Rosie Hewitson

Better get your diary in order. London’s ever-inventive event organisers and cultural gurus have stuffed this week full of five-star shows, booze-filled festivals, eclectic gigs and mind-expanding screenings you won’t want to miss. For a cheap thrill, visit the National Gallery’s free exhibition dedicated to the last painting of one of history’s most important artists, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Time Out’s art critic gave the show five stars and called the work ‘a maelstrom of movement and brutality and morbidity’. Or hit up the New Cross & Deptford’s free film festival to see family faves and edgy documentaries without spending a penny. If you want more five-star culture, seek out a screening of ‘If Only I Could Hibernate’, a rare Mongolian feature film our critic deemed an ‘astonishingly assured debut’. If that’s not enough there’s also a craft beer festival, a car boot sale exclusively flogging goods from classic vehicles, a huge programme of performances at the V&A celebrating Shakespeare’s birthday, a film festival celebrating the best documentary films from across the world and brilliant theatre starring national treasure Ian McKellen. Phew. Still got gaps in your diary? Embrace the warmer days with a look at the best places to see spring flowers in London, or have a cosy time in one of London’s best pubs. If you’ve still got some space in your week, check out London’s best bars and restaurants, or take in one of these lesser-known London attractions. RECOMMENDE

Autumns were made for strolling (or cruising) through picture-perfect Little Venice. Explore like a local with help from the Time Out Tastemakers. Best breakfast or brunch ‘You can’t miss Cafe Laville for the best brunch with an amazing view of the canal – get yourself a table by the window.’ Angela Lau ‘Brunch at The Elgin! Cosy decor and delicious food!’ Alessia Ceccarelli Best dinner ‘The Red Pepper Italian restaurant is great – lovely food and staff.’ Inga Schmitt ‘Le Cochonnet is a lovely fresh pizza place, with a £14 weekday deal for a pizza and a beer.’ Katie Johnson Best pub ‘The Waterway is a really nice spot for drinks, even in winter. Beautiful location.’ Ioanna Laskari ‘The Warrington Hotel is fun – and they shot bits of the “Paddington” movie there!’ Inga Schmitt ‘The Bridge House on the canal shares its location with Canal Cafe Theatre, so you can have a drink and food before the show – great pub fare.’ Annabel-Zoe Lung Best place to shop ‘Clifton Greens has the best organic fruit and veg and friendliest staff.’ Claire Etchell ‘Clifton Nurseries is the go-to for flowers, flower pots, coffee and delicious brunch. Really cute!’ Ioanna Laskari Best place to relax ‘Waterside Cafe for cream tea! Especially good if you have a guest from outta town.’ Shona Read Best place for culture ‘Canal Cafe Theatre is a brilliant and intimate setting for comedy. Get tickets to see NewsRevue there: you won’t regret it!’ Annabel-Zoe Lung ‘The Puppet Theatre Barge puts on great sho

For all of the stick we give the UK – the grey skies, the pigeons, the Greggs sausage roll packets littering the pavements – it’s actually a pretty gorgeous country. In London alone, you can be goggling over the Barbican’s brutalist beauty one moment, the next, you might be basking in the tranquility of Hampstead Ponds. Add the turquoise coasts of Cornwall, the rugged mountains of Snowdonia and the fairytale wonder of Scotland’s highlands and islands to the mix, and you’ve got a country which is as good looking as they come.  When we set about curating this list of the most beautiful places in the UK, we called on our network of expert travel writers. These guys have have personally experienced the pinch-me moment of seeing every place on this list IRL – so we can guarantee you there is no catfishing going on here. Of course, you’ll find the usual suspects – you can’t argue with the magic of the Isle of Skye, after all – but you’ll also find some more surprising beauty spots to add to your travel bucket list.  Chiara Wilkinson is Time Out’s UK features editor, based in London. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines and check out our latest travel guides written by local experts.RECOMMENDED:🚂 The UK’s 12 most beautiful train stations🇬🇧 The 35 best things to do in the UK🏝 The 30 most beautiful places in the world

Every week, a frankly stupid amount of brilliant new restaurants, cafés and street food joints arrive in London. Which makes whittling down a shortlist of the best newbies a serious challenge. But here it is. The 20 very best new restaurants in the capital, ranked.  Go forth and eat, featuring everything from hyped new Mayfair spot The Dover to French bistro bangers at Josephine in Fulham, Med sharing dishes at Morchella in Clerkenwell and Akara, a Michelin star restaurant offshoot in Borough. We also show some love for the sublime small plates at Hackney's Sune, modern Malaysian cuisine at Mambow in Clapton, tasty sausage at Bistro Freddie in Spitalfields, Italian-ish snacks at Forza Wine on the South Bank and Filipino sharing feasts at Donia in Soho.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. RECOMMENDED: The 50 best restaurants in London.

Afternoon tea. Yes, it's twee, but there is something quite fun about working your way through what's essentially dessert tapas, especially when you’re at one of London’s top hotels or restaurants. We've rounded up London's best afternoon teas in a city renowned for putting on some of the world’s best spreads – with tiny cakes, little finger sarnies and pots of perfect tea the name of the delicious game. Expect to pay in the region of £50 to £80 for the pleasure per person, but you'll be in for a treat and a half. Many of the teas have set times for seatings, so booking in advance is always recommended. RECOMMENDED: The best hotels in London.

Low on pennies? Not to worry. You can still make the most of the weekend. London has your back with a slew of free fun to be had. For a cheap thrill, visit the National Gallery’s free exhibition dedicated to the last painting of one of history’s most important artists, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Time Out’s art critic gave the show five stars and called the work ‘a maelstrom of movement and brutality and morbidity’. Or hit up the New Cross & Deptford’s free film festival to see family faves and edgy documentaries without spending a penny.  If you want more five-star culture, seek out a screening of ‘If Only I Could Hibernate’, a rare Mongolian feature film our critic deemed an ‘astonishingly assured debut’. If that’s not enough there’s also a craft beer festival, a car boot sale exclusively flogging goods from classic vehicles, a huge programme of performances at the V&A celebrating Shakespeare’s birthday, a film festival celebrating the best documentary films from across the world and brilliant theatre starring national treasure Ian McKellen. Phew. Still got gaps in your diary? Embrace the warmer days with a look at the best places to see spring flowers in London, or have a cosy time in one of London’s best pubs. If you’ve still got some space in your week, check out London’s best bars and restaurants, or take in one of these lesser-known London attractions. RECOMMENDED: Listen and, most importantly, subscribe to Time Out’s brand new, weekly podcast ‘Love Thy Neighbou

While London has stacks of family-friendly things to do – from parks and museums to play areas and activity centres – it’s always nice to treat the kids (and yourself) to a day trip. Luckily, you'll find fresh air and adventure just an hour or two outside the city's hectic centre. Whether you’ve got a Saturday, half term or summer holiday to fill, we’ve got plenty of ideas for London day trips with kids, by train or by car. You’ll find brilliant ideas for animal lovers, daring adventurers and youngsters (and parents) who just want to run free in the great outdoors. From ancient castles and retro theme parks to enchanted trains and real-life steam engines, these are London’s best family-friendly day trips, all within easy reach of the capital.   RECOMMENDED: The best day trips from London RECOMMENDED: The best areas of natural beauty near London

There are a million podcasts out there, and 2024’s releases are showing no signs of slowing down. There’s already been a load of bangers since the beginning of the year, and here at Time Out, we’re determined to listen to them all. After all, how else are you going to know which one to choose? We’ve rounded up our favourites, from political podcasts that look behind the news to comedy podcasts with your favourite funny people, and plenty of those all-important investigative whodunnits to keep you up at night. If you’re looking to dig deeper into one genre, we’d recommend trying our specialist lists on for size (you’ll find them below). But for a full list of good, addictive podcasts of every genre, read on.  RECOMMENDED:🎧 The best podcasts on Spotify😂 The best comedy podcasts 🗞️ The best news podcasts💤 The best sleep podcasts🎶 The best music podcasts

As much as we love London here at Time Out, we’re also partial to the odd daydream about a leisurely getaway to somewhere that’s not quite so big and busy. Microdose on that holiday vibe by taking a day trip to one of the many laidback, joy-inducing destinations just a few hours away from London, which pack in plenty; from historic cities and cute villages to sandy beaches and rolling countryside. If you’re wanting a quick getaway, here are 17 of the Time Out team’s favourite day trips from London, complete with our recommendations of cute pubs and ace restaurants – all close enough to the city to get there and back in one sweet day.  RECOMMENDED:✨The best day trips 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.

April is an underrated month if you ask us. Winter is finally over and we’ve all started to emerge from hibernation, ready to properly commit to socialising again. The sun has put in a few appearances, London’s parks and gardens are in full bloom and the city feels alive with all the possibilities of summer, but without all the sunburn and sweltering, sleepless nights.  There’s also a handful of spring music festivals, some cracking art exhibitions and theatre (including the first open-air shows of the year) and plenty more amazing things going on around the city.  Check out our roundup of the best of them, and start planning an amazing month now. 

Running 26.2 miles (twenty six point two!) dressed as Po from ‘Teletubbies’ is something that the majority of us Londoners will probably never be brave enough to attempt. Running a marathon is a truly gruelling feat requiring countless hours of training, so the 50,000 brave souls who are taking part London Marathon on Sunday April 21 2024 very much deserve our support.  Check out our route guide below to find the best spectating spots and track down nearby pubs and bars for when all that whooping and clapping leaves you feeling nearly as thirsty as the runners. Remember: your presence at this monumental sporting occasion makes it absolutely fine to drink lager or rosé in the street at 10am on a Sunday.  It’s worth bearing in mind, too, that everyone taking part laces up pretty early. There will be a series of starts between 10am and 11.30am, with short gaps in between to allow the course ahead to clear. And if watching the runners pushing through the pain barrier leaves you inspired, check out our guide on how to enter the London Marathon. And here’s our winning guide to this year’s marathon. What landmarks can I spot on the London Marathon route? If you hadn’t noticed, the marathon route is loooooong. Starting in Greenwich Park in south-east London and finishing right by Buckingham Palace, there are loads of famous things to see along the way, especially when you’re a spectator. Here are some of the things to look out for: Mile 6: Cutty Sark Mile 12: Tower Bridge Mile 18: C

The British summer is on the horizon, and you’re probably itching to catch some rays. While there’s a lot to be said for London’s outdoor swimming spots, sometimes you can’t beat a paddle in the waves, some refreshing sea air, and a hearty portion of fish ‘n’ chips.  You’ve probably already been on a jaunt down to Brighton, but the British seaside has plenty of more secluded, photogenic destinations absolutely steeped in charm, too. And luckily, London sits within easy reach of seaside towns, scenic coastal walks and even some of the best beaches in the UK.  So, from the vast unbroken expanse of Camber Sands to the eerie other-worldly beauty of Dungeness, we’ve rounded up the best beaches within two hours of the capital. RECOMMENDED: The best day trips from LondonThe best family day trips from LondonThe best weekend trips from London

Pitchfork Music Festival is back in the UK for its fourth edition in November, with a jam-packed schedule of eclectic live music encompassing everything from avant-rock and post-punk to psych-pop, UK rap and deconstructed dance music. Gigs take place at plenty of the capital’s most illustrious music and nightlife venues, including Fabric, HERE at Outernet, The Village Underground, EartH and The Roundhouse, plus a bunch of atmospheric small venues like the Shacklewell Arms, Hackney Church, Union Chapel and St Mathias Church. The first wave of artists announced for the six-day festival includes the likes of Tierra Whack, Arooj Aftab, CASISDEAD, Sega Bodega, Kae Tempest, Empress Of, Snow Strippers, Shame, Marika Hackman and plenty of up-and-coming acts who will no doubt be on your Spotify Wrapped come December 2025. It’s basically the place to be if you consider yourself as a music fan with a finger on the pulse. Check out the full line-up here. 

The great and good of the city’s queer nightlife scene are once again coming together for this massive day-to-night festival celebrating LGBTQ+ clubbing culture in London and beyond. Having outgrown its first home in Hackney Wick, Body Movements is making the move to Southwark Park for its biggest and best edition on the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday. Adonis, Big Dyke Energy, Little Gay Brother, Love Child, MARICAS, NYC Downlow, Pxssy Palace, Queer House Party, Riposte and unfold are just a handful of the 25+ clubnights and collectives involved this time around. And there are some pretty exciting names on the line-up, including Swedish rapper and singer COBRAH, who previously headlined the festival’s Winter 2023 edition alongside LSDXOXO, Coucou Chloe and Confidence Man. Be sure to sign up to emails for information on ticket sales in due course. 

This year’s Eurovision is shaping up to be a slightly controversial one, with many of the contest’s biggest stans choosing to boycott. So if you’re looking for a way to get your dose of cheesy Europop without watching the live show this year, look no further than EuroSmash, a brand spanking new day festival at south London arts hub Woolwich Works featuring a stellar line-up of former contestants. On the bill are larger-than-life Irish twins Jedward – who represented the land of Eire in 2011 and 2012 – and this year’s Irish entry Brooke (just Brooke), plus Norway’s Subwoolfer, Bulgaria’s Kristian Kostov, and Belgium’s Gustaph. Saxophone-playing drag artist Snow White Trash and ‘Drag Race UK’ contestant Just May also feature, alongside a string quartet playing all your favourite Eurovision classics. Headlining the festival is Katrina, who won the contest in 1997 (the last time the UK was victorious) with her snappy hit ‘Love Shine a Light’. We’d certainly be giving douze points to that line-up. 

If you’re the type of person who devours each new series of ‘Chef’s Table’ as soon as it drops, you’ll have heard of Nancy Silverton, the James Beard Award-winning chef behind LA’s iconic Italian restaurant Campanile, and a host more celebrated dining spots. She’s teaming up with Sera – an exciting new platform staging truly special foodie events across the capital – for a menu of her greatest hits, as part of the  platform’s new ‘Wish you were here’ series, offering Londoners the chance to enjoy food from some of the most celebrated chefs on the planet. Available for one night only at Silverton’s London outpost of Pizzeria Mozza, the menu costs £80 a head (or £120 with wine pairing) and features plenty of her most iconic dishes, including the ‘Nancy Caesar’ and a selection of Osteria Mozza inspired pastas. An unforgettable feast, without the hassle of an 11-hour flight. 

The renowned Sundance Film Festival returns to London to give film buffs the chance to view more thought-provoking, emotion-stirring movies. The 2024 festival will open with ‘Kneecap’, the first-ever Irish language film to premiere at Sundance, which tells the story of a rising Belfast rap group and their mission to save their native language. Closing night will boast the UK premiere of ‘Dìdi (弟弟)’, Oscar-nominated director Sean Wang’s ode to first-generation teenagers in the Bay Area. Stay tuned for the full programme, which is announced in late April. 

Hackney Wick is home to one of London’s most important nightlife hubs these days, but when canalside warehouse venue No90 opened a decade ago the Wick’s bustling party scene was in its infancy. This day-to-night party on Good Friday celebrates the venue’s first decade, with a stellar line-up of selectors taking to the decks across all four of its spaces, including Manchester legend A Guy Called Gerald, Rinse FM host Scarlett O’Malley and DJs from Soho institution Phonica Records and Birmingham-based collective Selextorhood.

Walthamstow’s mahoosive brewery and beer hall Big Penny Social is throwing a big ol’ day-to-night party to celebrate the arrival of the double bank holiday this Friday. They’ll be barbecuing up a storm in the spacious garden from 2pm, with DJs spinning tunes all afternoon and On Shenanigans helping you to release your inner child via kids’ party games including limbo, musical chairs and Connect Four. Later on, the Hip Hop House Band take to the stage inside to play hip hop and RnB covers of Snoop Dogg, Dre, Biggie, Kendrick, Kanye, and plenty more, before DJs keep the party going until 2am. A dreamy start to your four days off!

Acclaimed chillwave producer Simon Green, AKA Bonobo, has become very hot property over the years thanks to his knack for mixing infectious downtempo hip hop beats with sunny electronica. His curated event series, Outlier, has been running since 2015, taking over various major international venues including east London’s Tobacco Dock, Manchester’s Mayfield Depot and NYC’s Knockdown Center. It makes its debut at Drumsheds for a day-to-night party on Easter Sunday, with a mega lineup featuring the likes of DJ Koze, Mall Grab, George Fitzgerald, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and Elkka. Tottenham’s enormous new venue has a capacity of 15,000, but we reckon it’ll still sell out, so grab a ticket while you still can!

Brixton’s long-running annual disco festival will make you feel like you’re dancing in hot pants even if you’re actually wearing dad jeans. Party starters including London DJ Artwork, British house music producer Michael Gray and director of the all-vinyl female DJ Squad Girlz B Like, Marcia Carr will be spinning disco and house bangers across beloved SW9 venues like Brixton Village, Electric Brixton and Brixton Jamm. There’ll also be a live set from American lyricist Jocelyn Brown while the Talking Heads’ recently remastered concert filml ‘Stop Making Sense’ will be screened at The Ritzy Picturehouse. Category is: an amazing night out!

Munch your way through dishes from the great and the good of the capital’s restaurant scene at this sprawling culinary festival in the picturesque surroundings of central London’s Regent’s Park. Korean rabata (barbecue) restaurant Roka, South American fusion from YOPO and Big Mamma’s quintet of maximalist Italian joints (that’s Gloria, Circolo Popolare, Ave Mario, Jacuzzi and Carlotta) are among the line-up of restaurants peddling plates to celebrate the event’s 20th anniversary. If you’re not in a food coma by the end, there’ll also be kitchen masterclasses, chef talks and tastings to get involved with. Our advice? Have some Rennies on hand. 

Remember that absolutely audacious backheel double nutmeg Alessia Russo scored during the Lionesses’ victorious Euros campaign? That 4-0 semi-final drubbing was the last time England played Sweden, who they face once again this April in the inaugural round of qualifiers for Euro 2025. Sarina Wiegman’s World Cup finalists are once again expected to sell out the 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium for the Friday night fixture, which marks their first step on the road to defending the European title they won in west London back during that glorious summer of 2022. And with tickets starting at just £15, it’s a great opportunity for the whole family to witness some of England’s biggest sporting stars live in the flesh. 

Taking place across a whopping 20 venues in and around Queen’s Yard in Hackney Wick – including the likes of The Yard, Colour Factory, CRATE brewery and 9294 - this always-popular day-to-night celebration of London’s vibrant dance music scene returns for another year on the Saturday of the early May Bank Holiday weekend, for its biggest-ever celebration. More than 100 DJs or collectives feature on the whopping line-up, which ranges from beloved local selectors to more established international names playing everything from house and techno to garage and disco. But that’s not all, as there’ll be after parties kicking off at Colour Factory and Village Underground, too. Artists include: Alec Tempo, DJ Caspa, Madam X, SKETCH. Check out the full line-up here. 

Fancy yourself a bit of a vinyl junkie? Reckon that real DJs don’t need a subscription to Serato? Then you’ll probably already know that this Saturday (April 20) marks the return of Record Store Day.  Founded in 2007 in the early days of the vinyl revival, the annual celebration of indie record stores has since become a key fixture in any crate digger’s calendar, with thousands of stores across the globe participating. This includes many of London’s 50-odd independent record shops, where you can pick up limited-edition releases from the likes of Blur, Olivia Dean, Young Fathers, Sinéad O'Connor, Talking Heads, Laufey, Paramore, Pulp and The 1975.  But that’s not all. From fashion collabs and in-store sets to giveaways and immersive listening experiences, there’s all sorts of fun stuff going on around the city in celebration of the humble. Here, we’ve rounded up a selection of the best things happening around the city.  SXSE – Dash The Henge Turn your Record Store Day into a mini festival adventure, aka SXSE. Pick up your wristband – and an armful of new records – at Dash The Henge’s shop in Camberwell, where you’ll also find acoustic performances and DJs on the decks (including La Roux!). From there, move onto The Old Dispensary and The Bear for more musical goodness. Still not had enough? Head to Peckham’s hottest new venue, The Greyhound, for an after-party hosted by The Cause. Grab your ticket here. 348 Camberwell New Road, SE5 0RW. £11.50. Rough Trade East This record sho

The UK’s largest queer film event, not to mention a major fixture in London’s cultural calendar, BFI Flare returns to the BFI Southbank next week for its 38th edition, showcasing the best new LGBTQ+ cinema from around the world over ten jam-packed days. If you’ve not yet managed to grab tickets to some of the big hitters, be sure to check out the 'Best of the Fest’ programme on the festival’s final day. It just went on sale yesterday, and features additional screenings of all the most popular picks. But if you have missed out on the big, showy titles, don’t worry! There are still loads of great under-the-radar offerings worthy of your attention. Here are a few of our faves. Photograph: BFI Flare 1. Silver Haze Dutch director Sacha Polak’s fourth feature film sees her reunite with actress Vicky Knight, who previously won a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit award for her role as an acid attack survivor in Polak’s 2019 film ‘Dirty God’. Drawing inspiration from Knight’s own childhood, during which she survived an arson attack on her uncle’s pub, ‘Silver Haze’ is a powerful depiction of working-class Britain, in which Knight plays a 23-year-old nurse and burns victim who starts a relationship with one of her patients.  Photograph: BFI Flare 2. Don’t Ever Stop As a long-running resident at major gay nightclubs Heaven and Trade, Birmingham-born producer and DJ Tony De Vit was a hugely influential figure in London’s gay nightlife scene in the ’80s and ’90s, keeping a generation of young g

Founded by drag queens Jonny Woo and John Sizzle with their business partner Colin Rothbart back in 2014, pint-sized Kingsland Road pub The Glory is a jewel in the fabulous crown of east London’s ever-dwindling queer scene, beloved by all who pass through its unassuming blue doors.  Head down to the Haggerston venue on an average evening and you’ll find scene veterans like Princess Julia and Jeffrey Hinton on the decks, east London’s most out-there drag artists performing surreal cabaret on the tiny gold stage and a raucous crowd of spectacularly well-heeled creative types cackling in the smoking area. At least until the end of January, when the legendary venue will cease trading at its current location, as announced this afternoon. ‘It’s with much sadness that we shall be closing the doors of The Glory, as we know it, on 31st January 2024,’ its owners announced in a statement released on the venue’s Instagram page. ‘For us all, the staff, performers, DJs AND our much-valued customers, we know this is upsetting, but we have decided to relocate as our building is finally being redeveloped and we simply can’t cannot continue to operate as we'd like.’ View this post on Instagram A post shared by THE GLORY (@thegloryldn) To anyone who has spent more than five minutes on London’s queer scene, news of another LGBTQ+ venue’s closure probably won’t come as a huge surprise. While the number of queer venues in the capital has remained fairly stable in recent years,

While the goyim (non-Jews) do Christmas, Jews do Chanukah. While they have mince pies, we have sufganiyot: perfect, pillow-y doughnuts eaten as deep-fried treats during the festival of lights. The deep-fried bit is important: Chanukah is about the Maccabean revolt against the Greeks in the second century BCE, when there was only enough sacred oil in the Second Temple to last for one night, but it miraculously lasted for eight. To celebrate, Jews the world over eat oily food. It’s a very convenient excuse for scoffing a load of latkes and doughnuts. How are sufganiyot different from doughnuts? Glad you asked. They’re um… a bit lighter, basically. That’s kind of it. You could argue they’re closer to French beignets than English or American doughnuts, but what really matters is stuffing your face with some deep-fried dough and saying ‘up yours’ to the Ancient Greeks. Here are some amazing (mostly) Jewish bakeries in London where you can indulge yourself while sticking two fingers up to Antiochus.  Grodzinksi Photograph: Jess Hand London’s oldest kosher bakery was founded in 1888 by Belarussian expats Harris and Judith Grodzinski, and is still going strong across its locations today. It’s a bit complex as the owner retired and then one of the OG shops, in Golders, was sold, then bought back again. But here’s the thing: you just need to eat, in whatever shop it is, owned by whoever (Grodz or Grodzinski). Pop in for some sweet treats and you may well be tempted to dine on the im

Thurston Moore’s early music may seem synonymous with 1980s New York punk rock, but he’s been a Londoner for well over a decade. Having previously lived in Stoke Newington, the 65-year-old has moved south of the city (the exact location he keeps vague), where between making solo albums and running his record label, Ecstatic Peace, he’s embraced London’s improvised live music scene. Fitting perhaps, given the DIY nature of his work as Sonic Youth’s frontman. The band’s abrasive, free-natured sound often paired rapid guitar riffs with droning basslines and slowly clattering drums that always felt very in the moment. His new book ‘Sonic Life’ is, as he says, ‘All the musical inspirations I have from all the different ephemera, books and recordings that defined my growing years. ‘Then the advent of Sonic Youth and how we moved through the course of the 80s and 90s.’ To tie in with the launch of his new book, the musician spoke to us about his favourite London music venue, IKLECTIK, an independent space that champions new, free-form music. With the threats of closure ahead of planned redevelopment, Moore is keen to highlight the importance of this personal sacred space.  ‘IKLECTIK is found underneath the Waterloo Bridge in Old Paradise Yard. It’s been there only nine years, so right after I relocated here. I was living in Stoke Newington at the time, very close to Cafe OTO, which is sort of the critical listening room for experimental music. But I started hearing about this new pl

Fancy yourself a bit of an oenophile? Then you’ll probably already know that this coming Thursday is a pretty big day in the wine world. That’s because the third Thursday of November is Beaujolais Nouveau Day, i.e. the first day on which this year’s bottles of the good stuff are allowed to be sold. A gamay grape wine from the Beaujolais district of Burgundy, Beaujolais Nouveau is one of the few varieties of plonk that’s sold during the same year in which it’s produced. The juicy red has gained a bit of a following in London in recent years, with many of the capital’s favourite wine bars throwing special events to celebrate the cult cuvée. Here are some we especially like the look of.  Gordon’s Beaujolais Breakfast If Beaujolais Nouveau Day is the equivalent of Christmas in your world, then Gordon’s should be the first place you head to on the Big Day. London’s oldest wine bar is playing every oenophile’s St Nick, letting you sip on glasses of the good stuff bright and early from 8am on, so you can sample this year’s crop before everyone else. They’ll be serving up Full English brekkies to soak up all the booze, and nice strong coffees for anyone needing to sober up quickly. All the same, we’d probably still advise going into the office on this particular Thursday. Gordon’s Wine Bar. Thu Nov 16. Free entry. Top Cuvée Beaujolais Nouveau Masterclass If there’s a burgeoning trend on the British wine scene, you can bet that London’s most ‘banter’ wine merchants will be heavily i

Ever looked at a music festival line-up and realise, with abject horror, how desperately out of touch you are? Several of Time Out London’s editorial team felt like that when Pitchfork released the line-up for its London festival, which is taking over some of the capital’s best-loved music venues this week for its third edition.  Among big hitters like the Mercury Prize-winning jazz quintet Ezra Collective, riot grl legends Sleater-Kinney and dance music protégé Yaeji are a frankly concerning number of head-scratchers, even for us NTS-listening, ‘Crack’ magazine-reading Cafe Oto regulars.  Luckily for you, we’ve spent the last few weeks swotting up on the lesser-known artists appearing on the eclectic bill, so that we can tell you who is worth buying a ticket for. Here are some of our favourite up-and-comers to look out for.  Balming Tiger Who are they?: Balming Tiger are a South Korean multi-national alternative K-pop collective consisting of rapper Omega Sapien, DJ Abyssm director San Yawn, music video directors Jan'Qui and Leesuho, singer-songwriters Sogumm, Wnjn, Mudd the Student, and editor Henson. The hip-hop single ‘Sexy Nukim’ with BTS’s RM is a good entry point. For fans of: BTS, NewJeans, So!YoON. Village Underground. Wed Nov 8.  CHAI Who are they?: A sugary sweet experimental pop group blending elements of Tom Tom Club, Basement Jaxx and CSS to create punchy anthems inspired by female empowerment and redefining ‘kawaii’ culture.  For fans of: Confidence Man, Kero

Twenty-first century London is saturated with low-level smut. Its streets house three separate penis waffle purveyors and you can hardly walk into a gift shop without your eyes being assaulted by boob or bum-shaped novelty vases. But in times of yore, Londoners had to go to extreme lengths for a glimpse of tantalising nudity. They had to seek out statues with intriguing curves, modelled in fleshy marble, and discreetly ogle them until the nearest policeman moved them on with a swift jab of his truncheon. Here are some of the most outrageously sexy statues of yesteryear: seek them out, but bring the smelling salts in case it all gets too much. Achilles, Hyde Park Photograph: Claire Ward / Wikimedia Commons The body part that the Greek warrior Achilles was classically best known for was his heel. But that all changed when a scandalous statue of the hero was placed in Hyde Park in 1822. It was funded by Ladies of England, a patriotic women’s group who were presumably quite embarrassed by the scandal his lovingly chiselled anatomy provoked. A fig leaf was attached soon after. But it still attracted undue attention from Londoners including, allegedly, the storied actor Laurence Olivier, who once opined that the statue had ‘the best arse in London’. Time to see for yourself? Michelangelo’s David, The V&A Photograph: Shutterstock The V&A Museum’s magnificent replica of Michelangelo’s David was given to Queen Victoria as a birthday present in 1857... but only after a tasteful l

Be strong. You too can fight the seasonal siren song of pumpkin spice! The sugary blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger – there is, in a wild plot twist, no actual pumpkin in the ubiquitous autumnal flavour – has hijacked hot drinks for the past few years and we remain annoyed by it. But rather than flipping over every pumpkin spice latte we see, we’ve decided to celebrate the humble pumpkin instead, and point you in the direction of the best savoury squash dishes available in London this autumn. ‌Steamed Delica Pumpkin at Poon’s Wontoneria, Fitzrovia Photograph: Courtesy of Poon’s Wontoneria Herald the extension of Chinese restaurant royalty Amy Poon’s wonton-tastic pop-up (now running until February 2024) with this steamed pumpkin dish. Served alongside dried tofu skin also known as fǔzhú, as well as Chinese mushrooms and black bean sauce, these perfect hunks of soft pumpy are just what you need to cosy up to as the nights draw in. Yes, we did just call in ‘pumpy’. Get on board.  23 Charlotte St, W1T 1RW. £11.50. Pumpkin Arancina at Norma, Fitzrovia Photograph: Norma An oozy nugget of carb-based gold, this is pumpkin done the Sicilian way. The godfather of seasonal rice balls, this Delica delicacy comes topped with shavings of scamorza cheese and sage, and makes for the perfect edible autumn accessory. And if you really, really need that tawdry pumpkin spice hit, then scroll down to Norma’s dessert menu, and check out the pumpkin spiced tiramisu they’ll be offe

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