A piece of the Barbican Conservatory could be coming to live in your home! Image: Chris Gorman

Bad news: the Barbican Conservatory is closing for three years from the beginning of 2027. Good news: you can adopt one of its plants.

Well, you can if you're lucky.

Opened in 1984, the primary reason for the Barbican Conservatory was to hide the theatre's fly tower, but it has since become a firm favourite among visitors to the cultural complex, and the perfect antidote to many a rainy afternoon.

Ahead of its closure, which comes as part of extensive Barbican renovations, more than 2,000 plant cuttings of the Conservatory's temperate and arid plants — including giant-leafed monstera, glossy ficus and purple-and-green tradescantia — are being offered to visitors to take home.

At each 'adoption' event, visitors will learn about the Conservatory's architectural history, the development of its horticultural collection and its planned revitalisation. Tickets (and plants) are free, with donations encouraged.

The final event takes place in December, but tickets will go fast. Image: Chris Gorman

It appears that Londoners have some seriously green fingers, because the first two batches of tickets have been snapped up like a Venus flytrap on a, er, fly.

There is, however, one more plant adoption event planned, on Wednesday 2 December 2026 — 700 tickets for which are available in a ballot that goes live at 2pm on Thursday 29 October. The ballot closes Thursday 19 November.

If you're not fortunate enough to nab tickets, the conservatory also hosts a series of 'Rest, Reflect and Recharge', events across November and December, featuring a programme of yoga, guided relaxation, mindful movement, breathwork and creative workshops.

Additional free public openings over the tail end of 2026 will also allow people to explore the conservatory before it closes. Stay tuned to the Barbican website for details.

After shutting in early 2027, the Barbican Conservatory will reopen in 2030, relandscaped for optimal plant growing conditions and fitted with more sustainable systems. It will also be fully accessible, with step-free access throughout, widened paths and a new lift.

In another exciting twist, it will open daily, rather than a few times a month. Entry will continue to be free.

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We look ahead and pick the best exhibitions to see in London's galleries and museums, opening this November and December.

Sámi Art & Culture: Through Our Eyes at Somerset House

Photo by Jean-Baptiste Béranger © 2026 Accelerator, Stockholm University

The Sámi are Europe's only recognised Indigenous people, living across parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. This exhibition showcases work by 19 Sámi artists, including sculpture, photography, video and performance art. It features a new commission made from hundreds of traditional shawl tassels and the work of a street artist who uses graffiti on road signs to change them to the Sámi name for these places. There's been a welcome surge in the showcasing of Sámi art in Europe, and this is the UK's first group exhibition celebrating the culture.

Through Our Eyes: Sámi Art and Culture at Somerset House. 6 November 2026-7 February 2027, free.

Migration and Colonialism: Arcadia by John Akomfrah at the Natural History Museum

© John Akomfrah. Courtesy Smoking Dogs Films and Lisson Gallery

We've always been huge fans of John Akomfrah's moving and stunning films, where scenes across multiple screens look back at human history, colonialism and environmental destruction. Arcadia is his latest film, which looks back at the impact of the Columbian exchange, the movement of plants, people, animals, precious metals, commodities, technology, diseases and ideas, across the Atlantic. Images of deserts, ice fields, mountains and seas are interrupted by decaying ships, disease, cargo, and symbols of cross-continental trade.

Arcadia by John Akomfrah at the Natural History Museum. 6 November 2026-3 May 2027, free.

Pioneering designs: The Nue Black Aesthetic at the Design Museum

A braided rocking chair. Courtesy Taiba Akhuetie

Bringing together leading Black designers, this exhibition of over 100 objects includes tables, chairs, chandeliers, ceramics, sculpture, clothing, architecture and much more. It's designed to showcase the latest generation of Black designers but also to demonstrate that Black design is not a monolith and that there is no single way to be a Black designer. Many of these designers are from diasporic communities, combining their lived experiences with their heritage to produce a new take on identity, culture, and community.

The Nue Black Aesthetic at the Design Museum. 6 November 2026-8 August 2027, £15.29.

Centre of power: Constantinople to Istanbul at V&A

'Ays Sofia Constantinople'. Copyright V&A.

Now called Istanbul, the city formerly known as Constantinople has a rich history and heritage. It was the capital of two powerful empires, the Byzantine and Ottoman, and therefore had a massive impact on the shaping of the Christian and Islamic worlds. It was a centre of art, architecture and design, as shown through paintings, textiles, mosaics, tablework, jewellery and dozens of other artefacts. Starting from the Roman era, this show guides us through how the city thrived as a city of religion, art, and trade, and takes us through to the height of the Ottoman era, and how that influenced European art and design.

Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires at V&A. 7 November 2026-9 May 2027, £25-27.

Bloomsbury duo: Vanessa Bell & Duncan Grant at Tate Britain

© 2026 Estate of Duncan Grant All rights reserved, DACS.Photo © Tate (Mark Heathcote & Abbie Soanes)

Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant were two of the core members of the Bloomsbury Group, a circle of English writers, intellectuals, philosophers, and artists who met in the Bloomsbury area and left a lasting legacy on British art, literature and society. This exhibition features over 300 works, including still lifes, landscape paintings, decorative works on furniture, ceramics, and textiles. One of the highlights is a restaging of their studios so we can see how and where they worked.  

Vanessa Bell & Duncan Grant: Inside Bloomsbury at Tate Britain. 12 November 2026-11 April 2027, £20.

Funky fashion: Tradition/Rebellion at Japan House

Young people celebrating Coming-Of-Age Day in Kitakyushu. © Nakamura Kenta

From fur-trimmed kimono to gravity-defying hair, this is a celebration of the eclectic fashion worn by 20-year-olds in the Japanese city of Kitakyushu as they mark their entry into adulthood. In the rest of Japan, this is normally a formal affair, but in Kitakyushu they combine tradition with deeply personal fashions, all in the name of demonstrating individuality. The exhibition follows eight of Kitakyushu’s ‘new adults’, from the first fitting to the ceremony itself. Each look is made possible by the local industry of kimono renters, fashion designers, hairdressers and photographers, all playing their part in the transformations.

Tradition/Rebellion: Coming-of-Age Style in Kitakyushu at Japan House London. 11 November 2026-18 April 2027, free.

Graffiti galore: Beyond the Streets at Saatchi Gallery

Photo: Martha Cooper.

After the success of the 2023 exhibition of the same name, Saatchi Gallery has brought back Beyond the Streets with many new artworks. It covers six decades of street culture's influence on contemporary art, photography, fashion, music, and activism. It's the story of graffiti and street artists, and hip-hop musicians who were willing to challenge boundaries and take risks, reshaping the world around them. The gallery has been turned into an immersive journey through the history of street culture and its ongoing influence, spanning more than 10 rooms and bringing together over 100 international creators in painting, sculpture, fashion, ephemera, and interactive experiences.

Beyond the Streets at Saatchi Gallery. 11 November 2026-5 May 2027, £25.

Childhood and nature: Where We Grow at The Foundling Museum

Copyright Andy Holden

Whether it's running around your local park or out in the countryside, it's our experiences with nature that shape us as children. This exhibition traces how this relationship evolved, including how children interacted with the Foundling Hospital's gardens, through archival materials such as 18th-century seed lists, and the botanical motifs found in the Museum's galleries. Alongside this archive, contemporary artists have made work about their own childhood experiences, including Andy Holden's installation, where the bird eggs reference growing up with an ornithologist father.   

Where We Grow: Nature, nurture and childhood at the Foundling Museum. 17 November 2026-18 April 2027, £13.50 (includes admission to the museum).

A powerhouse collector: Peggy Guggenheim in London at the Royal Academy of Arts

© 2026 Salvador Dali, Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, DACS

American-born Peggy Guggenheim is one of art history's greatest collectors and taste-makers. She set up a gallery in Mayfair in the 1930s, which became known for showcasing artists whose work fell outside the conservative tastes of the London art scene at the time. This included artists such as Vasily Kandinsky, Salvador Dalí, Barbara Hepworth, and Henry Moore. 88 years after her gallery opened its doors to more avant-garde art in Britain, many works by the artists she championed are returning for an exhibition celebrating her time in London.

Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector at the Royal Academy of Arts. 21 November 2026-14 March 2027, £17.

Moomins and more: Tove Jansson and her Families at Quentin Blake Centre

© Moomin Characters™

Many of us have fond childhood memories of reading or watching the Moomins, those strange hippo-human hybrid creatures, and their adventures. They were created by Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson, and here's our chance to throw ourselves into the Moomin-verse and experience her other creations. There are over 100 rarely-shown sketches, paintings, illustrations and photographs from Jansson and those closest to her, plus scraps from the first published Moomin book. It's also a chance to discover her broader life, the influence of her graphic designer mother, her early work for a satirical magazine, and her contribution to Finland’s public realm through large-scale murals.

Tove Jansson and her Families at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration. 21 November 2026-9 May 2027, £15 (includes entrance to all exhibitions).

Groundbreaking portraiture: Van Eyck at The National Gallery

Copyright The National Gallery.

Painter Jan van Eyck is best known for the Arnolfini Portrait, in which a wealthy couple pose in a small room. The convex mirror in the background lets us look back on where we would be if we were observing them, only to see two other persons there. It's one of the gallery's best-known masterpieces, but here we can see all nine of van Eyck's portraits together for the first time in London. They were painted over 600 years ago, and while they are masterfully executed, what made his work radical was that he didn't paint kings, queens, and aristocrats; instead, he depicted successful craftsmen, merchants, and his own relatives.

Van Eyck: The Portraits at The National Gallery. 21 November 2026-11 April 2027, £18.

Tender photography: Nan Goldin at the Hayward Gallery

© Nan Goldin, courtesy the artist and Gagosian

Over the past five decades, Nan Goldin has photographed personal relationships, addiction and queer subcultures, forming what she calls ‘a record of my life that no one can revise.’ She gained global recognition for her public protests against the funding of the arts by the Sackler family, and their role in the opioid epidemic. Here's a chance to see the intimate and tender moments in her photography, as well as the beauty and fragility of human, animal and environmental existence.

Nan Goldin: You Never Did Anything Wrong at the Hayward Gallery. 24 November 2026-14 March 2027, £19.

Pop art legend: Peter Blake at Pitzhanger

Photo: Jonathan Donovan. Artworks © Peter Blake. Courtesy Waddington Custot Galleries, London, Paris, Dubai

Peter Blake is one of the biggest names in British Pop Art, and across a career spanning seven decades he has created paintings, collages, prints and album covers — including, famously the cover of the Beatles album, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. His west London studio, located in nearby Hammersmith, has been recreated at Pitzhanger in Ealing, offering insight into his working life, alongside paintings, sculpture, collages, and works on paper, revealing his fascination with pop culture and British and American cultural life.

Peter Blake: In The Studio at Pitzhanger. 25 November 2026-18 April 2027, £17.

It's back: London Museum opens

Copyright Secchi Smith

10 years in the making — and four years since the previous venue closed — we finally have the chance to see the new London Museum, the reincarnation of the former Museum of London. The brand new museum in Smithfield pulls together several historic buildings into one giant celebration of the city and its history, drawing on over seven million objects. The permanent collection includes highlights such as "The Lord Mayor’s Coach, Banksy’s Piranhas artwork, Charles I's execution vest, Emmeline Pankhurst's hunger strike medal, the Whitechapel Fatberg, and Anna Pavlova's 'Dying Swan' dress." The Cheapside Hoard will also be on display, along with archaeological treasures of the Roman period from beneath the Bloomberg building.

London Museum. Opens 28 November, free.

Short-run exhibitions and art fairs

A sculpture by Annie Trevorah, copyright the artist.

The National Army Museum will have a special display on the experiences of South Asian communities during the Second World War and its immediate aftermath, including how people from South Asia were recruited to support post-war reconstruction in Britain (3-15 November, free). Sculptor Annie Trevorah has taken aim at the contemporary beauty industry with an aesthetic clinic for animals named after the first cloned mammal, as seen in her playful sculptures at Coningsby Gallery (4-14 November, free).

Two of our favourite prizes for emerging artists hold exhibitions of their shortlisted artists, with the Ingram Prize supporting artists who have recently graduated showing their works at Unit 1 Gallery in West London (5-10 November, free). The Cass Art Prize champions contemporary art from across the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and we're fans of many of their previous winners and shortlisted artists. This year the works will be shown at the Bomb Factory in Marylebone (6-14 November, free).

An image from a previous edition of Discerning Eye.

The International Original Print Exhibition returns to Bankside Gallery (5-15 November, free), and printmaking is a medium where you can always find affordable works to purchase. Speaking of buying works, the Discerning Eye* returns to the Mall Galleries (13-21 November, free), where six expert judges each have a wall to showcase around 100 works at a domestic scale for visitors to buy. If you prefer buying directly from artists and galleries, then Highgate Art Fair (6-8 November, free) has a mix of artists and galleries all presenting their work in a primary school in north London.

Heading into December, spectacularly detailed architectural drawings by Minty Sainsbury are on show at Coningsby Gallery (1-5 December, free), and the Royal Drawing School showcases its students' work in its end-of-year exhibition (2-19 December, free). Plus, artist and author Robert John launches his book and the artworks that go alongside it at Zari Gallery (10-20 December, free).

Exhibitions outside London

Georg Wilson. Underling (After Gainsborough). © Georg Wilson

Gainsborough's House in Sudbury is hosting the work of three contemporary artists who incorporate nature and landscape into their art (8 November 2026-18 April 2027, £15 entry fee for the house). Glenn Brown references the relationship between art history and the landscape in his works, which sit at the intersection of the beautiful and the grotesque. Georg Wilson imagines a world without humans, celebrating the animals we often overlook, and the late Monica Poole's works explore nature's dark beauty through wood engravings.

Copyright Ryan Gander. Courtesy the artist and Esther Schipper. Photo: Andrea Rossetti.

Conceptual artist Ryan Gander has his first major UK show in 20 years at the Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne (14 November 2026-11 April 2027, £5-14). It includes one of his best-known works, in which an animatronic mouse pokes its head out of a hole in the wall before philosophising to the room. There's an expansive floor installation of colourful, repurposed toys, a fully mirrored room, paintings, and his first AI virtual-reality experience, where we get to meet the artist's avatar.

© Ragnar Kjartansson, Margrét Bjarnadóttir, and Bryce Dessner. Courtesy the artists, Luhring Augustine, New York and i8 Gallery

Ragnar Kjartansson is an artist we've admired for his ability to mix music with art, and meaningful ideas with playfulness. He brings this eccentric energy to Goodwood in Weekdays in Arcadia (26 November 2026-12 April 2027, £15), which includes a six-channel video installation featuring eight female performers from the Iceland Dance Company moving between screens, singing, and playing acoustic guitars, as well as a large-scale ceramic installation, and paintings which depict Kjartansson’s experience of shepherding in southern Iceland.

* The author of this piece is a trustee of Discerning Eye.

Keep up date with festive happenings in the capital on our Christmas 2026 in London page.

Solo Craft Fair holds several festive events, including at Between the Bridges on South Bank. Image: Solo Craft Fair

Whether you want to get your Christmas shopping done, or you're looking to buy festive treats and Christmas decorations, London's many festive markets and fairs are the place to be. They're also a great chance to shop small and support local and independent businesses. The following festive events are confirmed to be happening for Christmas 2026.

Central London Christmas 2026 markets and fairs

The Southbank Winter Market is a staple of Christmas in London. Image: Southbank Centre

CHRISTMAS IN LEICESTER SQUARE: For the second year, ice rink Skate Leicester Square opens, surrounding the William Shakespeare statue — and again, Christmas market stalls will pop up alongside the rink. 31 October 2026-3 January 2027

SOUTHBANK CENTRE WINTER MARKET: Wooden chalets and twinkling lights flank the Thames for Southbank Centre's Winter Market. It focuses mainly on food and drink — think mulled wine, hot chocolate and warming street food — with a few craft traders in the mix. Be aware that the area gets VERY busy, particularly over the weekends. 2 November 2026-4 January 2027

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is home to one of London's most famous Christmas markets. Image: Justine Trickett

BETWEEN THE BRIDGES: South London-based creative hub Solo Craft Fair returns to Between the Bridges for a series of Christmas markets. Head for the events venue — between the London Eye and the Hungerford Bridge — on selected Sundays to browse products by up to 60 makers. BTB has plenty of bars and street food/drink traders too, so mulled wine and the like will be readily available. Sundays 15, 22, 29 November and 6, 13, 20 December 2026

HYDE PARK WINTER WONDERLAND: If you like your Christmas shopping with a side of rides, theatre shows — and even an ice rink — then Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is where it's at. Visit traditional wooden chalets selling gifts, decorations, and more seasonal refreshments than you can shake a chimney cake at. Be warned though — it gets HECTIC, particularly on evenings and weekends closer to Christmas. 19 November 2026-3 January 2027

Get your Christmas shopping done at Between the Bridges. Image: Solo Craft Fair

SWEDISH CHURCH, MARYLEBONE: The Church of Sweden's London outpost, just off the Marylebone Road, opens its doors for a Christmas fair with food, mulled wine, Christmas items and a café. 20-22 November 2026

ST MARTIN-IN-THE-FIELDS: One of London's most central Christmas fairs sees Solo Craft Market take over the Crypt of St Martin-in-the Fields on Trafalgar Square for two weekends in November with 90 independent makers, and free creative workshops. 21-22 and 28-29 November 2026

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This festive season, you can meet the makers, uncover hidden treasures and shop for thoughtful gifts that will be remembered long after your Christmas tree has dropped its last needle. We’re talking handmade coil vases (BY RAFFAELLA), playful neon lamps (Locomocean), one-of-a-kind silk scarves (Furious Goose), award-winning contemporary jewellery (David Ashton, Sima Vaziry, Ringsmiths, JeDeCo), and so much more. With every purchase, you’ll be supporting London's independent creative economy, and helping local social enterprise, Coin Street, build a thriving community.

You'll find it all across three floors overlooking the River Thames. Fancy making a day of it? OXO Tower Wharf is also home to some rather lovely food and drink destinations — from independent artisan café Coffee Academy (PSA: these fine folk stock Crosstown doughnuts) to OXO Tower Bar, Restaurant and Brasserie, if you’re looking for an elevated (in more ways than one!) end to your festive shopping trip.

Find OXO Tower Wharf in the heart of South Bank, near Blackfriars Bridge.

The Mayfair Christmas market returns in 2026. Image: Novikov

MAYFAIR CHRISTMAS MARKET: Italian-Asian restaurant Novikov closes Mayfair Place (close to Green Park station) to traffic for its three-day Christmas market. Gift stalls are present (if you'll excuse the pun), but as you might expect from a restaurant, there's a heavy focus on food — think speciality stalls offering parmesan wheels, oysters and caviar, as well as a champagne bar. Entertainment takes the form of DJs, roaming carol singers, and an appearance from Santa on the Saturday afternoon. 26-28 November 2026

THE FRENCH HOUSE: Legendary Dean Street pub the French House holds a one-day Christmas market in its upstairs dining room, encouraging shoppers (and drinkers) to eschew commercial and mass-produced Christmas items in favour of "a show-stopping cornucopia of covetable wares". Bespoke hats, original prints, cards, books, fine artwork and handcrafted Christmas decorations are among the products. 6 November 2026

North London Christmas 2026 markets and fairs

King's Cross has a new Christmas market for 2026. Image: John Sturrock

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING AND COUNTRY LIVING CHRISTMAS FAIR: Expect high-end goods aplenty at the Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair at the Business Design Centre in Islington, which caters for all aspects of the festivities — jewellery, gin, cheese, textiles, artworks, you name it. There's also a programme bursting with talks and workshops, where you can make your own felted baubles or reindeer bunting. 11-14 November 2026

PAX LODGE, HAMPSTEAD: Girl Guides and Girl Scouts base Pax Lodge in Hampstead hosts a fundraising Christmas bazaar with stalls from Girl Guiding units and organisations as well as other vendors, selling handcrafted Christmas decorations and gifts. A raffle, live music and children's activities are also part of the fun. 14 November 2026

CRAFTY FOX CHRISTMAS MARKET: We're fans of Crafty Fox markets, which give local artists and craftspeople a place to sell their wares. Special Christmas Markets take place in November and December, stalls tending to chop and change every year, with a mixture of jewellery, ceramics, homewares, beauty products, textiles and cards. We've never left empty-handed. FREE entry, 14-15 November (British Library) and 6 and 12 December 2026 (King's Cross)

KING'S CROSS CHRISTMAS MARKET: King's Cross gets a brand new Winter Village Christmas market for 2026, taking place across Granary Square, with a bandstand and three bars. Traders are due to be announced soon. 16 November 2026-3 January 2027

HANDMADE IN HIGHGATE: The Highgate Scientific & Literary Institute holds two winter fairs, with different designer-makers at each one, both local to Highgate, and from across the British Isles. It's also a chance to see inside the HLSI building, which is normally closed to the public. 20-22 and 27-29 November 2026

DANISH YWCA, HAMPSTEAD: Experience a Danish Christmas bazaar complete with traditional festive goods, such as elves and pleated Christmas hearts. You can also gorge on Danish scran: open sandwiches, gløgg and Danish hotdogs fuelling your shopping experience. 28-29 November 2026

South London Christmas 2026 markets and fairs

Image: Independent Ceramics Market

KINGSTON CHRISTMAS MARKET: A European-style Christmas market takes over the centre of Kingston, including the Ancient Market Place. Wooden chalets, twinkling lights, a carousel for kiddies... all very photogenic. 12 November-3 January 2027

NORWEGIAN CHURCH: Rotherhithe's Norwegian Church offers a Scandinavian twist on a Christmas market, or 'Julebasar'. Expect stalls brimming with Nordic crafts, handmade gifts, beautiful design pieces and plenty of traditional Norwegian treats to feast on, including gløgg and cinnamon buns. Delish! 20-22 November 2026

DULWICH COLLEGE: A rare chance for the public to see inside Dulwich College, as the Barry Buildings, cloisters and courtyards host 130 stalls for its annual Christmas fair. Rumour has it that Father Christmas is planning to drop by too. 22 November 2026

FINNISH CHRISTMAS FAIR: Rotherhithe's Finnish Church hosts a traditional Finnish Christmas fair, with various traditional gifts and food from that corner of the world. 27-29 November and 4-6 December 2026

THE GARDEN MUSEUM: The Beautiful & Useful Craft Fair at the Garden Museum in Lambeth has an emphasis on supporting British designer-makers, with a carefully curated selection of small businesses selling their products. 6 December 2026

PECKHAM: Let it throw! A festive edition of the Independent Ceramics Market pitches up at Copeland Park in Peckham, showcasing work by 150 up-and-coming ceramics artists and makers. Browse unique, colourful ceramics, from mugs to art sculptures. The previous day, a DIY Christmas Art Market, by the same organisers, takes place at the same venue. 12-13 December 2026

East London Christmas 2026 markets and fairs

Leadenhall is a lovely venue for a spot of Christmas shopping. Image: Leadenhall Market

SHOREDITCH: Independent makers are celebrated at the TOAST Festive Market, which takes place in Shoreditch for the second time (previously held in King's Cross). Events venue Kachette is the place to head in mid-December with full details due to be announced closer to the time. 10-13 December 2026

LEADENHALL CRAFT MARKET: Traders from Solo Craft Fair set up in the Leadenhall Market atrium, alongside its lofty Christmas tree, for a Christmas fair. 14 November and 12 December 2026

West London Christmas 2026 markets and fairs

Chiswick House holds several Christmas markets throughout November and December. Image: Andre Pattenden

CHISWICK HOUSE AND GARDENS: Several festive fairs take place in the grounds of Chiswick House, including the Duck Pond Festive Market (1 November, 5-6, 19-24 December 2026) bringing together local and ethical independent businesses. The Urban Food Fest Christmas Market (28-29 November 2026) focuses on global street food with a festive twist, to be enjoyed while you browse a curated selection of art stalls. The Lazy Flea Christmas Market, meanwhile, (12-13 December 2026) brings vintage finds together with independent crafts and makers.

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS FAIR: If you're the sort of person who's already started counting down to Christmas by Halloween, the Spirit of Christmas Fair at Olympia is very much for you (and this year is the 25th anniversary of the event, so expect to see some special celebrations). It's a great excuse to officially begin the festivities in early November (!), and goes on for a whole week — ample time to browse the 600+ independent brands selling everything from clothes, health and beauty products, and food and drink, to Christmas decorations and other festive paraphernalia. 2-8 November 2026

Chelsea holds a one-day art market. Image: Cadogan

NOTTING HILL CHRISTMAS MARKET: The Rugby Portobello Trust's Christmas market gets underway with a VIP Christmas shopping evening on 18 November (tickets here) followed by the main market day on 19 November (tickets here). It all happens at 221 Walmer Road in Notting Hill, with 50 independent stallholders, makers and designers selling everything from fashion to food. Santa Claus also swings by on the Thursday. 18-19 November 2026

FESTIVE ART MARKET: Part of the wider Christmas celebrations in Chelsea, a festive art market pops up for one day only, with independent artists and contemporary makers showcasing and selling their crafts, accompanied by live music performances and creative workshops. 22 November 2026

BELGRAVIA WINTER MARKET: A short stroll from the happenings in Chelsea on the same day (above), the Belgravia Winter Market takes over Elizabeth Street — think festive chalets with twinkling lights where you can stock up on candles, ceramics, jewellery, cheese and panettone (all the festive essentials, then), while enjoying live music and 'snowfall'. 22 November 2026

CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN: 100+ curated stands take over Chelsea Physic Garden for its Christmas Fair, spanning food, accessories, homewares and plants. The cafe is open too, serving up festive refreshments. 26-29 November 2026

Image: Chelsea Barracks

CHELSEA BARRACKS: The landscaped surroundings of Garrison Square at Chelsea Barracks hold a two-day Christmas fair, with stallholders peddling crafted gifts, decorative objects and festive food alongside live entertainment such as carol singers, and a visit from Santa. 28-29 November 2026

FULHAM PALACE CHRISTMAS FAIR: Do your Christmas shopping in the grounds and rooms of Fulham Palace. There's a special adults-only preview evening on the Friday night, before the fair opens to everyone on the Saturday and Sunday. Browse small-business stalls selling gifts and food items, tuck into festive refreshments including mince pies and mulled wine, enjoy performances by local choirs in the courtyard, and keep the kids occupied with a Christmas tree trail. 4-6 December 2026

HAMPTON COURT PALACE: Henry VIII would be happy that food is the theme at the Hampton Court Palace Festive Fayre, spanning two weekends in the courtyards of the Tudor king's former pad. Stock up on Christmas gifts for the foodies in your life, and keep yourself well-refreshed with street food and warming bevvies. Festive singalongs take place in front of the bandstand throughout the weekend, as well as carol services in the Chapel Royal. And Psst! the Hampton Court Palace ice rink is open by then too... 4-6 and 11-13 December 2026

Angel will be exit-only on weekends from the start of 2027. Image: Londonist

From 2027, Angel Tube station will be exit-only on weekends, as refurbishments are made to its escalators.

The Northern line station has two banks of escalators — one of these featuring the longest escalators on the entire network — but they haven't undergone any major maintenance since being installed in 1992, something which TfL has squarely blamed on "the legacy of historic shortfalls in Government funding".

Such is the iffy state of these old escalators, one has been out of service since April 2026, leaving only two escalators currently operating on that bank. TfL fears that if another broke, this would have major implications for the station; at over 60 metres long, the escalators aren't viable for use as a staircase.

From 2 January 2027, Angel's escalators will undergo life-extending maintenance — but as every Londoner knows, such repairs take a long time. For the foreseeable future then, Angel will be exit-only every weekend and Bank Holiday.

The lack of forecast end date may have something to do with the fact that TfL is ultimately planning to replace the escalators altogether. Says Richard Jones, Director of Asset Performance Delivery for London Underground: "Their size means renewal or replacement is a challenging, expensive project and we are currently exploring all options possible to extend their working life.

"Making the station exit-only during specific periods will allow us to extend the working life of the escalators and give us more time to plan our next steps, with design work on replacing the escalators to begin this autumn."

Recent repairs on Kentish Town Underground's escalators — also on the Northern line — massively overran, lasting 18 months.

Angel Tube station will operate as normal on weekdays.

For an excellent documentary on Angel in its pre-escalator days, check out the Heart of the Angel on BBC iPlayer.

Alexandra Palace is one of the venues offering a huge fireworks display this Bonfire Night. Image: Josette Crispin

CHRISTMAS CALENDAR: Too early for the 'C' word? Not really — plenty of festive events begin in London this month, as you'll see below. To help you plan your Christmas in London, we've put together this festive calendar, so you can see all the big seasonal events (light switch-ons, ice rink launches, Christmas markets opening) at a glance.

HALF TERM: The school half term break continues into early November. Got children to entertain? Have a read of our family-friendly events guide spanning shows, exhibitions, free activities and other events. Until 1 November 2026

VETERAN CAR RUN: The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run sees some 400 pre-1905 vehicles set off from London to Brighton. You'll have to be up early to cheer them on — they begin leaving Hyde Park around 7am, heading through Lambeth towards Croydon, and on towards the coast. FREE, 1 November 2026

PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL: Organised by the Pitchfork music magazine team, Pitchfork Music Festival has events in 16 venues across London, including Royal Festival Hall, Roundhouse and Hackney Empire. Full programme TBC at time of writing. 2-8 November 2026

London's Christmas lights are switched on from the start of this month. Image: Regent Street

KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL: Cinemas across the capital host screenings as part of the 21st London Korean Film Festival, which includes critically acclaimed films, new talent and Korean box office hits. 2-16 November 2026

THEATRE FESTIVAL: Voila! Theatre Festival describes itself as an "annual theatre rendezvous in London" spanning multidisciplinary, multilingual and multicultural performance. This year, that translates into close to 100 different productions across several genres, including classical music-hip hop crossover Rostro x Eminem, and movement-led documentary (M)Others Between Shores, about the experience of migrant mothers. The programme is extensive, so you're bound to find several events to pique your interest. 2-22 November 2026

WRAP UP LONDON: Annual charity coat collection WrapUp London returns to London stations, so dig out your old coat from the back of your wardrobe. The organisation redistributes the coats they collect to those who need them most, to help keep them more comfortable and safe over the winter months. Collections take place 2-22 November 2026

CLOUD 9: Caryl Churchill's Cloud 9 — which follows a family from Victorian Africa to 1970s London — gets a new production at the National Theatre, exploring how we think about gender, power and the legacies of empire. 2 November 2026-January 2027

Kunsty returns to Southbank Centre. Image: Corinne Cumming

REVOLVING DINNER PARTY: 'Gastronauts' Bompas & Parr take over Holborn's Space House for their next mission: Gastolabe. Book yourself in for a revolving dinner party where your table moves throughout the meal, allowing you to mingle with multiple fellow diners as you eat. Clever stuff! 3-8 November 2026

CHARLIE MACKESY: Author and illustrator Charlie Mackesy — creator of The Boy, The Fox, The Mole and The Horse — is the subject of a new Dulwich Picture Gallery exhibition. View never-before-seen early sketches, unpublished studies and original works from across Mackesy's career. 3 November 2026-7 February 2027

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Step into the festive season at The Ideal Christmas Show

Immerse yourself in all things Christmas under one spectacular glass-domed roof this month. The Ideal Christmas Show takes over Olympia from 26 to 29 November, bringing with it sled-loads of unique gifts, festive gastronomy galore and workshops to turbocharge the seasonal cheer. And the best bit? Our readers can get tickets from just £10.

This festive extravaganza turns a Christmas shopping trip into a highly memorable day out. In between browsing and buying unique treasures from independent brands and artisan makers, you can get stuck into wreath-crafting or cocktail-making workshops; dive into festive gastronomy with the help of live demos and the Festive Food Hall; or simply eat, drink and be merry in Santa’s Speakeasy. The event is family-friendly too, with a Christmas Slime Studio, a gaming and gadgets area, and — drumroll, please — Santa's Grotto.

If you want to make your visit extra special, VIP upgrades are available, including fast-track entry, access to the exclusive VIP Lounge, complimentary refreshments, a dedicated cloakroom and a seasonal goody bag. Or, if you'd prefer to keep the cash for your Christmas shopping spree, you can save over 35% on general admission with the code LONDONIST26.

The Ideal Christmas Show at Olympia London, 26-29 November. Get tickets from £10.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: London's Christmas lights are switched on throughout this month, including Regent Street (5 November), Covent Garden (12 November) and Carnaby (4 November). Other areas follow over the coming weeks. Here's when exactly each of London's Christmas light displays are switched on. FREE, from 4 November 2026

KUNSTY: Returning to Southbank Centre for a second year, Kunsty is a weekend of raucous performances from independent artists working at the boundaries of dance, performance, live art and cabaret. The programme includes Samir Kennedy and Sean Murray's vulgar vampy cabaret IT'S GOT LEGS, and Fringe favourite Fag Packet's physical theatre comedy, DYKE Systems Ltd. 4-6 November 2026

CROYDONITES FESTIVAL: Vikings, bears and a special film premiere are part of this year's Croydonites Festival, which showcases the south London's cultural heft through a medley of comedy, clowning, theatre and film. 4-21 November 2026

Through Our Eyes opens at Somerset House. Image: Jassa I, 2023 , by Lada Suomenrinne

FIREWORKS NIGHT 2026: Remember, remember, the fifth of November. It's fireworks night (or Bonfire Night) — the anniversary of the foiled Gunpowder Plot. Take a look at the displays going on at parks and sports grounds around London this year, and get booking tickets. Note that several take place the weekend before 5 November, so plan in advance. We've also selected a few fireworks events beyond London, which are well worth travelling to. Around 5 November 2026

TEDDINGTON BEER FESTIVAL: If you've just about recovered from London's Oktoberfest celebrations, head to the Landmark Arts Centre for Teddington Beer Festival. Sample cask ales and ciders, with proceeds supporting the Landmark Arts Centre, where the event is held. 5-8 November 2026

TANGO AFTER DARK: World Tango Champion Germán Cornejo brings his company to Sadler's Wells for Tango After Dark, a two-hour production featuring 10 dancers, a five-piece live orchestra and two singers performing the music of Astor Piazzolla. The show mixes intimate, athletic choreography with dramatic storytelling, and returns after a sold-out 2018 run. 5-9 November 2026

UK JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL: Various cinemas around London and beyond host screenings as part of the UK Jewish Film Festival. The festival spans genres including drama, comedy and documentary, and begins with an opening night gala at BFI Southbank, screening When the Night Falls, based on a true story about the deportation of French Jews from Vichy France to the Nazi Occupied Zone during the Second World War. 5-15 November 2026

Sir John Akomfrah's Arcadia opens at the Natural History Museum. Image: © John Akomfrah. Courtesy Smoking Dogs Films and Lisson Gallery

EVER AFTER GARDEN: Illuminated by the light of more than 30,000 glowing roses, the Ever After Garden returns to Chelsea's Duke of York Square. Anyone can visit, and though there's no admission fee, the installation raises money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, so consider donating if you can. Alternatively, dedicate a rose to a loved one (minimum suggested donation £15). 5 November-21 December 2026

LUXMURALIS: Light art specialists Luxmuralis take over the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich for Lost Worlds, an immersive journey through the great civilisations, myths and forgotten histories of humanity. Light and sound effects combine as you wander through the historic spaces of the ORNC after dark, surrounded by depictions of prehistoric cave art, the lost worlds of Atlantis and Troy, and the age of the dinosaurs. 6-15 November 2026

THROUGH OUR EYES: The first group exhibition in the UK to hone in on the vibrant art and culture of the Sámi people, Through our Eyes: Sámi Art and Culture opens at Somerset House. View works by 19 artists from Europe's only recognised indigenous people, whose traditional land spans the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. 6 November 2026-February 2027

JULIUS CAESAR: Shakespeare's Julius Caesar gets an airing in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at the Globe, a production that explores friendship, betrayal and political violence — classic Shakespeare, then. 6 November 2026-14 February 2027

Christmas starts early at Excel. Image: Wundrful World of Christmas

NUE BLACK AESTHETIC: The Design Museum celebrates contemporary Black designers who are reshaping the British design landscape in furniture, architecture, fashion and installation — by exploring identity, culture, community and more. 6 November 2026-8 August 2027

ARCADIA: Sir John Akomfrah's Arcadia is a film installation exploring the Columbian Exchange — the mass movements of people, species, goods and disease between the Americas, Afro‑Eurasia and Europe. The piece mixes landscape and sea imagery with a layered soundtrack of nature sounds, opera and poetry. It's screened at the Natural History Museum. FREE, from 6 November 2026

CONSTANTINOPLE TO ISTANBUL: The V&A South Kensington unveils Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires, an exhibition spanning 1,600 years of art and design from Byzantium to the Ottoman period, bringing together objects such as carved caskets, Ottoman processional scrolls, textiles and paintings by Osman Hamdi Bey. From 7 November 2026

REPRESENTASIAN: With an all-star lineup of Asian artists, RepresentAsian is a gala-style concert at the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, with talent showcasing musical and theatrical performances. 9 November 2026

Christmas as Kew is an incredible start to the festive period. Image: Ines Stuart-Davidson © RBG Kew

MIRACLE CHRISTMAS BAR: If you like your Christmases like your aunt used to do it in the eighties (i.e. by the absolute bucketload) Miracle is the place for you. The blindingly kitsch festive pop-up bar is back with as many decorations as they can squeeze in, alongside an OTT Christmas cocktail menu which we've rather enjoyed slurping our way through in years gone by. Miracle has a new, bigger location this year, on Russell Street in Covent Garden. 9 November-30 December 2026. For more like this, see our guide to London's best winter and Christmas pop-up bars.

NINE NIGHT: Natasha Gordon's debut play Nine Night is staged at Kiln Theatre. The story follows a Jamaican family gathering for the traditional nine-night wake after Gloria's death, combining moments of humour with the tensions of grief and long-held secrets. 12 November 2026-2 January 2027

BLOOMSBURY DUO: Vanessa Bell — sister of Virginia Woolf — and her husband Duncan Grant were the most famous artistic duo of the Bloomsbury Group. View their works and learn about their relationship at Tate Britain. 12 November 2026-11 April 2027

PRIDE THE MUSICAL: Following a sold-out National Theatre run, Pride The Musical — about activist Mark Ashton and the unlikely alliance between lesbian and gay campaigners and striking miners in 1984 — pops up at the Bridge Theatre near Tower Bridge. It pairs a soundtrack inspired by pop, rock, disco and Welsh choral traditions with a charming mix of humour and emotion. 12 November 2026-May 2027

A modern twist on Rudyard Kipling's tale. Image: The Jungle Book

SYLVIA: The rebellious middle child of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst is the subject of the musical Sylvia, which transfers from the Old Vic to a short run at the Royal Albert Hall. It uses a soundtrack of hip‑hop, funk and soul music, with Beverley Knight appearing as Emmeline Pankhurst and Naomi Katiyo as Sylvia. 13-15 November 2026

EFG LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL: Get down with the trumpets at the EFG London Jazz Festival, which offers 10 days of live performances at venues including Barbican, Southbank Centre and the Royal Albert Hall. Norwegian-Brazilian musician Charlotte Dos Santos, the experimental Robocobra Quartet, and Parisian group Caravan Palace are among this year's headliners. 13-22 November 2026

WUNDRFUL WORLD OF CHRISTMAS: Some people might say that mid-November is too early to be getting the kids wound up for Christmas. If that's not you, take them along to the Wundrful World of Christmas at Excel, where they can meet Santa and his elves via a mixed reality experience, including riding a special lift to the North Pole and visiting the North Pole Post Office. 13 November-24 December 2026

CHRISTMAS AT KEW: We know we shouldn't have favourites, but we have a soft spot for Christmas at Kew, the spectacular light and illuminations festival that glows in the gardens each winter. Over a million lights and thousands of laser beams go into creating the event, which also features a fire garden, light tunnel and illuminated trees. 13 November 2026-3 January 2027. Find other light festivals in London this winter.

Immerse yourself in Wonderland. Image: © Cités Immersives

EUROTRASH: Kathryn Hunter and Ben Whishaw star in an adaptation of Christian Kracht's novel Eurotrash, at the Young Vic. The play follows a novelist and his elderly mother on a chaotic road trip through Switzerland as they attempt to give away her fortune. 13 November 2026-9 January 2027

THE JUNGLE BOOK: A new adaptation brings Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book to the National Theatre, with a twist. This version centres Ma Bonbibi, the Lady of the Forest, with contemporary themes about the changing climate and the interdependency of humans and animals in the natural world. Age seven+. 13 November 2026-5 February 2027

ALICE IMMERSIVE WONDERLAND: 10 large-scale rooms bring Alice's Wonderland to life with live performance, interactive games and a 20-minute 360° projection finale. New experience Alice Immersive Wonderland opens at Dock X in Canada Water, offering a two-hour experience where you can meet Lewis Carroll's characters and step into scenes including the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and the Cheshire Cat's Forest. From 13 November 2026

LORD MAYOR'S SHOW: If you're a sucker for pomp and pageantry, don't miss the Lord/Lady Mayor's Show. The event marks the outgoing Lord Mayor being replaced by the new one, and takes the form of a procession through the City of London. FREE, 14 November 2026. There's also a secret ghost parade rehearsal a few days before, though the date of this is always kept under wraps.

CLUB NVRLND: Immersive nightclub experience Club Nvrlnd transforms The Vaults in Waterloo into Peter Pan's underground nightclub. The audience becomes part of a nostalgic party, with a soundtrack of 2000s hits by the likes of Britney Spears, Rihanna, P!nk, Outkast and Coldplay. 14 November 2026-31 January 2027

Lighthouse gets its premiere at Light + Flight. Image: Karol Wynszynski

LIGHT +FLIGHT: The London borough of Barnet offers two weekends of free events and activities for Light + Flight Festival. The first weekend sees large-scale art installations, live music, film, performance, creative workshops and the unveiling of a major new artwork, at Finchley Lakeside. The second weekend takes place at the RAF Museum and Artsdepot, celebrating Britain's first official airmail flight from Hendon Aerodrome in 1911, and premiering Lighthouse, which is part performance, part light show and part immersive sonic experience. FREE, 14-22 November 2026

THE AFRONAUTS: The world premiere run of The Afronauts , a Zambian space race epic by award-winning writer Ryan Calais Cameron (For Black Boys...) marks the finale of the Royal Court Theatre's 70th anniversary Downstairs season. Watch the true(ish) story of the Zambian Space Program, and a nation's defiant dream to reach for the stars, play out on stage. 14 November-19 December 2026

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TRAIN: Choo choo! All aboard the Epping Ongar Lights Express, a special ride on a train illuminated with fairy lights. Once on board, admire specially-installed illuminations through the windows. New for 2026, there are three different themed rides to choose from. 14 November 2026-2 January 2027

SCOTTISH BOOK FESTIVAL: Former sports writer Gordon Simpson, political editor Robert Peston and broadcaster Carol Kirkwood are among the names on the St Andrew's Book Festival programme, a celebration of Scottish literature at venues include Scotland House (Temple) and Caledonian Club (Belgravia). 16-22 November 2026

Carol Kirkwood is on the line-up at the St Andrew's Book Festival. Image: Paul Stuart Photography

ONE DAY THE MUSICAL: The long-awaited musical adaptation of David Nicholls' book One Day — also made into a Netflix series in 2024 — opens at the Garrick Theatre. Follow the parallel lives of Emma and Dexter, who meet on the night of their graduation, as we get an insight into what they're each up to on that same day over several years. 17 November 2026-March 2027

ROCK AGAINST AGEISM: Eighties icon Toyah Willcox is at Cecil Sharp House in Camden for a lively fireside chat about the punk rock years, her current tours and smashing ageism together. The event is part of Age UK's London Against Ageism campaign. 18 November 2026

BALLETBOYZ: Dance company BalletBoyz present the world premiere of Six Lethargies at Sadler's Wells, with composer Keaton Henson's score performed by a live 37-piece orchestra and choreography by Iván Pérez and Seirian Griffiths. Michael Nunn and William Trevitt;s company perform with around 35 dancers. 18-21 November 2026

HYDE PARK WINTER WONDERLAND: London's giant festive funfair returns to Hyde Park, with all the usual attractions; ice rink, giant wheel, funfair rides, ice kingdom, circus, Christmas market, and food and drink stalls. You'll need to book your entry slot in advance, and prices vary depending on peak and off-peak timings. 19 November 2026-3 January 2027

Winter Wonderland returns to Hyde Park in mid-November 2026. Image: Joshua Atkins

SEA SHANTY FESTIVAL: Warm up your vocal pipes and climb aboard Cutty Sark for the Sea Shanty Festival, celebrating the vessel's 157th birthday. Bands and singers from across the UK perform live including the HogEye Men and the London Sea Shanty Collective. 21 November 2026

LORD'S DRONE SHOW: Eyes to the skies at Lord's Cricket Ground as WILD: The Drone Light Show comes to town. Hundreds of drones bring the animal kingdom to life in the sky, choreographed to a sweeping soundtrack. 21 November 2026

THE SNOWMAN: After an incredible 32 years of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre's take on The Snowman, the Peacock theatre shakes things up for Christmas 2026 with a new staging. The BRT is still at the helm as puppets and a soaring score combine to bring Raymond Briggs' charming story of a Christmas Eve friendship between a boy and a snowman to life. It's one of our picks of family theatre shows not to miss this Christmas. 21 November 2026-3 January 2027

CINDERELLA: BUTTONS UNDONE: It's Cinderella, but not as you know it. Once again, Charing Cross Theatre hosts a strictly adults-only take on a classic panto, and Cinderella: Buttons Undone is a raucous version of the fairytale, in which tennis champion Ivan Yassandvich holds a ball to find a bride, to the excitement of maid Cindy, her stepsister boss Mercedes and her gay bestie Buttons. 21 November 2026-9 January 2027

Eyes to the skies at Lord's. Image: Wild Drone Show

VAN EYCK: One of our art critic's pick of the top exhibitions to see in London in 2026, Van Eyck: The Portraits at the National Gallery brings all of the Flemish painter's portraits together for the first time in history. 21 November 2026-11 April 2027

TOVE JANSSON: The work of Finnish author-illustrator Tove Jansson is in the spotlight in a special exhibition at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in Clerkenwell, including her most famous creations, the Moomins. The UK's first exhibition to share her original works in almost a decade includes previously unseen drawings, along with over 100 rarely shown sketches, paintings, illustrations and photographs. 21 November 2026-9 May 2027

KAYFABE MEMORIES: Past and present collide in Kayfabe Memories, a wrestling play in which a grieving widower finds himself transported between the faded world of a 1920s carnival and the present-day Flinch Club. Featuring live wrestling (and music), it's on at the Pearly Queen Theatre at the Bow Bells pub. 22 November

FESTIVE SHERLOCK: The Alexandra Palace Theatre puts a festive twist on fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Its festive show is set in Victorian London, where West End performers are suddenly dropping dead, and Sherlock and his sidekick Moriarty are sent in to investigate. 24 November 2026-14 January 2027

NAN GOLDIN: American photographer and activist Nan Goldin gets a solo exhibition at Southbank Centre's Hayward Gallery. You Never Did Anything Wrong showcases five decades of photographic stills detailing personal relationships, addiction and queer subcultures, as well as four of her recent films: Memory Lost (2019–2021); Stendhal Syndrome (2024); You never did anything wrong, Part I (2024); and the public debut of You never did anything wrong, Part II (2026). 24 November 2026-March 2027

View Tove Jansson's work in Clerkenwell. Image: © Moomin Characters™

PETER BLAKE: Pop artist Peter Blake, the mastermind behind the cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, is celebrated at an exhibition at Pitzhanger Manor in Ealing. A recreation of Blake's Hammersmith art studio offers an insight into his creative process, alongside a display of his paintings, sculptures, collages, album covers and works on paper. 25 November 2026-4 April 2027

THANKSGIVING 2026: Thanksgiving falls on the last Thursday in November, with plenty of London restaurants serving up traditional feasts for American expats, and anyone else who fancies getting in on the action. Read our pick of where to celebrate Thanksgiving in London this year. 26 November 2026

LONDON PHOTO SHOW: The London Photo Show comes to Espacio Gallery in Shoreditch. It's an open group exhibition giving photographers from all over the world a chance to flaunt their work to the public. A wide range of photographic styles are on show, and it's a chance to buy work direct from the creators. It also pops up on South Bank during the first weekend of December. 26-29 November 2026

SHARK CONSERVATION: Celebrate all things shark, as comedian Ross Noble is guest speaker at the Shark Trust's charity evening at the Royal Geographical Society. For The Love Of Sharks is chance to learn about the Shark Trust's work, meet its experts, and see the winners of Shark Photographer of the Year 2026. 27 November 2026

NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS: The first ever Nations Championship Finals Weekend is held right here in London, bringing three days of world-class rugby to Twickenham's Allianz Stadium. Experience the thrill first-hand as Northern and Southern Hemispheres go head-to-head in a fierce battle. Join in the roar of the crowd while witnessing history in the making, as this major new international sporting event debuts in the capital. 27-29 November 2026 (sponsor)

Nan Goldin has an exhibition at Southbank Centre. Image: © Nan Goldin, courtesy the artist and Gagosian.

ROOM ON THE BROOM: Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's witchy children's book Room On The Broom comes to life on stage at the Lyric Theatre. Suitable for age three+, the production uses music, puppetry and storytelling. 27 November 2026-3 January 2027

LONDON MUSEUM REOPENS: A biggie, that you'll definitely want to put in your diary. Four years after the Museum of London closed its London Wall site, the rebranded London Museum opens at its new location in Smithfield. Set in the General market buildings of the 1880s (with further exhibits in the Poultry Building of the 1960s due to open next year), the museum combines permanent artefacts including the Lord Mayor's Coach, Banksy's Piranhas artwork and Charles I's execution vest. Temporary exhibitions and entry to the permanent collection remains FREE! Look out for the London Tastes series of foodie events to kick things off. 28 November 2026

BIG CATHEDRAL KNIT: Know your way around a pair of knitting needles? Join in with the Big Cathedral Knit at Southwark Cathedral, and help to assemble knitted and crocheted blankets for people experiencing homelessness around London. Beginners and experienced makers all welcome. 28 November 2026

PINOCCHIO: After last year's successful inaugural run, Pinocchio is back at Shakespeare's Globe for the festive period. The children's fantasy novel, about a carpenter named Geppetto and a wooden puppet which comes to life, takes the form of a musical, with the characters reimagined as life-sized puppets. 28 November 2026-3 January 2027

The long-awaited London Museum opens its doors in Smithfield. Image: London Museum

AUTUMN WALKS: London's parks and open spaces look fantastic as the leaves change. We've picked some of our favourite places to walk in autumn, to see the trees in their orange, red and gold finery — you might catch the tail end of it if you're quick!

CHRISTMAS SHOWS: Many of London's festive theatre shows and productions begin this month — and those that don't are already getting booked up for when they open in December. Have a look at our guides to family Christmas shows, Christmas music shows, Christmas theatre, dance and comedy showcases, and more productions of A Christmas Carol than you can shake a prize turkey at. And then, of course, there's panto. Oh yes there is.

ICE RINKS: London's winter ice rinks open at venues across the capital, including Somerset House, Battersea Power Station and Hampton Court Palace this month — with one already open from mid-October. Here's our guide to ice skating in London this Christmas.

CHRISTMAS MARKETS: London's festive fairs and Christmas markets start opening in November, including Southbank Centre's Winter Market. Here's our complete round-up of Christmas markets and fairs in London this year.

London exhibitions and shows closing in November 2026

Last chance to see Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art. Image: David Parry PA Media Assignments

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

THIS MUST BE THE PLACE: 23 international artists display painted work at This Must Be The Place, a group exhibition marking 125 years of the Whitechapel Gallery. FREE, until 8 November 2026

PRINCESSES OF PUNJAB: Learn about Punjabi princess and suffragette icon (and goddaughter of Queen Victoria), Sophia Duleep Singh and five women who shaped her extraordinary life, in a Kensington Palace exhibition. Until 8 November 2026

BENGALURU TO BETHLEM: Bethlem Museum of the Mind's exhibition Manasa Chitra: the Art of Mental Health from Bengaluru to Bethlem contains works by artists from India who have a lived experience of mental distress. FREE, until 14 November 2026

FRANZ & MARIE: Georg Büchner's classic German tragedy, Woyzeck, is retold in folk musical Franz & Marie at Charing Cross Theatre. Watch the story of a platoon of young soldiers stationed in an isolated outpost for months, including Franz, who lives for his girlfriend Marie, and their baby, Georgie. Until 14 November 2026

SCHIAPARELLI: The V&A South Kensington's latest style exhibition, Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art tells the story of fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, including the inspiration she took from the Surrealism movement, and the fashion house she established, which is still going strong today. Until 15 November 2026

AN OAK TREE: Tim Crouch's experimental play An Oak Tree is at The Other Palace, with Crouch joined by a different guest co‑star at each performance (guests include Rosalie Craig, Clare Perkins, Tom Mothersdale and Gemma Whelan). The piece examines loss, suggestion and blame following a fatal accident involving a stage hypnotist. Until 15 November 2026

Last chance to see Inside Aardman at the Young V&A. Image: Londonist

INSIDE AARDMAN: Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit at the Young V&A celebrates the 50th anniversary of the stop-motion studio with models, sets and storyboards from Aardman's archives, many of which have never been on public display before. Until 15 November 2026

MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL BLUES: The third — and last — in a series of exhibitions responding to the layered history of Fitzrovia Chapel and surrounding Middlesex Hospital site, Middlesex Hospital Blues centres around Blue, the final film by Derek Jarman. It includes a newly commissioned ambisonic work by composer Simon Fisher Turner, and a new sculptural installation by artist Jenkin Van Zyl. FREE, until 18 November 2026

AFTER THE FIRE: The Insurance Museum has a display at the Bank of England Museum, recreating London around 1700, including a large-scale street scene and the interior of Edward Lloyd's Coffee House. The immersive display explores the rise of early fire insurance, merchants, underwriters and investors. FREE, until 27 November 2026

AFFLUENZA: Theatre show Affluenza — on at Riverside Studios Hammersmith — explores the ripple effects of power and privilege, after a teenager's drunk car ride ends in devastation. Until 28 November 2026

COMING OF AGE:  Experiences and perceptions of ageing, from adolescence to later life, are explored in The Coming of Age at the Wellcome Collection. Artworks and historical artefacts are among the objects on display, looking at why life expectancy is increasing in different areas around the world. FREE, until 29 November 2026

WINSTON CHURCHILL: As well as being a politician, Winston Churchill was a prolific painter. View more than 50 of his works in the first major retrospective since his death, at the Wallace Collection. Until 29 November 2026

USA INDEPENDENCE: The British Museum marks 250 years since the Thirteen Colonies in North America adopted the Declaration of Independence, breaking away from the British Crown and founding the United States of America. This free display includes a rare handwritten manuscript copy of the Declaration of Independence and ceremonial gifts exchanged between Indigenous Nations, the British and the Revolutionaries. FREE, until 29 November 2026

Doesn't get much more magical than this. Image: Operation Centaur

Woah, boy! A festive season of horse-drawn rides through one of London's most picturesque parks takes place this December.

The sounds of jingling bells and clip-clopping hooves will accompany you on Operation Centaur's series of vintage carriage (or brake, to be exact) rides through scenic of Richmond Park — as you're pulled along by a couple of handsome Shire horses.

You can even ride on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day or New Year's Eve. Image: Operation Centaur

The Richmond Park experience runs from Saturday 5 December 2026-Friday 1 January 2027 (although some dates have already sold out).

For £477 (+booking fee) groups of up to six people can enjoy a 75-minute trip, plus a pre-ride tours of the stables, and refreshments. (Alas, we can't promise the crisp, snow-dusted day as pictured at the top of this article.)

The rides make for a memorable wintry/Christmassy escapade, and at time of writing there's even availability for rides on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve.

We rode with a couple of the horses, Roy and Aragon, a few years back:

Carriage rides through Richmond Park, 5 December 2026-1 January 2027

The Prince Charles Cinema screens The Muppet Christmas Carol 55 times in the run up to Xmas.

Genuinely one of the most heartwarming things we've done over the festive period in London is attend a Muppet Christmas Carol singalong at the Prince Charles Cinema.

The 1992 musical — starring Michael Caine and an array of felt shapes imbued with Dickensian charm — is, for many, the greatest adaptation of the festive novella.

Renowned for its flurry (or should that be blizzard?) of festive films this time of year, the Prince Charles always features in our roundup of yuletide movie screenings, and in 2026 the cinema is again showing The Muppet Christmas Carol almost every day in December up until Christmas Eve — plus a few days at the tail end of November too.

On some days, the screenings run at multiple times, meaning you have 54 chances to watch the film (that's up six screenings on 2025, which itself was up seven screenings on 2024!). As Tiny Tim sings: "Every day's a gift!"

FYI, some screenings are singalongs, others not (although, come on, people are going to be singing along whatever).

The Muppet Christmas Carol, Prince Charles Cinema, 27 November-24 December 2026.

A museum, but so much more — and hopefully soon it'll own the unique building it occupies. Image: Londonist

Located in the chapel of a former workhouse where a young Charlie Chaplin once lived, Kennington's Cinema Museum is a remarkable piece of lateral cinematic history.

For a while, the museum-cinema's home was under threat, but now it's won the legal battle to stay where it is, there's just one more fight left: raising the funds to buy the building it occupies.

Fortunately, the museum has some big cheeses from the world of film and TV in its Rolodex, and this October and November they're coming out in force to lend a hand, taking part in a short series of events. On the docket:

🎞️ A Halloween disco, with tunes spun by Toby Jones (star of Detectorists and Mr Bates vs The Post Office) and Ben Miles, who you'll recognise as Peter Townsend in The Crown. Costumes encouraged. Let's hope Toby has his on. (31 October)

🎞️ First Scares sees a double-bill of chats with various big names — including Joanna Scanlan, Mark Gatiss and Lesley Manville — about horror films, childhood nightmares and what really gets under our skin. Sessions available to book separately or as a twofer. (1 November)

🎞️ Mark Kermode is Horrified with Neil Brand has the bequiffed movie critic chat film soundtracks (presumably horror ones, given the event title) with Brand, a composer, writer and broadcaster. (2 November)

🎞️ Neil Brand's Evening with Laurel and Hardy sees Brand return to the museum to celebrate 100 years since cinema's greatest comedy duo starred in their first film together. Lesser-known films from Laurel and Hardy's back catalogue, including You're Darn Tootin' (1928), The Finishing Touch (1928) and The Second Hundred Years (1927), are screened, with Brand accompanying them with live improvised piano. (22 November)

If you can't make any of these events, the Cinema Museum opens regularly for guided tours, and screenings. Check out their listings.

All weekend

Organoke is one of our picks of Halloween events in London this weekend. Image: Kate Hockenhull

HALLOWEEN 2026: Things get spooky in London this weekend, with Halloween itself falling on Saturday. Check out our guide to the best Halloween events for both kids and adults, as well as scary film screenings around town. If you fancy venturing further afield, get your wellies on and visit one of these pumpkin patches near London.

KATE'S KNITALIAN: A new Italian deli opens in Soho... but we hear the food's a bit woolly. Kate's Knitalian is an art exhibition by Kate Jenkins, who has used crochet, knit and embroidery to transform Air Contemporary Gallery into a detailed Italian trattoria and deli counter. Tables are laid with hand-knitted feasts: (literal) strings of salami, woven wheels of parmesan and tangled spaghetti. 30 October-5 December 2026

AGATHA CHRISTIE: 50 years since the death of novelist Agatha Christie, the British Library opens a major exhibition on her life and work. View notebooks, personal letters, early manuscript drafts, dictaphone recordings and personal objects belonging to Christie, and find out how her work shaped the entire crime writing genre. 30 October 2026-20 June 2027

RADIOHEAD + SHAKESPEARE: Shakespeare's Hamlet accompanied by reworked songs from Radiohead's Hail to the Thief is the unlikely flavour of a new crossover show at Barbican, opening today after sell-out runs elsewhere around the country. 31 October 2026-January 2027

WEST END ICE RINK: Don't shoot the messenger, but the first ice rink of the 2026 winter season opens today. Take to the ice in the West End as Skate Leicester Square gets going, centred around the Shakespeare statue, with market stalls nearby. From 31 October 2026

It's time! Image: Skate Leicester Square

TACO FESTIVAL: More than 15 taco traders return to Signature Brew Blackhorse Road for The Tacover, serving tacos alongside Signature Brew beers, margaritas, micheladas and tequila-based drinks. The Mexican Beer Hall programme includes mariachis, roaming luchadores, folk dancers, the Tortilla Slap Challenge and Hot Taco Challenge, with tacos capped at £4 each. 31 October-1 November 2026

WARTIME LONDON: Closing on Sunday is Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art, the Imperial War Museum's exhibition showing how artists depicted the Second World War in the capital. 45 paintings, drawings, photographs, film, objects and oral histories combine to tell the story of a city facing loss, displacement, overcrowding and shortages — and often meeting these with resilience. FREE, until 1 November 2026

DARBAR FESTIVAL: Barbican hosts Darbar Festival, a celebration of Indian classical music, throughout this week. The programme includes performances and talks, as well as an Indian bazaar and a yoga class this weekend. Until 1 November 2026

ROOM 13: Following the Battersea Arts Centre fire in 2015, builders uncovered a sealed chamber in the original stone structure. When they opened it, what they found was so disturbing that the renovation came to an immediate halt. That's the premise of spooky theatrical experience Room 13, which takes place on site at BAC until this weekend. Until 1 November 2026

ROYAL OBSERVATORY: This week is your last chance to visit the Royal Observatory in Greenwich before it closes for refurbishment as part of the ongoing First Light upgrade. Areas including the Prime Meridian Line and Flamsteed House will be closed to the public, with a staggered reopening from summer 2027. Until 2 November 2026

NOVEMBER PLANS: With November getting under way on Sunday, browse our pick of the best events, exhibitions, shows (and, yes, Christmas events) happening in London over the coming month.

Saturday 31 October

Make today the day you finally learn the secret. Image: Olav Ahrens Røtne, Unsplash License

RUBIK'S CUBE: Learn to solve the Rubik's Cube at Dugdale Arts Centre in Enfield. The beginner-friendly workshop is for anyone age seven+ and should help you to improve your memory and patience, and keep your mind active... as well as earning you bragging rights, of course. 10.30am

LANDSCAPE PAINTING: Explore the colours and atmosphere of an autumn landscape in a relaxed oil painting workshop at Bell House Dulwich. Alexandra Oliver guides you through composition, tone, depth and colour using water-based oil paints, with demonstrations, individual guidance and all materials provided. Suitable for beginners and those with some painting experience. 10am-1pm

HALLOWEEN GOTHIC TOUR: Enter Horace Walpole's Gothic castle at Strawberry Hill House & Garden in Twickenham for a spooky guided tour themed on death, dreams and the supernatural. Explore the house's shadowy chambers and theatrical interiors while hearing about The Castle of Otranto, ghosts, omens, ancestral curses and mysterious apparitions. 11am, 1pm, 2.30pm or 3pm. It also opens for a Halloween late tonight.

WATERLOO IN FICTION: Explore Waterloo through the novels that have shaped its literary image on this guided walk from Lambeth North station. The route takes in Victorian stories by Tracy Chevalier, Michael Sadleir and Renton Nicholson, alongside Sam Selvon's postwar classic The Lonely Londoners. 11am-1pm

The gothic Strawberry Hill House is a fab setting for Halloween. Image: GCampbellHall, Creative Commons

DAY OF THE DEAD: Mexico's Día de Muertos traditions take over the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill for a Day of the Dead family festival. Expect Aztec dancers and musicians, mariachi, folkloric dance, mask-making, storytelling, face painting, a community ofrenda, Mexican food and a market of crafts and design. 11am-4pm

TALES OF THE WEIRD: Strange, uncanny and chilling fiction takes centre stage at the British Library's annual Tales of the Weird day, which is fortuitously scheduled for Halloween. Writer and comedian Robin Ince hosts a day of readings and conversations featuring a number of writers and 'connoisseurs of the weird'. 11am-6.30pm

COMIC DAY: Spend the day at the Cartoon Museum, browsing comics from every era, from first appearances and key issues to graphic novels and affordable finds. Comic Day also includes a seminar on buying and selling comics, plus appraisals for visitors bringing along their own collections. FREE, 12pm-5.30pm. Fan of comics? Clerkenwell's Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration holds a Halloween comic fair tonight, 5.30pm-8.30pm

Dance among the vehicles at a silent disco. Image: London Transport Museum

MAESTRO OF THE MOVIES: John Williams' best-loved film scores come to life at the Royal Albert Hall in a concert tribute featuring music from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Jaws, Jurassic Park and more. The London Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Anthony Gabriele, with Edith Bowman presenting, and specially edited film clips shown alongside the live music. 2.30pm

NORTH SEA: Dive beneath the cold, grey waters in North Sea, Nature Untamed, a documentary screening at Bertha DocHouse in Bloomsbury. Peter van Rodijnen's footage travels from the Scottish islands to the shallow delta of the Low Countries and the Norwegian fjords, revealing a rich world of marine wildlife. 3.30pm

HALLOWEEN FIREWORKS: Enfield Town Park's fireworks event returns with a spooky Halloween theme, promising dazzling displays, eerie entertainment and family-friendly thrills. It's the first of many fireworks events in London over the coming weeks (Herne Hill Velodrome also has a fireworks display tonight). 4.30pm

SILENT DISCO: Dance among historic trains, vintage buses and iconic vehicles at London Transport Museum in Covent Garden, which becomes an adults-only party for a Halloween silent disco. Choose between 80s, 90s and 00s singalong hits or an indie-focused Propaganda channel, with bars and a ghoulish craft activity on site. Age 18+. 6.30pm-9pm/9.30pm-12am

Can you feel the love tonight? Image: Candlelight

DISNEY LOVE SONGS: Not a fan of Halloween? Dodge the spooky altogether and have a romantic evening instead, with a candlelit concert of love songs from Disney films, inside Southwark Cathedral. Familiar songs from the likes of the Lion King, Aladdin, Frozen and the Little Mermaid are performed live. 7pm/9pm

MOZART PIANO GALA: Five pianists come together at Kings Place for a programme of Mozart for four hands and two pianos. Charles Owen, Katya Apekisheva, Junyan Chen, Martin James Bartlett and Tom Poster perform works including the D major sonatas, the Adagio and Fugue in C minor and the Andante and Variations in G major. 7.30pm

NEON FRIGHTS: Soho Theatre Walthamstow turns spooky for Neon Frights With Lou Sanders, a comedy showcase headlined by Sanders and featuring Two Hearts, Dan Tiernan, Frankie Thompson and Sam Eley as Basil Crumbwick. Ayoade Bamgboye hosts. 8pm

LULU PIERRE: Vocalist Lulu Pierre joins the Alex Webb Trio at Toulouse Lautrec in Kennington for a Black History Month celebration of Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Betty Carter. Expect expressive ballads, irresistible swing and a few personal favourites as Pierre brings her own voice to the songs of three influential jazz singers. 8.30pm-10.30pm

Sunday 1 November

Watch historic cars roll out of London. Image: somaditya, Creative Commons

VETERAN CAR RUN: The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run sees some 400 pre-1905 vehicles set off from London to Brighton. You'll have to be up early to cheer them on — they begin leaving Hyde Park around 7am, heading through Lambeth towards Croydon, then on to the coast. FREE, from 7am

BIRD DETECTIVES: Discover the wildlife of Gunnersbury Park on a family-friendly guided bird walk led by Sennen, an ambassador for the RSPB. Listen for distinctive calls, investigate which species live in the park during the colder months and learn more about their habitats. 10am-12pm

DUCK POND MARKET: It's November which means... it's Christmas. So reason the organisers of the Duck Pond Market at Chiswick House and Gardens, anyway, which holds its first festive edition today. Get a head start on Christmas shopping with small business vendors selling gifts and crafts. Find other Christmas markets and fairs in London this year. 10am-4pm

REGENT'S CANAL: Explore the eastern stretch of Regent's Canal on Open City's walking tour, travelling from Victoria Park to the Islington Tunnel. The route takes in Regency villas, Victorian gasholders, lock-keepers' cottages, converted warehouses and new developments, with guide Lettie Mckie. 10.30am-1pm

Start your Christmas shopping early in Chiswick. Image: Andre Pattenden

MIDCENTURY MARKET: Retro homewares, furniture, lighting and collectables from the 1940s-1970s fill Corner Corner in Canada Water for the Midcentury Market, a pop-up vintage marketplace. Entry is free, with food and drinks available to buy. 11am-4pm

WALLACE & GROMIT: Three classic films meet a live brass-band score at Alexandra Palace Theatre, as the KNDS Fairey Band performs Julian Nott's music alongside Wallace & Gromit with live brass band. The afternoon's first show pairs A Grand Day Out with the live world premiere of A Close Shave. That's followed later by a separate screening of The Wrong Trousers, beginning with a 25-minute mini concert. 2pm-3.30pm and 4.30pm-5.40pm

SWING SPECTACULAR: Step back into the Roaring Twenties and Swinging Thirties at Harrow Arts Centre, for The Joint Is Jumpin'. Maxine Green's Swing Time Jivers recreate classic dances including the Lindy Hop, Charleston, Black Bottom and chorus tap, accompanied by the Tony Jacobs Orchestra playing jazz favourites by Duke Ellington, Fats Waller and Louis Armstrong. 3pm

ONE MAN POE: Stephen Smith performs four of Edgar Allan Poe's most chilling works — The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Black Cat and The Raven — in a solo gothic theatre event at Jermyn Street Theatre. 5pm

TAYLOR SWIFT TRIBUTE: Taylor Swift's music, style and stage presence are celebrated at Beck Theatre in Hayes in The Eras Experience, with tribute artist Xenna performing songs spanning all 12 eras, from Love Story and Shake It Off to Fortnight and The Life of a Showgirl. Dancers, replica costumes and an optional meet-and-greet complete the 110-minute show. 7pm

Celebrate Diwali at the Royal Albert Hall. Image: Royal Albert Hall

JOYFULLY JEWISH: Echoes Theatre Co. and THE JEWish CABARET present Joyfully Jewish: Strangers in a Strange Land at JW3 on Finchley Road. The evening brings together new comedic short plays and original musical theatre songs about Jewish migration, from leaving Egypt or Russia to settling in London or New York — with food, humour and yearning for home. 7pm-8.50pm

PAY ATTENTION: Laura Kuenssberg joins BBC Europe editor Katya Adler at the Royal Geographical Society in South Kensington for a conversation about the state of British politics. Drawing on Kuenssberg's reporting and her book Pay Attention, they examine political polarisation, public priorities and where the country might be headed. 7pm-8.15pm

JOHN LYDON: John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, brings his spoken-word show I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right to Greenwich Theatre. He reflects on his career with the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd, shares his thoughts on life and takes questions from the audience. 7.30pm

CELEBRATING DIWALI: One of many Diwali celebrations in London over the coming weeks, Indian singer Kavita Krishnamurti headlines a charity Diwali concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and a team of musicians from India, she performs arrangements composed exclusively for the occasion by Rahul Ranade. 7.30pm

SONGS FOR THE DEAD: Day of the Dead provides the setting for The Tiger Lillies: Songs for The Dead, a special concert at Soho Theatre Walthamstow. The programme explores mortality, the afterlife, grief, murder and memory — combining classic songs with new compositions. 7.30pm

A respected east London foodie hub. Image: Matt From London, Creative Commons

Legendary Bethnal Green cafe E Pellicci is heading west, with some of its most-loved dishes being served in Selfridges this Christmas.

From Monday 2 November 2026, a selection of favourites from the menu of the beloved Italian-run dining establishment — which has been open since 1900, and even had its own podcast for a bit — will be added to the menu of the Brass Rail restaurant within the Oxford Street department store.

Image: Lizzie Mayson

New York-inspired deli the Brass Rail specialises in dishes including hot salt beef sandwiches with sauerkraut, and a signature toasted Reuben. The collaboration with E Pellicci marks the Brass Rail's 60th birthday, with the following E Pellicci dishes served in Selfridges throughout the festive period:

🍝 E Pellicci Pasta with pesto or ragu
🍗 The Big Bang Ciabatta: chicken schnitzel, mozzarella and ragu, with pesto on the side
🥪 The Reuben, Pellicci-style: toasted salt beef, sauerkraut, mozzarella, pesto and gherkin
🍰 School cake and custard

Alternatively, you can opt to add a spoonful of Pellicci's family ragu onto any dish on the Brass Rail menu.

Image: Lizzie Mayson

Beyond the Brass Rail, Selfridges will be selling 'East End meets West End' merch themed around the collaboration, and fans will be able to shop an exclusive E Pellicci pantry range including olive oil, pesto, brown sauce and Pellicci's own coffee blend, in the Selfridges Food Hall.

Traditionalists needn't worry: the original E Pellicci isn't going anywhere.

E Pellicci dishes are available at the Brass Rail in Selfridges from 2 November 2026.

Get booking for London's best New Year's Eve parties! Photo: Alexander London

Whether you want to start 2027 with a bang, or would rather spend the final hours of 2026 in an altogether more chilled manner, there are plenty of ways to celebrate New Year's Eve and see in 2027 in London.

Browse the best events taking place in the capital on 31 December, and get those New Year's Eve plans wrapped up.

London's New Year's Eve fireworks

Photo: Kevin Hackert via Unsplash

London's New Year's Eve fireworks on the Thames are back! The first batch went on sale on Friday 23 October, and a second, smaller batch is expected to be made available in November.

If you don't manage to get a ticket, you can watch the event live on BBC One and iPlayer... if you're not too busy having fun at one of these parties, that is...

New Year's Eve parties and clubbing in London

See in 2027 beneath Hope the blue whale. Image: © Trustees of the Natural History Museum

Lots of these New Year's Eve parties offer early bird tickets or staggered pricing, meaning the earlier you book, the cheaper it'll be.

New Year's Eve at the Natural History Museum, Kensington

It doesn't get more iconic than the Natural History Museum's Hintze Hall — especially when you throw in the chance to "sing to rocks older than the solar system and dance alongside a 13,000-year-old American mastodon". Start your 2027 partying beneath the incredible blue whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling, as 10-piece brass powerhouse, Old Dirty Brasstards blast out party hits. Elsewhere in the museum, there's a multi-channel silent disco alongside Sophie the Stegosaurus; or count down to midnight alongside a long-necked plesiosaur in the current Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep exhibition. It's the 10th NYE party at the museum, and it sells out every year. Tickets from £130.

New Year's Eve at Circe's Rooftop Bar, Waterloo

An Aurora-themed wonderland high above the London skyline awaits at Circe's Rooftop Bar, across the road from Waterloo station. Immersive entertainers, singers and top DJs keep things going until midnight, when you'll get an eyeful of the NYE fireworks nearby. Unlimited drinks are included with your ticket, and you can upgrade to a private heated pod for your party. Tickets from £150.

New Year's Eve at The London Cabaret Club, Bloomsbury

It's a black tie dress code at The London Cabaret Club, which has a Midnight in Chicago theme, taking you through pre-show entertainment, a lavish dinner, the main show, midnight celebrations and an after-party — all at Bloomsbury Ballroom. Tickets (except 'After Party' tickets) include a three-course meal and plenty of champers to toast the new year. Tickets from £275.

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A masquerade New Year's Eve ball in central London

If there's one night of the year you want to get right, it's New Year's Eve. With its dazzling location and luxurious attention to detail, the masked ball that is New Year's Eve London ticks all the boxes, and more.

Held at The Londoner in Leicester Square, the evening's festivities commence with a Moët & Chandon reception for dinner guests. Chat with friends and mingle with fellow masked partygoers, before sitting down to a three-course dinner accompanied by free-flowing wine*.

Live music, performers and DJs create an electric atmosphere throughout the night. As for the main moment: the Big Ben countdown and London fireworks are streamed live on huge LED screens, meaning you get to enjoy all the thrills of New Year's Eve in London, from the comfort of this spectacular ballroom.

Once all the cork-popping, kissing and Auld Lang Syne-ing has subsided, the partying carries on until 2.30am.

This is the party's third consecutive year at The Londoner, the previous two selling out in advance. Book today, and feel smug in the knowledge that your New Year's Eve is sorted in style.

*Silver package includes house red and white during dinner. Gold and Platinum includes premium wine, beer and champagne during dinner. As well as Dinner & Party tickets, there's also a Party Only option.

Heated Rivalry New Year's Eve Party at the Clapham Grand

Theatrical party venue the Clapham Grand has a knack of hosting big events while keeping its tongue firmly in its cheek. That's certainly so for its New Year's Eve party, which has a Heated Rivalry theme. Fans of the steamy ice hockey show can dance the night away to its soundtrack while a montage from the series plays on large screens in the background. After the midnight countdown, the party continues until 3am. Tickets from £20.

New Year's Eve House Party at Big Penny Social, Walthamstow

Spend New Year's Eve at Big Penny Social. Image: Jason Purple

The "biggest, funnest, most charming NYE house party... you ever found yourself at — where anything could happen" is the tempting description of Big Penny Social's 31 December shindig. Choose between three party rooms, depending what vibe you're after, with curling also available. A fancy dress box has all the wigs and glitter you could need. Tickets from £5.

New Year's Eve Ceilidh at Cecil Sharp House, Camden

Spring over to Camden's Cecil Sharp House and dance the night away at a special ceilidh. Suitable for ages 10+, the party is led by caller Tina Morris who guides you through the steps (no experience is necessary), with live music from the Brown Boots Boogie Band. Tickets from £55.50/£45.50 for under-30s.

Age Against The Machine New Year's Eve party at the Lower Third, Denmark Street

The door policy at Age Against The Machine events is strictly 30+, though many attendees are often a fair bit north of that. This is one for those who 'still fight for their right to party and definitely do not want to go gentle in to that good night' and it's seeing in 2027 with pop, indie, soul, ska, funk, disco and rock tunes from across the decades at the Lower Third near Tottenham Court Road. Tickets from £21.

How Does It Feel To Be Loved? New Year's Eve party, Haggerston

We've spent a good few NYEs dancing away to Belle and Sebastian, the Ronettes, Orange Juice et al at indie/soul club night How Does It Feel To Be Loved? This year, it's spinning tunes at Signature Brew Haggerston once again. Joyous stuff. Tickets from £11.

Toast to 2027 at Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings. Image: B&H Buildings

New Year's Eve at Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings, Clerkenwell

Legendary party space B&H Buildings throws one heck of an NYE shindig, pairing dinner with live music, DJs and dancing spread across multiple floors of a townhouse — plus private rooms available to book for anyone wanting a more intimate party-within-a-party. A three-course meal with wine and cocktails is included, and midnight is marked with indoor fireworks. Snazzy! Tickets from £110.

New Year's Eve at Horizon 22

58th floor viewing gallery Horizon 22 hosts what it claims is "the highest New Year's Eve party in London" — and that's probably true, unless you have a private jet. Tuck into a sushi and seafood station, with lashings of champagne on hand as you enjoy magnificent views over the capital — and of course, of the midnight fireworks. Start 2027 on a high, quite literally. From £350.

Great Gatsby New Year's Eve at Pivot, Covent Garden

Covent Garden restaurant and bar Pivot — which looks out onto the Piazza where the Covent Garden Christmas tree stands — marks New Year's Eve with an extravagant seven-course tasting menu, accompanied by a classic jazz soundtrack inspired by the glamour of the Gatsby era. Choose the 6pm-8pm sitting if you're heading on somewhere else afterwards, or book for 8.30pm and stick around to see in the new year here. Tickets from £90.

New Year's Eve at the Savoy

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You'll need deeeeep pockets if you want to start 2027 in the luxury confines of the Savoy. Strand's famous hotel throws a "Midnight Under The Big Top" New Year's Eve party, themed on the golden age of Hollywood and the captivating spectacle of the circus. A five-course dinner and a night of live entertainment is included in your ticket, as well as views of London's New Year's Eve fireworks at midnight. Extravagant? Yes, but not unexpected from the hotel which once flooded its courtyard for a Venetian party featuring a baby elephant. Tickets... from £1,595 😶

Honestly, if we told you about every New Year's Eve party in London, we'd be here until... well, next year. Here are some other venues hosting parties or special events on 31 December — click through for more info.

🎆 Greenwood, Victoria

🎆 Lil Nashville, Chiswick

🎆 Smiths of Smithfield

🎆 Bluebird, Chelsea

🎆 Cottons, Vauxhall

🎆 Madison, St Paul's

🎆 Woolwich Works, Woolwich

🎆 Fox & Firkin, Lewisham

Things to do on New Year's Eve in London that aren't parties (including daytime events)

Take to the ice on New Year's Eve in London. Image: Elliot Potts

Not a party animal? Want to celebrate NYE with the kids? Fancy doing something in the day, then heading home to watch the fireworks from your sofa? We've got you covered, with these alternative New Year's Eve events, taking place in the daytime.

Ice skating in London on New Year's Eve

Take a twirl on the ice at one of London's winter ice skating rinks. From Somerset House to Hampton Court Palace, there's an ice rink somewhere nearish you. They may be closing earlier tonight, but there's time to get a mid-afternoon, or maybe early evening, skate in.

Winter carriage rides in Richmond Park

Operation Centaur is running its winter carriage rides around Richmond Park in daylight hours this New Year's Eve. Up to six people can hop in the brake and enjoy a ride through the park, snuggled up under a blanket. The experience also includes refreshments and a tour of the working stables. From 10.30am

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

It's one of the final days of this year's Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Get stuck into the markets, food and drink stalls, giant ferris wheel, ice rink, ice kingdom, circus shows and more. Open 11am-9.30pm

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland opens on New Year's Eve. Image: Justine Trickett

When Harry Met Sally at Prince Charles Cinema

It's become a tradition for Leicester Square's Prince Charles Cinema to show 1989 rom-com When Harry Met Sally on New Year's Eve (makes sense if you've seen the film). We're pleased to say they're not letting us down this year, so you can spend the evening huddled away in the cinema watching Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, and still make it out to a party/home for the Hootenanny. Cheers to that! 1.30pm/4.15pm/7pm

Live film scores at Barbican

The London Concert Orchestra performs the best scores from two of the greatest film composers of all time, Hans Zimmer and John Williams, in a single show at Barbican. Hear music from Star Wars, Jurassic Park, the Lion King and others. 2.30pm

London can be just as fun in the dark. Image: Alexander London, Unsplash License

The clocks have gone back. It's not quite light when you get to work, and the sun's long set by the time you're home. But it's not all doom and gloom. Some things in the capital are best done under cover of darkness. Here's how to make the most of the gloomy evenings in London, rather than hibernating away until spring.

Admire London's lamps

Did you know that London still has approximately 1,300 gas lamps — around 275 of them in the Westminster area? A few years back, we met the team of gaslighters who keep them going:

Naturally, the sunless evenings are the ideal opportunity to see the lamps in action. Time it right and you might even see someone lighting them up. Londoners feel strongly about protecting these beacons of heritage; in 2022 there was a successful campaign to keep Westminster's gas lamps aglow.

Cherubs, weird dolphins and other interesting features characterise these remarkable London lamp posts — all worth a closer look.

Go stargazing

OK, so we can't guarantee it'll be quite this clear in London. Image: Pixabay

Cities and stargazing aren't obvious bedfellows, but if you manage to get a clear night, it's not out of the question to ogle the cosmos from London. Our tips? Watch the weather forecast for a cloudless night, and head up a hill above the main street level lighting if you can. Primrose Hill and Greenwich Park are ideal spots.

London is also scattered with observatories open to the public, including in Hampstead and Croydon. Read up on more tips for stargazing in London.

Go night kayaking

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Among London Kayak Co's offerings is the Night Bus, a twilight paddle from Battersea to Greenwich passing the Houses of Parliament, St Paul's and the Old Naval College. Alternatively, Tower by Sunset takes you from Greenwich to the Tower of London. All kit is provided, and you don't need to be an expert kayaker to take part, though it's recommended you should have kayaked at least once before.

Learn the art of night-time photography

Maybe you'll take a photo good enough to be a stock image... Image: Urban Vintage via Unsplash

London's beautiful at night, but trickier to capture well. Plenty of organisations run night photography courses in the capital, including London Photo Tours and the School of Photography. Once you've grasped the basics of shooting London's landmarks after dark, you can spend the winter practising at your leisure — and by spring, you'll be wishing the evenings would stay darker for longer.

Revel in the Christmas lights

Haaaallelujah! Image: Jamie Davies via Unsplash

London's Christmas lights flicker into life from early November, blanketing central London in a shimmering haze of festive cheer. Here's the schedule for switch-ons in 2026, beginning with Carnaby on 4 November. From then on, it's one glimmering party through to the new year.

Wander around a light festival

London's light festivals — best seen after dark, for obvious reasons. Image: Londonist

Spectacular illuminations are no longer just for Christmas; these days you can barely turn a corner between November and February without being dazzled by a light festival or trail, fire garden or laser route — and we wouldn't want it any other way. Here's our guide to light festivals in London this winter.

Admire the Illuminated River project

London's central bridges are sooo pretty at night. Photo: Illuminated River

If you've been down to the Thames after dark, you may have noticed the bridges have been pimped up with colourful lights. It's the Illuminated River project, which covers the nine bridges from London Bridge to Lambeth Bridge with light artworks by Leo Villareal.

Naturally, after sundown is the time to see them at their best — why not head to one bridge per night over several days, or if you're feeling energetic, visit them all on one epic nocturnal walk? Or, to do it in style, embark on an official Illuminated River boat tour, which takes place on Saturdays, lasts about 40 minutes and whisks your beneath all nine bridges.

Visit a museum late

Science Museum stays open late once a month

So the hazy days of hanging out in the park all evening are gone, and you need somewhere cheap (preferably free), light and warm to socialise? Check out London's museum lates. The National Gallery stays open late every Friday, Science Museum's monthly lates are back, and the V&A extends its opening hours on the last Friday of each month (though not December or January). Many other cultural institutions around the capital do lates too.

Warm yourself by the fire

Fire realness at The Flask

Sometimes the most primitive things are the most satisfying: case in point, perching in front of one of London's many roaring pub fires, and luxuriating with a pint of stout/bonhomie with friends/a board game/good book. Check out our sizzling roundup.

Our pick of free things to do in London this week. Get earlier access to this article, delivered straight to your inbox for free every week, via our newsletter.

Look out for the Veteran Car Run on Sunday. Image: Peter Trimming, Creative Commons

Nazi slave labour

A tough exhibition at the Wiener Holocaust Library explores the Nazi system of slave and forced labour, with archival documents, company files and eyewitness testimony showing how perpetrators such as the SS, and firms including IG Farben and Krupp, profited from and exploited forced labourers.

Until 30 October.

The story of surgery

The Hunterian Museum's current exhibition explores how hospital operating theatres have changed over two and a half centuries, exhibits ranging from an 18th century amputation painting to contemporary images of NHS surgical teams. The exhibition looks at developments in anaesthesia, antisepsis, theatre design and the ethics of showing surgery.

Until 31 October.

Wartime London in art

Also closing this week is Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art, the Imperial War Museum's exhibition showing how artists depicted the Second World War in the capital. 45 paintings, drawings, photographs, film, objects and oral histories combine to tell the story of a city facing loss, displacement, overcrowding and shortages — and often meeting all this with remarkable resilience.

Until 1 November.

Delve into surgical history. Image: Hunterian Museum

Celestial cartography

Tracing the entangled histories of cosmic imagination and earthly power, Night Maps — a new exhibition at the Warburg Institute in Bloomsbury — reveals how throughout history, depictions of the heavens have been made to serve rival systems on Earth. This is the first time many of these maps have gone on public display.

Until 17 April 2027.

Bloomsbury Group talk

Guildhall Library examines the art and lives of Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Roger Fry in a talk about the Bloomsbury Group on Tuesday afternoon. Arts Society lecturer Frank Woodgate also considers the group's literary and intellectual companions, including Virginia Woolf, Lytton Strachey and John Maynard Keynes. The talk is available in person or online via YouTube.

27 October.

History of Indian cinema

Wednesday's Gresham College lecture delves into the history of Indian cinema, looking at how Bollywood has successfully overcome competition from Hollywood. You can watch in person at Barnard's Inn Hall (Holborn) or online.

28 October.

Paint pumpkins with the fam. Image: Royal Parks

Bodysnatching talk

Guildhall Library in the City explores the grisly demand for corpses created by the proliferation of anatomy schools in the late 18th century. The gruesome history of bodysnatching is a free Thursday afternoon talk led by City of London Guide Robert Stephenson. It's also available online via YouTube.

29 October.

Double dose of V&A lates

The V&A East's upperground: DJ sets evenings continue this Thursday. The museum stays open late, with a guest DJ taking over for the night, with an extended set.

Then on Friday, the V&A South Kensington holds its regular Friday Late, exploring the eerie and surreal through contemporary design and performance. Expect haunting stagecraft, surreal screenings and weird workshops, with artists and designers using storytelling and world-building to blur the line between reality and simulation.

29 and 30 October.

Pumpkin painting

As pumpkin season reaches its crescendo, the Royal Parks hosts three days of free pumpkin painting sessions for families, at Regent's Bar & Kitchen in Regent's Park; and the Pavilion Café in Greenwich Park. You'll need to sign up in advance. Oh and psssst! children wearing fancy dress receive a free Halloween treat.

29-31 October.

Knitted gnocchi and crocheted cannoli

The only time we’ll recommend an Italian where the food’s inedible. Image: Kate's Knitalian

A new Italian deli opens in Soho on Friday... but we hear the food's a bit woolly. Kate's Knitalian is an art exhibition by Kate Jenkins, who has used crochet, knit and embroidery to transform Air Contemporary Gallery into a detailed Italian trattoria and deli counter. Tables are laid with hand-knitted feasts: (Literal) strings of salami, woven wheels of parmesan and tangled spaghetti.

30 October-5 December.

A spellbinding history of witchcraft

On Friday afternoon, Jessica Nelson, Head of Collections at The National Archives, gives a free online talk about the history of witchcraft — just in time for Halloween. Hear about the real people who were accused during witch hunts, and the devastating impact it had on their communities.

30 October.

Vintage car run

If you're up bright and early on Sunday morning, look out for some rather unusual vehicles on London's roads. The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run sees 400+ pre-1905 vehicles setting off from Hyde Park from 7am onwards (it takes a couple of hours for them all to get going). From here they head southward, via either the A3 or A23, passing through Brixton, Balham, Streatham, Tooting, Mitcham, Croydon, Purley and Coulsdon.

It's free to watch, and a lot of fun to wave at the vehicles as they pass. Just turn up at the side of the road anywhere along the route.

1 November.

Lovely jubbly! Image: The Prop Gallery

A visit to the Prop Gallery website is an eye-opening experience... and a wallet-opening one too.

Among the semi-priceless treasures from the worlds of film and TV on sale here is a pair of Walter White's marigolds (cost: £675), an animatronic dog from Doctor Who (cost: £6,995) a Ghostface mask from Scream 4 (cost: £5,995) and the far scarier mask of Henry the steam engine from the kids TV show, Thomas and Friends (cost: £2,745 + the ability to sleep ever again).

Our eye was drawn to one particular prop, namely a bottle of Peckham Spring Water. If that rings a bell, we'll remind you of the 1992 Christmas special of Only Fools and Horses, Mother Nature's Son, in which Del Boy and Rodney fill up empty bottles with tap water from their flat, passing it off as expensive mineral water for yuppies.

A number of bottles appeared in the episode (see above), and the one for sale is, as Del Boy might say, in good nick — complete with a label extolling its virtues as "the purest Peckham spring water, drawn from an ancient natural source [the Thames] discovered by returning Crusaders 800 years ago." It also still appears to be filled, although we wouldn't recommend drinking it.

As for the price for one of these bottles? £14,995. Del Boy would be proud.

Your weekly roundup of Londonist news and features.

In Photos: A First Look At The V&A's New Freddie Mercury Exhibition

"If I could afford it, I would have a pyramid built in Kensington."

Image: Londonist

Let's Dance! Epic New Bowie Show Coming To London

Subject to Change arrives in 2028.

Image: Kazuyoshi Shimomura

These Haunting West London Houses Have Gone All Out For Halloween

Are you brave enough to wander these streets?

Image: Londonist

Dazzling Winter Light Trails To Visit In London: Christmas 2026

Plus a glowing steam train!

Image: Christmas at Kew

Where To Volunteer In London: Christmas 2026

Want to make the world a little better this Christmas? Here's how 👇

Image: Basket Brigade

"The One Place Where The Whole Town Turns Up": Beckenham's 100-Year-Old Cinema Is Under Threat

Odeon could become a church.

Image: Londonist

Your Guide To Christmas 2026 At The Royal Albert Hall

A spectacular festive season starts here. (sponsor)

A Mariah Carey Christmas Bar Is Coming To London

I hear those till bells ringing...

Image: Bucket Listers

10 Ghost Signs To Send A Shiver Down Your Spine

In the best possible way.

Image: Sam Roberts/Roy Reed

Create Unique Presents At This Free LEGO® Giftmas Workshop

Merry Brickmas! (sponsor)

The Churchill Arms: London's Most Festive Pub Announces 2026 Christmas Light Switch-On Date

Kensington boozer's famous festive glow-up.

Image: Londonist

Thanksgiving 2026 In London: Celebrate At American Restaurants, Special Meals And Events

Get booking for 26 November.

Image: Riding House Cafe

East 17's Tony Mortimer Is Throwing A 90s Themed Christmas Party

Daytime rave with fur-trimmed boybander.

Image: Fox & Firkin

Apply To Become The Label On A Bottle Of Wine

(No, we're not drunk.)

Image: Renegade

Where To Watch Dickens' A Christmas Carol On Stage In London

Traditional retellings to drunk adaptations.

Image: Old Vic

An Historical Stroll Around St Albans

A jaunt to our neighbouring city.

Image: Matt Brown

Where To See Agatha Christie's Work On Stage In London This Autumn

The Queen of Crime treads the boards.

Image: Londonist

Festive Theatre Shows To Enchant The Whole Family This Christmas

Santa, Disney and The Snowman live on stage.

Image: Norwell Lapley Productions

Looking Ahead: Things To Do In London This Week: 26 October-1 November 2026

Our pick of ways to spend your time in London this week.

Image: Matt From London, Creative Commons

London has a cinema for every occasion, as proved here by Nigel Smith, author of new book, An Opinionated Guide to Film London.

1. Budding cinephiles: Barbican Cinemas

Image: Dion Barrett

While the Barbican is well-known for its distinctive and adventurous screenings for grown-ups, on Saturday mornings you'll also find a packed-out Family Film Club introducing kids to some of the best children's films from around the world. Activities like draw-alongs and crafting sessions complement the wide-ranging programme. Barbican

2. Celluloid magic: Ciné-Real, Hackney

Image: Orrin Saint Pierre

Ümit & Son is a one-of-a-kind shop overflowing with 16mm film canisters. At the back of the store is a snug, 15-seat micro-cinema where anything from their varied collection of reels is available for your own private screening. The irrepressible Ümit introduces each showing before cranking up the whirring projector. You'll struggle to find a more charming film night. Ciné-Real

3. Cinematic weirdness: Token Homo's Bar Trash, various locations

Image: Caitlin Damsell

Every week Token Homo’s Bar Trash presents pop-up screenings at the Genesis Mile End, Finsbury Park Picturehouse and Beer Merchants Tap in Hackney Wick that embrace queer, cult and curious cinema to a devoted audience. Wash down this heady diet of sensational schlock and campy classics with custom cocktails and a large side order of showmanship. Token Homo's Bar Trash

4. Dinner and a movie: Ciné Lumière, South Kensington

Image: Chloe Rosser

Walk through Ciné Lumière’s doors at the Institut Français in South Kensington and you can imagine being a cinéphile on Paris' Left Bank. It’s not just what's on screen that leans towards France; the on-site Gazette brasserie is open all day for delicious Gallic staples like croque monsieur, escargot and tarte au pomme. A combination that's quite magnifique — and perfect for dates. Ciné Lumière

5. Edwardian elegance: the Gate, Notting Hill

Image: Matt Hass

Opened in 1911 as the Electric Palace, the Gate is one of London's rare surviving early picture houses. Its Grade II-listed auditorium bursts with characterful details on baroque columns and cornices; look up, and you'll see fruit carved from plaster on the ceiling. For a detox from the multiplex, there are few better options than this. The Gate

6. Floating films: Theatreship, Canary Wharf

Image: Natalie Hill

Every Wednesday night Theatreship hosts free Mystery Screenings on board what is an old Dutch cargo boat. Guess the movie from the clues provided, and a free round of drinks is yours. Surrounded by modern skyscrapers, these serendipitous screenings on a century-old ship are a joyous and evocative connection to the docks' fading past. Theatreship

7. Letterboxd completists: Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Square

Image: Nicole Enelmann

All those classic and cult movies on your watchlist? With more than 850 different films showing each year, the newly-saved Prince Charles probably has you covered. And if your favourite isn't scheduled, grab some chalk and add it to the request board by the bar. Nowhere else in London celebrates the experience of watching movies with hundreds of strangers quite so well. Prince Charles Cinema

8. Selfies with the stars: Odeon Leicester Square

Image: Bjanka Kadic

The flagship Odeon lives up to its self-declared slogan as the 'Home of Premieres' with dozens of red-carpet events taking place here each year. Its historic, 800-seat auditorium — unusual for a modern cinema — still has upstairs seating in the circle and if you're very lucky, on special occasions, you may even hear the original 1930s organ being played. Odeon Leicester Square

Nigel Smith is a tour guide specialising in the history of London's cinemas and is the co-founder of the long-running Tufnell Park Film Club. Visit Memory Palaces to find out more, and follow him on instagram @nigelsmithwalks.

An Opinionated Guide to Film London by Nigel Smith, published by Hoxton Mini Press.

This is a sponsored article on behalf of the LEGO Group.

This November, the LEGO® Giftmas Workshop opens its doors in London, offering you a free festive experience in the build-up to Christmas.

LEGO® fans of all ages are invited to step inside a magical gift-making factory packed with the popular bricks. Take part in a series of activities to help you create a Brick-spoke Giftmas treat for someone special (or even for yourself... we won't tell if you won't 😉).

The free immersive experience takes you through a series of zones, following the gift creation process step-by-step, from initial inspiration to adding the gift tag ready for your recipient. If there's someone on your list who's extra tricky to buy for, this is a sure-fire winner of a Christmas present.

Begin at the Expressory Engine, where a series of questions about the recipient gets the sparks of inspiration flying, resulting in a personalised LEGO build recommendation. Then head to the Brick Works, to collect LEGO bricks and get to work on building your creation.

Over at the Magical Build Belt, your masterpiece is brought to life brick by brick in the beating heart of the Giftmas Workshop. Once it's finished, head to the Giftmas Wraporium, where you can add the final flourishes at a special wrapping station, ensuring it'll look totally tempting under the Christmas tree or sticking out of a stocking.

That's the hard work done, but don't forget to swing by the Memory Maker to snap a festive photo, and pick up a surprise festive gift at the Departure Bay, adding an extra sprinkle of seasonal joy to your LEGO Giftmas Workshop experience.

If you leave feeling inspired — either for friends and family, or for adding to your own Christmas wish list —  the LEGO website has plenty more treats (personally, we've got our eye on the Holiday Express Train). There are even LEGO advent calendars, if you can't wait until the big day to unwrap some brick-based joy.

The LEGO Giftmas Workshop comes to Borough Yards in London, 5-8 November 2026. It's free to visit, no booking required, on a first come first served basis. Open 10am-7pm daily (with dedicated quieter hour and accessibility-prioritised sessions 10am-11am and 6pm-7pm daily). The LEGO Giftmas Workshop also pops up in Glasgow (26-29 November) and Manchester (3-6 December).

Psst! We've mapped a load of A Christmas Carol locations from the book, films and plenty more.

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is one of THE great stories — a magical cocktail of London, ghosts and Christmas. (Also, sometimes Kermit.) As usual this yuletide, there's a festive flurry of adaptations on stage, running the gamut from traditional to drunken. Here's our roundup.

Christmas Carol Goes Wrong at Churchill Theatre, Bromley and Wyndham's Theatre, West End

God help us, everyone! Image: Christmas Carol Goes Wrong

The Play That Goes Wrong team smooshes together slapstick comedy with a meta-narrative of a show-within-a-show, for this awry adaptation in which an amateur dramatic society attempts to perform Dickens' seasonal masterpiece, with predictably disastrous consequences. As the crazily early start/late end dates attest, this adaptation's grown mighty popular. Londoners can catch it in Bromley or on the West End.

Christmas Carol Goes Wrong, Churchill Theatre, Bromley, 27-31 October 2026; Wyndham's Theatre, 18 December 2026-23 January 2027

A Christmas Carol, Old Vic

Giles Terera takes up the miserable mantle of Scrooge in 2026. Image: Old Vic

Since 2017, Waterloo's Old Vic theatre has staged Jack Thorne's (the man behind Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, and Adolescence) version of the Dickens Christmas parable, which comes loaded with all the trimmings — think stove-pipe hats, groaning ghouls, bewitching hand bells and mince pies dished out to the audience. It's back again in 2026, with Giles Terera playing the miserable old pinchpenny who (spoiler alert) eventually sees the light and gets his Christmas on.

A Christmas Carol, Old Vic, 10 November 2026-9 January 2027

Ebony Scrooge at Sadler's Wells East, Stratford

Dickens meets The Devil Wears Prada in Ebony Scrooge. Imager: Sadler's Wells

Dickens goes hip hop, as — for the second year in a row — Sadler's Wells East celebrates Christmas with Ebony Scrooge — a high-fashion, high-octane makeover. Hip hop, comedy and physical theatre commingle in the family-friendly tale of Ebony, the formidable head of a fashion empire who has cancelled Christmas for her landmark fashion show. Three mystical visitors help her to discover her Caribbean roots and the true meaning of happiness.

Ebony Scrooge, Sadler's Wells East, 24 November 2026-3 January 2027

The Muppet Christmas Carol, Prince Charles Cinema

Altogether now: "It's in the singing of the street corner choir..."

There will be no shortage of The Muppet Christmas Carol screenings in London's cinemas this festive season. However, the Prince Charles Cinema's singalongs are one of the great joys in life — and whether you've seen this film a million times, or are somehow, SOMEHOW a first-timer, you're going to have a hoot. Altogether now: "It's in the singing of the street corner choir..."

The Muppet Christmas Carol, Prince Charles Cinema, 27 November-24 December 2026

Mitch Benn performs A Christmas Carol, Barons Court Theatre

Stepping into the shoes of Charles Dickens, Mitch Benn — a man with quite the stentorian voice — performs the unabridged text of A Christmas Carol in a breathless 70-minute monologue (we say breathless; there is, thankfully for all involved, an interval). This show's popular with the purists, 2026 being the fourth year Benn's performed it.

A Christmas Carol, Barons Court Theatre, 1-4 December 2026

A Christmas Carol: Live, Charles Dickens Museum

James Swanton performing in 2025. Image: Londonist

Wish you could've seen Charles Dickens perform A Christmas Carol at one of his famous live performances, in which he was hopped up on champagne and oysters? Head to the Charles Dickens Museum, where James Swanton does a bally good impression of the great author as he rollicks through the festive novella — a rendition that is both cockle-warmingly joyous and spine-chillingly horrifying (Swanton has appeared in Inside No. 9 after all).

Another adaptation of A Christmas Carol is performed at the museum on three dates by Mark and Oliver Dickens (yes, they are descendants), while James Swanton is also doing performances of The Haunted Man, and The Signal-Man & The Trial for Murder.

A Christmas Carol: Live, Charles Dickens Museum, 1-23 December 2026

A Christmas Carol, New Wimbledon Theatre and Hoxton Hall

Two actors play some 30 characters in this ambitious retelling. Image: Dickens Theatre Company

The Dickens Theatre Company are up and down the country this November and December, calling in at New Wimbledon Theatre and Hoxton Hall with their unique spin on A Christmas Carol — now in its 11th year. It's framed around two of Dickens's theatrical companions forced to play 30-odd characters between them, when the rest of their troupe gets stuck on a train.

A Christmas Carol, Studio at New Wimbledon Theatre, 2-5 December 2026; Hoxton Hall, 21-23 December 2026

A Pissedmas Carol, Leicester Square Theatre

One of these actors is off their head on Smoking Bishop (or maybe Smirnoff). © Rah Petherbridge Photography

Bar, rum, glug! This show does what it says on the tin (of lager) — namely A Christmas Carol but with one of the Sh!t-faced Showtime cast members becoming increasingly merry (insert 'Christmas spirits' gag here) as the tale unfolds. Whether they plan on staying true to the original text by guzzling down goblets of Smoking Bishop remains to be seen.

A Pissedmas Carol, Leicester Square Theatre, 10 December 2026-9 January 2027

A Christmas Carol: A Musical Retelling, Cadogan Hall

Cadogan Hall in Chelsea stages a musical retelling of A Christmas Carol, for one night only. Image: Cadogan Hall

Opera Holland Park come out of the cold to perform this one-night-only libretto version of Dickens' Christmas tale at Cadogan Hall — as told by eight singers, an actor, and a trio of piano, double bass and accordion. The score – woven with Victorian carols and the ethereal chiming of handbells — is enough to defrost the coldest of hearts.

A Christmas Carol: A Musical Retelling, Cadogan Hall, 13 December 2026

A Christmas Carol by Quantum Theatre, Chiswick House & Gardens

The Ghost of Christmas Past in his younger days. Image: Quantum Theatre

The details for this take on a Christmas Carol are as light as a feather, but we do know that Quantum Theatre will perform A Christmas Carol for two days only, in Chiswick House's beautiful Garden Pavilion — quite the setting.

A Christmas Carol by Quantum Theatre, Chiswick House & Gardens, 21-22 December 2026

Scrooge: A Cirque Extravaganza

You've never seen Scrooge like this before. Image: Scrooge: A Cirque Extravaganza

A novel take on the novella sees Scrooge and accompanying spirits get the full Cirque treatment — we're talking aerial acrobatics, fire-breathing and snowball juggling. Might be mesmerising, might be an affront to Dickens, it's hard to tell. For an extra shot of adrenaline, one lucky audience member goes home £1,000 richer each night.

Scrooge: A Cirque Extravaganza, Excel, 23-28 December (excluding 25 and 26) 2026

A Christmas Carol Walk

Sticking around London for Christmas? Hazel Baker leads A Christmas Carol Walk through the City of London's streets on a sprinkling of dates between 28 November-24 December 2026, including on Christmas Eve itself. Can't make any of those? Check out our map of Ebenezer Scrooge's London.

Upper Phillimore Gardens. Image: Londonist

Halloween is coming, and London's getting spooky.

Many residents, particularly in west London, are going all-out to decorate their homes and gardens, with pumpkins, ghouls, witches and tarantulas lining the stoops and streets.

Here are a few of the scariest houses we found on a 22 October 2026 wander through Kensington, Holland Park and Notting Hill. More displays were being installed even as we explored, so it'll be quite the visual feast come Halloween itself.

Not got your Halloween plans sorted yet? Here's our guide to London's best spooky parties and events, for both adults and children.

Victoria Street, Kensington

Image: Londonist

Kensington Square, Kensington

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Upper Phillimore Gardens, Holland Park

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Phillimore Gardens, Holland Park

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Stafford Terrace, Holland Park

Ilchester Place, Holland Park

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Holland Park

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Clarendon Road, Holland Park

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Elgin Crescent, Notting Hill

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Kensington Park Gardens, Notting Hill

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The grand finale. Image: Londonist

I would love to be buried with all my treasures, just like the pharaohs. If I could afford it, I would have a pyramid built in Kensington.

So once said music superstar Freddie Mercury, and while a permanent monument in his former stomping ground hasn't materialised (yet), the V&A South Kensington pays tribute to the former local in a new, free trail of his stage costumes.

Mercury's monochrome look kicks things off. Image: Londonist

Seven of the Queen frontman's looks — on loan to the museum from his lifelong confidante Mary Austin — are on show at various points throughout the building, laid out in a trail rather than your typical single-room exhibition.

First up is a monochrome ensemble (pictured above) worn by Mercury for an early Queen gig at Imperial College, and featured on the cover of Queen's debut album in 1973. On display just metres from Imperial's rehearsal rooms where the band honed their sound, it's surrounded by the work of artists who Mercury admired, including William Blake, nodding to his wider artistic inspiration — and presenting Mercury himself as a precious work of art.

Mercury's black Spine Suit. Image: Londonist

The second installation, within the Tapestry Galleries, is the highlight of the trail. Two of Freddie's looks — the white Mercury Wing catsuit and bolero ensemble, and the black Spine Suit (or ‘Black Queen’ suit), both from 1975 — face off, as Bohemian Rhapsody booms out over the speakers.

The glass display cabinets light up in time with the music, flanked by artworks depicting battles of good vs evil.

The white Mercury Wing catsuit. Image: Londonist

Perhaps most dramatic, though, is the placement of the red and black costume from the Made in Heaven music video — a moment from Mercury's solo career — silhouetted against a window at the end of a long corridor. Overlooking the Photography Centre, it's also a nod to a musician who was a pioneer of early music videos.

This outfit features in the Made in Heaven music video. Image: Londonist

A kimono from Mercury's private wardrobe, worn in press shots taken in nearby Holland Park, aptly takes up residence in the Japan Galleries, while the Flash t-shirt, hand-drawn by Freddie, looks down from a raised balcony over the Medieval Galleries — a room packed with depictions of gods and deities from antiquity.

Mercury's Flash outfit looks over the Medieval Galleries. Image: Londonist

The grand finale of the trail is the famous red cloak and crown ensemble worn on the Magic Tour, including Mercury's last public appearance with Queen, at Knebworth in 1986. Displayed in the iconic pose with one of Mercury's fist-clenched hands raised in the air, the outfit is mounted at ground level, allowing visitors to get a proper look at the regal ensemble, a powerful sign-off for the exhibition.

A royally fitting finish to the trail. Image: Londonist

While the Kensington location of the trail is particularly poignant, and seeing the costumes is a treat — both for true Mercury fans and casual visitors — the curation sometimes lacks the pizzazz and showmanship for which Mercury was famous.

It's hard not to draw parallels to the excellent Taylor Swift | Songbook Trail which the V&A staged in similar fashion in 2024. Details of the latter were exquisitely crafted, but Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things feels less tightly curated, with fewer satisfying details to pick up on.

You could argue that the costumes speak for themselves. But there's nothing to elicit a resounding "ay-oh!"

Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things is at the V&A South Kensington, 24 October 2026-17 January 2027. It's free to visit, no booking required.