Rosie Hewitson

October 2026: Once a year we like to give this Top 50 a proper refresh, bringing a host of new pubs into the mix as well as a brand-spanking new Number 1. This year our list topper ends 12 months of south London domination from The Old Nun’s Head (which we still love), with Time Out’s Pub of the Year 2026 a north-of-the-river classic. A crowd pleaser that still feels like a hidden secret, Clerkenwell’s Shakespeare’s Head is truly one of a kind. Other new entries include Moylett’s in Clapton - which is the highest ranking new pub on the list - as well as The Dacre Arms in Lewisham, Paddington’s Royal Exchange and The Nag’s Head in Walthamstow. London’s best pubs at a glance:  🐎 Best pub in Soho: Coach & Horses 🪖 Best pub in Hackney: Army & Navy ⛪ Best pub in Peckham and Nunhead: The Old Nun’s Head 🍻 Best pub in Shoreditch: The Pride of Spitalfields 🎭 Best pub in Clerkenwell: The Shakespeares Head There’s nothing quite like a proper London pub. After many evenings of important, pint-based research, we’ve done the impossible and ranked the 50 best pubs in London. Old-school boozers are the beating heart of this city, and the ones on this list are heavy with the powerful whiff of history – though that just might be the carpets – and throbbing with heart, soul and community charm.  How did we decide what made the final 50? With a worrying amount of the UK’s pubs closing weekly, we wanted to highlight some of this city’s less well-known and independent inns. The pubs includ

We’ve reached the final week of October, which means spooky season is here and Halloween falls on a Saturday this year! If you’re looking for film screenings that will make you jump out of your seat, talks, tours and immersive experiences that will fill you with fear, or hair-raising costumed club nights, you’ve come to the right place. The Time Out editors have spent the past few weeks searching for the best Halloween events worth digging out that old set of plastic fangs for. Read our guide for the best ghoulish happenings below. Whether you want to go to a vintage horror film screening or a talk in one of London’s creepy underground locations or a family-friendly pumpkin-filled light trail, there’s something for everyone.  If you’d rather swerve the festivities, there’s plenty more to fill your calendar with this week. It’s the final week of Dua Lipa’s London Literature Festival, and there are still plenty of interesting talks, panels and workshops to get involved with, from discussions on rhyme and sound in writing to an exploration of literary censorship. Get to know Poly Styrene and other British women behind the punk movement at the Museum of Youth Culture’s landmark exhibition God Save The Queens. Or, see all the prints making up Hokusai’s iconic series Mount Fuji at Dulwich Picture Gallery.  There’s also a wealth of theatre to check out, including a mind-bending West End show from master mentalist Derren Brown, Ilford Boy – a touching debut play from Danny Lee Wynter

Christmas is all about tradition: festive markets, ice skating, carol services and all the trimmings. But there's no law that says you have to stick to the same old stuff. Inject a little excitement into your festive season by planning something that'll banish boredom and shake off tired old routines. Whether you fancy switching up your usual gift-shopping with a trip to the Satanic Flea Market’s Antichristmas Fayre, making the Yuletide gayer than ever at a camp as Christmas drag show, watching some alt Christmas movies with only the most tenuous of links to the festive period or even spending December 25 pounding the pavements to complete an ultramarathon, have yourself a quirky little Christmas. Here's out pick of the best alternative festive events in London this winter. It really will be truly the most (weird and) wonderful time of the year! RECOMMENDED: Find more festive fun with our guide to Christmas in London.

Sure, New York might have a few iconic festive traditions. Our Nordic neighbours might be blessed with snowy weather and actual real life reindeers. But if you ask us, no capital city embraces Christmas quite as whole-heartedly as London does. There’s no shortage of festive fun to be had in this city once December arrives, so much so that it can be hard to know wh hat to spend the limited time on between friendmas dinners, the office Christmas party and frantic present shopping.  So that’s why we’ve put together this hitlist of the most iconic festive traditions London has to offer. From taking in the twinkling lights on Regents Street to sipping mulled wine at the city’s most festive pub (it’s literally covered in Christmas trees), there are so many quintessential London activities to get you in the festive spirit. If you ask us, you can’t really claim to have ‘done’ Christmas in the capital until you’ve ticked off at least half of them.  Read our full guide to Christmas in London right here.

Whether you’re a vintage lover, a trendsetter or on the hunt for something quirky for your home, London has a shop that’ll loosen even the tightest purse strings. Buying a gift or treating yourself? Our guide to London’s 50 best shops should send you home happily bag-laden. But if you want to tick off a whole list in one go, the city’s shopping centres are where retail therapy gets serious. And they come in every shape.  There are the sprawling Westfields in White City and Stratford, a Soho courtyard stacked with indie brands and good places to eat, a Brutalist icon in Bloomsbury and a shipping container mall in Shoreditch. Even Brent Cross, the UK’s original out-of-town mall, has had a glow-up, marking its 50th birthday this year with 150 new stores. They have all the convenience of the high street, minus the rammed buses, slow-walking tourists and clipboard-wielding chuggers. Here are our favourites, for every type of shopper. RECOMMENDED:The 50 best shops in LondonThe best department stores in LondonThe best vintage shops in LondonThe best markets in London London’s best shoping centres, at a glance Best for after-work browsing: Boxpark Shoreditch Best for central London shopping: The Yards Covent Garden Best for a huge shopping spree: Westfield London Best for wellness: The Whiteley

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

We’ve reached the final week of October, which means spooky season is here. If you’re looking for film screenings that will make you jump out of your seat, talks, tours and immersive experiences that will fill you with fear, or hair-raising costumed club nights, you’ve come to the right place. The Time Out editors have spent the past few weeks searching for the best Halloween events worth digging out that old set of plastic fangs for. Read our guide for the best ghoulish happenings below. Whether you want to go to a vintage horror film screening or a talk in one of London’s creepy underground locations or a family-friendly pumpkin-filled light trail, there’s something for everyone.  If you’d rather swerve the festivities, there’s plenty more to fill your calendar with this week. It’s the final week of Dua Lipa’s London Literature Festival, and there are still plenty of interesting talks, panels and workshops to get involved with, from discussions on rhyme and sound in writing to an exploration of literary censorship. Get to know Poly Styrene and other British women behind the punk movement at the Museum of Youth Culture’s landmark exhibition God Save The Queens. Or, see all the prints making up Hokusai’s iconic series Mount Fuji at Dulwich Picture Gallery.  There’s also a wealth of theatre to check out, including a mind-bending West End show from master mentalist Derren Brown, Ilford Boy – a touching debut play from Danny Lee Wynter based on his own experiences growing up in

From blockbuster names to indie shows, Time Out casts our net far and wide to review the biggest and best art exhibitions in the city. There are new openings every week – from painting to sculpture, photography, contemporary installations, free exhibitions and everything in between – and we run from gallery to gallery with our little notebooks, seeing shows, writing about shows, and sorting through the good, the excellent and the not so good. Want to see our latest exhibition reviews in one place? Check ’em out below – or shortcut it to our top ten art exhibitions in London for the shows that we already know will blow your socks off.

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

It’s the neighbourhood where all the cool kids go out to play, so it’s hardly surprising that you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to drinking options in Hackney. Cocktail bars are cutting edge, but in a way that’s not too try-hard. Wine bars bring high-end vino down to earth. And some of the country’s best breweries are found in the area, with hip, hop-heavy taprooms for the beer-loving public to explore, as well as two of London's most hedonistic heavy metal dive bars. Browse through our list of the area’s best bars for boozing inspiration come day or night thoughout Hackney – including Stoke Newington, London Fields, Bethnal Green, and Hackney Wick. If you're hungry, here are Hackney's best restaurants. And if you’re looking for the best bars in Dalston, there are so many there’s another list dedicated entirely to them.  The best bars in Hackney at a glance: 🍻 The best dive bar: Blondies 🍸 The best place for a cheap martini: Rasputin’s 🥃 The best spot for whisky: The Natural Philosopher ⏰ The best place for a very late drink (until 4am): A Bar With Shapes For A Name 💀 The best heavy metal bar: Helgi’s RECOMMENDED: Try out the very best bars in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor, and has done far more than her fair share of drinking in Hackney. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

July 2026: If you’ve had the pleasure of strolling down Exmouth Market recently, you’ll know the historic Clerkenwell strip is the buzziest pedestrianised street in London, full of al-fresco fun, convivial pintspeople and sidewalk tapas as far as the eye can see. Which is pretty much all down to the new Number 1 in our list of the best bars in London. Congratulations are due to Cafe Kick, the breezy Euro-chic sports bar about to celebrate 30 years of tricking your brain into thinking you’re on holiday. The rest of our Top 50 features bars old and new, posh and divey, and cheap and pricey, but all of them with great drinks and an unparalleled vibe. Fancy a drink? You’ve come to the right place. This is Time Out’s list of best bars in London, our curated guide to London’s drinking scene, which features the greatest bars in the capital right now. These are the places we’d recommend to a friend, because we love drinking in them and have done many times over. From classy cocktail counters to delightful dives, sleek hotel bars, rooftop bars and places to sip wine, London’s got them all. You’ll find historic drinking holes here as well as brand new openings. But what makes a truly good bar? Our critieria is simple; a menu of great drinks is important, but so is the overall energy of the place – there’s no point having the perfect paloma if you have to drink it in a bar that smells of bin juice. To make it into our Top 50, a bar has to be fun, friendly, convivial and inclusive, as we

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you want to head down to Dulwich Sports Club’s fireworks fiesta, you’ve got to be organised – tickets won’t be available on the night the event regularly sells out. Once you’ve snapped up your ticket, you’re in for a treat – expect live music to accompany the main event, plus plenty of food and drink offerings. The night goes on rain or shine, so come prepared for all weather. Food & Drinks at Dulwich Fireworks The Dulwich display promises a wide variety of food and beverage stalls offering mulled wine, real ale, BBQ food, burgers, Indian food and pizza.  Entertainment at Dulwich Fireworks The event will feature live music from 5.30pm until 7pm. As in recent years, this will be headlined by London Philharmonic Orchestra conductor Matthew Lynch, and will feature a mixture of crowdpleasing hits and kids’ songs.  What time do the fireworks start? The display will start at approximately 7pm, with the bangs lasting for around 20 minutes.

Autumn is a busy time for London’s cinephiles, with a slew of film festivals arriving in the capital But alongside LFF, Doc ‘n’ Roll, the Hong Kong and French Film Festivals (to name a few!), be sure to save some room in your schedule for the inaugural London edition of MUBI Fest. The art-house lover’s streaming service of choice is hosting its very own mini film festival at Hackney’s Picturehouse cinema over three days this November, offering you the chance to catch some of the distributor’s buzziest upcoming titles on the big screen ahead of their theatrical release, alongside a programme of indie classics worth revisiting.  Highlights of the programme include Sandra Hüller’s stellar new period drama Rose, with director Markus Schleinzer in attendance for a Q&A (Fri Nov 13), World War I queer romance Coward (Sat Nov 14), with leads Valentin Campagne and Emmanuel Macchia answering questions afterwards, Andrew Haigh’s adaptation of a Colm Tóibín short story, A Long Winter (Sun Nov 15), and Paul Thomas Anderson’s concert doc capturing Cameron Winter’s 2025 solo show at Carnegie Hall (Sun Nov 15).  There’ll also be a 4k restoration screening of Donnie Darko (2001) followed by a live recording ot the Evolution of Horror podcast on ‘the horror of adolescence’, plus a special 15th anniversary screening of 2011 neo-noir thriller Drive, and a 10th anniversary showing of Park Chan-wook’s erotic thriller The Handmaiden.  Tickets go on sale to MUBI subscribers at 10am on Wednesday, Se

Gagosian’s Grosvenor Hill gallery will be filled with apples, hats, pipes and clouds this autumn as it hosts a free exhibition on Belgian surrealist René Magritte. A first major London exhibition of Magritte’s subverside artwork in more than 30 years, it will feature works on paper, sculptures and photography from Magritte’s four-decade-long career, many of which have been loaned by museums and private collectors. These include ‘La Lampe Philosophique (The Philosopher’s Lamp)’, made shortly before the International Surrealist Exhibition that took place in London in 1936, and last displayed in a landmark Magritte exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) 20 years ago. Gagosian’s exhibtiion will also explore Magritte’s legacy via works created specifically for the exhibition by several contemporary artists, including painters Harold Ancart, Allison Katz and Dana Schutz. 

Got a thirst for adventure and winter-themed beverages? Up at The O2 – the dare-devil tour that lets you climb up the outside of the Greenwich venue’s famous white dome – has been given a festive makeover. After being strapped into a harness and ascending to the top of the 52 metre-high dome, climbers will get to retreat into an immersive snow globe featuring falling snow, the sweet smell of cookies and a ‘whimsical winter set-up’ from which they’ll be able to enjoy breathtaking views of the city from. There’ll also be gingerbread cookies to snack on and glasses of bubbly, mulled wine and hot chocolates to purchase.   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We’ve seen screamers galore, a few absolute howlers, some controversial calls and a couple of shocking early exits. We’ve witnessed everything from turgid 0-0 draws (England vs Ghana) to edge-of-your-seat, five-goal thrillers (Argentina vs Egypt). We’ve heard the words ‘altitude’ and ‘hydration break’ more times than we care to remember, spotted dozens of American celebs in the stands, and shared literally hundreds of memes comparing Erling Haaland to a spring onion.  And now, after five weeks, 100 games and nearly 300 goals, 48 teams have been whittled down to just four, with the 2026 World Cup semi-finals taking place over the coming days. With England having reached another semi-final, the atmosphere in the capital has pretty much reached fever pitch.  But not everyone is supporting the Three Lions. London prides itself on being a gloriously diverse city, so you’ll find several watch parties for fans of the other semi-finalists across the capital too. Whether you’re an expat, a Scotland fan planning a hate watch, or just want to cheer on your sweepstake team, here’s where to go to watch Spain, France or Argentina with a home crowd in London.  RECOMMENDED: Where to watch the World Cup in London. When is each World Cup semi-final match?  France v Spain Tuesday July 14, 8pm BST England v Argentina Wednesday July 15, 8pm BST – find walk-in venues here. Best places to watch the 2026 World Cup semi-finals for each team France France’s World Cup semi-final happens to fall on