London events in January

What is living if not a sort of time travel? Annie Ernaux’s Booker-nominated book ‘Les Années’ is an artful autobiography that traces her journey from childhood in postwar France to old age in the post-9/11 era. Elegantly adapted by director Eline Arbo, the English-language stage version The Years transfers to the Harold Pinter Theatre after an acclaimed run at The Almeida in the summer. Arbo’s adaptation bucks cliches about ‘memoir plays’ by having the story’s protagonist diffused into a five-strong collective of black and white-clad women. Deborah Findlay, Romola Garai, Gina McKee, Anjli Mohindra and Harmony Rose-Bremner form a superb ensemble – charismatic, fierce and playful, in an unflashy production that is still, at times, incredibly moving.

Short films are where many of the greats – Martin Scorsese, Lynne Ramsay, Paul Thomas Anderson et al – got started, and for over two decades, the London Short Film Festival has been a trusty showcase of new talents and small, but perfectly formed short films. Returning for its 22nd year, the 2025 edition features a whopping 204 new shorts across more than 60 programmes, as well as a bunch of talks, workshops and walking tours. Loads of great cinemas and arts spaces across the city getting involved to host, including the BFI Southbank, the ICA, Rich Mix, the Rio and SET Peckham. Highlights of the programme include the ever-present opening night ‘Funny Shit’ programme featuring comedy flicks from the surreal to the slapstick (Curzon Soho, Jan 17), two always popular programmes celebrating of penny-pinching movie-making (‘Lo-Budget Mayhem’, Jan 20) and wildly unconventional shorts (‘WTF!’, Jan 25) at Dalston’s indie institution the Rio Cinema and the Animation Variety Show programme, featuring everything from claymation and 3D animation to stop-motion embroidery (Rich Mix, Jan 21). And in an exciting new addition to the festival, a series of free screenings will be taking place in a restored 22-seater Mobile Cinema Bus from the 1960s, which will be stoppingin Walthamstow, Hounslow and Crystal Palace. 

Find out what the UK's most promising fine art graduates have been up to in this annual showcase of up-and-coming talent from across the UK, which is now in its 75th year. Featuring 33 exhibitors selected by renowned artists Liz Johnson Artur, Permindar Kaur and Amalia Pica, the exhibition launched in Plymouth in autumn 2024, before arriving at the Institute of Contemporary Art in January 2025.

The Ancient Greeks are definitely having one of their periodic ‘moments’ in London theatres: shortly after the NT’s ‘Antigone’ rewrite ‘The Other Place’  and Robert Icke’s ‘Oedipus’ wrap up and running concurrently with the Old Vic’s, uh, ‘Oedipus’, here’s a fresh take on Sophocles’s ‘Elektra’ from Canadian poet Anne Carson, directed by Daniel Fish, who made his name with his bold recent take on ‘Oklahoma!’. Toss in legendary choreographer Annie-B Parson and that’s quite a conglomerate of New World talent for this most Ancient World of plays, but the real story is Brie Larson, who’ll be playing the title role of Elektra, the daughter of Agamemnon who vows revenge upon her mother Clytamnestra for his death. 

Larson is of course best known for playing Captain Marvel in the MCU films, to slightly mixed success (‘Captain Marvel’ was a box office beast; ‘The Marvels’ tanked so hard people started writing think piece about how superhero movies were over). It’s always been clear there’s a lot more to her than that, not least because she’s is a literal Oscar winner thanks to 2015’s psychological kidnap thriller ‘Room’, but she also writes, directs, produces and has an indie-leaning CV if you take out the 'lady with magic space powers' stuff. Getting involved with all this leftfield theatre royalty feels like a smart move and an interesting challenge – she’s done little in the way of stage work before and this will surely be something of a baptism of fire. She’ll be supported by a cast that includes fellow US star Stockard Channing, plus Greg Hicks, Patrick Vaill and Marième Diouf.

100 Wardour Street is your go-to spot for an after-work unwind, offering a perfect mix of dining, drinks, and dancing. Dive into a vibrant atmosphere of neon lights and chic interiors while savouring a three-course meal with modern European classics. Enjoy starters like Burrata with Datterino tomatoes and Korean Fried Chicken, followed by mains such as Baked Cod with sundried tomatoes or Josper Grilled Spatchcock Chicken. Wrap up your meal with desserts like Baba Mignon or Medjool Date & Dark Chocolate Mousse. Plus, with a complimentary glass of wine included, this is an offer you won’t want to miss!

Grab your friends for the ultimate after-work catch-up in Soho for an exclusive £23 at 100 Wardour Street, Only through Time Out Offers.

London’s established winter art fair opens with over 120 galleries showing modern art, photography, sculpture and everything in between. This year’s London Art Fair will feature large-scale installations and thematic group displays from some very influential artists, including Tracey Emin and Francis Bacon. A new partnership with the Sainsbury Centre will also introduce an immersive 'Living Art' experience, which hopes to encourage visitors to rethink their relationship with art. 

2024 saw London galleries churn out hundreds, maybe thousands, of exhibitions. From blockbuster painting shows at huge museums to minimal installations at under-the-radar galleries, this city has seen it all – and Time Out’s been there for the whole ride. Our art critic Eddy trudged along to countless shows over the year and reviewed more than 120 of them in this very publication. And the good news? You can still catch several of his favourite ones in January, if you’re quick about it. Click through to check out his roundup of the best dozen art exhibitions in London in 2024, and find out what you absolutely must squeeze in over the first few weeks of the year.

London might always be bustling with fun things to do and, come winter, a jam-packed calendar of unmissable events, but sometimes you just need a break from it all. When the capital’s hustle and bustle leaves you feeling a little drained, you can find some escape from the crowds and hordes of tourists by getting up and getting out just for a day. In dire need of crisp country air, a relaxing spa day or a gorgeous, long walk? These day trips from London are all under two hours from Zone 1 and will give you the relief you need this winter.

RECOMMENDED: The best day trips from London

The London International Mime Festival was a true city staple, bringing weird and wild physical theatre from across the globe to the capital each year. Rarely ‘mime’ in the stereotypical sense, the fest brought mind-expanding theatre to London for 47 years straight. The 2023 edition was its last, but MimeLondon is the same idea in all but name, and returns for its second edition in January 2025, with shows spread across the Barbican, Southbank Centre and the Sadler’s Wells Peacock Theatre and The Place, with a series of workshops at Little Angel Studios and Shoreditch Town Hall. 

Reese Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s long-running BBC comedy horror anthology ‘Inside No. 9’ may be wrapping up on our screens but the duo don’t seem to be in any hurry to step away from it: this new live spin-off entitled ‘Stage/Fright’ premieres in the West End in 2025. Written by and starring the duo, the plot is unknown but we’re told it’ll be a mix of old and new elements and that it’ll lean heavily into being a theatre performance (as opposed to just being bits from the telly faithfully re-enacted) – not a surprise seeing as how both creators are now seasoned stage actors. It’s directed by Simon Evans, probably best known for the extremely meta David Tennant/Michael Sheen lockdown comedy ‘Staged’, though also a heavyweight theatre director.

In a city brimming with bars, breweries and prosecco-based pop-ups, it would seem that drinking in London without actually, erm, drinking is an impossibility. Leave your beer goggles at home for one night, however, and you’ll see the selection of non-alcoholic cocktails and booze-less blends available in the capital is pretty extensive. In some venues, the alcohol-free offerings are even more creative and tastebud-seducing than their liquor-rich counterparts. Don’t believe us? Have a sip on one of these teetotal tipples...

Designed by the legendary Tom Dixon, Sea Containers Restaurant offers an all-day dining experience along the Thames, blending the elegance of transatlantic travel with fresh, local ingredients. The three-course menu celebrates seasonal flavours, with dishes like Butternut Squash Soup, Atlantic Prawn Cocktail, Flat Iron Steak, and Seabass with celeriac. Finish with indulgent ice cream, sorbet, or a rich chocolate brownie, paired with a glass of prosecco. Perfect for any occasion!

Enjoy all-day dining with stunning views of the River Thames until March 31, only through Time Out Offers.

Soil – it’s not something you really think about, unless you’re doing the gardening. But this new exhibition at Somerset House will change all that, shining a light on its important role in our world, including the part it plays in our planet’s future. Top artists, writers and scientists from across the globe are all involved in the thought-provoking exploration, which aims to stop you thinking of soil as mere dirt and start considering it as something far more powerful instead.

This glorious independent film festival is back with a packed programme featuring more than 50 short films, including exciting directorial debuts and award-winning like Spirit of Place starring Mark Rylance, Dammi with Riz Ahmed, Weightless starring Toyah Willcox and Keep with Phil Davies. Look out for panel discussions, workshops and, of course, live screenings, before the festival culminates in a fantastic award ceremony, recognising the best student film, the environmental impact award, and everything in between. All audience members also get to vote for their favourite film at the festival, the results of which go towards the audience favourite award.

A Full Festival Pass lets you watch all 52 films screened live at the SohoLIFF in the Dean Street screening room. You will have to book into each screening block you choose to attend, and you will have one vote overall for your favourite film.

Burns Night always falls on January 25, the day Robert Burns was born in South Ayrshire way back in 1759. With this year’s celebration falling on a Saturday, you can probably expect this year’s festivities to be even more raucous than usual. Whether you want to get sweaty at a ceilidh, pipe in a haggis, or have a classy time at a whisky tasting or indulgent Burns supper, read on for all sorts of suggestions for a kilt-raising good time this January.

The bright lights of Canary Wharf's towers are quite the spectacle after dark, but the business district will glow brighter than usual in January thanks to the addition of sparkling illuminations created by artists from around the world. The Winter Lights festival returns for its ninth edition with a new set of dazzling artworks, installations and interactive experiences, plus some old favourites from previous years.

There’ll be 11 immersive illuminations dotted across the area, including some intriguing sounding sculptures like a ‘towering stack of bathtubs pulsing with light and sound’, an orbiting pylon emitting a ‘tornado’ of light, luminous saris fabric, an iridescent mirage on Montgomery Square and a 20m-wide sink hole encircled by light. There’ll be sweet treats and hot drinks to warm you up between the installations. 

While January is usually a pretty quiet month, London’s gig scene is still ticking away in the background. Sure, it may not be as busy as usual, but there are still some absolute belters that are worth peeling yourself from the sofa and turning off The Traitors for. From rousing post-punk to headsy jazz and emo rap, there’s a show for whatever mood you’re in this Jan. Here, we’ve rounded up the ones that we really want to check out, from Mount Kimbie’s Phonox residency to a rare live date from GothBoiClique. See you front right, ready to mosh away those January blues.

Endless baskets of mouthwatering dim sum await you! Imagine indulging in all the dumplings, rolls, and buns you can handle, crafted by a Chinatown favourite with over a decade of culinary excellence. Savour Taiwanese pork buns, savoury pork and prawn soup dumplings, and luxurious crab meat xiao long bao. To top it off, enjoy a chilled glass of prosecco to elevate your feast. Cheers to a truly delightful dining experience at Leong’s Legend!

Enjoy unlimited dim sum in Chinatown from £23.95 with Time Out Offers.

Come wintertime, Chelsea Physic Garden is the home of snowdrops in London with many ancient and unusual varieties growing among its greenery. As the white flowers start to bloom, head down to this little Eden in the city to learn the Japanese art of Kokedama making. Expert gardeners will help you craft the ancient ‘moss balls’ which let you display small plants in a soft moss-covered sphere to use as decoration at home. Each workshop will provide you with all the materials you need to craft a kokedama using seasonal snowdrops.

Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival is in residency at the Southbank Centre this winter, with three days of performances celebrating the legacy of Nina Simone. Across the series, the Nu Civilisation Orchestra and special guests including Corinne Bailey Rae will pay tribute to the jazz legend, while saxophonist and rapper Soweto Kinch will give the world premiere of his new album, ‘Soundtrack to the Apocalypse’, and more.

You’ve probably heard all about Versailles’ dazzling Hall of Mirrors and its gorgeous, well-manicured gardens – maybe you’ve even seen them IRL. But do you know about the role the French royal court played in not just spreading scientific knowledge, but making it fashionable, too? The Science Museum’s latest exhibition, ‘Versailles: Science And Splendour’, will uncover that lesser-talked-about side of the palace’s history, diving into the royal family’s relationship with science, women’s impact on medicine, philosophy and botany at the royal court, and showcasing more than 100 items that reinforce those stories – many of which have never been displayed in the UK before. 

Yes, it's cold out. It's also quite wet. The leaves have fallen from the trees and turned the pavements into a slimy, slippery ice rink. But we're lucky to have some amazing, huge, parks in London, and walking around in them on a crisp winter's day is genuinely one of life’s great joys. Whether you're a Royal Parks stan or a fiend for Hampstead Heath, there are loads of parks to choose from. So, get out there. 

Nostalgists love to talk about returning to ‘simpler’ times. But as Tim Fehlbaum’s riveting September 5 reminds us, humans have always found new ways to fuck things up. Taking a big step back thematically – and forward artistically – from his 2021 dystopian fantasy The Colony (aka Tides), the Swiss director keeps things ultra-taut in his media drama: most of the movie takes place in an airless control room. When the action begins, a jokey ABC Sports team is gearing up for a day of volleyball coverage at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Then word comes in: the Palestinian terrorist group Black September has taken the Israeli team hostage. Thanks also to meticulous production design and outstanding editing – glory to every director who sacrifices ego for a precise, 94-minute cut – thoughts of modern technology, social media, and contemporary politics are both pushed aside and ever-present in our minds. More often than not, September 5 feels like a great 1970s thriller that could only have been made in the 21st century.

January might not be the jam-packed extravaganza of gigs and club nights that the rest of the year often offers, but there’s four Fridays of fun to look forward to at Brixton’s Phonox. Renowned electronic group Mount Kimble will be in residence at the venue, kicking off every weekend for four weeks in January. The nights are billed as ‘a testament to their latest exciting direction’, so expect these curated nights out to be both a voyage through their seminal catalogue so far and a hint at where they could go next.

Ready to spice up your cooking game? Dive into a hands-on 2-hour dim sum masterclass with Ann's Smart School of Cookery, where you'll craft delicate dim sum, zesty hot and sour dipping sauce, and savoury pork wonton soup from fresh, local ingredients. Enjoy expert tips from pro chefs and take home the recipes to impress friends and family or indulge solo.

Learn the art of making this southern Chinese delicacy for just £39, down from £129, only through Time Out Offers.

Things are kicking off in January with ‘Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism’, an ultra-colourful look at how modernism took hold over in that bit of South America. It will feature over 130 artworks from the 1910s to the 1970s by ten Brazilian artists, including quite a few you might have seen in Raven Row’s very good and very recent exhibition ‘Some May Work As Symbols: Art Made in Brazil, 1950s-70s’.

Is there anything more wonderfully wintry than wrapping up warm, pulling on some ice skates and gliding around a frosty slab of ice with your loved ones? Each winter, London fills up with pop-up rinks, from the legendary Somerset House to the newer Glide at Battersea Power Station. At all, you’ll find festive vibes ramped up to the max, especially come December – and a lot of fellow Londoners vying for a spot on the ice. Book in advance to guarantee you can show off your best ice moves (or your ability to stay upright, at the very least). Here are some of the best rinks to soar across this winter.

Letizia Battaglia was a witness, she was there. She saw the mafia tearing Italy apart in the 1970s, murdering its sons, raping its daughters, and she documented all of it with her camera.

She started out as a late-budding journalist, an apprentice in her mid-30s for Palermo’s daily newspaper l’Ora. Camera in hand, she captured the bloody reality of life under the oppressive rule of the mafia. There are images in the opening room of parties, dances, kids, lovers. But they’re overpowered by the endless photos of death on display. Battaglia was first on the scene after judges were assassinated, politicians killed, henchmen murdered. There’s no Godfather-esque glamourisation of mafia life here, just the mundane, basic, ordinary reality of everyday murder.

There are some incredible photos here. Excellently composed, shockingly confrontational, but tender despite the grimness. None of this is pleasant, or joyful, or beautiful, but it’s all something that photojournalism must always be: it’s real.

Isaac McHale is already responsible for one of Shoreditch’s most renowned restaurants with the two Michelin-starred The Clove Club, so we expect big things from the Scottish chef’s next project, a ‘considered yet informal’ à la carte spot inspired by his love of southern French and simple Spanish cooking, which opens round the corner on Kingsland Road in January. Bar Valette’s menu promises an array of bar snacks inspired by San Sebastian’s pintxos bars, plenty of hearty sharing dishes suitable for long, boozy dinners with friends, and one or two Clove Club signatures. It’ll also offer an extensive list of French and Spanish wines, plus craft ciders and rare bottles of sherry. You need only look at the perpetual queue outside Tollington’s to see how eagerly London has embraced Iberian bar culture of late, so we’d imagine the latest opening to service this trend will be popular from the get-go. 

Tarantula, Philip Ridley’s nightmarish monologue about trauma and its aftermath, was first performed live online during the Covid pandemic in 2021. For its in-person debut at the Arcola Theatre, director Wiebke Green and actor Georgie Henley return and work in near-perfect tandem. The result is a 90-minute immersion into the mind of a person who is sensationally and irreparably disturbed. Erstwhile Chronicles of Narnia star Henley plays Toni, a bookish teenager who is violently attacked while on a first date. Prolific playwright Ridley is in his prime, blending roaring humour with shocking horror in an agonising portrait of terror, that leaves both Henley and the audience gasping for breath.