This is a sponsored article on behalf of The Coconut Island.

Get roti for bold flavours and tropical vibes...

The Coconut Island — an energetic Sri Lankan eatery that's become a firm favourite of Brighton's food scene — is coming to London. Angel Islington, to be precise. It opens on 6 May and promises authentic dishes with a creative twist, alongside punchy cocktails and a heady dose of island escapism. What's more, in the two weeks following the restaurant's launch, you can get 50% off your food bill*.

Sri Lankan cuisine is having a bit of a moment right now, with a new wave of restaurants introducing Londoners to its fresh yet oh-so-fiery flavours and deliciously liberal use of coconut.

The Coconut Island does all this masterfully, with street food favourites such as hoppers (coconut-laced savoury pancakes) and kottu roti (a glorious mix of chopped roti, veg, curried meat and scrambled egg), alongside aromatic curries, small plates and sambol. All dishes are included in the restaurant's half-price offer — a great excuse to get better acquainted with Sri Lankan food.

There's an excellent drinks menu to help wash it all down, too. We've been eyeing up the coconut arrack-spiked Colombo Smoked Old Fashioned, as well as the enticingly-named Skull on Fire, which marries tequila with honey, herbs and lemon.

In need of a palate-cleanser after all that heat? Take advantage of The Coconut Island's dessert menu, which includes creamy confections like jaggery-dusted hoppers and watalappam (a coconut custard pudding).

The Coconut Island's laidback tropical vibes makes it a great shout for group dining. The menu's ideal for sharing, the restaurant's highly photogenic (think colourful interiors and beachy flourishes), and there's even a spot of table theatre in the form of flaming food/drinks. Spring/summer birthday dinners just got even more appealing.

You'll find The Coconut Island at 9 White Lion Street — a mere two-minute walk from Angel station. It's open seven days a week, 12pm-11pm. Walk-ins are welcome from  6 May, with table bookings available from 20 May. Get down there pronto to save 50% on your food bill.

Legendary poet, storyteller and north Londoner Michael Rosen celebrates his 80th birthday this year with a brand new show, called Nice! Here, we speak to him about London: its buses, its pelicans and its chocolate cake.

Michael Rosen celebrates his 80th birthday in May 2026, with a new show.

Where's the best spot for reading a book in London?

The place I've most enjoyed reading a book in the past was the old Reading Room in the British Library. Now it's the Overground between Highbury and New Cross Gate. [Michael Rosen lives in north London, travelling to work as Professor of Children's Literature at Goldsmiths].

Do you like to take public transport around London for inspiration?

I'd put it slightly differently. I travel a lot on public transport round London and while I'm on board buses and trains I think a lot and that inspires me!

A ride on the 38 bus inspired one of Michael's great London poems. Image: Ben Kirby

Can you remember which bus you were riding when you were inspired to write The Bus?

If that's the poem about the bus being full of people with many different backgrounds that was the 38. [running between Clapton and Victoria].

London Airport is a wonderful story. That episode aside, what's your most endearing memory of childhood in London?

My earliest memory of central London is my Mum taking me on a special trip to St James's park to see the pelicans. For more than 60 years I didn't ever go back and sometimes I thought I'd made it up that I'd seen pelicans in central London. A few years ago, I made a special trip to St James's Park to check. I was over the moon to see that the pelicans were still there.

"For more than 60 years I thought I'd made it up that I'd seen pelicans in central London." Image: Londonist

One of your best loved poems is Chocolate Cake. Where in London serves the best chocolate cake?

RONI's in Muswell Hill sells delicious 'babka', which is a traditional Polish Jewish chocolate cake.

Where, for you, is the most poetic place in London?

As I was growing up, my mother's parents lived in Sandringham Road in Hackney. Whenever I'm in the roads round there, I get a wave of feeling of thinking of Bubbe (grandmother) taking me to the 'bag wash' or Zeyde (grandfather) taking me to Hackney Downs to meet his friends. That would have been in the 1950s.

Image: Poems on the Underground

When your poem London Fields was posted up on the London Underground, did you ever watch people reading it?

I only ever saw it once and I admit I did look around the carriage to see if people were reading it. Ahem...I don't think they were... ahem ahem.

Nice! Stories and Poems with Michael Rosen. The national tour kicks off on 4 May 2026 at the Rose Theatre. Kingston. Michael then makes various appearances in London throughout 2026, including a special free birthday event at Southbank Centre on 23 May.

Before newspapers, Londoners received much of their news from broadsides.

Before there was Instagram and TikTok, there were broadsides.

If you were a literate Londoner between the 16th and 19th centuries, chances are you'd have gleaned a lot of your news, advice, satire and gossip from broadsides — mass printed street lit that was liberally pasted up/dished out around town, often with a nice big image at the top to catch your attention.

The exhibition explores the phenomenon of broadsides as a form of all-encompassing media that was disseminated around London.

From these single-sided dispatches, Londoners learned of devastating fires, picked up new ballads, found out which criminals were most wanted — and even got tips on how to cure that embarrassing health issue that'd been nagging them. Infamously, broadsides were also sold at public executions.

A new, free exhibition at Guildhall Library, Broadsides: Speaking to the People, explores the phenomenon of this pre-newspaper format as an all-encompassing media that was disseminated around London, and available to folk of all classes.

As ever, Guildhall Library has dug deep into the archives to retrieve gem-like artefacts, including an account of a 'strange and wonderful' earthquake that struck the city in 1692 (it features marvellous little details, such as Spitalfields weavers' handiwork being ruined in the shaken-up looms) and another of a fire that ravaged the Tower of London in 1841, in which the Crown Jewels were passed out of a window by a daring police officer.

Love the highlighted 'cumbersome squirting engines'.

One thing that sets these broadsides apart from today's social media: they're notably more text heavy — well, unless you're comparing them to Truth posts from a certain President.

Speaking of which, Broadsides opens a few days after another free Guildhall exhibition gets going; America and London marks 250 years since the founding of the United States, with objects including letters dated 1775, sent to the City of London and acknowledging links between the City and America prior to the Declaration of Independence; and an order of service for the memorial for President John F Kennedy at St Paul's Cathedral on 1 December 1963.

Broadsides, Guildhall Library, 5 May-29 October 2026, free.
America and London, City of London Heritage Gallery, Guildhall Art Gallery, 2 May-29 October 2026, free.

Is it a Banksy? Yes, he's now confirmed it on his Instagram.

The satirical statue, which depicts a man marching off a precipice while blinded by a massive flag, appeared outside the Athenaeum Club on Waterloo Place on 29 April 2026.

The mocking of authority and easy symbolism smacks of Banksy and, indeed, the artist's name is at the base of the plinth. However, the artist took his time to confirm his handiwork, leading to much media and public speculation.

The work, which includes the plinth as well as the sculpture, is one of the largest bits of guerrilla art we've encountered in London. It's particularly impressive given the location in St James's, an area known for its posh shops and gentleman's clubs.

If you've been to Crystal Palace Park lately, you'll have noticed some big changes are afoot. What exactly is going on? And where's all the money for this coming from? Here's our brief explainer.

Crystal Palace Park is in the midst of a major renovation; this photo was taken early April 2026. Image: willnoble13

Remind me about Crystal Palace Park again?

Crystal Palace Park first opened as a public pleasure ground at the same time an enlarged version of the Crystal Palace was installed on this site in 1854 — swiftly turning the area into a major visitor attraction for off-the-clock Victorians.

Infamously, the Crystal Palace burned down in November 1936, and little of the structure remains. However, its sphinx-dotted steps and Italian Terraces (designed by Joseph Paxton, architect behind the Crystal Palace) set a unique — and somewhat eerie — scene across the north-west flank of the park.

What regeneration works are happening at Crystal Palace Park?

Wildflowers and grasses will soon explode around the Italian Terraces. Image: HTA

In spring 2024, a £17.5m regeneration project was announced (that number has since risen to £21.8m) as a joint venture by Bromley Council and the Crystal Palace Park Trust charity. Much of the work is being carried out by HTA Design, the folks who recently oversaw the Queen Elizabeth II Garden In Regent's Park.

Major steps include:

🌳 Restoration of the Italian Terraces (these are Grade II-listed), with repairs made to the walls. They'll also be planted up with wildflowers and grasses, and be given step-free access with a route running from the centre of the park up to Crystal Palace Parade, running just above the terraces. The terraces will be used more for events.

🌳  A brand new timber frame visitor centre is being built on the site of the old one. It'll have displays about the park's history, biodiversity and the like. There'll also be a community centre/cafe opened by the Rockhills Gate, near the entrance to the Crystal Palace transmitter mast.

🌳 General improvement of pathways, lighting and wayfinding.

What's happening with the Crystal Palace dinosaurs?

The Victorian dinosaurs are getting a steam clean. Image: HTA Design

Ah yes, the prized (if anatomically inaccurate) dinosaurs, as sculpted by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, and unveiled at the same time as the park (but not before a bunch of dignitaries had dinner inside one of them).

You'll be glad to know these are being well looked after: steam cleaned, excess paint removed, and their surrounding habitat/tidal lakes freshened up with paleo-inspired planting.

You still won't be able to play on/dine in any of these dinosaurs, however, a brand new dinosaur themed playground is up and running as of March 2026. It's perhaps not quite as one-the-nose 'Jurassic Park' as some kids might've hoped, however.

As of spring 2026, this — and all of the above regeneration — are in full swing. The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2026.

Where did all that money come from?

Two housing estates will be built on the fringes of the park. Image: Rockhill and Sydenham Villa Development

Councils/charities don't tend to have £20+m kicking about these days, so how did Bromley land all that wonga? While a £5m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund helped a little, what helped a lot more was Bromley Council's sale of two parcels of land at Rockhills and Sydenham Villas (see map above), where over 200 homes will be built. The wording is interesting; Bromley Council describes the sale of land adjacent to the park, whereas News Shopper says the land is in the park. Maybe that's splitting hairs. The bottom line is, if you want to spruce up your public park these days, you've got to build housing too.

What else has been renovated at Crystal Palace Park?

The sphinxes were repainted in 2016. Image: willnoble13

Quite a bit in the last decade, including a glow-up for the much-loved Crystal Palace Subway (now frequently used as a venue — even a pop-up comedy club); a project to 'Reboot the Rusty Laptop' (that is, the Ian Ritchie Architects-designed concert platform where gigs are played); and, back in 2016, repainting those magnificent sphinxes terracotta red.

Is Crystal Palace Park still open?

Yes, while regeneration is carried out, the park remains open — with the caveat that certain areas are fenced off/paths rerouted.

And what's going on with Crystal Palace National Sports Centre?

The Olympic pool (and diving boards as used by a young Jason Statham) is currently closed. Image: GLL

In the centre of Crystal Palace Park sits the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, a sizeable sports complex which is operated by Better, and features a LCC Architects Department-designed Olympic-sized swimming pool, along with an athletics track, which first opened in 1964.

However, some of the Grade II-listed Centre's infrastructure is somewhat dishevelled, and the pool — along with its brutalist diving boards, which were used by a young Jason Statham — have been closed since 2020.

Plans are afoot to breathe new life into the site, including new padel, tennis and basketball courts; five-a-side football pitches; and an overhaul of the pool and athletics stadium. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has pledged some £23m to see this project realised — with tentative reopening dates of 2028 (the main building), and 2030 (the stadium).

Though Crystal Palace National Sports Centre sits firmly inside Crystal Palace Park, this is a entirely different regeneration project, although the two projects are in 'regular consultation'.

Is the Crystal Palace Museum open?

The Crystal Palace Museum should reopen in spring 2026. Image: Robin Stott via CC BY-SA 2.0

Housed in a former lecture room for the Crystal Palace Company's School of Practical Engineering, the Crystal Palace Museum is a pint-sized treasury of models, photos and souvenirs of the doomed Crystal Palace, that's free to visit. Sadly, the museum suffered a fire in early 2025, and has been closed ever since. The good news: it's set to reopen in spring 2026.

Are they ever going to rebuild the Crystal Palace?

Such a scheme was suggested back in 2014, but plans never got off the ground. So in short: no, no they are not.

Sir David Attenborough at the premiere of Our Story with David Attenborough at the Natural History Museum in 2025. Image: Trustees of the Natural History Museum

TV presenter, conservationist and all-round national treasure Sir David Attenborough marks his 100th birthday on 8 May 2026. London's celebrating one of its favourite Londoners with these special events.

A Life On Our Planet at the Garden Cinema

Holborn's independent Garden Cinema screens 2020 documentary David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet throughout the first week of May. The one-off film sees the naturalist reflecting upon the changes he's seen on Planet Earth during his (then) 93 years. After each screening, a pre-recorded exclusive conversation between Sir David Attenborough and Sir Michael Palin is shown.

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet at the Garden Cinema, 1-7 May 2026.

Dress like David Attenborough

On the eve of David Attenborough's birthday, fans will congregate in Trafalgar Square at 6.15pm, dressed either as an animal or Dave himself, for a heartfelt rendition of Happy Birthday, plus "a few nature themed bangers". Hope you can still hit those high notes for The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

Sing Happy Birthday to Sir David in Trafalgar Square, free, 7 May 2026.

David Attenborough's 100 Years On Planet Earth at the Royal Albert Hall

The Royal Albert Hall marks Attenborough's centenary with David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth, a live event honouring his career in wildlife storytelling. The BBC Concert Orchestra performs live music from some of his programmes, with special guests from the world of conservation and wildlife filmmaking taking part to share their experiences of working with him (though note that the birthday boy himself won't be present).

David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth, 8 May 2026.

Sir David Attenborough at the Natural History Museum. © The Trustees of the NHM

David Attenborough's Bday Bash at Bethnal Green Working Men's Club

Such is Attenborough's wide appeal, his centenary is being celebrated from the concert halls of west London (above) to the historic clubs of the East End. Bethnal Green Working Men's Club is the unexpected venue for David Attenborough's Bday Bash, "a primal, stupid, cabaret-cum-clubnight... Think Natural History realness, randy mammals and jungle vibes".

Dig out your best safari costume and dance until the small hours, overseen by a cardboard cutout of Attenborough.

David Attenborough's Bday Bash at BGWMC, 8 May 2026.

David Attenborough tribute at Chelsea in Bloom 2026

Free flower festival Chelsea in Bloom returns in mid-May with a theme of "out of this world", incorporating a floral celebration of Attenborough's birthday.

We're promised "an enormous floral globe seen from space" on the King's Road — which we assume to mean a globe looking like what the Earth looks like from space, not that this particular installation will be big enough to be seen from space (not least because that would be an awful lot of flowers). Anyway, swing by the King's Road at the end of May to get a glimpse.

Chelsea in Bloom 2026, free, 18-24 May.

Our Story With David Attenborough getting the seal of approval from the man himeself. © The Trustees of the NHM

Our Story with David Attenborough at the Natural History Museum

Since June 2025, Sir David Attenborough's instantly recognisable tone has voiced the Natural History Museum's immersive experience, Our Story With David Attenborough.

Real-world footage is projected onto the walls in a 50-minute, 360° experience, beginning at the very start of planet Earth over four billion years ago and telling the story of how humankind evolved and came to change the world around us, from our impact on the great whales of the oceans to our relationship with one of our closest relatives, the gorillas.

Our Story With David Attenborough, until August 2026.

Westminster Cathedral will be bathed in moving colourscapes this summer. Image @RichMaciverPhoto

Westminster Cathedral shimmers with ethereal beauty when it's not even trying, but this summer the magic will be dialled up a notch, thanks to a light show from glow-up specialists, Luminiscence.

Between 1 July-27 September 2026, Luminiscence lands in the neo-Byzantine-style cathedral — a 360° projected light show, bathing the sacred space's windows, walls, pillars and ceiling in remarkable moving colourscapes.

Luminiscence has appeared at cathedrals from Belgium to Brazil.

Soundtracking the light show is the Lux Aeterna choir, performing live renditions of music from the likes of Beethoven, Verdi, Debussy, Vivaldi and Bach, alongside a specially-penned script narrated by Hugh Bonneville (hopefully not in "Yes. Right. Quite." Twenty Twenty Six mode, which would kill the mood somewhat).

Westminster Cathedral is not Luminiscence's first rodeo — it has already transformed sacred spaces the globe over, from Belgium to Brazil. Here's an appearance in Bordeaux:

We're told, however, that a unique highlight of London's show will digitally realise Westminster Cathedral's never-completed mosaic-adorned domes, offering audiences a glimpse into what might have been. That sounds pretty cool.

Light shows like this have become something of a fixture of London's grand buildings in the last decade or so; St Paul's Cathedral and the Royal Naval Collage among the other landmarks to be lit.

One thing to remember: the event is at Westminster Cathedral — the building consecrated in 1910, that's close to Victoria station — and not the nearby Westminster Abbey.

Luminiscence at Westminster Cathedral, 1 July-27 September 2026. Tickets from £32.50. For priority tickets, sign up to the waitlist.

Image: CAV Aerial

What is your favourite historic disinfecting centre?

You don't have one? Us neither. They are a forgotten part of early 20th century life, to the point where just one municipal disinfecting station remains in England. It's right here in Hackney, and it's now endangered.

Disinfecting centres were set up by local councils in the Victorian and Edwardian eras as hubs against infectious disease. In an age before vaccines, thousands died each year from smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever and even measles. 16 in every 100 births would end tragically, mostly caused by diseases that are preventable today.

The disinfecting centres were set up to steam-clean the homes and belongings of families exposed to such diseases, in a bid to limit contagion. In its first year, the Hackney disinfecting centre, on Millfields Road, Clapton, treated 2,800 homes. The site continued to be used for healthcare purposes through most of the 20th century, but it has stood empty and forgotten now for decades.

Rear view from above. Image: CAV Aerial

According to the Victorian Society, the Grade II-listed building is at serious risk from dereliction. It is campaigning for the site to be preserved "through a sensitive sale and reuse". It may not be architecturally distinguished, but the old disinfecting station is the last surviving example in the country. As such, it must be retained.

London Borough of Hackney emblem on the building, featuring St Augustine's Tower. Image: CAV Aerial

The building is one of ten — and the only London structure — to feature in the Victorian Society's Top 10 Endangered Buildings 2026. The full list, in chronological order, comprises:

• Former Library and Mechanics Institute, Devonport, 1843-44
• New Market Hall, Bridgnorth, 1855-1859
• Former Strand Railway Station and Railway Men’s Club, Barrow in Furness, 1863
• Parndon Hall, Harlow. Grade II, Possibly Joseph Clarke, 1867
• Faenol (Vaynol) Mausoleum, Pentir, late 1870s.
• Derby School of Art, Derby, 1876 with additions 1899
• Oakes School, Huddersfield, 1885
• St Michael’s RC Cemetery Chapel, Sheffield, 1898
• Hackney Borough Disinfecting Station, London, 1901
• Tees Transporter Bridge, Stockton-on-Tees/Middlesbrough, 1911

All weekend

Everyone's welcome at the Canalway Cavalcade. Photo: garryknight

BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND: This coming weekend (2-4 May) is the early May bank holiday weekend. We've compiled a guide to how to spend a bank holiday weekend in London, whatever the weather and whatever your budget. Join a walking tour, catch a screening at an indie cinema or simply find your nearest pub garden or rooftop bar.

KOREAN FOOD FESTIVAL: A four‑day Korean food market opens at Canopy Market (King's Cross) showcasing a curated selection of vendors including Kiwa, Bonbab, Deun Deun and Chickenhaus. Expect market‑style street food such as gimbap, tteokbokki, dak-galbi and Korean desserts, plus live music, performances and a small creative market. 1-4 May 2026

GRAND DESIGNS LIVE: On the precipice of a big renovation project, or just fantasising about your dream home or garden? Either way, you won't want to miss Grand Designs Live. Inspired by the hit Channel 4 series, it's packed with creative inspiration and practical advice. Highlights include talks on how lighting impacts wellbeing, as well as low-maintenance garden glow-ups, a cutting-edge show home, and the Flatpack World Championships. Our readers get two free tickets with code LDNGD26. 1-4 May (sponsor)

CANALWAY CAVALCADE: If you go down to the canal over the May Day bank holiday, you're in for a big surprise. Dozens of canal boats moor up in Little Venice for the Canalway Cavalcade, a vibrant festival with live music, children's activities and an illuminated boat parade. FREE, 2-4 May 2026

ZOO BIRTHDAY BASH: Part of ZSL's 200th anniversary, the Big Birthday Bash is a family-friendly street-party across London Zoo. Activities are split into four zones — Party Animals (performer-led sessions and live music), the Winning Zone (fairground-style games), Creation Station (craft activities) and the Birthday Banquet (food stalls; charges apply). Included in zoo entry fee. 2-4 May 2026

Migratory birds are celebrated in Barnes. Photo: African Activities

MIGRATION FESTIVAL: Join a three-day celebration of migratory birds and West African culture at WWT London in Barnes, with drumming, dance, storytelling, cookery sessions (including a Jollof class), guided bird walks and family activities. All activities are included with general admission, but some workshops have limited spaces, so sign up on arrival. 2-4 May 2026

LUCIAN FREUD: You've only got until Monday to see the National Portrait Gallery's exhibition of Lucian Freud's works on paper alongside selected paintings, including recent acquisitions and etchings from the artist’s estate. Until 4 May 2026

EALING BOOK FESTIVAL: The third Ealing Book Festival runs across the borough with a programme of talks, readings, a local authors' showcase, family sessions and guided walks. Names on the bill this weekend include Simon Jenkins, Stephen Mangan and Dan Cruickshank. 29 April-3 May 2026

TASTE OF SICILY: Escape to the Mediterranean this bank holiday weekend, without leaving London! SicilyFEST is back, offering traditional street food and Sicilian-inspired food and drink tastings and masterclasses, interlaced with live music from performers including singer-songwriter Serena Brancale. It all happens at Islington's Business Design Centre. 30 April-4 May 2026 (sponsor)

It's the first weekend of Skate 50 at Southbank Centre. Image: Jenna Selby, M Dabbadie, 2018.

SKATE 50: The Undercroft Skate Space at Southbank Centre is 50 this year, and the centre holds a special exhibition to celebrate. Skate 50 showcases documentary photographs and films of the space through the decades, as well as contributions from sound artist Beatrice Dillon and animator Sofia Negri. 30 April-21 June 2026

FROM JAPAN WITH LOVE: The Design Museum presents the first UK museum retrospective of Japanese designer and creative director NIGO, featuring over 700 objects from his personal collection, including a recreation of his teenage bedroom, ceramics made by NIGO and a life‑size glass tea house. 1 May-4 October 2026

BEATRIX POTTER: A charming new afternoon tea inspired by the works of Beatrix Potter is available at JW Marriott Grosvenor House in Mayfair to mark what would be the author's 160th birthday later this summer. Treats on the menu include Tom Kitten's Tangle (a white chocolate ball of yarn filled with elderflower mousse and wild strawberry compote), and Squirrel Nutkin's Harvest, a parsnip‑spiced cake with mascarpone cream and lemon curd, finished with a chocolate stalk. 1 May-November 2026

Today's events: Saturday 2 May

Explore an enchanted garden in north London

ENCHANTED GARDEN DAY: Head to Capel Manor Gardens in Enfield to step into a world of fairies. Children from a local primary school were involved in giving the venue's Fairy Forest a recent upgrade, using natural materials such as willow and tree bark. Enjoy a day of activities including a treasure hunt and trail, storytelling, crafts and face painting. 10am-3pm

BLACK HISTORY STEAM TRAIN: Board a 1950s engine for the Black History steam train tour, a nostalgic journey from London to Hampshire and back. The trip explores the legacy of Windrush pioneers and Black Second World War aircrew, featuring historical commentary and stops at vintage stations along the original ship-to-rail route. 10am-5.30pm

SPITALFIELDS TO STEPNEY GREEN: Open City hosts the Spitalfields to Stepney Green walking tour, exploring 500 years of East End immigration through its evolving architecture. Led by town planner Martin Scholar, the route takes in Georgian terraces, the vibrant heartland of Brick Lane, and the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, with a potential stop for a 'Crodough' at Rinkoffs Bakery. 10am-12pm

LONDON'S POSTAL FOOTSTEPS: The Postal Museum has launched a new series of walking tours celebrating the capital's postal past. Start near Bank station and join an expert guide for a wander past the sites of some of the first post offices, and to Postman’s Park, where touching tales of everyday heroism are memorialised. 11am

Take a stroll through the City's postal past © Royal Mail Group, courtesy of The Postal Museum

JAPANESE MARKET: Riverside East in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park hosts the second and final day of Yokimono Japanese Market, a vibrant showcase of traditional and contemporary culture. Browse a curated selection of unique crafts from artisan traders and sample authentic street food from independent makers in a lively riverside atmosphere. 11am-6pm

SONGS & STORIES: Multi-award-winning vocalist Ian Shaw hosts an intimate conversation and performance with master saxophonist Jean Toussaint at Ronnie Scott’s in Soho. Saturday Brunch explores Toussaint’s five-decade career, from his time with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers to his status as a pillar of the British scene. Enjoy a live narration of his musical journey alongside a selection from the venue's brunch menu. 11am

SHAKE THE HIGH ROAD: Independent music festival Shake The High Road takes over five venues in Leytonstone for a day of 20+ live music acts and DJs. Electronic producer and songwriter Gold Panda, and brass/jazz/hip hop musician Pan Amsterdam are among the headliners. All venues are within easy walking distance of each other and one wristband gets you access to all events. 12pm-2am

COMEDY CARNIVAL: The Cinema Museum in Kennington hosts Gemma & Robert Ross' Comedy Carnival, a full-day celebration of British comedy heritage. Expect rare archive clips, guest appearances from stars of Monty Python and the Carry On films, and a special rehearsed reading of the play Screaming Queens! to mark the centenary of Kenneth Williams. 12pm

AARDMAN IN CONCERT: Celebrate 50 Years of Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and friends at Aardman in Concert, taking place at Cadogan Hall. See clips of the characters shown on screen, accompanied by a live orchestra, culminating in a full performance of A Matter of Loaf and Death. If that sounds like your thing, the current Inside Aardman exhibition at the Young V&A will appeal too. 1pm/3.30pm

Aardman in Concert comes to Cadogan Hall ©️ Aardman

INCINERATION FESTIVAL: An extreme metal takeover of London returns to Camden, featuring 30 bands across five different stages. The Incineration Festival 2026 line-up includes Blood Fire Death, Grave, and Tomb Mold, with the Roundhouse main space serving as the central hub for the day's heavy billing. Tickets permit entry to all participating venues, including the Electric Ballroom and Underworld. 2.30pm

CHARITY MUSIC FESTIVAL: The Ivy House in Nunhead hosts the return of the Bowl Cut All-Dayer, a music fundraiser for mental health charity MIND. The eclectic line-up features indie outsiders Blue Bendy, French multi-instrumentalist Clémentine March, and local legend Lou Terry, alongside a charity raffle. 2.30pm-11pm

BIG BDAY WEEKEND: Dalston's Ridley Road Market Bar hosts Big Bday Weekend x Club Mix for a night of disco, 90s RnB, and house bangers. The venue channels a 1970s ski chalet with its retro wood-panelled walls and warm lighting, offering free entry before 10pm. 6pm-3am

ICE HOCKEY: Support your local women's team at the Alexandra Palace Ice Rink as the Haringey Greyhounds and the Solent Amazons face-off in a fast-paced league fixture. The evening is suitable for all ages, and if the match leaves you wanting time on the rink yourself, there's an hour-long ice disco scheduled immediately after the game. 6.30pm

MARIOKE: Signature Brew Blackhorse Road hosts a high-octane night of video game racing with Marioke: Mario Kart ft. Live 8-Piece Band. A live ensemble performs soundtracks and themes from the franchise while audience members are selected at random to compete for the Marioke Gold Cup on the big screen. Expect the music to speed up for the final lap as you navigate classic courses in this over-18s tournament. 7pm

FIESTA FLAMENCA: The London School of Flamenco brings Fiesta Flamenca to the Hackney Empire for a high-energy showcase of authentic Spanish dance and music. Over 100 performers, including students as young as four and professional artists from the UK and Spain, join special guest star Macarena Ramirez for a programme of dazzling short pieces and solo performances. 7.30pm

Fiesta Flamenca dances into Hackney Empire

PERIOD DRAMA: Performer Olga Kaleta brings her surreal dark comedy Period Drama to Jacksons Lane in Highgate. The episodic show explores mental health, identity and chronic anxiety through a feminist lens, blending autobiographical storytelling with bold physicality and slasher-flick tropes. 7.30pm

DANNY BAKER: Broadcaster and "unstoppable talking panjandrum" Danny Baker brings his latest show, Aye Aye! Ahoy Hoy!, to Blackheath Halls. Celebrating 50 years in show business, Baker promises two hours of indiscreet revelations and stories from his south London roots. 7.30pm

MARK STEEL: Multi award-winning writer and Radio 4 favourite Mark Steel performs his new stand-up tour, The Leopard in My House, at Soho Theatre Walthamstow. The show finds the veteran comedian using his trademark rapier wit and sharp political observations to navigate his recent battle with throat cancer. 7.30pm

FEELING GLOOMY: The Phoenix in Cavendish Square hosts a Pet Shop Boys: 40th Anniversary Special to mark four decades since the release of their debut album, Please. Dance to synth-pop classics like West End Girls and Suburbia alongside a curated selection of melancholic anthems from The Smiths, David Bowie and The Cure. 10pm-3am

QUEER HORROR NIGHTS: Dalston's Rio Cinema hosts a shadow cabaret screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, featuring a live cast of drag kings and queens performing alongside the cult classic. The strictly 18+ event includes a costume catwalk, participation party bags, and a pre-show gathering in the bar from 10.30pm. 11.30pm

Today's events: Sunday 3 May

All aboard at the Ruislip Lido Railway. Image: Mark Percy via CC BY-SA 2.0

RUISLIP LIDO RAILWAY: Choo choo! The Ruislip Lido Railway (which we're partial to riding ourselves) holds a Gala Weekend with two visiting locomotives, where the public can get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to keep the railway running. Visit the workshop and yard, sit in some of the locomotives on display, and — if you like what you see — find out about becoming a volunteer. 3-4 May 2026

BLACKHORSE BEER MILE: E17's vibrant stretch of independent breweries, wineries, and craft makers celebrates its fourth birthday with a multi-venue party at Signature Brew Blackhorse Road and neighbouring spots. Expect a day of live music, DJs and food pop-ups from ACME Fire Cult and Big Night, plus a stamp card challenge to earn a special edition glass. 12pm

BARTS NORTH WING TOUR: Explore two of England's most significant interiors at St Bartholomew's Hospital in West Smithfield. This Barts North Wing tour visits the Great Hall and the Hogarth Stair, featuring massive paintings by William Hogarth. Learn about the hospital's 18th century craftsmanship and the recent conservation work that has rejuvenated this Grade I listed building. 1pm-2pm

FASHION SHOW: The Horse Hospital in Bloomsbury hosts a unique runway show featuring over 100 bespoke garments created by 54 The Gate. The collection, showcased on a cobblestone catwalk, was crafted using clothing salvaged from The Contemporary Wardrobe Collection and is available to exchange for donations. GATE FASHION also features professional styling from the Horse Hospital Collective and a post-show celebration. 2pm-10pm

CHARITY SPORTS DAY: Greenwich pub Ye Olde Rose & Crown hosts The Annual Macmillan Charity Sports Day for a Sunday of competitive community fun. Teams of two can take on various challenges across the local park and the pub, including a messy session of blindfolded pie throwing, all to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. FREE, 2pm-11pm

Celebrate the Blackhorse Beer Mile

SIP AND PAINT: The London Art Bar in Holborn hosts a social painting workshop where you can recreate Monet's Le Grand Canal Venice. Led by a professional artist, the session encourages you to capture the light and colour of Venice with impressionistic brushstrokes while enjoying a glass of prosecco. All supplies including paint, brushes and aprons are provided, and you get to take your finished canvas home at the end of the afternoon. 3.30pm

NOVO QUARTET: The award-winning NOVO Quartet makes its debut at Conway Hall in Holborn with a programme entitled Complacency. Recently selected as BBC New Generation Artists, the ensemble performs works by Haydn, Beethoven— and Caroline Shaw's Haydn-inspired Entr'acte. 6.30pm-8.30pm

LAURA RAMOSO: German-Italian comedian and social media star Laura Ramoso brings The Calm Down Tour to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Known for her viral impressions of "German Mom" and "Italian Dad," the 2023 Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy performs a set of live sketches and characters. 7pm

HORRIBLE HERSTORIES: The Divine in Stoke Newington hosts the third edition of Horrible Herstories, a cabaret night that explores queer history with the "gaggy bits" left in. Resident historian HRH Aphrodite I and Hunter Gatherer lead a line-up of London's quirkiest kings and queens through foul facts and parody songs. 7.30pm

IAN SHAW: Record producer, broadcaster and multi-award-winning jazz vocalist Ian Shaw brings his engaging personality and "eye-watering" vocal range to the 606 Club in Chelsea. A twice-named BBC Jazz Awards Best Vocalist, Shaw is a witty showman and pianist who has toured from Canada to Australia. 8pm

ANTIC FOLLIES: King's Cross venue Jamboree hosts The Antic Follies Night of Cabaret! for a gritty, diabolical evening of entertainment. This "dirty alternative to Soho's glitz" features a mix of burlesque, comedy and live music, with Middle Eastern fusion food available from the kitchen before the show. 8.30pm

Today's events: Bank holiday Monday 4 May

Brixton Windmill holds a May Fest

LORD OF THE RINGS: Peter Jackson's extended editions of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King are shown as an epic full trilogy marathon at the Prince Charles Cinema, spanning about 11 hours — so that's most of bank holiday Monday taken care of. 10.30am

LATIN COLLECTIVE: The River Terrace at Somerset House is the venue for a day party with a Latin vibe — think Salsa and Bachata intro classes and various dance areas to show off your new skills, plus food and drink deals and live music. 12pm-1am

WINDMILL MAY FEST: Brixton Windmill marks May Day with an afternoon of seasonal folk traditions including live music from local bands, Morris dancing, and a visit from traditional May Day figure Jack in the Green. Kids can take part in maypole dancing and craft workshops, and refreshments are available from a variety of stalls and pop-ups. 1pm-5pm

BROCKWELL BARK: A community dog show on Brockwell Hall Lawn features costume categories and prizes, a Rescue Parade for rehomed pets, local food and drink stalls and dog-themed vegetable sculptures. Profits support the Blue Cross. You'll need to register your dog to take part in advance — otherwise, just turn up and enjoy the day. 2pm-5pm

SHERLOCK HOLMES: The Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park begins its 2026 season with Sherlock Holmes, a fresh adaptation featuring Conan Doyle's famous detective, which follows Holmes and Watson through a new conspiracy staged across Victorian London. Age 12+. 7.45pm (until 6 June 2026)

KASPAR HAUSER: Folk and chamber pop quintet Kaspar Hauser bring their blend of eerily dramatic music to the Ivy House in Nunhead, with support from avant-folk artist Brette Wolfe and cellist and composer Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi. 7pm

It's early days... but see the gardens now and watch them gradually bloom over time.

We take a look around the newly opened Queen Elizabeth II Gardens.

The first thing you notice: birdsong. The new garden is a natural amphitheatre, an open space encircled by mature trees. It's alive with tweets and trills; more so, it seems, than surrounding parts of Regent's Park. This alone would make the garden a special, but much more awaits...

Three and a half years on from the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her memorialisation begins in earnest. Work will soon start on a statue and walkway for St James's Park. Here, in Regent's Park, we get something more subtle in the ever-shifting shape of the QEII Garden.

The garden is built on the site of an old plant nursery. Until recently, this was a fenced-off part of the park, characterised by disused buildings and rafts of concrete. Here's the view, a few years old, in Google Earth...

Image: Google Earth

And today it looks like this:

At just two acres, this is a modest site, but the design and planting make the most of the space. A sinusoidal path curves around gravelly banks, all planted with species adapted to the warmer, wetter climate we might expect in future. The garden is also big on recycling. The entrance pergola — as yet untroubled by the wisteria and other climbers that will one day thrive — is recast from old greenhouse metal. The paths and even the beds reuse ground up concrete from the old site.

The main entrance leads immediately to a pond, inviting reflection in more ways than one.

"A garden of colour and contemplation, of biodiversity and beauty, of memory and hope," says the brochure, handed out to us keen visitors who attended on day one. It doesn't quite tick all of those boxes yet. The splashes of colour are numerous, but isolated. The biodiversity is something to grow into.

The garden will only come to full glory over years, as the plants put down deeper roots, thrive and settle in to their august home. It reminds me a little of the Olympic Park's first years, when the wilds still looked very tame and new. The QEII garden has a bit of a leg-up, with its perimeter of mature trees, but it still looks a trifle too fresh to fully realise the aspirational 'colour and contemplation'. That birdsong, though; it sings mightily the song of glories yet to come.

The water-tower features decorative ironmongery

The garden is best seen from the water tower, a feature of the old nursery that has been retained as a modest viewpoint. Its structure is draped with ironmongery, depicting the national plants (rose, leek, thistle, shamrock) of the four parts of Her Majesty's Kingdom.

The Commonwealth gets a nod or too, as well. Many of the plants are sourced from Commonwealth countries, and the metal pergola has 56 vertical supports — equal to the number of countries in the Commonwealth.

The pergola... lots of growing to be done.

The QEII garden is a lovely addition to Regent's Park, which will only surge in beauty as the years go on. If you're seeking horticultural spectacle, head a few hundred paces west for the rockeries and Queen Mary's Rose Garden. The garden of the most recently late Queen is more serene and subtle. Perch on one of the many, many benches, close your eyes, and just listen to those birds.

The north of the garden is left more 'wild' to encourage insects and invertebrates.

The Queen Elizabeth II Garden is open daily 9am-8pm. Entrance is free. It can be found north-west of the Broadwalk meets Chester Road. It's billed as a 'garden for everyone', which is true so long as you're not a dog.  Even corgis are banned.

International Telephone Exchange, London, John Cooper (Private collection), 1935.

"Grotesquely underrated and elbowed aside in the story of modern art." That's how Andrew Marr describes members of the East London Group — a coterie of painters who existed for a fleeting moment in the 1920s-40s, and yet produced enduring images of an East End that would change forever once bombs had rained down on it.

Grace Oscroft, Bryant & May's, Bow, E., undated, oil on canvas.

While painters who were part of the contemporaneous Bloomsbury Group like Vanessa Bell and Roger Fry were dedicated artists born into a certain amount of financial stability, the East London Group — who worked and presented together between 1928 and 1936, before losing their leading light John Albert Cooper in 1943 — consisted of members who hailed from ordinary professions and beginnings; Albert Turpin was a window cleaner. Henry Silk was basketmaker. Lillian Leahy was a window-dresser. (Although for balance, Phyllis Bray was the rebellious daughter of an aide to Czar Nicholas II's mother.)

Marian Square, Hackney, Albert Turpin (Private collection), 1952.

Marr writes in the introduction to a limited edition reissue of Artists of the East London Group: From Bow to Biennale, how the Group's work was often derided by sourpuss critics at the time as a 'dustbin on canvas' or 'pictures for narrow purses', but that didn't stop them from selling like hot cakes. "During the 15 years or so of its existence," writes David Buckman, "[the East London Group] received enormous coverage in specialist art periodicals and in the London, provincial and international press."

Hackney Empire, Albert Turpin (Private collection), 1958.

The Group enjoyed early success with shows at Whitechapel Art Gallery, followed by the National Gallery, Millbank (now Tate Britain). Many collectors were non-working class too; interesting given these paintings often reflected working class London: its pubs, factories — and a multitude of flat caps. "The Group's numerous collectors," says Buckman, "included the writer James Agate; composer, writer and painter Lord Berners; the artists Sir Gerald Kelly, Henry Lamb, Rosemary Peto and Gerald and Nora Summers; actor Charles Laughton and leading figures in public life and members of society such as Lady Emerald Cunard, Viscount D'Abernon, Sir Edward Marsh, Lord Radnor, the Duke of Rutland and Sir Michael Sadler."

Old Ford Road, Harold Steggles (Private collection), 1932.

Although certain artists from the group, such as Cooper, perished during the war, others continued for many years to come — including Phyllis Bray, who was married to Cooper, and first made Buckman aware of the Group. This in turn led Buckman to produce the first iteration of this book back in 2012, which did wonders in reigniting interest in the group, and spurring a series of new exhibitions.

Verger's House, Shoreditch, Albert Turpin (Private collection), 1954.

There's so much to love in these artworks: the stillness of empty Bow backstreets is as palpable as the buzz of a chaotic telephone exchange. The fact that, despite those wartime bombs, some of the settings (like that of the Salmon & Ball pub and Hackney Empire featured in this article) are still familiar to Londoners now. Some of these works could have been painted yesterday.

Salmon and Ball, Albert Turpin (Private collection), 1955.

Though London's unfussy E3 postcode was the central stomping ground of these artists, they played, says Buckman, a vital part in the development of early 20th century art across Britain, and even further afield.

An exclusive, limited edition reissue of Artists of the East London Group: From Bow to Biennale by David Buckman is published by Batsford on 14 May 2026.

Free things to do in London this week.

Between the Bridges reopens with free drinks. Photo: Luke Dyson

Catch the final days of this outdoor photography exhibition

You've got until Thursday to view The Living Neighbourhood, a free outdoor photo exhibition around Wembley Park featuring shots taken by photographer Chris Winter. He documented changes in the area for a decade between 2015 and 2025, and his photos cover architecture, ecology and human moments. Find them displayed across Olympic Way, Market Square and Wembley Park Boulevard.

Until 30 April.

Watch films for free in south London

The New Cross and Deptford Free Film Festival runs until Sunday, showing a variety of films for free, including Kinky Boots, Showgirls and Almost Famous. Venues include Little Nan's, Acme Studios and Deptford Junction,  with Telegraph Hill Upper Park hosting an outdoor screening of School of Rock for the festival's finale on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the nearby Herne Hill Free Film Festival gets underway on Monday, with a smattering of events this week before things ramp up next week.

Until 3 May.

Several venues around south London hold free film screenings this week

Watch a free lecture

London's full of wonderful institutions offering free public talks and lectures on a range of subjects. Here are a few which have caught our eye this week:

FRANKLIN'S ARCTIC EXPEDITION: Learn about the life of James Fitzjames, captain of the Erebus during Franklin's 1845 Arctic expedition, in a free talk at the Royal Geographical Society and online, given by historian Fabiënne Tetteroo. 27 April

AGATHA CHRISTIE: Curator Giorgia Maffioli Brigatti gives a free talk at V&A South Kensington about the history of Agatha Christie's Chest of Drawers. Learn about the Syrian craftsmanship of the novelist's mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture, specifically the traditional sunduq style. 28 April

OLD MASTERS: Arts Society lecturer Val Woodgate compares artwork by the Old Masters to modern art depicting the same subjects, in a free Guildhall Library talk (also available to watch online). 28 April

GEOMETRY OF TILING: Gresham College Professor of Geometry Alain Goriely delves into the patterns of tiles, including why geometric shapes with straight edges that fit together without gaps or overlaps, are common in human-made designs, while nature often favours soft or irregular patterns. 28 April

CATHERINE DICKENS: The Charles Dickens Museum hosts Professor of English Lillian Nayder to discuss the real-life connections and community of the women in the novelist's circle. She re-examines these figures beyond their fictionalised portraits to uncover the authentic bonds that existed between them. 30 April

LOST MUSIC VENUES: Join curator Harriet Reed at V&A South Kensington for a preview of the museum’s upcoming display celebrating the cultural impact of independent UK music spaces. Hear about grassroots venues from the 1980s to the 2010s, and their role as creative hubs for musicians and designers. 30 April

ISRAEL CONFLICT: The legal implications of the Israel-Palestine Conflict come under the microscope in Thursday's Gresham College lecture, which delves into topics including human rights cases being brought against Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government, and the legality of the blockade of Gaza by the IDF. 30 April

This week is your last chance to see Wembley Park's free photography exhibition.

Head to a free poetry open mic

On the last Thursday of each month, Walthamstow Trades Hall hosts Poems Not Bombs, a free poetry open mic night. Poets of all experience levels are welcome to get up and share their work. It's hosted by Paul McGrane from local poetry collective Forest Poets, and work on any topic is welcome. Not a poet? Anyone's welcome in the audience.

30 April.

Celebrate the return of this summer venue with a free drink

Initially, summer party venue Between the Bridges wasn't meant to reopen for the 2026 season. But things have changed, and the prime spot by the London Eye is returning from this Thursday.

Even better, the first 500 people through the gates for Thursday's (free) opening party will bag themselves a free drink to get the season started in style.

30 April.

Slurp a free foamy coffee...

There's a free foamy coffee with your name on it on Thursday.

Finnish plant-based brand Oddlygood is plugging its barista range of foamy coffees, by handing them out for free at a pop-up this Thursday. It's open from 8.30am-5.30pm at 67-68 Charlotte Road in Shoreditch. Hairstylist Tobias will also be there, sculpting selected bonces with modern mullets; for the chance of winning one of those, you'll need to enter this competition.

30 April.

... and then move on to a free beer

Pours of Peroni are on the house in Covent Garden's piazza.

Rock up at Covent Garden's piazza between Thursday and Saturday, and you'll find a Renaissance-inspired optical illusion artwork, which pours glasses of Peroni. What's more, said serves of magical Peroni are free. Which is more than you can say for a visit to the Trevi Fountain these days...

30 April-2 May.

Visit London's Sewing Machine Museum

On the first Saturday of most months, London's Sewing Machine Museum opens its doors to the public.

Step inside the Balham building to view a private collection of hundreds of sewing machines, and see how the technology within them has changed throughout time. Read about our visit for an idea of what to expect. Entry is free, though donations to the RNLI/Leukaemia Research are appreciated.

2 May.

Watch a free outdoor dance performance

Bell Square in Hounslow is getting summer ready, with a series of free outdoor performances, open to everyone. This Saturday, Vanhulle Dance Theatre perform ORB, a 22-minute ethereal dance duet combining explosive physicality, breath-taking partner work and martial arts-inspired movements. Performances at 1pm and 3pm.

2 May.

Head to the water for the Canalway Cavalcade

The Canalway Cavalcade sails into Little Venice. Image: garryknight via CC BY 2.0

The once-a-year Canalway Cavalcade takes over Little Venice for the May bank holiday weekend, with dozens of boats decked out in colourful flags and bunting. For those of us not lucky enough to have our own narrowboat, there's plenty of free entertainment on dry land, including live music, and activities to entertain children. If you can, stick around for Sunday evening, when the illuminated boat parade takes place after dark.

2-4 May.

Crack out the crayons in this World of Creativity

The only Crayon brand you can name (that's right, Crayola) sets up shop at OXO Gallery for a free, family-friendly experience for the May bank hol. Receiving their own Crayola passport, kids move through different zones, participating in creative challenges. Expect lots of colourful scribbling, for once, not all over your best living room wallpaper.

2-4 May.

Geri Halliwell's boots on display at an exhibition all about 1996, at Barbican. Image: Barbican Library

As the Barbican opens a new exhibition celebrating 1996, we also cast our gaze back 30 years to the big stories affecting London at the time.

The mid-90s have been much-celebrated as a time of optimism. Cold War over. Guitar bands dominating the charts. Britpop. Knebworth. Cool Britannia. Spice Girls. Jarvis Cocker 'mooning' at Michael Jackson. That Gazza goal at Euro 96. Three Lions on the Shirt. New Labour. Tories imploding after 17 years in power. etc. etc.

It wasn't all Champagne supernovas, though. The newspapers of the time paint a picture as troubling and scandal-filled as any other. Tube strikes, money woes, royal embarrassments... it's all so very familiar.

Below, we've pulled out one headline for each month of 1996 from the Evening Standard. Let's see how times have changed... or not.

January

Heavy snow was the least of Sarah Ferguson's problems in January 1996. Image: Richard Pennystan

Queen: I Won't Bail Out Fergie

Nothing to do with the Manchester United manager, or the future Black Eyed Peas singer. Rather, the Queen was refusing to help the errant Duchess of York, who reportedly had a seven-figure overdraft. Fergie and her creepy husband would divorce four months later after several years' separation.

30 years on: Still hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Also this month: Fergie wasn't the only one frozen out in January. Exceptionally heavy snow brought chaos to London's transport and schools.

February

Image: Matt Brown

London Wins Millennium

The capital "won its battle" to be the focus of Britain's Millennium celebrations, with Greenwich Peninsula earmarked as the prime location. Birmingham's NEC had been the other main contender, with a pre-Olympic Stratford and a surprise bid from Derby already ruled out. The idea of the Millennium Dome had not crystallised at this point.

30 years on: The celebrations came together in time (in more ways than one), despite a few serious hiccups along the way. The Dome and its year-long Millennium exhibition were widely judged to be an expensive flop, but the building did eventually spur major development of the peninsula. It's now a highly successful music venue and leisure destination.

Also this month: Several people were injured and the perpetrator killed when an IRA bomb exploded on a double-decker bus at Aldwych. The blast came just nine days after another bomb devastated South Quay in Docklands, killing two.

March

Mad Cow Disease's effect was a lasting one. Image: Screenroad

Beef Could be Banned Here

The BSE or Mad Cow Disease epidemic was one of the biggest stories of the mid-1990s. Over four million cattle were slaughtered in a bid to contain the disease, and 178 people lost their lives to the human variant. In 1996, Europe imposed a ban on the export of British beef, which lasted for a decade. As the Standard reported, this almost resulted in a complete ban on beef consumption in the UK as well.

30 years on: It's rare to hear anyone talk about Mad Cow Disease today. Meanwhile, the country's beef herd has steadily decreased in number over the decades, along with red-meat consumption.

Also this month: Legoland Windsor opened its somewhat spendy doors, just outside the capital. Meanwhile, Londoner Frank Bruno was knocked out by Mike Tyson to lose his heavyweight title, in what would be his last competitive fight.

April

Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson, knitted. Image: Matt Brown

Blair Demands London Mayor

The capital had been without top-tier government since Margaret Thatcher abolished the Greater London Council in 1986. Young whippersnapper Tony Blair promised to go one-better if Labour were to win the next General Election. He would not only set up a new Assembly, but also give London its first directly elected Mayor. "There is no coherent vision for London," he noted. "There is no sense of London on the move, of a capital city bursting with ideas, ready to go into action. It has strength. It has importance. It has history. But it lacks and yet urgently requires a galvanising, powerful vision of its future. For a vision there does need to be a voice."

30 years on: Labour won a landslide victory at the 1997 election, and made good on Blair's promise to give London an Assembly and Mayor. In 2000, Ken Livingstone became the first incumbent, in a continuation of his stewardship from the old GLC days. We've since had Boris Johnson and Sir Sadiq Khan.

Also this month: The three lead suspects in the murder of Stephen Lawrence were acquitted by a jury at the Central Criminal Court.

May

The 'Boris Island' plans from 2012.

£20 billion Island Airport Plan

Grappling with increasing demand for air travel and freight, the Commons Transport Committee started making positive noises about building a new airport in the London region. A leading suggestion was to construct new runways in the Thames Estuary, near the Isle of Sheppey. Passengers would check in at a terminal in East Tilbury, then take a 12-minute underground rail journey to reach the island airport. This was not the first such proposal. Notably, the government had pursued a watery airport at Maplin Sands near Southend in the 1970s.

30 years on: This is one of those bad ideas that, like Pennywise the Clown, comes back to terrorise each generation. Boris Johnson — himself no stranger to clown comparisons — would revive it in 2008, to much opposition. The current Government are now backing Heathrow expansion, but we're due another bout of estuary speculation any time now.

Also this month: It was revealed that a gang of thieves hijacked a freight train at Primrose Hill and stole crates of vintage wine in what the Standard dubbed The Great London Wine Train Robbery.

June

Image: Londonist

Deadline for Millennium

The Millennium itself was a deadline fixed in stone almost two thousand years ago, when someone decided to put Jesus at the heart of the calendar. The Millennium celebrations had to hit a number of much shorter-term deadlines to stay on track. The project almost derailed in early June 1996. Without private cash by the end of the week, the whole Greenwich extravaganza would be scrapped in favour of smaller celebrations in existing venues. Imagine: no Millennium Dome!

30 years later: The Government never did find private sponsorship, and instead threw tonnes and tonnes of lottery money into the development.

Also this month: England crashed out of Euro 96 after Gareth Southgate missed a penalty at the end of the semi-final against Germany. He'd be back. In the aftermath, 200 arrests were made following rioting in Trafalgar Square.

July

An historic pub with traditional piles of rubbish outside. Image: Matt Brown

London "This Stinking City"

Trevor Nunn, incoming Artistic Director of the National Theatre, had some rebarbative words about the West End. Complaining of stinking, litter-strewn streets, he asked: "Who of sound mind would pay money to visit such a repellent district in search of entertainment?". He also criticised "entirely unnecessary revivals" on the West End stage.

30 years later: It's hard to find objective information, but the streets around Leicester Square and Shaftesbury Avenue seem to have much less litter and stink than we remember from the 90s. (Though you can easily find clouds of piss-smell on an early Sunday stroll through the area.) West End revivals have certainly not slowed down, however.

Also this month: One person who was undeterred by the stinking West End was Tom Cruise. He turned up at Leicester Square to usher in the premiere of the first Mission: Impossible film (and was joined by the topical likes of Noel Gallagher and Robbie Williams). He's been back a few times since.

August

The interior of a 1983 stock Tube train, taken at Dollis Hill in December 1996. Image: John Glover, from this Londonist article

Prescott's Gin Sling Taunt Over Tube Strikes

The summer of 1996 was a rough time for Tube passengers. Some 2,500 drivers went on strike over pay and working hours, bringing the network to a halt on seven separate days. Labour's soon-to-be Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott waded into the row by accusing the (soon-to-be-ousted) transport minister John Bowis of "sitting in his garden drinking gin and tonic and doing nothing to end the strike". The dispute was eventually settled by arbitration... and everyone lived happily ever after.

30 years later: Wikipedia notes that 30 separate Tube strikes occurred between 2000 and 2008. In the period since then, we've had another 16... so things are clearly getting better. Aren't they?

Also this month: A hijacked jet with 200 people onboard was forced to land at Stansted Airport. All were later released unharmed.

September

That said... this was Old Street are recently as 2017. Image: Matt Brown

Tube Heading For Disaster?

More trouble in't Tubes. A leaked report to ministers raises fears that the London Underground is "heading for possible catastrophe". Chronic underinvestment has led to numerous potential points of failure. To pick just a few, parts of the Northern line signalling system, dating from the 1950s, was 'decaying', with raw wire exposed; Ladbroke Grove station's foundation were 'collapsing', causing walls to crack; platforms at Ruislip and Northolt were in danger of crumbling into the tracks; metal fatigue had caused several escalator steps to give way. It should be noted that the alarming report was compiled by London Underground managers, and circulated just before the Tory Party Conference in a bid to get more funding, so it may not have been entirely objective.

30 years later: The Tube saw much greater investment over the coming decades, particularly after the creation of Transport for London in 2000. Accidents due to poor maintenance are rare.

Also this month: Matthew Bourne's record-breaking production of Swan Lake makes its West End debut.

October

The fallout from the Bishopsgate bomb in April 1993. Image: markhillary via CC BY 2.0

New Warning of IRA Bombs

IRA bomb attacks on London were a grimly common occurrence through the 1970s, 80s and 90s. More than 50 people lost their lives in the capital, with many high profile sites such as the Tower of London and Harrods targeted. 1996 alone had seen six attacks, including a massive bomb at Canary Wharf that killed two and caused £100 million of damage. By October, Scotland Yard were warning of possible 'spectaculars' in the run up to Christmas.

30 years later: The predicted attacks never materialised, and IRA activity in London began to ease. The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 effectively ended hostilities, though smaller-scale attacks continued for a few years afterwards.

Also this month: David Brookes is fined £45 in Hampstead Magistrates' Court for disrupting the "quiet enjoyment" of the public by playing his bagpipes on Hampstead Heath.

November

Channel Tunnel trains ran into Waterloo at the time, as remembered in the 'Chunnel' sandwich bar on Upper Marsh. Image: Matt Brown

Tunnel Must Stay Closed

On 18 November 1996 a serious fire broke out inside the Channel Tunnel, about 11 miles from the French coast. Nobody was hurt, but some 500 metres of tunnel was badly damaged by the flames, which had started in an HGV aboard a freight train. The tunnel remained entirely closed for many days, and had to run on single track thereafter for weeks. It would only fully reopen in May of the following year.

30 years later: This wasn't to be the last fire in the tunnel. Others hit in 2006, 2008, 2012 and 2015. The 2008 fire also resulted in a lengthy closure and single-track running.

Also this month: The Spice Girls, who nobody had heard of a year before, switch on the Oxford Street Christmas lights.

December

The Golden Jubilee Bridges either side of the Hungerford Bridge. Image: PhilDaBirdMan, creative commons licence

Lottery's £10 million for New London Bridges

The mid-90s was a golden era for big projects. Not only was the Millennium approaching, with its pressing need to be marked in some way, but also the recent launch of the National Lottery had created a new source of funding for nice-to-have cultural baubles. In December 1996, the government announced that £8.1 million would go towards "two seaside-themed pedestrian bridges". These would eventually materialise as the Golden Jubilee Bridges in 2002, which never struck us as particularly seaside-themed before. In any case, the twin spans, either side of Hungerford Railway Bridge, were a joyous replacement for the woefully narrow predecessor.

The remaining £2m, contrary to the headline, was earmarked for nighttime illuminations in Croydon. "Up to 30 buildings will be illuminated, with large images projected onto them offering public information and linked to local radio broadcasts or performances at the Fairfield Halls."

30 years later: The Golden Jubilee Bridges are a much-appreciated link between Westminster and the South Bank, and still feel quite new despite approaching their quarter-century. The Croydon stuff never happened.

Also this month: Aberdeen Steak House — the high-profile West End chain now trading as Angus — announced a major pivot in the wake of the BSE epidemic. Two of their steak houses had given up meat altogether in favour of seafood, under the rebranded name of Maxine's Brasserie.

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A juicy line-up of events from late spring into early summer.

A World Tube Map

Get from Tibet to Canada without changing.

A Pretty Purple Walking Route Through London's Best Wisteria

A self-guided route in search of wisteria hysteria.

"Height Is Might": Behind The Scenes Of The Crystal Palace Mast

An engineer shows us around.

The Top Exhibitions To See In London: May 2026

From dinosaurs to metal beasts.

Part Of Old Smithfield Market To Become A Food Market

There'll also be a boutique hotel.

BBC Proms 2026: When Is It? How Do I Get Tickets? What Is Promming?

The greatest classical music festival in the world returns.

Image: BBC/Mark Allan

Win A Trip To Sydney, Vegas Or Dublin To Celebrate Flight Club's Billionth Dart

Bullseye! (sponsor)

Mapped: The Origins of the City of London's Street Names

Bit of an experiment...

Thelma & Louise Musical Comes To The Young Vic Later This Year

Convertible road movie converted to stage.

Hackney History Festival: A Month Of Walks, Talks And More

Some £3, some free.

Image: Ian S via CC BY-SA 2.0

Dozens Of Well-Dressed Dandies Saunter Through Central London In May

What Londoner doesn't like a good flan?

Image: Martin SoulStealer via creative commons

When Bermondsey Stank of Rotten Eggs

"Bad enough to knock a dog down."

Image: Doggo19292, Free Art Licence

Hackney's Getting A Dive Bar Festival

How very Hackney.

200 Years On: A Close Look At The Brunels' Thames Tunnel

The first tunnel under a major river... anywhere.

Looking Ahead: Things To Do In London This Week: 27 April-3 May 2026

Summer hangouts reopen, plus dark fairy tales and a skateboarding exhibition.

The Blackfriar in... Blackfriars. Image: Michael Slaughter

A gorgeous new book shows off ~250 of London's best pub interiors. It's quite the checklist.

Books about London's pubs are common as £7 pints in the West End. But a new volume from CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) will always get our attention. They know pubs better than anyone, and their new version of London's Real Heritage Pubs is even more than you might expect.

First published in 2008, and now consummately updated, the book is the definitive guide to those pubs that have historic interior character (spoilers: All Bar One does not feature).

The Warrington Hotel in Maida Vale. Image: Neil Pettigrew

Now, we can all name some of the likely inclusions: the Princess Louise, the Lamb, the Cheshire Cheese, the Blackfriar, etc. The central area is very well stocked with such places, many are famous, and all are included here. Where the book truly comes into its own, though, is its geographic diversity.

The Eastbrook in Dagenham. Image: Geoff Brandwood

CAMRA maintains a National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, which means they know about every pub in the country with an important interior. While most pub guides will give you a heap of central suggestions and a token smattering from the outer zones, this book is all-encompassing. You'll find as much emphasis on the likes of Teddington, Romford, Erith, Enfield and Beckenham as you will Covent Garden and Holborn.

The Blythe Hill Tavern in Forest Hill. Image: Rex Ward

Each of the 249 entries comes with a colour photograph, as well as a solid description of the pub and its interior. Entries are graded on a three-star system, so you can see at a glance how much of the original interior survives in authentic condition. These include not only the archetypal Victorian gin palaces, but also many 20th century interiors trapped in a timewarp. Like this, for example:

The Coach and Horses in Soho. Image: Michael Slaughter

Interspersed among the individual pub entries are a series of short essays that add depth to the topic. These include an analysis of the trend for pubs to paint their interiors 'gastro-grey', a section on Victorian drinking habits, and mini-biographies of pub designers like Sidney C. Clarke and Thomas Henry Nowell Parr.

The Flying Horse — the only pub on Oxford Street. Image: Michael Slaughter

The Festival Inn, Poplar. Image: Michael Slaughter

The Salisbury in Harringay. Image: Rex Ward

Any 'student of the pub' will want this book. Not only is it a fine heritage guide to the pub interior, but it's as robust a checklist of 'pubs you MUST see' as anything available.

London's Real Heritage Pubs, edited by Neil Pettigrew and Rex Ward is available now from CAMRA and in all good bookshops.

Holy Pop! opens at Somerset House in May. Photo: Hayley Louisa Brown

BANK HOLIDAYS: Monday 4 May is a bank holiday, as is Monday 25 May, so you may well be needing our guide to spending a bank holiday weekend in London. Fancy heading further afield? Our Beyond London section has plenty of ideas for day trips and weekends away from the capital, whether you're after rolling countryside, historic castles, seaside towns, quirky museums, family days out...

OPEN AIR CULTURE: As the weather (hopefully) improves, London's outdoor culture scene heats up. Time to reach for the suncream/umbrella, take a look at our guide to London's outdoor cinemas for summer 2026, and get booking to watch classic films and new releases on rooftops, in parks — and against some seriously impressive backdrops.

BLUEBELLS AND WISTERIA AND ROSES (OH MY): Out with the pink and in with the blue. The lilac hues usually crank up a notch towards the end of April and into May, as bluebell season takes hold. Here are the best places to find bluebells in and around London. Similarly, the bulk of #WisteriaHysteria should be in bloom in London throughout May, with the gorgeous purple (other shades available too) flowers draped over walls, fences and pagodas. Here's where to see London's wisteria at its finest. May is rose season too, and London has a fair few of the thorny flowers tucked away: these are our eight favourite rose gardens in London.

MUSIC FESTIVALS: London's music festival scene ramps up a notch this month, with Brixton, Crystal Palace, Hackney Wick, Camden and Brockwell Park among the neighbourhoods hosting. Browse the list and you're bound to find something to suit you.

KOREAN FOOD FESTIVAL: A four‑day Korean food market opens at Canopy Market, King's Cross, showcasing a curated roster of vendors including Kiwa, Bonbab, Deun Deun and Chickenhaus. Expect market‑style street food such as gimbap, tteokbokki, dak-galbi and Korean desserts, plus live music, performances and a small creative market. 1-4 May 2026

Celebrate 50 years of the studio at Aardman in Concert

SHAKE THE HIGH ROAD: Independent music festival Shake The High Road takes over five venues in Leytonstone for a day of 20+ live music acts and DJs. Electronic producer and songwriter Gold Panda, and brass/jazz/hip hop musician Pan Amsterdam are among the headliners. All venues are within easy walking distance of each other and one wristband gets you access to all events. 2 May 2026

AARDMAN IN CONCERT: Celebrate 50 Years of Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and friends at Aardman in Concert, taking place at Cadogan Hall. See clips of the characters shown on screen, accompanied by a live orchestra, culminating in a full performance of A Matter of Loaf and Death. If that sounds like your thing, the current Inside Aardman exhibition at the Young V&A will appeal too. 2 May 2026

BLACK HISTORY STEAM TRAIN: Organised by Black History Walks, take a day trip on a 1950s steam train, accompanied by historical commentary on the Windrush generation and Black aircrew of the Second World War. Board in London and travel to Hampshire and back, with three stops along the way. 2 May 2026

FIESTA FLAMENCA: The London School of Flamenco presents an evening of dance and music featuring over 100 performers, including special guest Macarena Ramirez. Expect a mix of professional artists and students — the youngest performers are just four years old — with musicians from Spain and the UK, and solo guest performances in the finale, all at Hackney Empire. 2 May 2026

BREAKIN' CONVENTION: Curated by Jonzi D, international hip hop dance festival Breakin' Convention brings international crews and choreographers to Sadler's Wells, including Rock Force Crew, ILL‑Abilities, Let It Happen, Lanre Malaolu and Compagnia Bellanda. The weekend also features Breakin' Convention Youth in the Lilian Baylis Studio, plus DJs, workshops and graffiti elements across the venue. 2-3 May 2026

Catch a show by the London School of Flamenco

CANALWAY CAVALCADE: If you go down to the canal over the May Day bank holiday, you're in for a big surprise. Dozens of canal boats moor up in Little Venice for the Canalway Cavalcade, a vibrant festival with live music, children's activities and an illuminated boat parade. FREE, 2-4 May 2026

MIGRATION FESTIVAL: Join a three-day celebration of migratory birds and West African culture at WWT London in Barnes, with drumming, dance, storytelling, cookery sessions (including a jollof class), guided bird walks and family activities. All activities are included with general admission; some workshops have limited spaces so sign up on arrival. 2-4 May 2026

PECKHAM FRINGE: Peckham Fringe returns across Theatre Peckham and Canada Water, marking Theatre Peckham's 40th anniversary. The full programme includes new writing, small-scale musicals, immersive theatre and spoken word from emerging artists. Highlights include Alex Wheatle's Witness, Pack It Up, Hello My Name Is… and Republic of Silence. 2 May-5 June 2026

SHERLOCK HOLMES: The Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park kicks off its 2026 season with Sherlock Holmes, a fresh adaptation featuring Conan Doyle's detective, and which follows Holmes and Watson through a new conspiracy staged across Victorian London. Age 12+. 2 May-6 June 2026

1536: Historical drama 1536 transfers to the West End from the Almeida. Set in Tudor England, it follows three women in rural Essex as royal and local rumours collide. 2 May-1 August 2026

London Wetland Centre hosts a Migration Festival

RUISLIP LIDO RAILWAY: Choo choo! The Ruislip Lido Railway (which we're partial to riding ourselves) holds a Gala Weekend with two visiting locomotives, where the public can get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to keep the railway running. Visit the workshop and yard, sit in some of the locomotives on display, and — if you like what you see — find out about becoming a volunteer. 3-4 May 2026

BROCKWELL BARK: A community dog show takes place on Brockwell Hall Lawn, featuring costume categories and prizes, a Rescue Parade for rehomed pets, local food and drink stalls and dog-themed vegetable sculptures. Profits support the Blue Cross. You'll need to register your dog to take part in advance — otherwise, just turn up and enjoy the day. 4 May 2026

BALLET MIXED BILL: Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, the all-male comedy ballet company famed for spoofing classical repertoire, perform a Mixed Bill at the Peacock Theatre. Expect technically precise dance combined with comic pastiche. 5-9 May 2026

ROYAL GUN SALUTE: 6 May marks three years since the coronation of King Charles III, an anniversary celebrated by a 41-round gun salute in Hyde Park — something to be aware of if you're in the area at midday. FREE, 6 May 2026

AFFORDABLE ART FAIR: The Affordable Art Fair pitches up in Hampstead, selling thousands of contemporary artworks with prices starting at £100, and 100 galleries from all over the world taking part. Painting classes, late-night openings and a pop-up rooftop bar with views across the Heath are on this year's schedule. 6-10 May 2026

Bow wow wow your way over to Brockwell Bark

FREIGHT BRIXTON: Claiming to be "London's biggest rooftop venue", new spot Freight Brixton opens its doors, with food available from several different kitchens, plus various bars, and a lively programme of music events, DJ nights and brunches scheduled throughout the summer. From 7 May 2026

AN IDEAL HUSBAND: Oscar Wilde's timeless comedy An Ideal Husband is staged at the Lyric Hammersmith in a new production. The play follows Sir Robert Chiltern as his spotless reputation is threatened by the devious Mrs Cheveley. 7 May-6 June 2026

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: The Royal Albert Hall celebrates Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday with live event 100 Years On Planet Earth. Watch dramatic wildlife stories, accompanied by live music from Attenborough's programmes, alongside spoken reflections from public figures and leading advocates for the natural world. 8 May 2026

SOUND BITES: Music and food festival Sound Bites comes to Syon Park with a mix of street food traders, chef demo stages, pop‑up kitchens and live music. Performers scheduled include Ricky Wilson and Natasha Hamilton, with daytime family-friendly feasting leading into headline DJ and band sets in the evening. 8-9 May 2026

CERAMIC ART LONDON: Organised by the Craft Potters Association of Great Britain, Ceramic Art London brings together 120+ exhibitors from around the world to showcase and sell their ceramic artworks at Olympia London. 8-10 May 2026

Freight Brixton opens in time for summer.

DULWICH FESTIVAL: A celebration of art and culture in the local area, Dulwich Festival has an impressive programme as always, spanning live music, author talks, guided walks and family events culminating in the ever-popular Goose Green fair. 8-17 May 2026

FOOTBALL SHIRT EXHIBITION: London Jersey Gallery stages a pop-up exhibition at the Islington Council LDP Office — not far from Emirates Stadium — exploring Arsenal FC’s history through its shirts, curated by Abdul Rashid Zakari. The display brings together historic kits to show how design, supporter culture and memorable eras have evolved. FREE, 8-31 May 2026

EQUUS: Peter Shaffer's EQUUS is at the Menier Chocolate Factory, directed by Lindsay Posner and presented in co-production with Theatre Royal Bath. The play follows psychiatrist Martin Dysart as he investigates a teenager who has blinded horses. The production contains nudity. 8 May-4 July 2026

HOT SAUCE FESTIVAL: How hot is too hot for you? Find out at the Hot Sauce Festival in Peckham, where hundreds of small-batch sauces from dozens of traders are available to try and buy, along with live music, games, street food — and a bar for those all-important, palate-cleansing drinks. 9-10 May 2026

Sound Bites in Syon Park combines excellent food with live music

HENRY MOORE: Renowned artist Henry Moore's work is shown in new exhibition Monumental Nature, taking place across Kew Gardens. It spans 30 outdoor sculptures and an indoor display at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery featuring more than 90 smaller works, including drawings, models and sketchbooks. A family trail and sensory activity guide are available too. 9 May-January 2027

PUPPET FESTIVAL: One of those unique London events we love, the Covent Garden May Fayre & Puppet Festival is back. It celebrates the first recorded production of a Mr Punch show, as seen/recorded by Samuel Pepys in Covent Garden in 1662, and draws puppeteers from all over the country for a procession, church service, shows, stalls and workshops. FREE, 10 May 2026

LONDON HAT WALK: Watch (or join) a group of people parading their most magnificent headwear. The London Hat Walk is all about showing off your headwear and making new friends, following a route along the river from Tate Modern towards Tower Bridge. Anyone's welcome to take part... as long as you're wearing a hat! FREE, 10 May 2026

KING'S TRUST CELEBRATION: Hosted by Ant and Dec, this one-night event at the Royal Albert Hall marks The King's Trust's 50th anniversary with music, comedy and awards. An all-star line-up including Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Sir Rod Stewart, Rita Ora, Ronnie Wood, Anne‑Marie and Craig David will perform as young award winners are celebrated. 11 May 2026

LONDON CRAFT WEEK: Watches? Tick. Lamps? Of course. Calligraphy? Naturally. Find out about some of the more unusual things being made here in the capital at London Craft Week. Workshops, demonstrations, talks and workshop tours feature in the impressively large programme, showcasing the handiwork of London's makers. 11-17 May 2026

Celebrate all things Punch & Judy in Covent Garden © Ned Dyke-Coomes

CARE: Alexander Zeldin's play Care, about a single mother, two pre-teens and their grandmother runs at the Young Vic. Zeldin directs his own work, which deals with ageing, loss — and contains strong language and depictions of death. 11 May-11 July 2026

FESTIVAL OF WORDS: Fleet Street Quarter's Festival of Words returns, with more than 40 events around the area on the theme 'The Age of Wisdom and Foolishness'. Sir Ben Okri, Hanif Kureishi, Jojo Moyes, Tim Wu, Lady Brenda Hale and James Graham are among the big names taking part in author conversations, journalism panels, podcast recordings, breakfast briefings and family workshops. 12-16 May 2026

FUTURE OF FOOD: Regent Street and the surrounding area once again holds the Future of Food Festival, spanning supper clubs, chef collabs, masterclasses and an outdoor banquet — all with a focus on sustainability in the food chain. 12-24 May 2026

KOREAN DANCE FESTIVAL: The Korean Cultural Centre UK and The Place in Euston collaborate for the ninth edition of A Festival of Korean Dance. Catch a double bill of new work by returning favourites Korea National Contemporary Dance Company (KNCDC), including the latest piece from Olivier Award-nominated choreographer Young-doo Jung. Also on the programme: 99 Art Company's double bill contemplating grief, sorrow and resilience; and Ryu and Friends' UK debut, 11-strong ensemble piece GRAVITY, a cosmic spectacle about extraterrestrial matter. 13-30 May 2026 (sponsor)

SAMSON ET DALILA: Composer Camille Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila is at the Royal Opera House, with members of the Royal Ballet and Opera performing a new take on the biblical story of a leader whose passion for passion for Dalila leads to a conflict with deadly consequences. 13 May-30 June 2025

CROYDON AIRPORT: Londonist editor Will Noble is at Croydon's Braithwaite Hall, talking about the era when Croydon was the centre of the universe, thanks to its Airport, a place Hollywood stars, royalty, record breakers and politicians poured in and out of. Access to the Museum of Croydon's Forge: Industries of Croydon exhibition is from from 6.30pm, with the talk starting at 7pm. 14 May 2026

WIMBLEDON ART FAIR: More than 180 artists exhibit at Wimbledon Art Fair, giving you a chance to purchase artworks directly from their creators. There's also a rare opportunity to go inside artists' studios, and live music and a bar on launch night. FREE ENTRY, 14-17 May 2026

Champion sustainability at the Future of Food Festival

PRINT FAIR: The London Original Print Fair returns to Somerset House with 40+ galleries exhibiting, exclusive print launches, plus talks and live demonstrations of printmaking techniques. The programme covers prints from old masters to contemporary artists, with featured works by Rembrandt, Dürer, Picasso, Matisse, Miró, Hockney, Freud, Emin, Riley and Rego. 14-17 May 2026

RARE BOOKS: Books, original manuscripts, letters and rare items are all for sale at the annual Firsts: London's Rare Book Fair. Taking place at Chelsea's Saatchi Gallery, this year it has a theme of 'Revolution', tying in with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence, as well as a chance to purchase rare and unique tomes. 14-17 May 2026

LONDON COFFEE FESTIVAL: Get your fill of caffeine and then some, at the London Coffee Festival, a four-day programme of tastings, demos, competitions, shopping and more at The Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. 14-17 May 2026

DOLLSHOUSE FESTIVAL: Experience life in miniature at the Kensington Dollshouse Festival. 130 top miniaturists from multiple countries exhibit and sell their works for anyone looking to kit out their own dolls house, plus there are displays, kids' activities and more. An ideal day out if you enjoy feeling like Gulliver in Lilliput. 15-16 May 2026

HIGHWAYS COUNTRY FESTIVAL: Country and Americana artists are at the forefront of Highways Festival, taking place at the Royal Albert Hall. Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, and Emmylou Harris give headline performances this year. 15-17 May 2026

Sample international cuisine at Camberwell Food Festival

CHEAM CHARTER FAIR: Rumour has it that the Cheam Charter Fair dates back to 1259 — though even the modern-day organisers can't verify that. Either way, head to the London-Surrey border for a traditional fair of stalls, kicked off with a procession at 9am. FREE ENTRY, 16 May 2026

CAMBERWELL FOOD FESTIVAL: Eat around the world at the annual Camberwell Food Festival on Camberwell Green with street food from across the globe, live music, local breweries and wine tasting, arts and craft stalls, a community lunch and family-friendly workshops. 16 May 2026

FA CUP FINAL: The Men's FA Cup Final plays out at Wembley on Saturday 16 May, when either Man City or Southampton face Chelsea or Leeds. The Women play a couple of weeks later, on Sunday 31 May, with either Liverpool or Brighton facing Chelsea or Man City. If you can't get tickets, check out our guide on the best footy pubs and bars. 16 May (Men's) and 31 May (Women's)

EUROVISION FINAL: The 2026 Eurovision final takes place in Vienna, but if you aren't lucky enough to be heading to Austria, swing by one of these London venues screening all the Eurovision action. Expect glitter, confetti, singalongs and as much cheesiness as is physically possible — Eurovision isn't to be taken lightly! 16 May 2026

MOONWALK: Sign up to take part in the 30th anniversary of the London Moonwalk on Clapham Common, raising money for breast cancer charities. Walk 10k, 15.1 miles or 26.2 miles at night, with decorated bras and themed outfits very much encouraged. 16-17 May 2026

EUROPEAN WRITERS' FESTIVAL: Leading and debut writers from across Europe gather at the British Library for the European Writers' Festival, with panels and readings on subjects such as love, war, nature, crime and memoir. Headliners include Nino Haratischwili and Vincenzo Latronico. Attend in person, or watch the events via livestream. 16-17 May 2026

The heart-wrenching War Horse trots back onto the London stage. Image: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

WAR HORSE: The National Theatre's much-lauded (and rightly so) production of Michael Morpurgo's novel War Horse returns home to the Olivier Theatre, telling the story of one boy's attempts to find his beloved horse Joey when they are separated at the outbreak of the First World War. Mesmerising puppetry is used to depict the equine star of the show. 16 May-30 July 2026

RISING VOICES: A new exhibition at the V&A South Kensington, in collaboration with the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Rising Voices presents contemporary work from across the Asia Pacific. Foregrounding First Nations perspectives, the exhibition features rare works by more than 40 artists. From 16 May 2026

REGENCY GARDEN SOIREE: Live out your Bridgerton dreams! L'Inviti String Quartet performs classical arrangements of contemporary pop and film themes in The Nash Conservatory at Kew Gardens. Enjoy a welcome drink at Kew Palace before a 65-minute programme featuring reworked songs by Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and others. 17 May 2026

GRAND FLANEUR WALK: 'A celebration of the pure, the immutable and the pointless, taken by the bold, the adventurous and the inebriated' is how organisers describe the Grand Flaneur Walk, a stroll without purpose, with participants wearing their finest dandy, flaneur or fop outfits — think top hats, handlebar moustaches, pocket squares, pocket watches, the works! FREE, 17 May 2026

PINT OF SCIENCE: The best ideas happen in the pub, especially at Pint of Science, a festival of research and discovery running across London's locals. Learn about everything from particle physics to how AI is changing our lives, as over 150 scientists share their research in the informal setting of a pub. And at just £5 a ticket it's a cheap round! 18-20 May (sponsor)

CHELSEA AND BELGRAVIA IN BLOOM: While the Chelsea Flower Show takes place at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, two FREE themed festivals spread out into nearby neighbourhoods. Chelsea in Bloom 2026 adopts an 'Out Of This World' theme, incorporating a nod to Sir David Attenborough in the month of his 100th birthday, while Belgravia in Bloom 2026 is themed on fairy tales. In both neighbourhoods, shops, restaurants and cafes install large-scale colourful floral displays outside, which everyone can view for free. FREE, 18-24 May 2026

Gentleman Jack gets the Northern Ballet treatment

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW: A highlight for any green-fingered Londoner, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show takes over the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, with gardeners from all over the country showing off their work; stalls where you can buy flowers and plants to take home; and a chance to pick up tips from gardening experts. On the last day, many of the plants are sold off at reduced prices, making for interesting scenes of palm trees and the like being lugged home on the Tube. 19-23 May 2026

GENTLEMAN JACK: Forget Suranne Jones swishing around in long black overcoat: Northern Ballet brings Anne Lister's life to the stage in a new Gentleman Jack ballet at Sadler's Wells. The piece follows Lister — often called 'Gentleman Jack' — drawing on her decoded diaries to explore her relationships and defiant life in 19th century Yorkshire. 19-23 May 2026

HIGH SOCIETY: Call The Midwife star Helen George stars in Barbican Theatre's big Summer production, High Society, about a socialite who's about to remarry her ex-husband at the wedding of the year. Felicity Kendal also stars. 19 May-11 July 2026

THE PODCAST SHOW: Make a podcast? Want to make a podcast? The Podcast Show is the place for you, featuring live podcast stage shows, 150+ speakers, panel sessions, networking events and more — all taking place at the Business Design Centre in Islington. 20-21 May 2026

BEETLEJUICE: Tim-Burton-film-turned-Broadway-musical-extravaganza Beetlejuice lands in the West End, telling the tale of Lydia Deetz — a strange teenager sharing her home with a pair of newly-deads and the demonic 'ghost with the most', Beetlejuice. From 20 May 2026

Holy Pop! opens at Somerset House. Photo: Luca Cruz Cahn

CRIMINAL: A 400-year historical exhibition at The Museum of Homelessness in Finsbury Park opens a new exhibition exploring the criminalisation of homelessness and acts of resistance dating back 400 years. New work by 10Foot, Gemma Lees, Matt Bonner, Spelling Mistakes Cost Lives and Surfing Sofas is shown in Criminal: An Untold History of Homelessness, Resistance and Survival, alongside historical material. 21 May-25 July 2026

HOLY POP: Lively new exhibition Holy Pop! at Somerset House explores contemporary shrines — the objects, collections and domestic displays people use to honour heroes, celebrities and cult figures. Set across three rooms in the Terrace Rooms, the exhibition highlights items connected to Princess Diana, Andy Warhol, Prince and Harry Potter's Dobby, and includes Nina Simone's chewing gum as an example of how everyday objects can become artefacts of devotion. 21 May-19 August 2026

WHISTLER AT TATE BRITAIN: 150 works of art by James McNeill Whistler go on display at Tate Britain, on loan from the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Perhaps best known among the pieces is Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (aka Portrait of the Artist's Mother/Whistler's Mother), shown alongside Whistler's notebooks, self-portraits and large canvases, including his soupy depictions of the industrialised Thames. 21 May-27 September 2026

MCM COMIC CON: Dust off your cape — MCM Comic Con is back at Excel London. Guest stars include Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk  from TV show Firefly, Dylan Llewellyn (the "wee English fella" from Derry Girls) and Barry Gordon (who voiced Donatello in the original animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Meet them and other famous faces, along with author talks, costume competitions and more. 22-24 May 2026

JURASSIC OCEANS: Get to know the marine reptiles that once ruled the seas — pliosaurs, ichthyosaurs and the mighty mosasaur — through fossils, hands-on objects and interactive displays at the Natural History Museum's new exhibition, Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep. Touch a mosasaur tooth, feel a replica shark's skin and explore bite-sized science. From 22 May 2026

Dive into Jurassic Oceans. Image: Trustees of the NHM London

THE BIG BAHOOEY: Try juggling, plate spinning or wire walking; dance at a silent disco; or belt out a tune at the singalongs — just some of the entertainment on offer at the family-friendly Big Bahooey festival in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace over the late May bank holiday weekend. Even better, it's included in palace admission. 23-25 May 2026

FOODIES FESTIVAL: Head to Syon Park for Foodies Festival, a three-day celebration of all things edible (and quaffable), with a side of live music. Pixie Lott, The Wanted and Scouting For Girls are among the performers, with live demos by celebrity chefs, street food and artisan markets, kids' cookery sessions, pop-up bars and more. 23-25 May 2026

LONDON RIVERS WEEK: Back for its 10th anniversary, London Rivers Week invites Londoners to celebrate, explore, and help restore the city's rivers. This year's theme is Know Your Local River, with a programme of river walks, talks and cultural events encouraging people to protect their closest waterway. 23-30 May 2026

GREENWICH DOG SHOW: All dogs, big and small, well-behaved or wonderfully mischievous are welcome to take part in the Greenwich Dog Show in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College. Competition categories include waggiest tail, glorious golden oldie and cutest pup. FREE (but ticketed), 24 May 2026

OPERA HOLLAND PARK: Another of our favourite outdoor cultural events in London, Opera Holland Park's summer season gets under way in May. First on the programme is Puccini's Gold Rush drama La fanciulla del West, about a manhunt in the lawless 19th century Sierra Nevada. From 26 May 2026>

Adrian Lukis reprises his role as Mr Wickham

UNITY CUP: Charlton Athletic's The Valley stadium hosts the Unity Cup, an international football tournament celebrating AfroCentric and global diaspora communities, featuring teams from Nigeria, Jamaica, Zimbabwe and India. 26-30 May 2026

THE P WORD: Waleed Akhtar's Olivier Award-winning play The P Word returns to Bush Theatre, following Zafar, who seeks asylum after fleeing homophobic persecution in Pakistan, and Bilal, a Londoner navigating race, desire and loneliness. 28 May-27 June 2026

BEING MR WICKHAM: Adrian Lukis reprises his BBC role as George Wickham in a one‑man play that revisits the roguish Pride & Prejudice character on the eve of his 60th birthday. The one-off, 70‑minute performance at the Garrick Theatre offers Wickham's take on events involving Darcy, Lizzie and Waterloo. 31 May 2026

MAY HALF TERM: The final week of May, running into June, is May half term, when the kids are off school. Check out our May half term events guide, for plenty of ways to keep them entertained.

London exhibitions and shows closing in May 2026

Last chance to see Punchdrunk show LANDER 23. Photo: Lottie Amor

A few things are closing this month too. May 2026 is your last chance to see:

SAMURAI: Samurai at the British Museum examines the material culture and visual identity of Japan's warrior class, and its changing role across the centuries, with armour, helmets, swords and related objects on display. Until 4 May 2026. The museum's Hawai'i exhibition also closes this month. Until 25 May 2026

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION: See over 300 winning and shortlisted images from the past year across the East and West Wings of Somerset House at the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition. Until 4 May 2026

LUCIAN FREUD: The National Portrait Gallery shows a survey of Lucian Freud’s drawings alongside a selection of paintings, tracing his practice from the 1930s to the early 21st century. The exhibition includes 12 works newly acquired from Freud's estate, etchings and pieces featuring Bella Freud, as well as archive material and previously unseen works. Until 4 May 2026

HUGH BONNEVILLE: Hugh Bonneville plays C.S. Lewis opposite Maggie Siff as Joy Davidman in Shadowlands, based on a true story about an unexpected love that upends the Narnia author's life. Until 9 May 2026

Step back into the Belle Epoque at A Mirrored Monet. Photo: Pamela Raith Photography

A MIRRORED MONET: Set in the Paris of 1916, musical A Mirrored Monet follows Claude Monet as he wrestles to finish The Water Lilies. The piece uses music and projections to recreate Belle Époque cafés and studios. See it at the Charing Cross Theatre. Until 9 May 2026

I'M SORRY, PRIME MINISTER: Political satire I'm Sorry, Prime Minister stars Griff Rhys Jones as Jim Hacker and Clive Francis as Sir Humphrey Appleby in the age of being cancelled, at the Apollo Theatre. Until 9 May 2026

SEEDS OF EXCHANGE: Garden Museum exhibition Seeds of Exchange examines botanical exchange between Canton (Guangzhou) and London in the late 18th century, displaying a collection of Chinese botanical art and research for the first time in Britain since it was commissioned 235 years ago. Until 10 May 2026

PUNCHDRUNK: Punchdrunk's latest real-world immersive experience LANDER 23 comes to a close in Woolwich. Teams of four launch into an alien city, split into Drivers and Fields and communicate using live audio. Missions last around 90 minutes including briefing. Until 20 May 2026

MAKERS FROM JAPAN: Japan House in Kensington's free exhibition Hyakkō: 100+ Makers from Japan is a celebration of contemporary Japanese craft with works in clay, glass, wood, metal, leather and bamboo. FREE, until 10 May 2026

Last chance to view Water Pantanal Fire © Lalo de Almeida

CUCKOO'S NEST: The Old Vic stages an adaptation of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, exploring institutional power and themes of colonialism. Until 23 May 2026

DRACULA: Wicked actress Cynthia Erivo stars in a one-woman reimagining of Bram Stoker’s Dracula at the Noël Coward Theatre. Erivo plays 23 roles in a visually bold production that includes theatrical blood, flashing lights and other intense effects. Until 30 May 2026

ANCIENT GREASE: An unofficial parody of the musical Grease is at The Vaults in Waterloo, setting the action in Ancient Greece rather than 1950s American. Ancient Grease (see what they did there?) takes place in Olympus Academy, where the Alphas and Omegas are the studs, and Zeus and Hera spend a fateful summer night together, which leaves Hera with a big decision to make. Until 31 May 2026

WATER PANTANAL FIRE: A free photography exhibition by Lalo de Almeida and Luciano Candisani, Water Pantanal Fire at the Science Museum displays more than 60 images contrasting the Pantanal's rich wildlife with the drought and wildfire damage threatening the region. FREE, until 31 May 2026

CATHERINE OPIE: Photographic portraits by the American artist Catherine Opie are on display at the National Portrait Gallery, the first major museum exhibition of her work in the UK. Works featured in the exhibition span her first big artwork, Being and Having (1991), her portraits of LGBTQ+ friends inspired by court painter Hans Holbein, and her Baroque-like portraits of artists. Until 31 May 2026

STUBBS: The works of visionary British painter George Stubbs — best known for his portrait of racehorse Scrub — are collected together in a free display at the National Gallery. It shines a spotlight on the 18 months Stubbs spent studying and drawing the anatomy of horses in the 1750s. FREE, until 31 May 2026

This feature first appeared in May 2025 on Londonist: Time Machine, our much-praised history newsletter. To be the first to read new history features like this, sign up for free here.

Image: Matt Brown

I have a sooty finger. This historic grime issued from a steam engine several lifetimes ago. After clinging to the wall for the entire 20th century, and beyond, the erstwhile coal-motes have now hitched a ride on my digit. Their fate is to be washed down the sink of the Mayflower pub an hour later.

That was a bit naughty of me. The black stuff came from the Thames Tunnel or, more specifically, the immense southern shaft that once led down to this cross-river burrow. It is a Grade II*-listed structure of international significance, and I just removed a microgram of its inky patina. My apologies.

The Thames Tunnel is a curious beast. At 366 metres, it must be among the longest London structures to feature in Historic England’s database. With 16 trains per hour passing through the tunnel on the Windrush line, it’s also one of the most-visited. And yet very few people ever see it. Not properly. We can gain only saccadic snatches of brickwork through the train windows, or get the merest teaser from the platforms at either end.

This is a shame. The Thames Tunnel was the first tunnel under a navigable river anywhere in the world when it opened in 1843. We’re all familiar with the clichéd phrase ‘marvel of Victorian engineering’, but the design and early construction predate that reign. Work began in 1825 — exactly 200 years ago at the time of writing — making it a marvel of Georgian engineering. Behold:

OK, I *did* manage to get a proper eyeful during a rare track closure in 2014. Image: Matt Brown

The one place where you can get a just notion of this exceptional structure is the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe. This small museum is named after Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel — father and son — whose 18-year struggle to get the tunnel built is worthy of a whole book, never-mind a short feature. The museum holds many treasures connected to the tunnel, including commemorative objects from the time of its opening. You can spend a very pleasant hour in here, reading up on the history.

A Thames Tunnel commemorative flask, as spotted in the museum. Image: Matt Brown

The museum’s biggest treasure, however, is the tunnel shaft. This enormous void was hewn from the London clay two centuries ago as a starting point for the tunnel. Entrance to the museum gets you access to the shaft. If I were to compile a book called 100 Incredible London Spaces That Everyone Should Experience, then this room would be one of the first to go into my research spreadsheet.

The museum was recently kind enough to offer a tour of the shaft to Londonist: Time Machine subscribers. They even let us take drinks down into that tamed abyss.

The first revelation was the temperature. (Not the drinks; the shaft.) It’s cold. Our visit came on one of the hottest days of the year, but this Stygian realm is permanently cool. A modern staircase winds gently down to the floor of the shaft. Access is much improved from my first visit, a decade or more ago, when visitors had to stoop through a hatch onto ad hoc scaffolding to reach basecamp.

You can read the history of this place on the walls. Image: Matt Brown

The room has a subtle damp-dusty smell, though it is not as noticeable as you might expect from such a space. Soot coats the walls. The railway line was electrified as early as 1913, meaning much of this grime was deposited before living memory. Diagonal bands also climb the walls, the ghosts of Victorian staircases, long since removed.

Other senses are stirred in this place. Every few minutes, a deep rumble comes from below. We stand immediately above the Windrush line. The concrete floor was only installed around 2010, during works to reinforce the tunnel for the launch of the ‘Overground’ network. Without these works, the shaft would still be off-limits.

As part of our special Londonist: Time Machine tour, museum volunteer Andrea Vasel gave a sparkling talk about the tunnel’s history. There was much to impart…

Image: Matt Brown

The Brunels (mostly Marc) took 18 years to build the tunnel. It was a fiendishly difficult task. Nobody had ever undertaken such a project before. No blueprint or best practice existed. Every step was an experiment. Marc Brunel, as chief engineer, sold the project on his moveable tunnelling shield. This circular structure, placed at the tunnel head, would protect the diggers from collapse. In theory.

Before any sideways shovelling could happen, though, Brunel had first to dig the shaft. This was also accomplished through a novel technique. Brunel built an iron ring 15 metres in diameter. He then loaded it with weights to the tune of 1,000 tonnes. The whole structure gradually sank into the soft clay like a giant’s pastry cutter. The result is sometimes celebrated as ‘the world’s first caisson’.

Once the shaft innards had been excavated, work began on the tunnel proper.

The tunnelling shield (to the right) in action. A detailed model of the shield can be seen inside the museum. Image: Public domain

This was the tricky bit. The challenges were enormous. The tunnel was only an errant spade’s thrust beneath the riverbed, and water intrusion was a constant menace. This was a time when sewage and industrial byproducts were dumped routinely and comprehensively into the Thames. The filthy water gave off choking, potentially explosive fumes, and many men suffered from its effects.

The constant dribbles and drips were an irritant, but rapid inundation was the real fear. In May 1827, part of the roof caved in at the tunnel head — by this point about half way across the river. The excavation was entirely flooded within 12 minutes. Fortunately, all workers were able to escape without loss of life. The tunnel was patched up by diving bell, pumped clear of water, and work soon resumed.

January 1828 brought a graver incident. This time, water gushed in at such a rate that the gas lamps were extinguished and all workers were swept along in the dark towards the tunnel shaft. Six men lost their lives, and the 22-year-old Isambard K. Brunel was lucky to not be among them.

The Brunel Museum, features a mural showing the tunnelling shield used by the Brunels. This shot was taken around a decade ago, before that Monkey Puzzle grew to the point where it obscures the mural. Image: Matt Brown

Despite these perils, the tunnel became a visitor attraction even during its construction. 600-800 people per day ventured down into the construction site, each paying a shilling. Among them was Dom Miguel, heir to the throne of Portugal. His Royal Highness inspected the works just days before the fatal tunnel collapse of 1828.

The Thames Tunnel was finally complete in 1841, after further floods, fires and financial woes. It was a testament not only to 19th century engineering, but also the grit and determination of Marc Brunel and his team. It would take a further two years to fit out the tunnel for public use. These latter works included construction of a pump house at the southern end, to deal with the constant water intrusion. Its chimney remains a landmark in Rotherhithe today, and that building is now the Brunel Museum.

The tunnel opened with great ceremony on 25 March 1843. Among the dignitaries were many household names, some of whom we still recognise today. Michael Faraday was there, as was computer pioneer Charles Babbage. John Rennie the Younger, too. 20 years earlier, Rennie had built the adjacent river crossing of London Bridge following the plans of his late father — another familial team to span the Thames. Ahead of all of them in the procession was the recently knighted Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, the man whose vision and tenacity had seen the project through. He would later be eclipsed in fame by his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel, but this day belonged to Marc. “The ladies flocked round all sides to do honour to him,” reported the Morning Post.

Marc Brunel. A hit with the ladies, apparently. Image: Public domain

The structure was dubbed the ‘eighth wonder of the world’, because newspapers had lazy journalists even back then. It proved enormously popular in its early years, attracting millions of penny-paying visitors. The Brunels had intended it to be a road tunnel for horse-drawn traffic. Hence, it had been constructed as two separate tunnels to allow vehicles to move in opposite flows. The costs of building suitable ramps proved prohibitive, however, and the tunnel was used only by pedestrians, who would descend and ascend in the Rotherhithe shaft, and its near-twin on the north bank.

A somewhat sanitised illustration of the tunnel from sometime in the mid-19th century. Image: Public domain

The twin tunnels were interconnected by arches in many places, seen in the image above. These were soon occupied by stalls and booths in the manner of a marketplace. The experience was widely advertised as “The fair at Thames Tunnel,” and it seems to have been quite a draw. An item in the syndicated press of 1844 neatly sets the scene, and also introduces me to the excellent word ‘bijouterie’:

“The various archways, or recesses, of which there are upwards of sixty, were occupied by a number of elegant little stalls for the sale of articles of bijouterie, confectionary, &c. Not the least curious amongst these subaqueous establishments was one professing to be a newspaper office, in which a number of men were striking off impressions of “The Royal Thames Tunnel Paper, printed 78 ft. below high water mark".

The tunnel also featured various grottos, amusement stalls and live performances, including a “thirty inch dwarf” menaced by two boa constrictors. “The dwarf appearing to rely for safety upon his being too insignificant to attract the animals' notice,” reassured the Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper.

American writer William Allen Drew, who visited a few years later, reported: “…all sorts of contrivances to get your money, from Egyptian necromancers and fortune-tellers to dancing monkeys.” Rampant commercialisation of public spaces is nothing new, though nowadays we eschew the snakes and simian sambas.

The tunnel’s reputation as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ gradually diminished, as surely as Brunel’s giant cookie-cutter had once sank into the Thames-side clay. The tunnel became known for prostitution, and muggings were reported.

From 1865, the route was converted to rail use by Sir John Hawkshaw. (An oft-overlooked engineer, who worked on many important rail projects and is commemorated in the best way possible… a namesake pub within Cannon Street Station.)

The northern shaft became the entrance to Wapping station, and you can still walk down its staircase today. The southern shaft was used only for steam venting, with Rotherhithe station built a little to the south. It’s had some major work done to it since, including the 2010 installation of the concrete raft. But the structure, in appearance, would still be recognisable to the men who built it.

During their 18-year slog to complete the Thames Tunnel, the Brunels could scarcely have imagined that their perilous burrowing would find its greatest application 200 years in the future. The Thames Tunnel is today used by more people than at any point in the past two centuries. An estimated 60,000 people pass through this space every single day on Windrush line trains. It carries the equivalent of the entire 1825 population of London every four weeks. That’s the nature of major engineering projects. They often pay their greatest dividends years, decades or even centuries after their early problems have been forgotten (cough, HS2, cough).

So Happy 200th sort-of-birthday to the Thames Tunnel, and well done to Marc and Isambard Brunel. I take my hat off to you.

IK Brunel, probably aware there’s a camera on him.

Visit the Brunel Museum to see many wonders connected to the tunnel, and to visit the southern shaft.

Thelma & Louise pulls into London, with a musical score by Neko Case, this September.

You could fill a book with retro hit movies featuring cars, that've gone on to become West End stage plays.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Back to the Future. And now, fresh from learning that Glengarry Glen Ross is to be respun with an all-woman cast at the Old Vic, its across-the-road sister theatre, the Young Vic announces, that Thelma & Louise — Callie Khouri's Oscar and Golden-Globe-winning road movie about two women on the run in a 1966 Thunderbird convertible — will be, well, converted, into a stage show.

Starring Amy Lennox and Rachel Tucker as the inseparable friends who throw off the shackles of male-dominated life for the weekend — only to have it pursue them with a vengeance across state lines — the brand-new musical adaptation is scored by Neko Case, and directed by Trip Cullman. "The politics of the original film feel more relevant than ever," say the musical's creators.

Presumably they've got a workaround for writing off a Ford Thunderbird every night of the run.

Thelma & Louise, Young Vic, 3 September-24 October 2026.

The Crystal Palace mast from a lesser-viewed angle.

Paul Mellers possesses some seriously sought-after keys.

Not only does the Arqiva engineer wield a set giving him access to the BT Tower, he also has the keys to the Eiffel Tower-esque mast that looms 219 metres over Crystal Palace.

"It's the structure that touches most people in this country"

This Latin crest in front of the transmitter station translates as "Whatsoever", a motto adopted by the BBC in 1934.

Crystal Palace is inextricably — if coincidently — intertwined with entertainment for the masses. For just shy of 80 years, the Crystal Palace — a glassy leisure centre packed with all sorts of cultural and scientific goodies  — drew in funseekers from far and wide. All of that ended on the night of 30 November 1936, when a rampant blaze brought the structure crashing to the ground.

Two decades later, a second landmark would rise from the ashes of the Crystal Palace (the site of its old aquarium to be exact). But while the Palace had entertained around six million people during its lifetime, this new structure — despite being fenced off from the public — had the clout to entertain more than that in any given second.

The Crystal Palace transmitter mast is, as Paul Mellers puts it, "the structure that touches most people in this country." And that's a stone cold fact; the various signals transmitted from here reach 11 million — some 16% of the British population.

"Height is might"

"My job is engineering for TV, FM, DAB, AM radio... I cover London and the south east": Paul Mellers in Crystal Palace's transmission station.

In the years leading up to Crystal Palace's fire, John Logie Baird operated a small television studio here, although it was only ever experimental, and the pictures, by all accounts, were weak. Television only seriously took flight with the live broadcast of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in June 1953 (insert boilerplate boomer memories of everyone in the street crowding into the one living room with a television set).

The BBC was the sole broadcaster at the time, initially transmitting from (and producing shows at) Alexandra Palace in north London. Realising it required a more powerful mast — capable of reaching a surging number of homes — the Beeb headed for higher ground, namely at Crystal Palace. "Even though it's nowhere near as tall as the Shard, if you were to climb up and stick your head out the top, you do look down on the Shard," says Paul. "Height is might".

The tower structure nearing completion in the mid 1950s. Image: Arqiva

Commissioned by the BBC, and assembled by BICC Public Limited Company (now Balfour Beatty), the mast was erected between 1955 and 1956. Gladly, the undertaking was recorded for documentary The Phoenix Tower, providing butterfly-inducing shots of topless labourers piecing together the oversized Meccano set from a giddy height.

Sometimes referred to as the 'Crystal Paris' owing to its resemblance to the Eiffel Tower, the Crystal Palace transmitter mast was built the way it was, because tethering it with guy wires wasn't an option. Hemmed in by a reservoir, a busy road and a steep slope, on-site space was limited. "They wouldn't have built it in this way unless they absolutely had to," says Paul, "and they did absolutely have to." And so a London icon was built out of necessity.

Blueprints for the mast stashed away in a drawer. Image: Arqiva

There's no proof of it, but Paul reckons the blueprints of the Parisian landmark must've been studied by BICC: "I'd be shocked if they didn't". As for the blueprints of Crystal Palace's mast; Paul pulls out a drawer in a small archive cupboard, and allows me a glimpse.

Though the BBC had the mast built in the first instance, the advent of colour TV shook things up, forcing the BBC and its newish rival ITV to share the transmitting space. "The government basically said 'OK, you two competing entities,'" says Meller, "start playing nicely, and move in together!'"

ITV built an extension onto the side of BBC's existing transmitting station, got its own set of keys cut (Paul still has both BBC and ITV keys), and became next door neighbours — it sounds like the setup to a 1950s version of W1A.

'Electrical plumbing'

The original 1950s transmitter hall. The equipment has since been updated a number of times. Image: Arqiva

In its early days, the transmission halls were overseen by dozens of full-time engineers — most in shirts and ties, many with cigarettes dangling from their lips — fiddling with dials on chunky bits of broadcasting equipment.

That's long changed, with Arqiva — the latest incarnation of the original engineering company — running the show with a scaled-down workforce. 100% of British TV is broadcast from Arqiva's 1,400 UK sites, as well as 90% of radio. Paul oversees a large proportion of that himself: "My job is engineering for TV, FM, DAB, AM radio... I cover London and the south-east," he says, "And we've got about a dozen people taking care of 130-odd broadcast sites, of which this is just one."

Watching daytime TV is a perk of the job.

"People still deserve to be educated, informed and entertained"

A perpetual buzz rings out through the transmitting halls, packed with transmitter equipment (whatever you do, don't call the mast itself a 'transmitter'). TVs showing QVC and Bargain Hunt are dotted around at intervals, but don't think Paul gets to watch daytime TV/listen to daytime radio for a living. The viewing pleasure of millions relies on him. "Essentially all the TV signals for the whole country come in on a fibre," explains Paul, "and that carries an awful lot of data. Our job then is to turn that into what is essentially a radio/TV signal."

TV-wise, all the stations from around the country have their signals knitted together into six multiplexes. The BBC has one multiplex. ITV and Channel 4 have one together. Public service broadcasters (including BBC, ITV, Channels 4 and 5) have one for their HD channels. There are also three fully commercial multiplexes (one owned by SDN, two by Arqiva itself). "We take care of the engineering for all the companies, even though there are competitors in that space," says Paul.

The kind of workplace where you really need to know what you're doing.

The output from multiplexes are then converged into increasingly large pipelines ("electrical plumbing" as Paul describes it), which grow thicker and thicker in girth, eventually channeled to cylinders at the top of the mast, which spread the signals far and wide. (The nearby Croydon transmitter was erected in 1962, and now transmits a handful of FM stations, as well as serving as a backup for Crystal Palace.)

Paul must ensure the smooth running of all the equipment; checking, dusting, tweaking. Stickers on the multiplexes bluntly remind him just how many people are counting on him. At the flick of a switch, he could shut down all transmission: it is the remote control to end all remote controls.  

The girthiest lengths of 'electrical plumbing' are warm to the touch, purely from the amount of radio frequency passing through them.

In 2012, the Crystal Palace mast was bathed in a colourful lightshow to mark the digital switchover; a technology that's cheaper to run, and allows more diversity. Explains Paul, "The DAB technology allows the broadcasters to run multiple flavours of their radio station, so Heart, Heart 80s, Heart 70s, Heart Christmas... just like that.

"In theory we could take a DIY DJ in his bedroom to a national audience by the end of the day."

The transmitter station may no longer be run by the BBC, but Paul holds true the traditional Reithian values: "There has been some debate about the future of Freeview," he says. "Arqiva have invested in the future — we've put our money where our mouths are. I used to install smart meters before this. I've been into people's homes, and there's people out there budgeting for the price of a stamp. People who couldn't offer me biscuits because they couldn't afford them.

"I don't want to be making those people subscribe to the internet just to watch TV, when they deserve to be educated, informed and entertained as they did previously."

"It appears on bottles of local gin"

Various sections of the mast are rented out by phone companies, the police, the coastguard, taxi companies, energy companies, and City traders after a millisecond head-start to secure deals worth extra millions.

We emerge outside, directly below the mast, to appreciate its latticed form set against fortuitously blue skies. It makes you shudder to think that just a couple of years after it was built, three young men decided to scale this thing, tying a shirt to the top of it as a makeshift flag. One of them apparently came down looking "a bit green".

Up close, you also appreciate just how useful this 'climbing frame' structure is. It cost 10 times more to build it this way than it would have a normal mast. But it's certainly made up for that; various sections of the mast are rented out by phone companies, the police, the coastguard, taxi companies, energy companies, and City traders after a millisecond head-start, to secure deals worth extra millions. A prime piece of broadcasting real estate, even the lower-down sections are relatively sky high.

"There's a point where it enters the local culture." Image: Antenna Gin

It's surprisingly difficult to find examples of anyone badmouthing the mast as an eyesore when it went up in the 1950s. Perhaps everyone simply loved it from the start, and has continued to do so ever since.

"I love this site particularly because of the way that it touches the locals," says Paul, "There's a point where it enters the local culture. It becomes a homing beacon.

"Business use it for their iconography. You've got Antenna Gin. You've got the Transmitter Knitters. I don't think I can speak for all their personal interests but I'm going to go out on a limb and say they've got no interest in broadcasting infrastructure..."

Paul Mellers jokes that he keeps asking to climb the mast, but hasn't been allowed to yet.

Even the local wildlife is a fan, peregrine falcons establishing their nests in the latticed framework. They go largely undisturbed by humans, too, because everything here is designed from an engineering perspective to keep people on the ground. The mast is inspected once a year, repainted every now and again, and apart from that, left largely unclimbed.

Even Paul has never scaled it himself. "I keep asking," he smiles.

Yet despite being out of bounds to the general public — even its own engineer — Crystal Palace's mast has grown into a bigger icon than the very Crystal Palace that stood here before it.

All images by Londonist, unless otherwise stated.

The sun's on its way — time to make for the nearest dingy bar!

You know your borough's got rizz when it announces it's hosting a full-blown dive bar festival. So, naturally, Hackney's only just gone and done just that.

Hackney Altfest — described as 'London’s first dive bar festival' — will take over Mare Street, Morning Lane and Lower Clapton Road from Monday 4 May-Sunday 10 May 2026, celebrating the neighbourhood's glut of alternative venues — known for their underground music, alt decor and value drinks deals.

Here are a few things going down on the Dive Bar Mile that week:

🥃 Trippy Tuesdays: Absinthe Drink + Draw @ The Absinthe Parlour (5 May): Sip on the green fairy while sketching surreal still lifes with a guiding hand from Devil’s Botany. Tickets

🥃 £4 Pints All Night @ Blondies (6 May): Which beers are a fiver, we're unsure of, but Blondie's do brew their own, so it might well be a notch or two above a Pabst Blue Ribbon. And even if it is a Pabst, colour us interested. Free entry, just show up.

A dive bar classic, although ironically photographed in a London dive bar not in Hackney. Image: Londonist

🥃 Free tacos @ Easy 8 (7 May): At least they're free for the first 50 festival card stamps when a drink is bought at 'Mare Street's Original Dive Bar'. They definitely have Pabst here, btw. Just show up.

🥃  Zebulon + Outback, followed by metal DJs @ Helgi's (8 May): Hailing from heavy metal-obsessed Norway, Zebulon headline this decibel-raising night of live sounds, with a DJ chaser running till the small hours. Tickets

🥃 Heavy metal pub quiz @ Saint Monday Brewery (10 May): Know your Zebulon from your Outback? Then this pub quiz is probably for you — and even if it's not, we can vouch for the top-notch beers/vegan food at this London Fields brewery. Free, just show up.

Of course, if you can't make it to Hackney this particular week, the dive bars aren't going anywhere — and you can soak up their value beers/deafening music/exquisite dankness some other time.

Hackney Altfest, 4-10 May 2026, across Hackney.

Tibet to Canada without changing? It can be done on the World Tube Map.

Over 300 languages are spoken in London, a city that is steeped in diversity.

And what better way to represent this, than with a World Tube Map — a country's flag represented at each stop (plus a few religions), contingent on ethnic neighbourhoods & commercial hubs; landmarks & associations; and restaurants/bars. To name a handful:

🇬🇷 Tottenham Court Road: That'll be the Parthenon Sculptures at the British Museum.
🇨🇭Piccadilly Circus: Everyone's favourite glockenspiel clock.
🇯🇵 Holland Park: despite its name, this spot is better known for its Japanese garden.
🇬🇪 Highbury & Islington: the nearby Tbilisi restaurant is home to the best khachapuri this side of Georgia.
🇨🇳 Kew Gardens: Though designed by a Swedish-born architect in England, Kew Gardens' Great Pagoda takes its cue from China.
🇮🇷 East Finchley, Finchley Central, West Finchley: lots of Iranian heritage in this part of town.

"Every time I walked somewhere new, I would notice restaurants, bakeries, and religious buildings — it was a never‑ending discovery."

The World Tube Map is the idea of map maker Arcangelo Martiello, who's behind the Easy Tube Map website. "I was inspired by London's incredible diversity and the way multiple layers of migration have shaped the city," Arcangelo tells Londonist. "Every time I walked somewhere new, I would notice restaurants, bakeries and religious buildings — it was a never‑ending discovery. I wanted to design a map that reflects that richness, celebrating multicultural London through ethnic neighbourhoods, landmarks, and restaurants at every stop, for people of all national, racial and religious backgrounds."

As for Archangelo's favourite stop on the map? "It's difficult to say, but maybe St Peter's & Old Little Italy (Farringdon). It made me reflect on the Italians who arrived in London long before me, even though it has now mostly disappeared. It was also a special place to visit when my mum and my sister came to London."

Check out the full map on the Easy Tube Map website. There's also a centralised map with a handy slider here.

All images: easytubemap.com

Find more information on wisteria season in London here.

This house on Bedford Gardens pairs purple wisteria with a pink front door.

Want to see wisteria in London, but don't know where to start?

We've put together this self-guided walking route around some of the capital's most wonderful wisteria spots, taking in the picturesquely purple streets of Notting Hill, Kensington and Chelsea. This is a selection of the most impressive wisteria; you'll see plenty more as you wander around.

By the way, you don't have to do the whole route in one (or at all) as it's fairly long. Dip in and out as you please.

We walked the following route and took these photos on 21 April 2026. Wisteria hysteria is a fleeting season, so we can't guarantee it'll still be looking as bountiful when you visit (and if you're reading this in a future year, bear in mind that wisteria season can vary depending on the weather, so check it's in bloom before you set out).

Note: Many of the spots listed are private houses, so be considerate to residents, and if you choose to take photos, please do so respectfully. We've not included exact addresses, but the pins on the map are fairly accurate, so you should be able to find them easily enough. Just look for the cloud of lilac when you turn into the street.

Route to see London's best wisteria

Begin at Notting Hill Gate. Take Exit 3 out of the station, and walk five minutes via Pembridge Road and Ladbroke Road to:

1. Wisteria at Horbury Mews

The building at the end of this short, cobbled mews street is lightly dappled with wisteria; you'll see it as soon as you enter the street. (Note in April 2026: building work is taking place at a couple of houses within the small mews, so take care around vans and scaffolding).

From Horbury Mews, double back to Notting Hill Gate to cross the main road and head towards Campden Hill Road. For the most aesthetically-pleasing route, cross straight in front of you and head down Farmer Street, turning right onto Hillgate Place, then follow it right around to Farm Place — which is replete with cherry blossom trees, adding to the floral extravaganza.

Go via Hillgate Street to wander past Notting Hill's colourful houses.

This little gathering of streets is packed with the charming pastel-hued houses for which Notting Hill is well known. If you've a minute to spare, take a minor diversion down Hillgate Street to view the beautiful mosaics on the wall outside Fox Primary School. The house on the corner has a wisteria too, though as of April 2026, scaffolding surrounds it.

2. Wisteria on Campden Hill Road

Once you reach Campden Hill Road, turn left to head south. A few buildings along from Majestic Wine sits another row of pastel houses, and among them, a white-grey house whose windows are framed with a wisteria bush, like a pair of eyes peeping out from behind a purple mask.

Stay on the same side of the road and walk on for about four minutes until you reach...

3. Wisteria on Bedford Gardens

Look closely for the Frank Bridge Blue Plaque behind the wisteria

When you turn into Bedford Gardens, at the western end of the road, you'll see a couple of houses with a decent smattering of wisteria. Wonderful though they are, keep walking to the eastern end of this residential road, close to the junction with Kensington Church Street, to be completely wowed. Here, a terraced house, complete with Blue Plaque dedicated to musician Frank Bridge, is smothered in wisteria. Its pastel pink front door makes it all the more Instagrammable. Naturally, this one draws large crowds throughout wisteria season.

Head back to the far end of the street, rejoin Campden Hill Gardens and keep heading south. Swivel your eyes left for a peep along Sheffield Terrace where you'll see a few purple fronds hanging over whitewashed walls, and again down Tor Gardens, replete with cherry blossom trees. Opposite the junction with Campden Hill, another wisteria hangs over a wall and onto the pavement.

From here, follow Observatory Gardens and Campden Grove to...

4. Wisteria on Gordon Place

While a couple of houses at the northern end of Gordon Place have wisteria, you'll want to head to the very bottom of the street, south of Holland Street, for the most impressive display. Here, one purple bush extends across the frontage of four or five houses in a row — and is tucked well enough away that many people miss it.

From here, wander a further five minutes to...

5. Wisteria on Stafford Terrace

If you approach Stafford Terrace from the eastern end, heading north up Argyll Road, you'll spot the wisteria before you reach the street. It's plastered up the side of the whitewashed corner house, extending along the metal railings and draping its tendrils over the pavement. As of 21 April 2026, this wisteria was already starting to brown (as in the above photo).

At this point, you're just a couple of minutes walk from Kensington High Street, with plenty of restaurants and cafes, and High Street Kensington station if you've had your fill of purple plants and want to cut your walk short and head home. Otherwise, continue and enter Holland Park, either via Phillimore Walk, or head up to the top of Phillimore Gardens and turn left onto Duchess of Bedford's Walk.

6. Wisteria in Holland Park

Wisteria welcomes visitors to the Dutch Garden in Holland Park

There are two wisteria hotspots in Holland Park. The first is at the north-east corner of the Dutch Garden — famous for its tulips — where wisteria drapes over a brick archway, beneath a large fir tree. A smaller wisteria can be seen further west along the same brick wall which encloses the garden.

There are plenty of benches dotted around the Dutch Garden if you're getting weary at this point in the walk — and Holland Park is also home to a cafe and free public toilets. When you're ready to move on, head south from the Dutch Garden, past the circular pond, and turn right past the covered mural. The brick arches here — part of the Orangery — have a wisteria climbing up the south face.

From the Orangery, head south out of the park to...

7. Wisteria on Ilchester Place

Make for the western end of this quiet residential street for a Bridgerton-esque house covered in wisteria. Time your visit right to see a bush of pink-red camellias in bloom in the garden at the same time.

From here, head south and cross Kensington High Street (another opportunity for refreshments/ducking out and heading back to the station) towards...

8. Wisteria on Edwardes Square

The gorgeous terraced houses on the eastern side of this private garden square are bucolic — completely at odds with their location close to the roaring main road — at any time of year. During wisteria season, things ramp up a notch, as several houses along the row have a wisteria crawling up their walls, one tantalisingly close to reaching out and touching the excellent Scarsdale Tavern next door (well worth stopping for a quick drink if you've got the time).

Take the side passage alongside the pub towards...

9. Wisteria on Earls Court Road

Another roaring thoroughfare where you wouldn't expect to find anything as charming as wisteria, but head a few steps south to the junction with Pembroke Square, and wisteria is visible on three of the four corners, from one single spot. Most notable is the roof of Rassell's of Kensington, a pocket-sized nursery/garden centre, which is dripping with the lilac hues.

Cross over Earl's Court Road, and head south, turning left onto

10. Wisteria on Abingdon Road

Though not worth a visit alone, it's on the way to our next stop. As you head along Stratford Road, veer left and take a few steps into Abingdon Road. A pair of houses on the right are jointly covered in wisteria (though as of April 2026, once has scaffolding) and another house direct opposite also boasts a few purple wisps.

Head back to Stratford Road and wander 15 minutes to...

11. Wisteria on Kynance Mews

It's got to be one of London's most photographed streets. Kynance Mews has been an Instagram hotspot for years, thanks to the above wisteria-covered house, as well as the red leaves framing the entrance arch in autumn. It's a quiet mews street, and the owners of this house have put up polite signs asking visitors not to block front doors, nor to lean or sit on the brick wall out the front, so do respect this.

12. Wisteria on Launceston Place

Leaving Kynance Mews, head north on Launceston Place. This street would probably get more attention from wisteria hunters if it wasn't so close to the superior display at Kynance Mews. A few houses along the street have tendrils trickling over their railings and fences and overhanging the pavement beyond.

From here, it's a solid 20+ minute walk to the next stop on our route, so you've got a few options. You're roughly equidistant from Gloucester Road and High Street Kensington stations (approx 10-minute walk to each, in opposite directions), so you could wander to one of those and either call it a day, or take the Tube one or two stops to South Kensington. Or, if you're still feeling energised and raring to go, you can walk the whole route. Either way, head for...

13. Wisteria on Sumner Place

Depending which choice you've taken above, you'll most likely approach Sumner Place from the north. If you're coming from South Kensington station, we highly recommend swinging by the Hummingbird Bakery for a dose of sugar to keep you going over the next leg. Then, head all the way down to the south end of Sumner Place (approx seven-minute walk from South Ken station, not including refreshment stops) and ogle the wisteria draping its branches over several houses.

At the bottom of Sumner Place, turn right and head six minutes along Fulham Road before turning right into...

14. Wisteria on Elm Place and Selwood Place

The short stretch that is Elm Place has a couple of houses on each side decked out with wisteria. Particularly of note is the house on the corner of Elm Place and Selwood Place, where the wisteria intermingles with early-blooming white roses.

At the top of Elm Place, look left along Selwood Place, to the final house before the church, an end-of-terrace house decked out in a thick wisteria coat.

Double back to Fulham Road, cross over, and continue before turning left onto...

15. Wisteria on Park Walk

As the initial row of shops and restaurants on Park Walk gives way to residential properties, a whole row of houses appears to be held together by a single arm of wisteria.

Take a left along Elm Park Road and turn right at the junction with Old Church Street for a 15-minute stroll to...

16. Wisteria on Cheyne Walk

One of London's most famous wisteria spots is Cheyne Walk, a well-to-do street overlooking the Thames where several houses grow wisteria. Turn left at the bottom of Old Church Street and head east along Cheyne Walk, to find the first house of note just past the restaurant 50 Cheyne.

Continue along Cheyne Walk, crossing the junction with the Albert Bridge. You'll spot more wisteria dripping from the ornate metal railing of a first floor balcony, and a few steps further, another house is coated almost top-to-toe in the plant.

Continue east along the river, passing the boundary wall of Chelsea Physic Garden, before turning left onto...

17. Wisteria on Swan Walk

Bridgerton, eat your heart out.

Before you reach the main event on Swan Walk, swing right onto Dilke Street and peep left onto Clover Mews, where a gorgeous pastel pink frontage is framed with lilac wisteria (though note that Clover Mews is a private road, so refrain from venturing up it).

Back up on Swan Walk, another standalone house, which wouldn't look out of place in Bridgerton, showcases an abundant wisteria along its black metal railings.

From the north end of Swan Walk, take a five-minute walk to:

18. Wisteria on Redburn Street/Radnor Walk

At the junction of these two quiet residential roads (best approached from the western end of Redburn for the full effect) a wisteria bush engulfs the brick wall of an end-of-terrace house: from certain angles, it appears to be swallowing the house entirely, and the wall-mounted road name sign only makes it more photogenic, somehow.

From here, it's a mere three-minute walk to the final stop on our route:

19. Wisteria on St Leonard's Terrace

For those who like their horticultural whimsy with a side of horror, the house which bears a Blue Plaque dedicated to Dracula author Bram Stoker also has a well-established wisteria creeping up its frontage and along the ornate metal balcony.

That's the end of our wisteria walking tour. From St Leonard's Terrace, it's a two-minute walk back to King's Road with its ample cafes, restaurants and bus route, and a five-minute walk to Sloane Square station.

Of course, this is a mere smattering of London's wonderful wisteria offerings — you can find more here. Particularl highlights include Fuller's Brewery in Chiswick, the grounds of Fulham Palace, and Eastcote Manor in Hillingdon. But trying to fit those into a single walk would be quite the feat.

All photos in this article by Londonist.

Sutton House — the oldest building in Hackney — is one of the festival's venues. Image: KotomiCreations via creative commons

A month of walks, talks and films in and about Hackney — plus two super-packed weekends of lectures — celebrate the east London borough's history this summer.

Hackney History Festival is a biggie, taking place across a slew of museums, cinemas and historic venues in May. Throughout the month there are walks, to name a few:

🪧 Hackney During the 1926 General Strike (3 May): learn how the area was badly affected by strikes 100 years ago... and even join in singing an anthem of resistance from the time!

👨🏿 Stoke Newington Black History Quest (20 May): this self-guided treasure hunt leads you to uncover stories of abolitionists, stars and little-known lives in the area's Caribbean and African diaspora.

🌴 Walking Backwards through Time: Loddiges Nursery (30 May): In the 18th and 19th century, the hothouses of Loddiges Nursery contained all manner of exotic palms, ferns and orchids. Here, maps, images and stories help bring it back to life.

Dive into the history of Hackney's public baths. Image: Ian S via CC BY-SA 2.0

The weekends of 9-10 May and 16-17 May see a particularly packed roster, with experts illuminating you with lectures on public baths, poster designers, pie 'n' mash — and plenty of things that don't begin with a P too. Among the happenings over those four days are:

🇻🇳 Well Settled: Archiving Vietnamese histories in Hackney (9 May): A reflective talk on the An Việt Foundation, established in Hackney in 1981, and now the largest British-Vietnamese archive collection in the UK.

🏊 The Rise, Fall and Return of Hackney's Public Baths (10 May): Public baths used to be far more than a form of leisure and exercise — they also kept the poorer denizens of London clean and hygienic. This Sutton House talk dips into the importance of places like Eastway Baths in Hackney Wick, in an era before the NHS.

👻 Ghost Shop Signs: Accidental Finds, Briefly Revealing Lost Shops (16 May): Amir Dotan peels away the layers of Hackney's past to reveal some of its most beautiful ghost signs, which tell us not only about the area's long-lost businesses, but also the fading art of sign writing.

🎥 Secrets from the Savoy Cinema, Stoke Newington Road (17 May): Friend of Londonist Nigel Smith loves his cinemas; this time, he's honing in on the Savoy, and a box of ephemera from the 1960s discovered during its redevelopment, which tells us a lot about the decline of London's cinemas at this time.

All talks and walks cost just £3 each — check out the full line-up.

There are also a number of satellite events happening across May, including tower climbs, cemetery walks, behind-the-scenes theatre tours, Charlie Peel's new maps of old Hackney superimposed on the new, and lots more. Many of these events are free, although booking is suggested.

Hackney History Festival, walks and satellite events throughout may, with two weekends packed with talks on 9-10 May and 16-17 May 2026.

Perhaps the greatest classical music festival in the world (and plenty more besides), the BBC Proms returns for another eight-week stint in 2026. Here's what you need to know.

Almost 90 proms are taking place in 2026, featuring some 3,000 musicians. Image: BBC/Mark Allan

What is the BBC Proms?

The first ever Prom was in 1895, established by the conductor Henry Wood who wanted "to bring the best in classical music to the widest possible audience". The BBC began organising and broadcasting the Proms in 1927. Over the decades, it's burgeoned into an eight-week jamboree of concerts, workshops, talks and family events. In 2026, 86 shows take place across eight weeks — some 3,000 musicians getting involved in London and beyond.

When are the BBC Proms?

Friday 17 July-Saturday 12 September 2026.

Where do the BBC Proms take place?

Tickets for the Proms regularly sell out. Image: Royal Albert Hall

The majority of Proms concerts take place at the flagship venue, South Kensington's Royal Albert Hall (RAH). This dazzling bowl of Victorian splendour holds an audience of over 5.5k. To paraphrase the Beatles, now you know how many folks it takes to fill the Albert Hall.

It's not all about London these days. There are also Proms at venues including the Bristol Beacon, Gateshead's Glasshouse International Centre for Music, the Fire Station in Sunderland and Middlesbrough Town Hall. Mold in North Wales (which we know best for its delicious Polly's beer) also makes its Proms debut in 2026. But as we're Londonist, our guide focuses on the capital.

2026 Proms highlights — what are they?

That very much depends what you're into. The Proms has evolved over time to cater to an increasingly diverse audience, offering everything from Debussy to disco. Here are a few 2026 shows that've got us drooling:

🎸 Prog Rock - A Fanfare for the Common Man: Dust off those tubular bells! BBC 6 Music's Stuart Maconie hosts an evening dedicated to the much-loved (and, let's be honest, often mocked) genre of prog rock — with classical interpretations of tracks from the likes of Genesis, Jethro Tull and Mike Oldfield. 18 July

🌊 Also sprach Zarathustra: Everyone knows the kettle drum-thudding drama of Also sprach Zarathustra, the final piece on the roster on 21 July. But our ears are pricked up for the opener, the UK premiere of Tales of a Summer Sea, written by Betsy Jolas, who'll be nigh-on 100-years-old when this is performed — the same age at the Proms itself! In all, this Proms season features 20 premieres. 21 July

🎻 Mahler's First by Heart: Nicholas Collon and the Aurora Orchestra lift the bonnet on Mahler's Symphony No. 1, what's described as 'a musical distillation of the composer's life in sound'. Learn the story behind the music in the first half, followed by a rendition by heart in the second. An evening performance of this show is followed by another the next morning. 1 and 2 August

How many Proms are you planning to attend this year? Image: Royal Albert Hall

🪘Under African Skies - The Songs of Graceland: It's 40 years since Paul Simon released his Grammy Award-winning Graceland album, and in tribute, his original collaborators, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, take to the Albert Hall stage to perform renditions of the tracks, along with some of their influences. 5 August

🇺🇸 American Classics: This year's Proms includes a number of nods to the 250th year of the Declaration of Independence, one of which is this showcase of tunes conducted by Marin Alsop, including Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and Copland's Appalachian Spring. 24 August

🌍 Dvořák's 'New World' Symphony: Three BBC Young Musician 2016 finalists reconvene for this night of music 'full of rhythmic energy and joy', the icing on the cake of which is Dvořák's majestic symphony — one that every man and his dog will recognise. (Please note, you cannot take your dog to the Proms.) 6 September

How do I get BBC Proms tickets?

Tickets for all London performances go on general sale on Saturday 16 May 2026 via the Proms website. If you're hoping to go to a number of shows, there's a handy Proms Planner on which you can map out what you want to see. It'll then place relevant tickets in your basket when they're released. You'll need to create an online account for this by 15 May. Or you can order a physical paper Proms guide for £9.99, and have a good old leaf-through.

If you want to be a proper 'prommer', read onto the next section...

How do I get cheap BBC Proms tickets?

Promming tickets are available up in the gallery or down in the arena. Image: Royal Albert Hall

That'd be the 'promming' tickets. Until recent years, you'd have to pretend you had a headache at work, leave the office early, and queue to buy tickets on the door. That's no longer the case. Around 1,000 promming tickets are made available online for each performance* on 9.30am of the day of the concert. You can buy a maximum of two per person, and they cost £8 each (including booking fee).

Alternatively, you can show up at Door 12 of the RAH from 9.30am on the day, and try to get your ticket that way. Tickets are sold up until five minutes before the performance starts. No guarantees you'll get in though.

*Except for a handful of Proms, tickets of which will be available from 9.30am the day before the Prom.

What exactly is promming anyway?

You can get promming tickets for just £8 — the same price as last year. Image: BBC Proms

It's short for promenade, and in this case means you don't get a seat*. You choose whether to head up into the gallery (spectacular views, and you can indeed stroll around a bit), or into the arena (tends to be more cramped, but you can see the performers up close, and it's quite the atmosphere).

You can take a picnic in with you but any booze may be confiscated. (Boo! Especially given the price they charge for a glass of wine in the RAH these days...)

*A limited number of seats are available for those prommers unable to stand for an entire concert.

Are kids welcome at the Proms?

There are a couple of special Proms for kids. Image: BBC Proms

Yes, although it's recommended that any children you bring to the Proms are aged five and above. Those aged 7-18 are actively encouraged to attend, with half-price tickets available for every show, bar the Last Night of the Proms.

A handful of Proms are especially suitable families with young children:

🧪 BBC Proms: Horrible Science - The Big Band Proms Experiment: CBBC's hit sketch show plays out live on stage, featuring tracks from the likes of Star Wars and The Planets. There's a matinee and evening performance. 25 July

😌 BBC Proms: Relaxed Prom: Works by Vaughn Williams through to Radiohead are performed at this Prom where children of all ages are welcome, and there's zero pressure to keep schtum/stay still. 9 August

👸 BBC Proms: Enchanted - Alan Menken’s Music for Disney: Though it's not strictly a kids' Prom, this one — featuring instantly-recognisable Menkin scores from the likes of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast — is sure to have audience members of all ages swaying along. 31 August

Do I need to dress smartly?

Top hats and tailcoats please. Only joking. Wear what you like, within reason. We've even seen some prommers stalk about barefoot in the gallery (arguably pretentious, but maybe it helps them contemplate Shostakovich or something).

When is the Last Night of the Proms?

Rule, Britannia! (And let's be honest, the EU too). Image: Royal Albert Hall

This year's flag-waving finale is on Saturday 12 September, with tenor Nicky Spence and pianist Yuja Wang leading the charge in this wildly popular night of classical bangers, feat. Fantasia on British Sea Songs, Rule, Britannia!, Land of Hope and Glory, Jerusalem and the like.

For a chance to get tickets, you'll need to enter this ballot. (If you've attended more than five 2026 Proms, you can enter a special, separate ballot.) Tickets are not particularly cheap for Last Night of the Proms, although maybe you'll be one of the lucky prommers.

Tube strikes take place throughout this week. Image: CGP Grey from London, United Kingdom via CC BY 2.0

At lunchtime today (21 April) a 24-hour Tube strike begins, followed by a second 24-hour strike later this week.

You can read more about this RMT union action — including the reasons behind it, and future planned strike dates — here.

In London today? Wondering about getting home tonight? Read on for everything you need to know about getting around the capital while the Tube strike is happening.

When does the Tube strike start today?

It's a 24-hour strike from 12pm (lunchtime) on Tuesday 21 April, ending at 11.59am on Wednesday 22 April — so it'll affect evening rush hour on Tuesday and morning rush hour on Wednesday.

It's followed by another 24-hour strike from 12pm on Thursday (23 April) until 11.59am on Friday (24 April).

Though the strikes end at midday on Wednesday and Friday, TfL has said disruption will continue into the evening on these days. On Wednesday and Friday mornings, no services at all are expected to start running until around 7.30am. You'll need to find an alternative if you're travelling earlier than that.

Further strikes are also planned for May and June.

What's running (and what's closed) during today's Tube strike?

Photo: Londonist

TfL has said that the whole Tube network is likely to be affected, with a reduced service expected to run across most lines, and significant disruption. Complete closures as follows:

• No service expected on the Piccadilly and Circle lines
• No service expected on the Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate
• No service expected on the Central line between White City and Liverpool Street

TfL has said that the Elizabeth line, DLR, London Overground, Trams and most bus routes* will be running as normal but are expected to be very busy.

*Note that on Friday, some strikes on bus services in east London coincide with the Tube strike due to industrial action at Bow Garage — full details on the TfL website.

Live updates on the Tube strike

🚇 The British Library is among the institutions altering its opening hours this week due to the Tube strike, closing earlier on Tuesday and Thursday, and opening later on Wednesday and Friday:

Our St Pancras opening hours will be affected by planned tube strikes this week.

For a full list of amended hours, visit our website: https://t.co/JWAyrCEta3 pic.twitter.com/921b1pWFJx

— British Library (@britishlibrary) April 20, 2026

🚇 London's pubs and restaurants could see sales drop by up to 40% during the Tube strike, according to a report published by CityAM, which claims that "the capital’s hospitality industry is set to be the hardest-hit from the industrial action". Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association is not happy, telling us: "As the sector faces a fresh surge in energy and operating costs, this new wave of strike action creates yet more uncertainty that businesses simply cannot absorb. Margins are being squeezed from every direction, and confidence is increasingly fragile. The ongoing disruption to transport services begs the question, who does this actually benefit? Because right now, it’s businesses, workers and the wider public who are paying the price for the reckless actions of the few."

🚇 Among the big events taking place during the strikes is an Alex Warren gig at The O2 on Tuesday evening, leaving fans asking why the concert wasn't cancelled or rescheduled when Coldplay at Wembley and Post Malone at Tottenham Hotspur were both rescheduled due to Tube strikes last September. The O2 has a capacity of around 20,000 compared to the 90,000 fans who were expected to attend the Coldplay concert, and the Jubilee line serving The O2 is expected to run during the strike, albeit with a reduced service.

🚇 Those who are blind/visually impaired will suffer too. Clive Wood, Lead Regional Policy & Campaigns Manager at Guide Dogs explains: "Tube closures can lead to increased traffic, busier pavements, and more crowded public spaces and buses. We also expect greater use of e-bikes and e-scooters, and as we saw last year, many of these were poorly parked and blocked pavements, posing risks for pedestrians with sight loss. For some, these factors may make journeys feel unpredictable or unsafe, and may lead them to avoid travelling altogether, limiting their independence."

🚇 12.28pm: Half an hour after the strike officially started, the TfL status page is showing severe disruption already — including on the western end of Elizabeth line, which isn't directly affected by the strike action. It's due to a (badly-timed) points failure at Hanwell.

Despite TfL initially saying there would be no service on the Piccadilly line, it does seem to be trying to run some sort of service at the moment.

🚇 4.20pm: In addition to the Tube strike, Great Northern is reporting issues on its routes between Brighton and Cambridge.

🚇5.13pm: Here's how it's looking as people start to head home from work. Thankfully it appears the earlier disruption on the Elizabeth line has now cleared up.

The new food market will open in west Smithfield in 2028, subject to planning permission. Image: Matt From London

A section of the Smithfield's Victorian market is set to become a food market and boutique hotel.

While Smithfield's General Market and Poultry Market are already deep into redevelopment, as they metamorphose in the much-anticipated London Museum (slated to open later this year), the future of a triangle of former market buildings, storage facilities and engine structures (built circa 1886-1899) on the west of the Smithfield site — collectively known as the Annexe buildings — had, until now, been undetermined.

Roughly the area where the food market/hotel would be. Image: Google

Now, the City of London Corporation, which owns the site, has revealed a two-stage plan to redevelop these:

• Phase One (touted for early 2028): A new food market featuring independent vendors and 'inclusive programming' to complement activities at the neighbouring London Museum. The market, says the City of London, will be inspired by the historic writings of Smithfield as a 'kitchen of the universe', featuring both established and start-up chefs representing the best of London's diverse cuisine.
• Phase Two (touted for 2030): A boutique hotel with ground-floor retail, plus a pocket park for community events and live entertainment.

The City of London Corporation says it will work with General Projects Limited and Esselco Group Limited to redevelop the Annexe buildings, alongside a design studio whose name will be familiar to many Londoners — Thomas Heatherwick (of New Routemaster/Olympic cauldron/Garden Bridge fame/infamy). No scamps of the proposed development are available at this time.

The food market and hotel will accompany the soon-to-open London Museum. Image: Londonist

Says Chris Hayward, Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation: "Smithfield has always been London's kitchen, a place of trade, energy and life for over a thousand years. The Annexe redevelopment honours that history while giving this remarkable corner of the Square Mile a bold new future."

Of course, what we'd REALLY like to see is the return of the Cock Tavern, the bunker-like spit and sawdust pub with reverse opening hours, where Anthony Bourdain washed down a full English with a pint of Guinness once upon a time. You sense a cheap 'n' greasy fry up won't be on the cards at Smithfield's new market.

Meanwhile, the City of London Corporation recently won a judicial review concerning the nearby site of what was the Museum of London, in which campaign group Barbican Quarter Organisation claimed the City of London was planning to demolish buildings in the area without properly consider alternative schemes.

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All weekend

Vogue Rites is part of Roundhouse Three Sixty this weekend.

ROUNDHOUSE THREE SIXTY: A community 'Good Vibes Day' and a performance by London ballroom collective Vogue Rites are part of the Three Sixty Festival at Roundhouse in Camden this weekend. Watch the global ballroom community battle it out in Hollywood-inspired categories on Sunday afternoon, and check the schedule to see what else is on. Until 29 April 2026

ANCESTRAL MEMORY WEEKEND: South African cellist Abel Selaocoe curates a weekend of music, stories, workshops and dance at Barbican. Mbuso Khoza, Nduduzo Makhathini, Gontse Makhene, BCUC, Toya Delazy, SNO and choreographer Mthuthuzeli November are among the artists partaking in Mohopolo/Ancestral Memory Weekend, in which Selaocoe goes back to his roots. 23-26 April 2026

BOOK FESTIVAL: One of London's newest literary festivals, the North London Book Fest returns to Alexandra Palace with events for all ages. Tessa Hadley, Ben Aaronovitch, Michael Rosen, Simon Mole and Rachel Parris are among the names confirmed over the weekend. 23-26 April 2026

BRICK LANE JAZZ FESTIVAL: The Brick Lane Jazz Festival returns for a weekend of live music around east London. Headline acts include American multi-instrumentalist Kwame Yeboah performing at JuJu's, and south London producer Footshooter at 93 Feet East, both on Saturday night. 23-26 April 2026

GHOST IN THE MACHINE: Bertha DocHouse in Bloomsbury screens new-release documentary Ghost in the Machine, a visceral investigative essay exploring the untold origins of artificial intelligence. Directed by Valerie Veatch, the film takes aim at the power structures of Silicon Valley to reveal the fantasies and political forces driving the current AI boom. 25 and 26 April 2026

Alexandra Palace hosts the North London Book Fest

COMEDY 4 KIDS: James Campbell's family stand-up show returns to the Museum of Comedy with an hour of jokes, songs and physical silliness aimed at children aged six and over. The performance may include exploding penguins, 17 ways to eat jam and songs about worms. 25-26 April 2026

AIRFIX MODEL CLUB: Join a squadron of model makers at the RAF Museum (Hendon) and build a Red Arrows Hawk at this weekend's Airfix Model Club, recommended for children age eight+ and their families. 25-26 April 2026

LONDRA FESTIVAL: Citizen Live and TIJ Events partner with Dingwalls in Camden to host the first edition of Londra Festival, a celebration of the Italian alternative rock scene. The opening night on Saturday features influential artists Zen Circus, Dente and Lamante. 25-26 April 2026

TEENAGE SHE-DEVIL: Comedy-horror rock musical about wallflower Nancy Nelson, who is transformed into a revenge‑seeking rocker by the Devil, I Was A Teenage She-Devil stars Aoife Haakenson, Sean Arkless and Jacob Birch, and runs until the end of this week at The Other Palace. Until 26 April 2026

SERPENTINE CURRENTS: Dana‑Fiona Armour's Serpentine Currents courtyard installation is a three-part illuminated sculpture modelled from a 3D scan of the endangered sea snake Aipysurus fuscus, its mesh LED surface animated using historic and predictive ocean data. FREE, until 26 April 2026. Also closing at Somerset House on Sunday is the Museum of Edible Earth, an exhibition about the practice of geophagy for health, ritual and culinary benefit. Until 26 April 2026

LITTLE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL: Kids' films, a student showcase, female stories and girls in film are some of the themed events at the Little Venice Film Festival this weekend. Despite the festival's name, screenings take place at venues including Vue Piccadilly. Until 28 April 2026

Saturday 25 April

Books in the Park comes to Beckenham

WELCOME TO THE WORLD: Little Wild Theatre brings Welcome to the World to Grand Junction at St Mary Magdalene's in Paddington. This fully interactive adventure for children aged 0-5 follows Mother Earth's children — Tide, Ariel, and Blaze — through original songs, dances and puppets crafted from natural and found objects. 10am/11.30am/1.30pm

UPCYCLED FLOWERS: Artist Siân, founder of PLASTIQUE, returns to the Lakeside Centre in Thamesmead for the Lakeside Garden Club: Spring Upcycled Plastic Flower Workshop. Learn how to transform single-use waste — such as cleaning spray bottles and takeaway lids — into bright, waterproof sculptural decorations for your home or garden. FREE, 11am–1pm

JEWELLERY SAMPLE SALE: London-based jewellery brand Tatty Devine hosts a sample sale on Neal Street, right next to its Covent Garden store. More products are added throughout the day, so you won't miss out if you can't get there as soon as doors open. 11am-4pm

ROYAL ALBERT WHARF OPEN STUDIOS: Bow Arts invites the public to peek behind closed doors at the Royal Albert Wharf Open Studios in the Royal Docks. Explore 40 different artist spaces and take part in free creative workshops and family-friendly activities throughout the afternoon. FREE, 11am–5pm

BOOKS IN THE PARK: Literary festival Books in the Park returns to Beckenham Place Park with author talks from Ruth Ware and Paul Sinha — while Simon Goddard and Alexander Larman present a special event marking David Bowie's legacy. There are also writing workshops, family sessions, a pop-up bookshop (courtesy of Beckenham Bookshop) and a farmers market. Festival entrance is free, but individual events are ticketed. 11am-8pm

CITY NATURE CHALLENGE: Regent’s Park hosts a Nature Recording Pop-up as part of a global effort to document urban biodiversity. Drop in to use binoculars, explore different habitats and learn how to use the iNaturalist app to record local plants, animals and fungi. The family-friendly event also features a sightings board to track nearby wildlife discoveries throughout the afternoon. FREE, 12pm-3pm

KING'S DAY: King's Day at the Dutch Centre in Austin Friars brings Dutch music, food stalls, children's activities and community celebrations to the City to celebrate Koningsdag (or Kingsday), a national holiday in the Netherlands. Wear your brightest orange clothes. FREE, 12pm-6pm

PLAY FAIR: A one-day community festival at Hackney Bridge, Play Fair brings together 40+ stalls from local groups such as Headway East London, Knight Club Chess and East London Waterworks Park, as well as a line-up of east London DJs curated by Werk Records, and 20+ activities including yoga, zine‑making, dodgeball, embroidery, breathwork and pottery. 1pm-6pm

FAMILY SCIENCE TALK: Dr Sheila Kanani leads a hands‑on, family‑friendly talk at the Royal Institution, introducing 25 inspiring scientists from history, spanning physicists, astronauts, volcanologists and more, with demonstrations and simple experiments for children. Copies of Kanani's new book, This Book Will Make You a Scientist, are available to buy afterwards. 2.30pm-3.45pm

Night Shift is on at the Drayton Arms Theatre

PAINT YOUR PARTNER: Join the London Art Bar in Holborn for a creative date night where your partner serves as the artistic muse. Paint Your Partner is a beginner-friendly sip and paint session that includes all necessary supplies, a glass of prosecco, and step-by-step guidance from a professional artist. You can follow the expert's lead or let your own creativity take over while an upbeat themed playlist sets the mood. 4.30pm-6.30pm

FRANK SKINNER: Comic legend Frank Skinner brings his critically acclaimed stand-up show 30 Years of Dirt to Soho Theatre Walthamstow for two exclusive performances. These final live sets of the 85-date national tour are being filmed for a brand-new television special set to air later this year. 5pm/8pm

KIP KOMPLIN: Poplar Union hosts an intimate evening celebrating Sierra Leone Independence through a showcase of creativity from the African Diaspora. Kip Komplin 10 features an interactive quiz game show alongside live music, poetry, comedy and a film screening. The night also includes a wildcard open mic slot and a Q&A session for networking with the artists. 7pm-9.30pm

THE ROD STEWART SONGBOOK: Pete McCall, widely regarded as one of Europe’s finest tribute artists, brings The Rod Stewart Songbook to the Millfield Theatre in Edmonton. Accompanied by a live band, the production charts 50 years of hits including Maggie May and Sailing. 7.30pm

Watch Susan Harrison in action. Photo: Matt Stronge

SARA PASCOE: Household name and confessional comedian Sara Pascoe headlines a night of stand-up as Live at the Rose returns to Kingston. The stellar supporting line-up features Funny Women Award winner Laura Smyth, energetic improviser Phil Nichol, and viral sketch comic Muhsin Yesilada. 7.30pm

SAM SWEENEY TRIO: Acclaimed fiddler Sam Sweeney brings together a trio of the UK's most compelling folk musicians to Kings Place for an evening of traditional and original material. Joined by double bassist Ben Nicholls and guitarist Louis Campbell, the Sam Sweeney Trio explores Sweeney's extensive discography with richly textured arrangements and contemporary energy. 7.30pm

GARTH MARENGHI: Horror fiction's 'Grand Frightener' comes to the London Palladium to present This Bursted Earth, the final instalment of his Sunday Times-bestselling trilogy. Expect a night of freshly rancid tales and pitch-perfect parody as the author explores the fevered imagination of fictional novelist Nick Steen. 7.30pm

NIGHT SHIFT: Rachel Fenn's one-act play Night Shift follows two supermarket night-shift workers after a driven new graduate, Nadia, arrives and upends their lives. See it at the Drayton Arms Theatre (Old Brompton Road). 7.30pm

RESISTANCE COMEDY: Enfield’s Dugdale Arts Centre hosts a night of stand-up as part of its Resistance Comedy: Spotlight Series. This edition features a headline set from Junior Booker, bringing sharp storytelling to the independent north London venue. 8pm

SUSAN HARRISON: Character comedian Susan Harrison brings a collection of oddball alter-egos — from a life-size Sindy doll to a 90s Chester Zoo panda — to Soho Theatre Dean Street for an entertaining one-hour show, following an Edinburgh Fringe run. 8.45pm

Sunday 26 April

It's Marathon Day! Image: Amanuel C

LONDON MARATHON: Thousands of runners take to the streets today for the London Marathon 2026, which weaves through the heart of the capital. The iconic course begins with participants gathering in Greenwich Park and concludes with a grand finish on The Mall in St. James's Park. Our guide includes everything you need to know, including the best spots to watch from. Even if you're not involved directly, be aware of road closures and diversions throughout central London this weekend. From 8.30am

ANTIQUES FAIR: The long-running 'Horti' antiques fair returns to Lindley Hall with over 130 dealers selling antique jewellery, silver, decorative pieces and collectables. Doors open at 10am but expect a queue before opening. 10am-4.30pm

SPRING FLEA MARKET: The Big Spring Walthamstow Flea is a daytime market at Big Penny Social organised by the team behind Hackney Flea Market and Walthamstow Flea Market. Explore numerous traders and stalls selling vintage, pre-loved and handmade goods alongside food and drink. 11am-5pm

GUITAR HISTORY: Nigel Jones, resident guitarist of the Handel/Hendrix House Museum, leads a musical journey through the evolution of guitar style at V&A South Kensington. Blues to Bowie, Beatles to Britpop explores everything from early rhythm and blues to modern rock, across two afternoon sessions. FREE, 12pm–3pm

GEORGIAN FEAST: A selection of seasonal pkhali, and 12-hour-cooked lamb in a plum and mint sauce are on the menu at DakaDaka, Heddon Street's Georgian restaurant, which is now dishing up a feast every Sunday afternoon. Wine pairing is also available for an extra charge. Served 12pm-4pm (every Sunday)

GOSPEL MOTOWN BRUNCH: The Refinery's Gospel Motown Brunch brings a live gospel choir and powerhouse vocalists to the Regent's Place restaurant for a high-energy, soul-filled Sunday session. Expect Motown and soul covers — from Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder to Sister Act and Beyoncé — alongside indulgent brunch plates and cocktails. 12pm-4pm

PRO WRESTLING: Live pro-wrestling show Grapple Days pops up at PlayFight in Woolwich, with appearances from Jerry Bakewell (Britain's Got Talent), Connor Mills (Rev Pro), Ollie Jackson (Fist Club) and Cara Noir (Progress). Expect hard hitting, intense, camp and over the top action, from some of the best wrestlers and biggest characters in the UK. 1pm-4pm

Have a lively afternoon at a Gospel Motown Brunch

HIDDEN HOLBORN: London Blue Badge tour guide Diane Burstein gives a talk on the history of Holborn’s once Italian quarter — from organ grinders and ice-cream sellers to mosaic makers at St Peter's church, and the annual Italian Festival. The talk, at Wilderness Kitchen, also touches on the area's links to Dickens and London's diamond district. 3pm

SPIKE LEE'S BAMBOOZLED: The Distorted Frame Film Club marks 25 years since the UK release of Spike Lee's Bamboozled with a screening preceded by a special introduction, plus a short film, all taking place at the Victoria in Dalston. 4pm

HARLOTS, STRUMPETS AND TARTS: Herstorical Tours' guide, performing as 'The Baroness', leads a two-hour theatrical walk through 18th century Covent Garden and the backstreets of Charing Cross. The tour brings the stories of Georgian sex workers to life, finishing at the Nell Gwynne pub for a tot of gin. 5pm

BARTHOLOMEW LAFOLLETTE: Conway Hall's 2026 Artist-in-Residence, cellist Bartholomew LaFollette, performs a colourful programme of chamber music alongside violinist Hyeyoon Park and pianist Caroline Palmer. The evening at the Holborn venue features Rachmaninoff's passionate Cello Sonata and Schubert's evergreen E flat trio. 6.30pm-8.30pm

MAN IN THE MIRROR: Join a talented cast of musicians and dancers at His Majesty's Theatre for Man In The Mirror, an electrifying tribute to Michael Jackson. Starring CJ, one of the world's leading tribute artists, the production features dazzling choreography and authentic costumes to bring hits like Thriller and Billie Jean to life. 7.30pm

Know which serving US President visited London's most central station? Image: Jordy Muñoz via Unsplash

Charing Cross station is London's most central railway terminus, just a few minutes' walk from Trafalgar Square. But did you know these seven facts about it?

1. Why is it called Charing Cross?

Charing Cross is the name of the road junction to the south of Trafalgar Square, and that's where the station gets its name from. The junction is where all distances to London are measured from.

The word Charing comes from old English 'cierring', which means 'turning', a reference to the bend in the River Thames by the station.

The replica Eleanor Cross outside the station. Photo: Matt Brown/Londonist

As for the Cross, that relates to the final Eleanor Cross, a series of monuments marking the nightly resting places of Queen Eleanor of Castile's body, following her death near Lincoln in 1290. The original London memorials have long vanished, but a Victorian pastiche can still be seen in the taxi rank of the station. IanVisits had a bit of fun with that on April Fool's Day 2014.

An alternative suggestion is that Charing originates from the French 'chère reine', meaning 'dear Queen' and referring to Eleanor. But the area was probably called Charing long before then.

2. The storm tree

The Eleanor Cross, with the Storm Tree to the right. Photo: Matt Brown/Londonist

You might never have noticed this tree outside the front of the station, on Strand. Thinking about it, it's an odd place to have such a large tree, slap bang in the middle of the pavement in the centre of London.

In fact it's a memorial tree, planted as a result of the great storm of October 1987, which destroyed a quarter of a million trees in London. Following the storm, the Evening Standard launched an appeal to plant fresh trees across the London boroughs, this being one. A plaque on a nearby pillar commemorates it.

3. Keeping it in the family

Photo: Steve Daniels via creative commons

Charing Cross Hotel, which opened at the same time as the station, was designed by EM Barry, son of Sir Charles (who was responsible for rebuilding the House of Commons). The hotel is a Grade II listed building. Architectural flair ran in the family — another of Charles Barry's sons, Charles Barry Jr, was responsible for designing the station hotel at Liverpool Street station.

4. A royal first

The Royal Family's train would've looked posher than this. Image: Oast House Archive via creative commons

The Royal Family's was the first passenger train to use the new railway tracks built between London Bridge station and the new Charing Cross station, en-route from Windsor to Dover. This was in December 1863, before the first public passenger train left the station on 11 January 1864. The station itself wasn't quite complete, one newspaper reporting: "As yet the terminal station is a temporary one, the splendid station building requiring at least two months more for its completion, when the hoardings will be removed and disclose a square with a facsimile of old Charing cross [sic] in the centre."

5. A presidential visit

They cleaned up the station nicely for this bloke. Harris & Ewing, photographer - Library of Congress.

A plaque below the wall-mounted clock commemorates the time the station was visited by a serving US president.

Woodrow Wilson arrived at Charing Cross on Boxing Day 1918, to be met by King George V and whisked off to Buckingham Palace. A journalist remarked that the train was 'punctual to the minute', although he hardly recognised the station: "It was not the crimson carpet and the red hangings, the banners and streamers. I am used to such things. It was the effectual way the platforms and the whole dingy place had been swept and washed clean, and all the familiar grimy things moved from sight."

6. The roof collapse tragedy

The glass windbreak wall lies in a heap to the left. The height of the collapsed wall, which fell onto the theatre, can also be appreciated from this angle. From The Sphere, 16 December 1905. © The British Library Board. All rights reserved. Found in the British Newspaper Archive.

In December 1905, six people were killed when the glass and metal station roof collapsed during maintenance works. The station was closed for three months for repairs, reopening in March 1906. As a result of the accident, designs for a similar roof at Cannon Street station were scrapped. Read our article on the roof collapse.

7. Changing names

When Charing Cross Railway station was first built and opened in 1864, The Tube station we now know as Embankment was named Charing Cross. The present Charing Cross Tube station was known as Trafalgar Square station. We'll let Geoff explain the rest:

It pays to cut a dash at the Grand Flaneur Walk, but not to make a dash. Image: Martin SoulStealer via creative commons

What Londoner doesn't like a good flan?

No, we're not talking about filling your face with cream-laden goods from Maison Bertaux, but a leisurely, unplotted saunter around the city thoroughfares. Perhaps with a hipflasked cocktail for added sybaritism.

Probably don't show up in jeans and a tee. Image: Martin SoulStealer via creative commons

If that sounds like a bit of you, then get Sunday 17 May 2026 in your diary. It sees the return of the Grand Flaneur Walk, in which the dapperest chaps and chapesses of London Town dress up to the nines in their finest seersucker, blazers, boaters and playsuits, before embarking on the dandiest — and let's be honest, showiest — stroll around central London you're likely to witness.

Though the event's organised by The Chap, female chaps are very much invited too. Image: Martin SoulStealer via creative commons

"Flâneur," explains The Chap magazine, which organises the annual event, now in its sixth year, "is a French-coined term for a person who explores the city, allowing wit, whim and curiosity to lead him or her down every favoured alley, twisting and winding their way around the city with no other purpose than to explore.

"In a city such as London there is still much to explore that has not been turned into a coffee shop or a mediocre clothing emporium."

The legendary Soho George might turn up. Image: Martin SoulStealer via creative commons

The rendezvous, for anyone who wishes to watch or take part (it's open to all), is 12pm at Courtyard Wine Cellars in Covent Garden, where a complimentary dram is promised for participants, before a few stirring words on the subject of flanerie shared by Chap editor Gustav Temple. After this, the budding boulevardiers set on their 'merry way towards Baudelaire only knows where'.

Canes and sticks are optional, but add an extra level of dandiness to the proceedings. Image: Martin SoulStealer via creative commons

Indeed, we can't tell you where the flan goes, or how long it takes — the point, after all, is that no one knows. But we doubt it's in danger of becoming a marathon. Says The Chap: "Nobody is counting the steps taken by the flaneurs and flaneuses and entering them into some ghastly database, later to be told that they are fit as fiddles or, more likely, running low on alcohol."

In short: it pays to cut a dash at the Grand Flaneur Walk, but not to make a dash.

Even the dogs are dashing. Image: Martin SoulStealer via creative commons

We like to think that post-flan, participants sit on the kerb wrapped in silk blankets, tipping cocktail shakers of Aviation cocktails over their heads, but we cannot confirm this to be so.

The Grand Flaneur Walk 2026 starts at Courtyard Wine Cellars in Covent Garden, Sunday 17 May 2026, 12pm, free

Free things to do in London this week.

Learn about the London locations linked to Agatha Christie. Image: Matt From London

TUBE STRIKES: At time of writing, strike action is due to take place on the Tube this week, 21-22 and 23-24 April, with significant disruption expected. Full details here, with updates on the TfL website.

Be drawn in by the drawings of Paul Davis

If you're au fait with the increasingly complex art of sourcing inexpensive drinks in central London, you probably already know the Colony Room Green, a facsimile of the infamous Soho artists' club, recreated in a basement on Heddon Street, and where glasses of wine are still head-turningly affordable. Go there at the moment, and you can also enjoy God's Chamber and Other Drawings, a free exhibition by illustrator Paul Davis, a man with a wry satirical eye, and whose works include a super yacht with the motto 'Stop the Big Boats' stamped across it.

Until 2 May.

Travel back to 1996. Image: City of London Corporation

Relive the glorious year that was 1996

Barbican Music Library cranks the nostalgia dial up to 11, with 1996: 30 years on - The wildest year of Britain's wildest decade, a free exhibition recalling the glory days of Britpop, Euro 96 and all-night raves. See costumes worn by the Spice Girls and previously unseen Oasis memorabilia, and be transported back to more youthful days, or otherwise wish you could have been there in the first place. The fact it's curated by a former editor of the controversial S*n newspaper does make you wonder if they'll cover some of the more unsavoury things that went on behind the rose-tinted specs, too...

Until 19 September.

Explore Agatha Christie's London

Guildhall Library offers a free talk about author Agatha Christie on Monday afternoon, looking at the London locations where the grand dame of crime fiction lived and worked, and which appear in her stories. Tina Hodgkinson, author of Agatha Christie’s London: A Historical Guide to the Queen of Crime’s Capital gives the talk, and you can watch in person, or online via livestream.

20 April.

Enjoy the wry art of Paul Davis, then treat yourself to a cheap glass of wine at Colony Room Green.

Celebrate the Vagina Museum's Fanniversary

The Vagina Museum in Bethnal Green celebrates its Fanniversary (see what they did there?) with a one-day hybrid conference exploring feminism, gender and justice in the modern world. The event brings together researchers, academics, performers and facilitators for panels, workshops and performances.

21 April.

Mark Earth Week with a walk through Smithfield

Join a guide for a free tour through Smithfield — soon to be home to the new London Museum — to mark Earth Week. The museum's artists-in-residence point out the hidden nature in the local area, from lost rivers and little-known greenery to the historic floral and faunal motifs cast into the Victorian architecture.

21 April.

Delve into the Memoirs of a Cockney Sikh

Suresh Singh, aka the Cockney Sikh, was born in 1962 in Spitalfields, and is the author of A Modest living: Memoirs of a Cockney Sikh, the candid, and sometimes surprising story, of his father, Joginder Singh, who came to London in 1949. Hear him discuss his family's experiences, in a free Guildhall Library talk on Tuesday afternoon.

21 April.

Find the hidden nature in Smithfield Market. Image: Peter Trimming via CC BY-SA 2.0

Hear about Indo-Caribbean experiences of the Windrush era

Meena Venkataramanan and Jeevan Kaur Sanghera are co-founders of the Indo-Caribbean Windrush Oral History Project, which aims to preserve this often overlooked part of history among modern British Indo-Caribbeans. On Tuesday evening, they give a free online talk, hosted by Royal Museums Greenwich, introducing the project, and the stories of the Indo-Caribbeans who immigrated to Britain during the Windrush era.

21 April.

Get involved in a river clean-up

Join the Friends of River Cray and charity Thames21 for a community action day at Waterside Gardens in Crayford on Friday. Help to remove litter and manage overhanging vegetation, with waders provided for those entering the water to clear the channel. You'll be helping to improve the river's biodiversity and reduce fly-tipping in the town centre.

24 April.

London City Brass play a spring concert at St Mary-at-Hill in the City. Image: Paul Seling

Tune into the sounds of a live brass band

Feeling bold as brass? London City Brass play a spring concert at St Mary-at-Hill in the City, with music from stage and screen, plus brass standards and classical tunes on the docket — all free to enjoy. You can, however, purchase a drink at the interval, and leave a donation if you wish.

24 April.

Attend the first Community Cuppa at this local theatre

Chickenshed Theatre in Southgate hosts its first Community Cuppa, a new event taking place in its cafe. The idea is to bring locals together in an inclusive space, while raising money for the theatre.

It's open to everyone from regular visitors to those passing through, and is a chance to connect over a drink, while supporting the theatre's work with children and young people. It's free to attend, though donations are encouraged.

24 April.

Mark Earth Day at a National Portrait Gallery Late

Stay on at the National Portrait Gallery on Friday for its Earth Day Late, in collaboration with climate charity, Murmur. Hear the stories of changemakers and inspirational individuals whose stories are told through the Gallery's Collection. Events include a spoken word performance by young musician and poet Isaiah Hull; a screening of Oscar-nominated film Planetwalker, which tells the story of activist John Francis; and pop-up talks about figures including the late Jane Goodall.

24 April.

Get free entry to the Brunel Museum...

Marks/Marcs can get free Brunel Museum entry. Image: RJW1 via CC BY-SA 2.0

... although it's only for a select few. If your name happens to be Mark or Marc, you can visit Rotherhithe's Brunel Museum for free on Saturday, to celebrate the 275th birthday of Marc Brunel, the man who conceived the idea for the Thames Tunnel. Prebook your free ticket online, and take some ID along when you visit the museum.

25 April.

Celebrate King's Day at the Dutch Centre

King's Day (Koningsdag) is a Dutch national holiday falling on 27 April, marking the birthday of King Willem-Alexander, reigning monarch of the Netherlands. Naturally, London's Dutch Centre in the City hosts King's Day celebrations. It's free entry, with live music, a market, a friendly atmosphere and lots and lots of orange — dress appropriately!

25 April.

Visit artists in their studios

Bow Arts invites the public to peek behind usually-closed doors at the Royal Albert Wharf Open Studios in the Royal Docks on Saturday. Explore 40 different artist spaces and take part in free creative workshops and family-friendly activities throughout the afternoon.

25 April.

Cheer on London Marathon runners

The London Marathon takes over the capital this Sunday. Image: p_a_h via CC BY 2.0

The London Marathon swarms into town on Sunday, with thousands of runners tackling the 26.2 mile course between Greenwich/Blackheath and The Mall. Our London Marathon guide has everything you need to know about finding the best place along the route to watch and cheer the runners on.

Whatever you're up to this weekend, be aware of road closures and diversions throughout central London.

Claim a freebie for London Marathon runners

Imagine how good an HBR burger will taste after 26.2 miles...

Tackling the course yourself? Hats off to you. By the time you turn that final corner outside Buckingham Palace you'll be in need of pick-me-up or two. These places are all offering freebies to runners this year:

• Salad bowl restaurant atis is giving out free slow-release energy bowls (available on Sunday 26 and Monday 27 April at all atis locations, one per person, show your medal to claim yours).
• Burger joint HBR in Eccleston Yards (Belgravia) is giving away 100 complimentary burgers on a first come first served basis to anyone flashing their London Marathon medal.
• Floozie Cookies in Covent Garden is giving away a free cookie and drink to anyone who flashes their medal on Marathon day.
• Basque cheesecake brand La Maritxu, located in Kingly Court, is giving away complimentary slices of Classic Basque Cheesecake to the first 100 runners who present their medal in-store.
• Soho pasta restaurant Pastaio offers Marathon medal holders a complimentary plate of pasta on the day of the race (excluding lobster linguine).
• Lush stores on Oxford Street, Covent Garden, Victoria and Paddington stations are giving away the new Ouchy magnesium massage balm and The Good Hour shower jelly to help runners recover — available on Sunday 26 April while stocks last, when you show your medal.
• Fremantle Bar and Kitchen in Royal Victoria Dock, is offering complimentary breakfast items with a hot drink, coffee or matcha to anyone who shows their medal. Shame it's so far from the finish line...
• Filipino bakery Cafe Mama and Sons in Kentish Town will give runners a free Miso Milk Chocolate Cookie — just show them your medal.
• City Cruises offers free Thames sightseeing cruises for Marathon runners on Sunday 26 and Monday 27 April — use code marathonfree to book online, or book in person at ticket offices (Westminster Pier, Tower Pier and Greenwich Pier), showing either your medal or your entry confirmation email to claim. Could be a rather lovely way to sit down for a couple of hours after an intense morning.
• Swing by Peloton's Covent Garden flagship on the Monday or Tuesday after the Marathon to get your name or time engraved onto your medal for free.

Riff your way through guitar history

Nigel Jones, resident guitarist of the Handel/Hendrix House Museum, leads a musical journey through the evolution of guitar style at V&A South Kensington. Blues to Bowie, Beatles to Britpop explores everything from early rhythm and blues to modern rock, across two afternoon sessions.

26 April.

And now for a £5 negroni... in Mayfair

You heard us correctly. Lilibet's on Bruton Street in Mayfair is best known as a maximalist seafood restaurant — all flouncy light fittings, polished marble countertops and high-end fish. But you can also just nip in for a post work/pre-dinner slurp, and not only does the bar serve a £5 negroni (that was the price of a negroni in Peckham about 10 years ago) it does so all day, every day. A neat little hack to have up your sleeve in this part of town — although if you end up sinking three of these babies, then ordering a fried crab thermidor, don't blame us.

This feature first appeared in April 2025 on Londonist: Time Machine, our much-praised history newsletter. To be the first to read new history features like this, sign up for free here.

Image: Doggo19292, Free Art Licence

“Bad enough to knock a dog down”. An overpowering stench descended on Bermondsey in the spring of 1915. Residents were forced to keep their windows closed. Visitors stayed away. Businesses failed. The cause was a surfeit of rotten eggs.

Bermondsey — south and south-east of Tower Bridge — had always been a whiffy place. During the 19th century, you could navigate the area by smell alone. The western quarters were home to the tanners, who scraped gore and rotting flesh from skins, then rubbed animal urine and dung into the leather. Nearby, stood the Sarson’s vinegar factory with its own pungent aromas. Move north and you might encounter Jacob’s Island, a squalid slum immortalised in Oliver Twist, whose foetid ditches presented "literally the smell of a graveyard". To the south, more pleasant odours emanated from the Peek Freans factory in ‘Biscuit Town’, alongside a jam factory and a custard factory. Right through the middle of it all ran the sooty waft of steam trains along the magnificent viaduct that still dominates the area.

By 1915, some of the more unpleasant odours had dwindled. But then a new ingredient defreshed the aromatic landscape: eggs; bad ones.

In the early 20th century, Bermondsey had established itself as a hub for imported eggs. A 1921 trade directory lists five egg importers on Tooley Street alone, including, Bloch & Klein, Foucard & Son, and (great name for an indie band, this) Stern Alfred. Their eggs were sourced from numerous countries, including Denmark, Russia and Egypt. Once offloaded in Bermondsey, the eggs would be distributed by wholesalers at nearby Borough Market and from the adjacent Hop Exchange building, which still bedazzles today:

The old Hop Exchange, later the London Egg Exchange, pictured in 2014. If you’re wondering why the fancy car is sat there, then I’m afraid I’ve forgotten. Probably cheaper to hire this marble floor than to use a Southwark parking bay. Image: Matt Brown

Importing fresh produce is a risky business. Any delay to shipping might spoil the food. Eggs are more robust than some perishables, but even they could spoil when journeying from as far as Egypt. Still, an efficient supply chain had built up and, according to one news report, only half a million rotten eggs were destroyed per year in Bermondsey during the first decade of the 20th century.

Then came war. The European hostilities of 1914 caused unprecedented disruption to shipping. Cargoes were still getting through, but the journey could take much longer. The upshot was food waste on a scale never seen before. In Bermondsey, an estimated 25 million unsaleable eggs were destroyed in the first eight months of war.

Yolk-back Mountain

25 million rotten eggs in eight months is a lot. If we crunch the numbers, that’s 100,000 eggs per day, or 170 eggs every minute (assuming a 10-hour working day, seven days a week). Only the council could muster the resources needed to crack the problem. Indeed, it was their statutory duty. As the local sanitary authority, the council was required by the Public Health Act (1891) to remove and destroy all trade refuse and unsound food. And so an unenviable team of labourers had the task of crushing tens of thousands of stinking eggs daily. It must have been appalling work, though we must remember that shovelling rotten food was still preferable to the most common form of employment in 1915.

The council’s usual waste destructor could handle neither the quantity nor the muculent quality of the rebuffed oeufs. A new egg-smashing depot was therefore built on a Thames wharf near Chambers Street to chomp through all the waste.

Footnote: Egg-breaking was still a thing to the south of the river into the 1960s. If you’ve never seen it, you must watch The London Nobody Knows, in which James Mason tours some of the more unusual sights of London. These include an egg-breaking factory on Bankside, here played for laughs in one of the most idiosyncratic documentaries you’ll ever watch.

Press reports from the time describe the facility. Every day, a steady stream of rotten eggs would reach the wharf by cart. From here, they were introduced to the council’s dedicated egg-crushing machine, which resembled a giant mangle. Crates of old eggs were loaded into the top, and a man would then turn a handle to crush the produce. Shells were caught in a wire mesh, and the wretched egg-gloop would decant into a gully, and thence the public drains.

I can find no account of the feculent sewer omelette that must have ensued. And so — professional historian that I am — I’ve recoloured this screenshot from Ghostbusters II to give some approximation:

Who ya gonna call? How the Bermondsey sewers might have looked after receiving the horrid goo from 25 million bad eggs.

Bodfield vs Bermondsey Borough Council

Needless to say, the stench of this sulphurous splatmatter did not go down well with the neighbours. One sorry complaint came from John Bodfield, a coffeehouse keeper whose shop at 42 Bermondsey Wall was just 25 metres (80 feet) from the plant. By June of 1915, the stink had so thoroughly deterred his customers that the shop had closed down.

He took the matter to the High Court seeking damages for loss of earnings, and to gain an injunction against further egg smashing in the area. The proceedings were widely reported in the newspapers. The council’s legal representative began by outlining his client’s quandary:

“Either we must destroy the eggs and be sued by Mr. Bodfield and his friends who are also coffee-house keepers in the district (for they say that if he succeeds they will also ask for damages), or we must retain the rotten eggs and be sued by all the people in the district, and we don't know what to do.”

In response, the divertingly named Mr Justice Darling quipped: “I don’t know that the judges of the King’s Bench Division are specially qualified to tell you how to destroy rotten eggs”.

OS map of 1896. The space labelled Vestry Wharf is the site of the egg-smashing. Bodfield’s coffeehouse is one of the properties shown just to the south. The egg site today is beside the Chambers Wharf development, long occupied by Thames Water as a shaft site for the Thames Tideway sewer. Image via Layers of London.

It was then the turn of the people to give evidence. Mr Bodfield outlined how his successful business had quickly dropped away after the egg smashing began. He now had to work as a docker to make ends meet. His children had suffered illness from the fumes. Asked whether he would describe the eggs as rotten, Bodfield replied: “From the appearance and smell, I think they were doubly rotten”.

Bodfield was the most vocal local provoked by croaked yolks, but others spoke out too. Samuel Pearcy, the landlord of the adjacent Bunch of Grapes pub registered his disgruntlement here, and in a separate court action. Meanwhile, Miss Elizabeth Searle, a teacher at the nearby East Lane Girls School, complained of headaches and nausea from the fumes.

Arthur James Devereaux, a seasoned waterman, gave grimly corroborating testimony. He described how he’d sat alongside dead bodies which had been in the water six or seven weeks, and was not affected by them, but the smell at the wharf drove him smartly from the coffee-house.

A good egg. As consumed by me, at The George in Stepney in 2017. Image: Matt Brown

Since the closure of Bodfield’s coffeeshop, the council had taken measures to counter the noxious egg honk. The court heard how the mangle apparatus had been enclosed, to help contain the smell. Carbolic acid and chloride of lime were now regularly applied to the machine. An electric exhaust fan had also been installed to deflect the odours up through a stink-pipe.

“That will be bad for the Zeppelins,” quipped Mr Justice Darling, who seems to have considered the case to be one running joke.

Another witness, a local river man named Boss, suggested that the council might have shipped the eggs downriver for disposal in a less populated area. “You might have painted the barges like hospital ships,” suggested Justice Darling, “and then they would have been torpedoed”.

(I am not entirely shocked to find that the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, describes Darling as “known for his erudition and at times inappropriate wit”.)

The council’s actions appear to have been effective. Mr Bodfield himself admitted that the smell had significantly lessened since the measures had been put in place. The judge was satisfied that Bermondsey had done all it could to remedy the situation, and found no cause for an injunction. John Bonfield was eventually awarded £150 damages. Pearcy of the Bunch of Grapes was separately awarded £75.

As the war progressed, London’s egg supply became increasingly domestic and the problem of imported food waste reduced. And so the Bermondsey Bad Egg Boom dissipated as non-mysteriously as it had first appeared. It stands as a small, forgotten chapter in London’s history. But it is also a timely reminder of what can go wrong when supply chains are disrupted by major upheavals in world trade.

Your weekly roundup of Londonist news and features.

What's Going On At Elephant And Castle? An Explainer

The area's changed A LOT lately.

Review: Return Of Avenue Q Is A Warm, Fuzzy Feeling

Despite all the f-bombs.

Image: Matt Crockett

South London's Inter-War Stations Built To Rival The Tube's

Step aside, Charles Holden.

10 Downing Street's Garden Is Opening For Tours

Enter ballot to snoop around Starmer's back yard.

A Major Peter Blake Exhibition Is Coming To London

Sgt. Pepper's artist will recreate his studio in Ealing.

Outdoor Cinema In London: Where To Watch Films In The Open Air In Summer 2026

Ditch the multiplex for movie screenings on rooftops and in parks.

Where To See Wisteria In Bloom In London This Season

The capital's best wisteria hysteria spots.

Ride On A 1938 Art Deco Tube Train This May

OMG that moquette!

A Flight Over London in 1843?

And other flights of fancy.

Watch Shakespeare Shows In Some Of London's Prettiest Garden Squares

Love’s Labour’s Lost amidst the flowers.

Greenwich Park Just Got A Pink 'Valley Of Blossom' - Thanks To 130 New Cherry Trees

A candy floss-coloured hillside cascade.

Free And Cheap Comedy In London: Where To Find It

Talk about cheap laughs...

London Hat Walk: Scores Of Fashionable Folk Parade Around Town This May

Hat's the way uh-huh, uh-huh...

Image: Clayton Hartley

The Historic Whittington Stone Has Been Lovingly Restored

"Turn again, Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of London".

Review: V&A East Comes To Stratford, Creating More Cultural Chutzpah

Olympic legacy = complete.

Comedy Festival Coming To Crystal Palace Subway

Daniel Kitson, Kerry Godliman and Elis James star.

Covent Garden's Puppet Festival Returns This May

That's the way to do it!

© Suresh Anath

We're Getting Fired Up About This Hot Sauce Festival In Peckham

For those who enjoy the spicier things in life.

1826: Britain's First Female Balloon Pilot

Margaret Graham's perilous trip over Islington.

Looking Ahead: Things To Do In London This Week: 20-26 April 2026

See what's on in London this week.

For more from London's art world, sign up for our free newsletter: Londonist: Urban Palette.

We look ahead and pick the best exhibitions to see in London's galleries and museums opening in May.

Baroque brilliance: Zurbarán at The National Gallery

© Photographic Archive Museo Nacional del Prado

Stunning life-size depictions of saints, soaring altarpieces and contemplative still-lifes form this exhibition of works by leading 17th century Spanish painter, Francisco de Zurbarán — featuring over 50 of his works. Zurbarán spent most of his life in Seville, then one of the richest cities in Europe, whose maritime links to the Americas made it a hub of global trade. He painted primarily for the city’s religious orders and, for a time in Madrid, even for the King of Spain. Here, faces, figures, fruits and fabrics all enjoy his masterful attention to detail.

Zurbarán at The National Gallery. 2 May-23 August 2026, £20-£22.

Reclining sculptures: Henry Moore at Kew Gardens

Photo: Jonty Wilde.

While Henry Moore's sculptures often appear as single pieces, Kew Gardens has assembled a collection of 30 monumental bronzes to be scattered across its grounds. There will also be 90 smaller works in its gallery space, including bronzes, carvings, prints and drawings, exploring Moore's innovative process of 'thinking through nature'. The concept is to examine Moore's creative responses to the fragility of the natural world and the interplay between humans and the complex ecosystems that connect all life on earth. It's sure to be Moore-ish.

Henry Moore: Monumental Nature at Kew Gardens. 9 May-27 September 2026, ticketed — includes entry to the gardens.

Art from the Global South: Rising Voices at V&A

© Takahiro Iwasaki

Home to 60% of the global population, Australia, Asia and the Pacific comprise one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse swathes of the globe. Hot on the heels of the opening of the V&A East, Rising Voices at the original V&A celebrates these voices by showcasing work from the region's makers. Themes include how artists respond to political conditions, from histories of migration to domestic conflicts and social upheaval; artistic heritage and ways of making with local materials; and considering how spirituality and systems of faith are expressed through art.

Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific at V&A. 16 May 2026-10 January 2027, £17.

Progressive portraits: Whistler at Tate Britain

Image courtesy of Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France

American artist James McNeill Whistler arrived in Britain, then threw out the rulebook of portrait painting by focusing on the individual rather than the narrative conveyed through the background. He did so most famously in the painting better known as 'Whistler's Mother' — sure to be a highlight of this Tate Britain exhibition. Whistler's nocturnes of London at night are also spectacular, capturing the city in its smoggy, light-flecked glory. This exhibition — the first major European one in 30 years — brings together the artist's world-famous paintings alongside portraits, drawings, prints and designs from his teens in St. Petersburg to his late self-portraits.

James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain. 21 May-27 September 2026, £24.

A brighter future: In Other Worlds at Barbican

Image courtesy and copyright of Liam Young.

Imagine what the future of humanity could look like, and the challenges and adventures to come. That's what Liam Young wants us to consider through his immersive exhibition, which includes films, audio stories, tapestries, soundscapes and costumes. He is a filmmaker and speculative architect, and like all good future thinkers, the work here may look fantastical, but it's all rooted in real technology and climate-based possibilities. This is about stepping away from dystopia, asking: what if the future could actually be... hopeful?

In Other Worlds: Liam Young with Collaborators at the Barbican Centre. 21 May-6 September 2026, £19.

Fan service: Holy Pop! at Somerset House

The children of Graceland project by Hayley Louisa Brown.

Shrines in the past were often associated with religion, but what do contemporary shrines look like? From Princess Diana to Andy Warhol, and from Prince to Harry Potter's Dobby the Elf, Holy Pop! highlights how fan devotion shapes our identities and brings people together. In a fast-moving digital age, it’s a celebration of human connection, community and the physical objects that anchor our fascination with pop culture.

Holy Pop! at Somerset House. 21 May-9 August 2026, pay what you can.

Monsters of the deep: Jurassic Oceans at Natural History Museum

An ichthyosaur skull. © Trustees of the Natural History Museum.

It's time to meet the creatures that lurked in Earth's prehistoric oceans, from the pliosaur — a gigantic, gnarly, toothed creature — to the ichthyosaur, a majestic and speedy, dolphin-like predator. Not to mention the fiercest hunter to ever rule the waves, the mighty mosasaur (you may remember that one from Jurassic World). There's a chance to touch a mosasaur tooth and fossilised poo, feel a shark's skin and come face-to-face with fearsome marine crocodiles.

Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep at the Natural History Museum. 22 May 2026-3 January 2027, £15+

War and paint: Winston Churchill at The Wallace Collection

© Churchill Heritage Ltd. Photo: © Royal Academy of Arts, London; photographer: John Hammond.

Better known as a cigar-chomping prime minister, Winston Churchill was also an avid painter. His work was both a reflection of the times he lived through, and also a source of escapism. The Wallace Collection has pulled together a selection of sombre wartime scenes and radiant Mediterranean views, carefully composed still-lifes and portraits, and luminous Moroccan cityscapes. There are also deeply personal paintings of Chartwell, Churchill's home and garden.

Winston Churchill: The Painter at The Wallace Collection. 23 May-29 November 2026, £18.

Epidemic exhibition: Tenderness and Rage at Wellcome Collection

'Dancing whilst diagnosed'. Image courtesy of Wellcome Collection.

The AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s was a terrible and terrifying time; this exhibition looks at its impacts in the UK and on those living with HIV today. Through photography, film and archival materials, Tenderness and Rage connects everyday acts of care with activists' struggles for dignity, rights and equitable access to treatment. Voices that aren't always heard, such as those of women living with HIV, are also spotlighted.

Tenderness and Rage at Wellcome Collection. 29 May 2026-3 January 2027, free.

Short-run exhibitions and events

Shivangi Ladha's works are on show at London Original Print Fair. Image © the artist.

The Affordable Art Fair returns to Hampstead (6-10 May 2026, ticketed) with galleries from around the world selling works ideal for homes, priced for almost any budget. Photo London has everything a photography fan could ask for, and it's now been relocated to Olympia (14-17 May 2026, ticketed). Earlier in the month, Olympia is playing host to Ceramic Art London (8-10 May 2026, ticketed), filled with sculptural ceramic pieces; and over at Saatchi Gallery, Firsts London (14-17 May 2026, ticketed) bristles with rare books and prints ranging from the hundreds of pounds to the many thousands. Speaking of prints, the London Original Print Fair returns to Somerset House (14-17 May 2026, ticketed).

Charlotte Bezzant is a jewellery maker whose studio in Richmond is openings its doors.

May is the month for London Craft Week (11-17 May 2026, free and ticketed events), bringing together over 1,000 established and emerging makers, designers, brands and galleries from around the world, for exhibitions, talks and workshops.

If you want to peek inside the studios of artists and see where the magic happens, you can do so during Crouch End Open Studios (8-17 May 2026, free), and you should also have Art House Open Studios in Richmond on your radar (23-25 & 30-31 May 2026, free).

Image copyright of Fever.

The Illusion encourages audiences to look beyond the surface (7-31 May, free). It's at the Two-Plus-Two space in Stockwell and features the photography of both Miranda Lopatkin and Ed Rollitt (both artists who've impressed us with their layered, dramatic compositions), plus five more artists.  

Drone art is all the rage at the moment, and it's hitting London with DroneArt Show: Four Seasons (22-23 May 2026, ticketed). Pairing classical music by Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky played by a string quartet, with drones, is a case of classical meets contemporary, historic music meets the latest technology. Swans and trees will light up the night sky.

Exhibitions outside London

Courtesy of the artist's estate/Pangolin London. Photo: Steve Russell Studios.

The grounds of Houghton Hall in Norfolk are filled with sculpture, so it's the perfect setting for the works of the late Lynn Chadwick, he of the angular meter figures and animals (2 May-4 October 2026, £22). There are over 30 works, both inside and outside the house, including a group of dynamic beasts, kinetic sculptures and a selection of Chadwick's best-known paired figures, similar to those on the exterior of Fortnum and Mason.

A previous installation of Hydra's Head. © Holt/Smithson Foundation/Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

Nancy Holt was best known for her Sun Tunnels, giant concrete tunnels in the Utah desert that align with the rising and setting sun on the summer and winter solstices — right up there on every art pilgrim's bucket list. This is a rare chance to see her work on this side of the pond, and in the stunning setting of the Goodwood Art Foundation (2 May-1 November 2026, £15). There's a selection of photographic works, drawings, installations and films, and in keeping with Holt's vision, there will be interventions in the land around the gallery. Six pools of water positioned according to the pattern of the Hydra constellation will be presented within the Foundation’s chalk quarry, reflecting the changing skies above them.

Cliff Rowe, The Fried Fish Shop, 1936. © Cliff Rowe Estate. Reproduced courtesy of Leicester Museums and Galleries.

Spanning the years of the Great Depression to the Second World War saw the creation of the anti-fascist Artists International Association. Comrades in Art: Artists against Fascism at The Towner in Eastbourne (7 May-18 October 2026, £11) tells the story of the British artists who create political art to fight the rising tide of fascism. Including paintings, sculpture, drawings and posters, these artists united behind the cause of democracy and cultural freedom, at a major turning point in global history.

* The original published article incorrectly stated that Rising Voices exhibition would be at the V&A East. It has now been corrected to say it is at the V&A.

This article originally featured the new Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration. The opening date for this has now been postponed until 5 June 2026.

Avenue Q is back in London (fittingly on Shaftesbury Avenue), after 15+ years away. Image: Matt Crockett

Ever since Judy started knocking seven bells out of Punch, puppets have never been particularly well behaved.

Then, in the early 2000s, things took a sharp turn for the ribald. While Team America gave us a bullet/expletive-spraying riff on the Gerry Anderson shows of old, Sesame Street was given an x-rated makeover off (and then on) Broadway, courtesy of all-singing, all-swearing musical Avenue Q. Puppetry could do whatever the hell it wanted, no strings attached. People went gaga for it.

A talented pool of puppeteers bring loveable life to everything from flowers to cardboard boxes. Image: Matt Crockett

On its return to the West End after over 15 years away, you could almost give the three-time Tony Award-winning musical a welcome back squeeze. The story — in which college graduate Princeton moves into the neighbourhood, meets new friends and seeks out his purpose in life (no thanks to Iago-like twosome the Bad Idea Bears) — has been seasoned with one or two fresh AI gags, but remains largely untweaked.

It's a nice narrative, a paean to the daily grind and gnawing self-doubt. But the overriding joy in Avenue Q was always its litany of rambunctiously racy numbers (plus the occasional Jim Henson-meets-OnlyFans bonking scene), as played out by a pool of puppeteers so talented, everything from the leads to a stack of harmonising cardboard boxes are made not just believable, but downright loveable.

The return of Avenue Q is like a warm, fuzzy hug. Image: Matt Crockett

What strikes you watching this now, is not how naughty it all is, but how soft and cuddly. Back in the day, songs like The Internet is for Porn and If You Were Gay would've prompted disbelieving gasps; murmurs of "Can you even say that?". Society's been through the wringer since then. This is a world in which the President of the United States drops f-bombs (along with actual bombs) left, right and centre. In 2026, parts of Avenue Q feel decidedly quaint.

None of this ultimately undermines a comically pristine show which puts the 'heart', and indeed the 'felt', in 'heartfelt'. In a time when our senses have been blunted to shock, Avenue Q is a warm, fuzzy hug. Even those rapscallion Bad Idea Bears get their happy ending — not, mind you, that they deserve it.

Avenue Q, Shaftesbury Theatre, until 29 August.

Freshly updated for 2026.

Alfie Packham performing at Comedy Bandits, Clapham. Image: Andrew Coleman

Looking for free and cheap comedy in London? You're in luck, because the capital is teeming with free, cheap and pay-what-you-want shows. We've put together this roundup of the best.

Nothing here will cost you more than a fiver. Just bear in mind that almost all free comedy shows ask for a donation at the end from those who can afford it.

Free and cheap comedy in London: regular shows

Angel Comedy Club @ Camden Head and Bill Murray, Angel (daily)

Ever come across a snaking queue in Angel? It's either for the Breakfast Club or Angel Comedy Club — held at the Camden Head. Upstairs in this unassuming boozer, you'll find free stand-up every freaking night of the week, with RAW comedy nights (Mon, Tues, Weds, Thurs and Sun) and more honed shows (Fri and Sat), interspersed with WIPs from mahoosive names like Dylan Moran and Simon Amstell. You can catch anything between three to six consecutive shows at the Camden Head each night. Truly the daddy/mummy/legal guardian of the free comedy circuit.

Angel Comedy Club also oversees the nearby Bill Murray — a regular pocket-sized laughter emporium. Multiple shows are hosted here every day of the week, with frequent surprise appearances from VIPs. Just remember, legally it's named after Charles I's whipping boy, not that Groundhog Day chap. Free and upwards, Angel Comedy Club

The Rose & Crown in Kentish Town offers free comedy regularly. Image: Sunday Shtick

Top Secret Comedy Club, Covent Garden (daily)
They don't announce all the acts in advance, hence the name. That's some savvy marketing in a biz where you might not actually know who your headliner is till the last second. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised though; Top Secret Comedy Club has hosted the ilk of Trevor Noah and Katherine Ryan. Tickets from £1, Top Secret Comedy Club

Big Belly @ Big Belly Bar & Comedy Club London, South Bank (most days)
Barely pausing for breath, Big Belly (formerly Vauxhall Comedy Club) puts on a cavalcade of razor-witted young acts (Patrick Spicer, Alex Kealy, Lou Taylor, Sikisa) most days, with tickets at a very fair price. Note: these days the venue's on the South Bank. From £5, Big Belly

Backyard Comedy Club, Bethnal Green (most days)
'West End Shows at East End Prices' runs the motto. Feast on new acts as well as established ones. This place also home to the London Alcohol-Free Comedy Club. And yes, the venue looks like its been made out of old pallets — got a problem with that? Free and upwards, Backyard Comedy Club

Comedy Cabin, Hoxton (a lot of the time)
Queer comedy nights, French comedy nights... the Comedy Cabin has it all, so long as it's funny. The cosy cellar bar puts on a high frequency of shows, and it's often only a few quid to get in. From £3, Comedy Cabin

Queer Comedy Club hosts lashings of free comedy.

Comedy Virgins @ Cavendish Arms, Stockwell (Monday-Wednesday)
A slew of acts take to the stage for five mins at a time in a bid to win your laugher/applause/respect. Given the sheer amount, some are inevitably better than others, but it all moves so fast that hardly matters. Ultimately, you'll choose who was funniest of all. Two shows a night, so six in all. Free, Comedy Virgins

Comedy Incorporated @ Signature Brew, Haggerston (Tuesday), @ The Railway, Putney (Wednesday), @ The Gipsy Queen, Kentish Town (Thursday), @ The Wheatsheaf, Tooting Bec (Thursday)
Plenty of chances to catch this laid-back affair, taking place four times across London every week. There's no crowd work (phew), no heckling (phew on the comedians' behalf) — just a heap of freshly worked out material. It's free and you can just show up. Like we say, proper chilled. Free, Comedy Incorporated

The Queer Comedy Club, Archway (Tuesday-Saturday)
Billing itself as 'the UK's First LGBTQ+ Comedy Club', this is a safe space for queer performers and audience members, with a 'Raw' Monday show (free), a 'Not Totally Queer' Tuesday show (free), plus a paid-for 'Big Thursday Show', where you get proper polished/star name comedians. There are occasional Saturday shows too. Queer allies are welcome. Free and upwards, The Queer Comedy Club

See improv on the cheap at Hoola Improv. Image: Hoopla Improv

Hoopla Improv @ the Miller, London Bridge (most days)
You can hardly miss this improv theatre located above the excellent Miller pub near London Bridge; its name is slathered in huge letters outside the building. Here, Hoopla Improv run classes and workshops — as well as shows most days of the week. Depending when you go, you could be watching complete newbies, utter pros and anything in between. Free and upwards, Hoopla Improv

Comedy Bandits @ Railway Tavern, Clapham (Monday, Wednesday and once a month on Friday)
Newish, but nonetheless gifted, stand-ups stiffen the sinews and summon up the blood, to perform free shows at this Clapham boozer on Monday and Wednesdays. Monthly Fridays showcase more established acts, which they'll (rightly) charge you for. Free, Comedy Bandits

LOLipops Live Comedy @ the Distillers, Hammersmith and @ the White Hart, Southwark (Monday and Tuesday, plus some Thursdays and Fridays)
New acts on two Tuesday shows in Hammersmith and in Southwark, inc. new acts/material plus Neurospicy Comedy. Shows with established comics headlining on some Thursdays and Fridays. Free and upwards, LOLipops Live Comedy

Slap and Giggle Comedy @ Coin Laundry, Exmouth Market; @ Little Yellow Door, Notting Hill; @ Never For Ever, Gospel Oak; @ Greenwich Theatre (some Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays)
Prolific comedy slingers Slap and Giggle put on up-and-coming comics in various corners of London, having them rattle out two-and-a-half hours of free laughs every other week. Free, Slap and Giggle Comedy

Comedy In Your Eye @ Camden Eye, Camden (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday)
With tickets as cheap as £3 a pop, this is a thrifty way to catch grassroots comedy in north London — and some pretty big acts as well. From £3, Comedy In Your Eye

Knock2Bag Comedy @ MOTH Club, Hackney (Wednesday and occasional Thursdays and Saturdays)
A voguish working men's club turned music venue is home to Knock2Bag's glittering comedy nights (and that ain't just the golden curtains). The ilk of Bridget Christie, Sheeps, Tom Basden and Lolly Adefope await. NOTE: shows here are not technically free, but sign up to the mailing list for the occasional chance of free/heavily reduced tickets. Free and upwards, MOTH Club

City Comedy Club @ Trapeze Bar, Shoreditch (Wednesday-Sunday)
Tickets range from £5 to £12 depending which night of the week you go. They also do bottomless wings, drinks and laughs for £55. From £5, City Comedy Club

Rose & Crown, Kentish Town (Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday)
Bucketloads of comedy gratis at this plucky north London boozer: Shtick (Wednesday and Sundays) and Freedom Fridge (Thursdays). Free and upwards, Rose & Crown

Free and cheap comedy in London on a Monday

Tim Renkow at free Monday night show, Jester Jesters. Image: Jonathan Hearn

Happy Mondays @ Amersham Arms, New Cross
The backroom of a pub, a pint, and a slew of high-class comics for a reasonable fee can elevate your Monday night from silently sobbing in front of Happy Valley, to crying with laughter and tricking yourself into thinking it must be at least Wednesday. From £5, Happy Mondays

Jester Jesters @ Betsey Trotwood, Farringdon
Throw caution to the wind with a Monday night on the tiles, or more specifically, at the Betsey Trotwood, and Jester Jesters. Upcoming stand-ups (sometimes sketch and character comedians too) vie for giggles, as they perform a litmus test on newly-penned material. Free, Jester Jesters

Fool & Co @ the Albany, Fitzrovia
Marketed as "luxuriant comedy" Fool & Co's weekly Monday nights are nonetheless affordable; not only are some shows a trifling fiver, but they sometimes do a 2-for-1 on these tickets! Recent comedians have included the much-vaunted Ruby Carr and QI Elf Joe Mayo. From £2.50, Fool & Co

Duck Duck Goose @ Hope & Anchor, Brixton
Every Monday night, this small room in a south London pub comes alive with improv-ers acting out strange scenarios that you've told 'em to create. Tickets are free, but it's recommended you reserve in advance. Free, Duck Duck Goose

Punchlines @ the Cornershop Bar, Shoreditch
Gary Michaels — a man with 20+ years experience on the circuit — takes the helm at this night where wannabe stars of tomorrow brave the mic. Expect a real pick 'n' mix. Free, Punchlines

Ivory Arch Comedy @ Ivory Arch Comedy, Elephant & Castle
A south London railway arch offers an intimate space in which to watch freshman comedians play with newly-cooked-up gags. Free, Ivory Arch Comedy

Free and cheap comedy in London on a Tuesday

Tuesday a good day to choose for comedy. Image: Bogomil Mihaylov via Unsplash

2nd Row Comedy @ Piehole Shoreditch
When you think about it, there really ought to be more free comedy shows where you can see circa eight acts AND score a decent pie. As if that weren't appealing enough, 2nd Row Comedy also offers 'free exit' as well as free entry; big if true. Free, 2nd Row Comedy

Hot Comedy @ Hot Toddy's, Camden
Cheap comedy once a week at (from what we can fathom) is a nice little stage inside a Belushi's. From £6, Hot Comedy

Free Comedy @ Hoxley & Porter, Highbury & Islington
Catch weekly bouts of comedy from (usually lesser-known) comics with some good food and drink deals to boot. Free, Free Comedy

Hood Rat Comedy @ Rumba, Soho
Free comedy from fresh comedians, plus beers from £2.50 a pop. That's a cheap laugh we can get on board with! Free, Hood Rat Comedy

JK Comedy Club @ Spice of Life, Soho
You know it's a proper comedy show when they've got a brick wall behind the comedians. For the markedly un-princely sum of £5, you get to enjoy an evening of stand-up comedy every Tuesday. £5, JK Comedy Club

Armpit Comedy, Clapham North, Clapham (sometimes on Wednesday, every two weeks)
A frankly ludicrous number of comedians i.e. nine are packed into every Armpit Comedy show, so even if you don't get out to another comedy show this year you've still seen more comedians than most. From £5, Armpit Comedy

Free and cheap comedy in London on a Wednesday

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Comedy at the Old Crown, New Oxford Street
Established acts mingle with the newbies at this super central weekly evening that often packs out. Free, Comedy at the Old Crown

It's Comedy @ Spit & Sawdust, Elephant & Castle
Big laughs in a small room with an invisible entrance fee — that's It's Comedy, which showcases two comedians each Wednesday, with shorter support sets from others. Free, It's Comedy

The Laugh Bath @ the Endeavour, Deptford
Up and coming comics serve as a warm-up for a more established headliner. There's also a 'Rubber Duck Award for Cleanest Comedian' — presumably the least sweary one? Free, The Laugh Bath

Elgin's Marvels Comedy Club @ the Elgin, Maida Vale (every other Wednesday)
The posh areas of London like a laugh too, at least every other Wednesday. Expect newer acts, and no entrance fee. Free, Elgin's Marvels Comedy Club

Rip It Up Comedy @ Wood Street Bear, Wood Street (every other Wednesday)
"London’s most indie comedy night" showcases up and coming comics with no entrance fee. Free, Rip It Up Comedy

Armpit Comedy, Clapham North, Clapham (sometimes on Tuesday, every two weeks)
A frankly ludicrous number of comedians i.e. nine are packed into every Armpit Comedy show, so even if you don't get out to another comedy show this year you've still seen more comedians than most. From £5, Armpit Comedy

Free and cheap comedy in London on a Thursday

Downstairs at the King's Head, Muswell Hill
Unassuming basement venue riddled with comedians, with a Try Out Night on Thursdays. More established acts (think Arthur Smith, Shazia Mirza) appear on Saturdays but you pay more. From £6, Downstairs at the King's Head

Rye Lane Ruckus @ Eagle Eats Bakery, Peckham
What is presumably the best-smelling comedy club in London, Rye Lane Ruckus mixes established and emerging acts... in a bakery. It's free (the cakes are not). Free, Rye Lane Ruckus

The Comedy Industrial Complex @ Pub on the Park, Hackney
Stand-up with a difference, as apparently much of this is topical comedy/satire. (They also promise "story tellers and just plain wacky bafoonery"). Free, The Comedy Industrial Complex

Quintessentially Comedy @ Quinn's, Camden (every other Thursday)
Friendly new act/material night MCed by Dave Lynch. Free, Quintessentially Comedy

Free Me Abeg, the Brookmill, Greenwich (some Thursdays)
Damiete MCs this semi-regular bout of stand-up from on-the-up comedians. Free, Free Me Abeg

Free and cheap comedy in London on a Friday

Comedy Club Shoreditch @ Bistrot Walluc (also on Saturday)
The Friday night offering from the busy London Comedy Group, Comedy Club Shoreditch ushers you into Bistrot Walluc for free comedy, and (not free) fondue. Free, Comedy Club Shoreditch

Comedy Oxygen @ the Trinity, Borough
Pro comics try out new bits, while newer ones dip their toe into the circuit. Free, Comedy Oxygen

Free and cheap comedy in London on a Saturday

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Comedy Club Shoreditch @ Bistrot Walluc (also on Friday)
The Friday and Saturday night offering from the busy London Comedy Group, Comedy Club Shoreditch ushers you into Bistrot Walluc for free comedy, and (not free) fondue. Free, Comedy Club Shoreditch

Free and cheap comedy in London on a Sunday

Candlemaker Comedy @ the Candlemaker, Battersea
New acts and new material are given a public airing for a couple of hours every Sunday evening. Free, Candlemaker Comedy

Free Comedy @ Brewhouse & Kitchen, Highbury
A 90-minute blast of free comedy might be just what the doctor ordered ahead of Monday morning. Free, Free Comedy

The OM Comedy Club, North Nineteen, Upper Holloway (first and third Sunday of the month)
Not many places are slinging free comedy on a Sunday, but this place almost makes up for the deficit, platforming 10+ acts in one fell swoop. Chris Ali comperes. Free, The OM Comedy Club

Free radio and TV recordings

Watching taping for the likes of HIGNFY and Graham Norton in London is a great way of seeing live comedy of a different genre — and perhaps a Hollywood star or two. Read more about getting free tickets with our guide.

Hat's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh. Image: Clayton Hartley

Central London goes hat mad one Sunday this May, when a flurry of fashionable folk parade around town in their finest headwear.

London Hat Walk sees a gaggle of professional milliners and hatters, plus vintage/retro enthusiasts, collectors, cosplayers, re-enactors, hobby crafters and novelty hat-wearers (there's usually at least one person with a chicken on their head), depart from the riverside out the front of Tate Modern at 2pm on Sunday 10 May 2026.

Anyone can take part in the free event. Image: Clayton Hartley

Participants follow a leader on a leisurely amble along the river towards Tower Bridge, which is all about showing off your headwear and making new friends. The walk lasts approximately an hour.

If you fancy taking part in the London Hat Walk then consider yourself invited (whether you're a milliner, hat aficionado or just have a new purchase/make that you want to flaunt in public). The one simple rule (perhaps obviously): you must wear a hat.

There's only one rule: you must wear a hat. Image: Clayton Hartley

This heady promenade started out in Barcelona in 2014, and has since spread to dozens of cities worldwide including Lagos, Buenos Aires and Seoul.

London Hat Walk, 10 May 2026, meet 2pm on the Riverside outside Tate Modern, free

Shakespeare summers aren't all about the Globe Theatre. Image: Steve Gregson

Groundling tickets at the Globe aren't the only way to catch a Shakespeare production en plein air in London this summer.

Shakespeare in the Squares is back for its 10th edition — with a troupe of Shakespearian actors performing amidst "the fairest flowers o th' season"* in a number of the city's picturesque garden squares and parks.

2026's play is Love’s Labour's Lost — a sparkling comedy of flirtation, foolishness and the irresistible lure of love — with a few toe-tapping 1960s/70s rock and pop classics thrown in for good measure.

Shakespeare in the Squares runs from 3 June-12 July 2026. Image: Steve Gregson

Among the bucolic London squares and green spaces participating in 2026 are Crystal Palace Park (5 June), Montagu Square in Marylebone (9 June), Kensington Gardens Square (27 June), Cleveland Square in Paddington (1 and 2 July), Camden Square (5 July) and Fortune Green in West Hampstead (12 July).

There are many more besides — check out the full list for your nearest green space.

Many green spaces are taking part again in 2026. Image: Steve Gregson

If this outdoor Shakespeare lark is your cup of tea/parcel-gilt goblet of wine, you can also catch an al fresco production of The Merry Wives of Windsor at Walthamstow's Greek Theatre in July.

Shakespeare in the Squares, 3 June-12 July 2026.

*A quote from The Winter's Tale, and yes, we googled 'Shakespeare garden quotes' to find this.

On Saturday 18 April 2026, a major new London museum, V&A East, opens in Stratford. We took a sneak peek.

Another major V&A museum opens in east London this April.

What is V&A East?

Chronic museum openers V&A have *checks notes* opened another museum, this one on the bonny banks of the Waterworks River in Stratford, a stone's throw from its other pretty-damned-new museum, V&A East Storehouse (which itself houses an even-slightly-newer Bowie museum). V&A East's opening has been shifted back a couple of times now (in part, probably because they were so busy opening other museums), leaving would-be museum-goers drooling over the tantalising sight of those 479 sand coloured precast concrete panels which make up the museum's unique exterior.

Jaunty terrazzo staircases fling off in all directions.

Yes, that looks quite the building...

Designed by O'Donnell & Tuomey, it's inspired by Spanish fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga's sculptural tailoring — with a flamboyant (and almost origami-like?) exterior folded around what the architects call a 'rational' core. In fact, the interior is jazzy too — with jaunty terrazzo staircases flinging off in all directions, and oblique angled windows inviting you into their nooks, for triangular views over the Olympic Park. In short: it's a smasher.

A Walthamstow Football Club home shirt inspired by the prints of William Morris.

What's V&A East's 'thing'?

'Celebrating making and creativity's power to bring change' is how V&A East phrases it — an 'everything but the kitchen sink' remit that sucks in fashion, music, fine arts, architecture, engineering... more or less everything. East Londoners are afforded a brighter share of the limelight (think Yinka Ilori's Captain Hook chair frame, a William Morris inspired football kit, and a set model from A Taste of Honey, the edgy Joan Littlewood play that debuted at Stratford's Theatre Royal in 1958). But it's not all capital centric: from portraits taken in Preston bus station, to the abstract rugs of Irish designer/entrepreneur Eileen Gray, displays are diverse. They'll enjoy a shake-up every now and then, too.

There are two Why We Make galleries, both free.

With the onus on creative processes, inspiration, innovating thinking — and even repairing — parts of V&E East wouldn't feel out of place in Kensington's Design Museum, or maybe the Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey (I admit I've never been). Given that Stratford has become one of the city's emerging creative hubs (London College of Fashion, Sadler's Well and the BBC are neighbours), this feels entirely fitting. At moments, V&A East feels like a whole new generation of museum — very much like its sister over in Hackney.

Works by the Bloomsbury Group's Vanessa Bell and Roger Fry.

Is V&A East free?

The museum's two Why We Make galleries are the main event for those seeking free entertainment. These two mid-sized spaces are packed with more than enough for a couple of hours of in-depth exploration (a sign on the way in sweetly points out "Don't feel you have to see everything today").

Skin from Skunk Anansie's 'Clit Rock' suit.

Up on the third floor, there's a paid-for temporary exhibition, the first being The Music is Black: A British Story — a 125-year journey from slavery through to Little Sims. True, it has more than a few echoes of the British Library's 2024 Beyond the Bassline exhibition, but a raft of stand-out exhibits (including a glittery gold dress worn by Shirley Bassey; and a collection of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's batons which were chopped up by thieves, then stuck back together), make this a strong start.

One of my favourite exhibits. Won't be everyone's cup of tea.

The best thing about V&A East?

V&A East doesn't have the juggernaut show-stoppers of its sister Storehouse (no chunks of brutalist housing estates, nor art deco offices shipped in from Pittsburgh), meaning the highlights at the newer museum are likely to be more subjective. I loved Frederick Warren Wilkes' 1921 design for a replacement handle for broken crockery, but that won't be everyone's cup of tea. Perhaps you'll go for Leigh Bowery's provocative ballet costumes. Maybe the homey assemblage of side tables and vanity screens by the Bloomsbury Group's Roger Fry and Vanessa Bell.

The curation is meticulously casual, if that can be a thing.

And that's just it; as with all V&A museums, variety is the spice of life. The cheek by jowl juxtaposition (take, for instance, a slashed Vivienne Westwood denim ensemble rubbing literal shoulders with an 18th century woven silk gown embroidered with floral designs) will keep you on your toes. The curation is meticulously casual, if that can be a thing.

The Music is Black: A British Story is the museum's first paid-for exhibition.

And the worst?

Nothing bad about it. Does the building/layout have the audacious mic drop swagger of V&A East Storehouse? Not quite. Is the soundtrack piped through headphones in the Music is Black exhibition a little overwhelming, what with all the wires/audio overlap? Yes. But that's splitting hairs. The absolute worst thing about V&A East would be if you never bothered visiting. London continues to spoil us rotten, culturally, at least.

Provocative Leigh Bowery ballet costumes.

TL;DR

V&A East is another highly impressive addition to Stratford's East Bank, celebrating the craft and innovation of east Londoners, and a diversity of creatives from across the country and beyond. Zany building. Mainly free. You could cram it into a day but don't need to. The Olympic legacy is complete. It's someone else's turn for a glow-up now. V&A Croydon, anyone?

V&A East, Stratford, opens 18 April 2026, free entry, although The Music is Black: A British Story is paid-for.

All images by Londonist.

Free puppet shows come to Covent Garden in May 2026 © Ned Dyke-Coomes

That's the way to do it! Covent Garden's May Fayre & Puppet Festival is back in 2026, for its 51st edition.

The free, family-friendly event celebrates the anniversary of the first recorded sighting of Mr Punch, an early version of today's Punch & Judy shows.

It was diarist Samuel Pepys who recalled seeing "an Italian puppet play — a great resort for gallants within the rayles of Covent Garden" in May 1662. Pepys' puppet sighting is recorded by a plaque on the wall of St Paul's Church, unveiled in 1962.

© Suresh Anath

This inspired the first Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet Festival to be held in 1976, bringing together Punch & Judy professors and puppeteers from all over the world. Pandemic aside, the event has taken place on the second Sunday of May ever since.

At 11am, a grand procession, led by the Superior Brass Band, parps its way around the Covent Garden neighbourhood to kick off the day's celebrations, culminating in a birthday toast to Mr Punch in the Covent Garden Piazza. This is followed at 12pm by a special service in St Paul's Church — also known as 'the Actor's Church' for its theatrically-inclined congregation — with Mr Punch in the pulpit.

There's more to the Covent Garden Spring Fayre than puppets. Photo: Ned Coomes

Following the church service, the fayre takes place in the church garden with stalls, Punch & Judy shows (tell the kids that this is what kids TV used to look like), puppeteering workshops, live music and maypole dancing. An afternoon of wholesome, free, family-friendly fun, if ever there was one. Apart from all the fiesty puppets, of course.

For 2026, the event is produced for the first time by Small Pond Theatre, who take over the reins from previous organisers, Alternative Arts.

The Covent Garden May Fayre & Puppet Festival, Sunday 10 May 2026, St Paul's Church, Covent Garden, 11am-5.30pm. Admission is free.