I look back on those days fondly. One rare sunny afternoon we climbed out of my flatmate’s window to sit on the roof, drinking homemade Bloody Marys and blasting the Bad Boy Chiller Crew from a box speaker into the sticky, polluted air of Kingsland Road. We got quite a few glares from passers-by, but also a fair amount of smiles.  Whether you’re moving here for study, work, family, or another reason, your first months in London will be challenging, but you’ll probably look back on them with such fogged-up rose-tinted glasses it will hardly matter anyway. Use this time to meet as many new people as you can and to make mistakes. Be broke, go to M&M world (don’t actually), get lost on the tube. That said, there are some things I wish I’d known before coming here. Hindsight is a blessing, as they say. But we’re not gatekeepers, so we asked Time Out staff to share their top tricks and tips for anyone moving to the capital. Some of these folks have been born and bred here. Others are adopted Londoners, like you might well be one day. Listen up, take note, and good luck. 

Notting Hill Carnival, one of the best weekends of the year, is almost upon us. It's incredibly fun, but the sounds, smells, sights and crowds of Carnival can make it a little overwhelming. And with an estimated 2.5 million punters geared to head to west London over the weekend, it’s totally understandable that you might get turned around, lost or just be in need of a reminder of where you are after several cans of Red Stripe. Never fear! We’ve created the interactive map below, soundsystems and all, to help you navigate your way around the famous west London parade. Check it out.  What is the schedule for Notting Hill Carnival 2023? Notting Hill Carnival 2023 starts on Sunday August 27 and continues on Bank Holiday Monday August 28.  What is the Notting Hill Carnival 2023 parade route?  Sunday is the day of the children’s parade and the adult’s parade takes place on Monday. Both begin near Westbourne Park tube station. The adult parade moves down to Westbourne Park Road, down Cheapstow Road to Westbourne Grove, turning up Ladbroke. It then loops down Kensal back to the starting point. The whole thing is three miles long in total. All the participating soundsystems should have been announced by now. Find out where to find them over the weekend with our guide.  RECOMMENDED: Read our full Notting Hill Carnival guide. 

England has made it to the World Cup Final for the first time since 1966 and victory for the Lionesses is so close, we can almost taste it. The Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023, hosted by Australia and New Zealand, has been well underway since July 20, and the final on Sunday August 20 is just days away. We can't believe we're saying this, but after England thrashed the Aussies in the semi-finals, it could actually be coming home.  It's been an emotional tournament, filled with unbelievable goals, devastating near-misses and the occasional stamp. England will take on Spain for the grand title this Sunday, with the match kicking off at 11am.  There are all sorts of options for catching the final, including football pubs, local boozers and bars, sports bars offering World Cup themed pizzas and massive football parties at major alfresco venues. Here’s the score on the best places to catch kick-off. RECOMMENDED: How to watch the 2023 Women’s World Cup in the UK. Your ultimate guide to sport and fitness in London.

So the British summer is finally getting going, and you're itching to catch some rays. There's a lot to be said for London's outdoor swimming spots, but why not get a bit more ambitious? The British seaside lets you pair your paddling with stunning views, tons of charm, and the promise of a hefty fish and chips as the sun sets. You've probably already taken a jaunt down to Brighton, but your feet deserve better than ouchy pebbles and overly cocky seagulls. Luckily, London is within easy reach of plenty of gorgeous seaside towns and scenic coastal walks – not to mention some of the best beaches in the UK.  From the vast unbroken expanse of Camber Sands to the eerie other-worldly beauty of Dungeness, we’ve rounded up the 15 best beaches within two hours of the capital. Whether you’re after secluded spots or photogenic hotspots, we’ve got you covered.  RECOMMENDED: The best day trips from London

Britons, the wait is over. After a dark, chilly winter and a summer that hasn’t really been much less dark or chilly, some properly warm weather is finally here. The UK’s late summer heat is finally in full swing and promises to make up for the past few months. And there’s loads of stuff to keep you busy, from music festivals to flower displays. But summer also means the return of another truly marvellous thing: waterparks. Of course, many waterparks are indoors and so have plenty of appeal all year round. But there’s something special about them in the warmest months. As soon as UK weather turns even remotely balmy, that’s a good enough excuse to stick on some swimwear, bust out the rubber ring and blow up yer armbands. And while there are few thrills quite so pure as hectic splash pools, ginormous wave machines, and mega-slippy slides, waterparks are also simply very pleasant places to chill out and have some fun. So without further ado, here are the 12 best waterparks in the UK. Don’t forget your towel (or swimsuit, for that matter). RECOMMENDED:🏊 The best outdoor swimming pools in the UK🚗 The best road trips in the UK🪂 The best extreme outdoor activity breaks in the UK🚴 The most beautiful bike trails in the UK🏖️ The most stunning hidden beaches in the UK🏊 The best waterparks in London

Thames-side outdoor venue Between the Bridges is getting in on das Aktion this Oktoberfest with two weekends of boozy fun. Mass karaoke phenomenon Massaoke, tweed-clad ten-piece brass crew the Old Dirty Brasstards and resident DJs Guilty Pleasures will be providing the soundtrack as you line your stomach with Teutonic street food and neck frothing two-pint steins, the first of which is included in the ticket price. You’ll be belting out more Klassiker than Bayern vs. Dortmund after a couple of those. 

A Battersea barber shop run by Sheldon Edwards, a third-generation British-Jamaican barber who has been cutting hair since he was sixteen years old. Sheldon has gained a significant following on social media for being the barber of choice for dozens of celebrities and athletes; regular clients include Usain Bolt, Paul Pogba, Popcaan, Riyad Mahrez and Karim Benzema, and his slick Lavender Hill shop is decorated with signed memorobilia from friends including Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho and Antonio Rüdiger.  READ MORE: HD Cutz: the England team’s hairdresser

Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Eden Hazard and Jack Grealish are just a few of the footballing stars who call on the services of Ahmed Alsanawi, the owner of this Instagram-famous barber shop in Chessington whose regular clients also include rappers Dave and Headie One and TV presenter Chunkz. 

A tiny, quirky Hornsey record store run by a former actor and stocking an eclectic range of vinyl encompassing everything from German krout rock to obscure French folk jazz. Fanatical crate-digger and radio DJ Gilles Peterson has named it as one of his favourite record stores in London. 

A friendly Hoxton record shop specialising in jazz, funk, soul, disco and house. Radio 6 Music DJ Gilles Peterson is a fan, saying that ‘it reminds me of the classic shops that came through in the 80s after acid house. These guys are lovely, they’re up for a laugh always and they’ve always got good dance music.’

Colourscape’s labyrinth of polychromatic tunnels is returning to Clapham Common once more this September. Never been? Just wander around its big inflatable labyrinth to see what musicians you can find inside. You might happen upon a flautist, a classical guitarist or maybe some bloke playing an actual conch. Who knows!? Those kaleidoscopic innards are designed to surprise. One of the few upsides of the post-covid era is that you have to pre-book, doing away with the long Colourscape queues of yore. Check their website for more info on opening times and ticket releases. 

Trailblazing women’s footie fan collective Baller FC have plenty of experience when it comes to hosting fun-filled screenings, having following up a hugely popular pop-up at Hoxton boozer the Stag’s Head for last summer’s Euros with a residency at Islington sports bar Valderrama’s for the whole of the 22/23 WSL season. Now they’ve teamed up with craft beer afficionados Signature Brew for another raucous and inclusive festival of women’s football, this time hosted at the brewery’s Haggerston taproom.  Alongside screening a good chunk of the tournament (including all the England fixtures and every game in the knockout stages) they’re hosting a packed schedule of weekly events taking place throughout the day both inside the taproom and on the sunny deck next next to Regent’s Canal. Head down during the month-long tournament to take part in foosball competitions, karaoke, art experiences and barber shop pop-ups, or to try your hand at the Baller crew’s genius games ‘guess the WC player pony tail’ and ‘get the ball in the bin’. You won’t find a more passionate or welcoming group of women’s footie fans anywhere in the city.   

The first weekend of the summer series of this classy boozathon takes place in Bloomsbury’s Bedford Square Gardens, where 20 of the city's best bars will be on hand to serve up the makings of a great weekend. Enjoy a complimentary welcome drink on arrival, then start exploring creative concoctions from a star-studded roster of top mixologists.Cafe Pacifico, Courvoisier, Florattica, Hacha, Alma By Sucre and Bourne & Hollingsworth are just a handful of the celebrated London bars on the line-up, while guests will also be able to check out live music, street food, ice carvings, and masterclasses within the picturesque private gardens. 

Filled with choreographed fountains (1,080 water spouts, operating 8am-8pm daily, and lit in many colours at night), the square’s terracing down to the canal is populated most sunny days. No wonder: there’s a ready supply of students from Central Saint Martins, which in 2011 moved into the building behind- a sensitively and impressively converted, Grade II-listed 1850s industrial building. The square is also home to Queer Britain, UK’s first museum dedicated solely to LGBTQ+ culture and history.  Discover more great things to do in King's Cross

This globetrotting queer party has popped up at some of the world’s most famous clubs since it first launched at the Ministry of Sound in 2018. Now it’s coming to Koko for an epic Pride in London afters featuring a headline set from Maya Jane Coles alongside appearances from London LGBTQ+ party scene regulars Derick Carter and Maze & Masters. 

Found just a stone’s throw from Liverpool Street Station, the Bishopsgate Institute is a community learning centre that founded by educational reformer Reverend William Rogers, Rector of St Botolph's Church in the City of London in the late nineteenth century. Its Grade-II listed building was ‘erected for the benefit of the public’ in 1894, with the motto ‘I never stop learning’, and has been housing local archives and hosting talks, discussions and educational courses for adults in the area ever since.  Under the leadership of Special Collections and Archives Manager Stef Dickers, in recent years it has become best known for its sizeable archives documenting LGBTQ+ London and the city’s histories of protest and activism, having become home to the Lesbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive in 2011. This collection alone holds 350,000 press cuttings, while the photographic archives house 500,000 images, and the London collection features more than 150,000 books, pamphlets, maps and photographs of the city. Educational events at the Institute encompass everything from exercise and dance classes to creative writing courses, history talks and archive tours. 

Founded by trUst label head Saoirse and Little Gay Brother founder Clayton Wright back in 2021, queer electronic music festival Body Movements won Best New Event in Time Out’s Best of the City awards for its inaugural festival and has since established itself as a major fixture on London’s queer party scene. It returns to Hackney Wick for a fourth edition this July, with a line-up of over 30 different queer nightlife collectives taking to the stage at Colour Factory, The Yard, Crate Brewery and other warehouse venues around Queen’s Yard. Avalon Emerson, HAAi, Harry Gay, Jay Jay Revlon, Jaye Ward, Lewis G. Burton, Michelle Manetti, Nite Dykez, Octo Octa, Sad Queers Club, Saoirse, Sippin Tea, and Thempress are a handful of names on the stellar line-up for this summer’s edition. Remaining tickets are on sale here - get ’em quick!

London’s LGBTQ+ scene has faced its fair share of challenges – among them: gentrification, a pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. But somehow, the city’s vibrant and defiant queer community always bounces back. In addition to some awesome LGBTQ+ clubs and bars, London has a pretty dazzling array of LGBTQ+ club nights. Here are 15 of the very best, from radical queer raves to ridiculously fun pop parties. 1. Feel It Held every Friday at London Bridge venue Omeara, this self-styled ‘queer super-party’ lives up to its billing. The genuinely diverse crowd includes plenty who like to dress up, and plenty who like to undress as the night progresses, especially in the sweaty main room. Banging house is the soundtrack there, while two other rooms are dedicated to chilled disco and pop. Brilliantly produced by London club legend Jodie Harsh and the Little Gay Brother crew, Feel It brings Berlin-style thrills and spills to south London. @feelitparty Photograph: Henri TButch, Please! 2. Butch, Please! Launched by Tabs Benjamin in 2016, this monthly club night at south London’s Royal Vauxhall Tavern celebrates the butch identity and its place in queer culture. Each party has a different theme – from ‘kinky butch’ to ‘muscle butch’ – and prides itself on being fully ‘dyke-centric’ from the performers to the door policy. It’s a space for lesbian and bi women, as well as trans and non-binary people, so don’t bring your cis male mates. @butchpleaselondon 3. Horse Meat Disco Ther

If you’ve ever tried nabbing an hour-long slot at London Fields Lido on a hot July afternoon, you’ll already know that it’s somewhat akin to trying to secure tickets to Glastonbury.  The destination of choice for east London’s outdoor swimming fanatics, London Fields’ 50-metre heated pool has become progressively more popular in recent years, welcoming more than 340,000 visitors in 2022. Now Hackney Council has proposed planned improvements to the facilities that will allow even more locals to feel the wind in their hair as they consistently fail to overtake an octogenarian in the slow lane (just me?) via the addition of a new training pool where beginners will be able to learn to swim. Photograph: Hackney Council Designed by architects FaulknerBrowns – who previously worked with Hackney Council on the nearby Britannia Leisure Centre – the proposed plans feature a 13m x 7m indoor training pool in place of the previously decommissioned paddling pool, as well as accessible toilets, a moveable floor and a viewing gallery.  The proposal for the pool extension is currently in a six-week consultation stage in which local residents are invited to have their say on the project, at the end of which a planning application will be submitted. Should this be successful, construction will begin at the end of the year and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2024.  If you’re a Hackney resident and fancy weighing in (or maybe diving in?) on the plans, you can access the online sur

Remember that historic burial site in Euston that had to be excavated to make way for the new HS2 station? Archaeologists found all sorts of cool stuff during the four-year works, and it’s all on display now as part of a new exhibition at St James’s Church in Piccadilly.  Headland Archaeology and the Museum of London Archaeology worked on the project between 2017 and 2021, sensitively exhuming and documenting more than 30,000 bodies from the St James’s Burial Ground in the largest archaeological excavation of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century burials ever undertaken in the UK. The site’s clay-based soil means that the coffins interred there between 1789 and 1853 have been much better preserved than at other sites of a similar age. The project has proved to be unusually rich in discoveries as a result, with organic items including clothing articles and wooden coffins uncovered intact during the dig.   Photograph: Courtesy of HS2 Personal items ranging from clay pipes and pocket watches to hair combs and slippers can now be viewed as part of the ‘Stories of St James’s Burial Ground’ exhibition on display at the Sir Christopher Wren-designed church which conducted the majority of the graveyard’s burials. The exhibition also features these only-slightly-sinister cardboard models (above), scattered around the church’s pews, all of which depict real people who were buried at the site, from dressmaker and amputee Elizabeth Mercer, to businessman Charles Fortnum, a member of the

It might not seem like it given the miserable weather across the UK this week, but spring is officially just days away. The impending change of season is especially good news if you happen to live in London, because a new report has just named the capital as the most picturesque city in the world during springtime.  It’s not all that surprising, really. Sure, London might have a reputation for being a bit grey during the colder months, but its world-famous landmarks, gorgeous works of architecture and leafy green spaces really come into their own when the temperature starts to climb. From World Heritage sites like Kew Gardens and The Tower of London to the plethora of springtime flowers that bloom across the city each year, there are a shit ton of picture-perfect London scenes to post on socials. And plenty of people are doing exactly that according to the study conducted by Travelbag, who compiled data for over 170 destinations across the world based on hashtag usage on Instagram. The tourism website found that users of the photo and video-sharing site used the hashtag #springinlondon for over 100,000 posts, beating out every other major city for hashtag usage. Second on the list was Paris, with Instagram users posting 78,981 times using #springinparis, while Seattle came in at number three on the list thanks to the 24,220 posts made using #springinseattle. Here’s the top ten in full: London - 100,832 Paris - 78,981 Seattle - 24,220 Melbourne - 23,549 Chicago - 23,536 Sydne

Catherine Cohen loves a photoshoot. New York City’s favourite ‘one-woman cabaret chanteuse’ is extremely jet-lagged when she turns up at Time Out’s office less than 24 hours after landing in the city ahead of her first UK tour. Barely ten minutes later, she’s got a conspiratorial glint in her eye and a fake Martini in hand as she reclines on the leather banquettes of our local old-man boozer – shout out The Cross Keys in Covent Garden – looking for all the world like she’s just taken huge pleasure in telling an over-refreshed patron to sling their hook.  This impressively gung-ho approach to self-promotion is pretty much exactly what you’d expect if you’ve watched Cohen’s 2022 Netflix special ‘The Twist?… She’s Gorgeous’, a recording of her monthly show at NYC cabaret venue Joe’s Pub that begins with a jazz-hands-heavy musical number called ‘Look at Me’.  It also comes in quite handy when you’ve got a brand-new show to promote. After we’ve finished alarming the pub regulars, we head back to the Time Out photo studio to chat about it. Photograph: Jess Hand Hey, Catherine, welcome back to London. Let’s start with a quickfire round of London v New York.  ‘Ugh, impossible! Impossible to choose!’ And yet… subway or tube? ‘The tube is better.’ Salt-beef bagel or pie and mash? ‘What’s a salt-beef bagel?’ Is that not a really New York thing?  ‘I guess it would be more like bagel and lox.’  Right. ‘It’s okay, we can help each other. And I don’t know about pie, but I’ve had, like, ba

It’s a crisp, sunny Monday lunchtime in late October and a spontaneous round of applause has erupted from the astroturf pitches above Hoxton’s Britannia Leisure Centre.  For the past hour or so, a low hum of excitable chatter has been punctuated only by the periodic thwack of footballs against walls. Forty-odd amateur players, from a host of local women’s teams, stand around doing keep-ups and taking turns to fire off shots at a goalkeeper on the far end of the pitch. But now Lioness Chloe Kelly is here, giving a meek wave as she steps onto the turf, and everyone is cheering like it’s July 31 all over again.   Five months earlier, the reaction of even the most ardent of women’s football fans to the arrival of the England forward might have been a little more muted. But that was before 23 million Brits tuned in to watch her punt the ball over the line in the 110th minute of extra time at this summer’s Women’s Euros Final, securing the Lionesses’ first ever major trophy in front of a record-breaking Wembley crowd.  That was before her instantly iconic celebration – pausing just long enough to check that the goal would stand before whipping off her shirt and helicoptering it overhead, sports bra on full display – or an equally memorable post-match interview where she ran off with the microphone mid-sentence to join her teammates in an ecstatic rendition of ‘Sweet Caroline’.  In short, that was before the 24-year-old from Ealing became a household name literally overnight.   Comi

Transport for London is fast becoming one of English football’s most sought-after signings. First, north London club Arsenal collabed with TfL on that tasty little Piccadilly line training kit. Then there was the bus route named after Euros-winning west Londoner Chloe Kelly. And now, England and Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling has gone and released a pair of London bus-inspired football boots. The Brent-raised footballer collaborated with his boot sponsor New Balance on the signature ‘Route to Success’ design, which features a pattern based on a fabric moquette found on London buses in the 1990s. The recently revived design is one that Sterling knows well from the countless hours he spent travelling across London with his older sister to attend training at QPR’s academy five times a week during his youth.  Photograph: New Balance ‘Three buses to get to training: 18, 182 and 140. I’ll never forget those numbers,’ the four-time Premier League winner tweeted about his journey. ‘No matter what, my big sister Lakima with me every single day. My latest boot is dedicated to her and all those moments we shared together.’ The 79-cap England star debuted the design in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, and the Furon 7 boots are on sale now for £220. We’d suggest pairing them with some Elizabeth Line socks. Stunning. Everything you need to know about October’s London train and Overground strikes. Tube cleaners and other low-paid workers will get free travel on TfL.

After 70 years on the throne, the sad announcement was made on Thursday September 8 that Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, had died at the age of 96.  The announcement has set off a series of carefully planned official events, marches and memorials. Plans are currently being put in place for her state funeral, which will take place on Monday September 19. She will be the first British monarch to have her funeral at Westminster Abbey since 1760 and her coffin will lie in state for five days beforehand (Wednesday September 14 to Monday September 19) in Westminster Hall where the general public will be able to walk past the coffin to pay their respects.  As well as changes to strike action and transport services, many major events will be postponed and landmarks closed as a mark of respect on Monday September 19. Here’s a list of all the major London events and landmarks that will be closing and cancelled on the day of the Queen’s funeral. Museums and galleries  Alfred Waterhouse’s Romanesque cathedral of nature, the Natural History Museum, will be closed all day on Monday September 19, as will its neighbour the Science Museum. The art world also pays its respects on Monday, The National Gallery, Tate Modern and Tate Britain all closed too.  Tourist attractions Queen Elizabeth II was a patron of London Zoo. As a mark of respect, the London landmark and its Whipsnade sister site announced that both will close on Monday. ZSL said in a statement: ‘Her passion f

Craft brewing monolith BrewDog announced yesterday that it is closing three of its 24 London bars as a result of rising energy costs, with another further three locations closing nationally.  The brewery’s Dalston, Farringdon and Old Street branches are the London locations that will shut down permanently, with BrewDog chief executive James Watt explaining that ‘It was going to be simply impossible to get these bars even close to financial viability in the foreseeable future. We had no choice but to close them.’ ‘Costs are rising to such a degree... that these very difficult decisions have to be made,’ the multinational’s founder said in a scathing LinkedIn post criticising ‘zombie government still intent on this bizarre leadership farce instead of getting to grips with the kind of challenges that will result in more business casualties than the pandemic’. The BrewDog closures come just days after executives from six of the UK’s biggest pub chains and breweries – Greene King, JW Lees, Carlsberg Marston’s, Admiral Taverns, Drake & Morgan and St Austell Brewery – signed an open letter to the government warning of the catastrophic effect that the energy crisis will have on the industry and calling for financial support to help businesses and venues survive after energy bills have risen more than 300 percent in some cases.  Watt confirmed that BrewDog employees affected by the closures have been offered roles at nearby locations, which the company was able to do ‘due to the stre

We’re always wanging on about Yard Sale Pizza at Time Out. And they’re not even bribing us with free slices or anything (although if you’re reading this, Yard Sale, it wouldn’t hurt to send a couple of 18 inch-ers to the Time Out office one lunchtime, just sayin’.) The East London gang just happen to be really flipping good at making pizza pies – good enough that you, the London public, crowned them the winner of our inaugural Clash of the Slices competition a few months back – and keep launching dream #collabs (YSP x Dom’s Subs, YSP x Off Menu, YSP x Four Legs) that make even us jaded journos think ‘that sounds quite sick to be fair.’ Now, hot on the heels of a restaurant pop-up with Top Cuvée, they’ve only gone and launched a competition with beloved Vicky Park music festival Field Day, which celebrates its fifteenth anniversary in August with a banging line-up that includes the likes of Daniel Avery, Peggy Gou, Floating Points, Kraftwerk 3D, Heléna Star, Erol Alkan and The Chemical Brothers. Here’s the deal: over the course of June, ten golden stickers will be affixed at random to the bottom of ten Yard Sale pizza boxes. Anyone who finds them will bag some serious swag, including a pair of VIP tickets to the festival, a £100 festival bar tab, £50 to spend on pizzas and loads of swanky merch from both brands.  All you’ve gotta do to be in with a chance of winning all this is order a takeaway pizza between now and 6 July (or when stocks last… so the sooner the better.) Obvio

Abba. Jedward. Bisexual Italian glam rockers maybe or maybe not doing lines under the table. Australia, for some reason. The Eurovision Song Contest truly has it all. The 2022 edition takes place in Turin this weekend, and with London’s bars, cinemas and nightlife venues able to host proper screenings for the first time since 2019, it’s likely to be bigger, camper and more fun-filled than ever. To help you make the most of the occasion, we’ve rounded up the best screening events happening across the city. The smart (and morally aware) money is on Ukrainian rap group Kalush Orchestra this year, of course. Head to Bethnal Green’s famous drag queen-hosted screening Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club is doing its rowdy and irreverent Eurovision screening party. In the main space, drag performers will be hosting a ‘shout-a-long, dance-a-long and boo-a-long’ screening of the song contest complete with ‘Wogan-worthy off-the-cuff commentary’. You have been warned. Downstairs, you’ll find more subdued screenings in two other rooms for those who’d prefer not to miss a single note. Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club. 7pm-2am. From £8. Tickets available on the door.  Scream for your favourites while stuffing your face with fancy cheese After a more sophisticated Eurovision soirée? Hit London Art Bar’s wine and cheese event, where you can gobble a load of proper fancy fromage while cheering on Kosovo or Finland. Guests are encouraged to come in costume with flags in hand, and tickets include

Excellent news, Londoners It’s the fifth of the fifth today, which means Cinco de Mayo celebrations are happening all across the city. Cinco de Mayo, for the uninitiated, is a holiday marking the anniversary of the Mexican army defeating the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 during the Mexican-French War. But it’s also a great excuse to feast on Mexican food and smash a couple of margaritas, something which us gringos are more than happy to do at the slightest opportunity. And to help you do just that, we’ve rounded up five cracking Cinco de Mayo events happening in London over the next few days.  Practise your Spanish at a Mexican mezcal tasting Fancy brushing up on your Español? This Cinco de Mayo celebration is a great way to learn a few key phrases. Language class Stripey Spanish is hosting a night of mezcal-fuelled fun where you’ll get to try a selection of artisanal varieties of the agave spirit from small Mexican producers. And you’ll also learn a variety of alcohol-related Spanish phrases in the process, which — let’s be honest — are probably some of the key parts of the language to master if you’re ever going to head off on a Mexican holiday. The event is suitable for beginners and all with up to 6 months of learning. And if you mess up, everyone will just blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol. The Impact Hub, EC1V 8BR. Thu 5 May. £30. Tickets available online here. Hear some mariachi magic while feasting on enchiladas Covent Garden barbecue restaurant temper is put