Amy Houghton

With a bounty of great parties happening in the capital this Easter bank holiday, you can dance till you drop. Here’s our round-up of the long weekend’s best parties from Thursday April 2 to Monday April 6 2026, from (hopefully) sun-soaked daytime soirees to late-night ragers at some of the city’s best clubs.  If you’ve got the stamina, you could turn Easter into a proper bender. Just don’t count on a quick resurrection in time for work on Tuesday. RECOMMENDED:The best Easter events and activities in LondonThe 50 best nights out in London

Every week, a frankly silly amount of brilliant new restaurants, cafés and street food joints arrive in London. Which makes whittling down a shortlist of the best newbies a serious challenge. But here it is. The 20 very best new restaurants in the capital, ranked in order of greatness and deliciousness. All of them have opened over the past 12 months and been visited by our hungry critics. So go forth and take inspo from this list, which is updated regularly. Check in often to find out what we really rate on the London restaurant scene. And look here for all the info about the best new openings in January 2026. London's best new restaurants at a glance: 🍛 Central: Dover Street Counter, Mayfair 🍠 North: Ling Ling’s, Islington 🥟 South: Doma, Sydenham 🍝 East: Legado, Shoreditch 🥗 West: Martino’s, Chelsea January 2026: New additions include slinky Italian joint Martino's in Chelsea, Dover Street Counter in Mayfair, foodie wine bar in a Clerkenwell tattoo parlour Passione Vino, Chinese cuisine at Ling Ling's at Godet in Islington, Hunanese heat at Fiery Flavors in Surrey Quays, Caribbean classics with a twist at 2210 by NattyCanCook in Herne Hill, perfect pasta at Casa Felicia in Queen's Park, Ukrainian elegance at Sino in Notting Hill, spicy southern Thai at the second branch of Plaza Khao Gaeng by Borough Market, and soup noodles at Khao So-i in Fitzrovia. Hungry yet? Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial

We all know travelling with the kids can be tricky, so finding a hotel that keeps everyone happy is key. From splashable pools to free breakfasts for little ones, London has plenty of spots that make family life on the go a whole lot easier. Here’s our pick of the best family-friendly hotels in the city, where parents can relax and kids can be… well, kids. The hotels we’ve selected all make travelling with kids as smooth possible. We look for places that are close to London’s top attractions, so you can zip from Hamleys to the park, without having to spend your whole day on public transport, as well as having the resources to keep the whole family entertained. How we choose our family-friendly hotels A family-friendly hotel is about thoughtful touches for children. Perhaps, there are extra cots, kid-friendly menus, splashable pools, and little surprises that make young guests feel welcome. These are hotels that go the extra mile, from milk and cookies at bedtime to a designated kids concierge services. We include luxury stays and budget-friendly finds. Finally, we consider atmosphere and accessibility: helpful staff, close to attractions and safe play spaces, and a vibe that makes both little ones and grown-ups feel at home. 📍 Looking for your own space? Check out our guide to the best Airbnbs in London London’s family friendly hotels at a glance 💰 Best for a cheap deal: Good Hotel 🗓️ Best concierge service: The Berkeley 🧠 Most iconic: The Ritz ☕ Best afternoon tea for

It can’t be denied that Saturday is one of the greatest days of the week. For lots of us, the working week is over and it’s the one day that you can have a long lie in and stay up all night knowing that you don’t need to be up bright and early the next morning.  In other words, it’s the best day to make the most out of the huge spectrum of things that London has to offer. Whatever your budget, whatever your interests, whatever the weather, there are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of things you could do. Here are some of our favourites things you can get up to in London almost any Saturday of the year (see here for specific stuff going on this weekend).  London’s best Saturday things to do at a glance Best for being outdoors: Hampstead Heath  Best for shopaholics: Selfridges Best for a budget: Natural History Museum Best for group gatherings: Frank’s Cafe  Best for an all-nighter: MOT  RECOMMENDED: The 50 best things to do in London with kids. 

Things are getting more and more expensive here in Europe, and many of our reliably ‘cheap’ cities aren’t so cheap anymore. The hotspots in Greece, Spain, Italy and more that are plagued with overtourism are seeing hiked prices to match, and starting to look startingly similar across the board. But don’t fear: if budgets are tight this year, there’s still plenty of spots that won’t break the bank.  The best part? On the most part, this list of budget-friendly destinations tend to come hand in hand with other wins – we mean less tourists, less crowds, and the flights there are likely to be much cheaper too. Of course, it goes without saying that a ‘cheap city’ is highly subjective, depending on a whole load of factors: which city you’ve travelled in from, what time of year you’re visiting, how bougie your tastes are and all the rest of it. But the spots you’ll find below are lively, culture-packed, and generally incredibly good value for money. Read on for the cheapest (and best) cities to visit in Europe in 2026.  RECOMMENDED:📍 The best city breaks in Europe for 2026🌃 The most underrated travel destinations in Europe Ella Doyle is Time Out’s Europe editor. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by experts across Europe. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

Thank god for Burns Night. As the long, bleak month of January rolls on, this kilt-raising, haggis-scoffing, whisky-fuelled celebration of Scotland’s national poet Rabbie Burns is a chance to banish the winter blues and have a rip-roaring time. The Bard turns 267 this year, but you don’t have to be in the big guy’s motherland to join in the festivities. An estimated 200,000 Scottish expats live in the capital, which technically makes it the third most populous Scottish city, so you can guarantee there’s plenty of feasting, boozing and partying to be done down here too.  When is Burns Night in London? Burns Night always falls on January 25, the day Robert Burns was born in South Ayrshire way back in 1759. This year’s celebration falls on a Sunday.  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, this is how you can enjoy Burns Night 2026 in London.  RECOMMENDED: Here are London's best spots for a delicious Burns Night supper.

There’s a heck of a lot to get excited about in Britain over the next 12 months or so. Between now and 2027 Brits will gobble down platefuls of new restaurants’ grub, slurp tasty bevs in fresh bars, get cultural fixes at museum exhibitions, spectate at globally-renowned sport events and even witness moments of proper historic importance. In 2026 the UK will see the return of the Bayeux Tapestry (not seen on these isles in 900 years) and the completion of the nation-spanning King Charles III Coastal Path. Among the likes of new music festivals and theme parks will be the world’s biggest Irish cultural event, the premiere of one of this century’s most highly anticipated stage musicals and centenery celebrations for a globally-loved children’s character.  And that’s just the stuff that’s planned – who knows what else will define the year? Without further ado, here are the 16 best new things to do in the UK in 2026, chosen by Time Out editors and contributors. RECOMMENDED: 📍 The 14 best places to visit in the UK in 2026.🏛️ The 26 best new things to do in London in 2026.🌍 The best new things to do in the world in 2026.

January is here, which means we’re entering a brand new year. Despite all the January goals, resolutions and hopes we have for 2026, it’s no secret that January can ostensibly become the most depressing month of the year. The days are short and dark, it’s cold, and our bank balances are severely depleted after the December festivities. But, we’re here to help you realise it’s not all bleak.  For one thing, it’s the ideal time to discover London on a budget and without the crowds, while many of city’s very best theatre and musicals, restaurants and bars – ranked definitively by Time Out's crew of expert local editors – offer discounted tickets and cheap meal deals to entice you out of the house during the coldest and darkest days of the year. Believe it or not, but January can also a time for celebration, too. London will once again be playing host to plenty of Burns Night ceilidhs, haggis suppers and poetry readings commemorating Scotland’s most famous poet, plus dinners and parades in celebration of the Lunar New Year, which falls nice and early in 2025, on January 29. If you’re someone who likes to commit to a month of sobriety or a punishing new exercise regime at the start of the New Year, London definitely has your back too. The city is home to countless excellent sports clubs and fitness classes, plus dozens of glorious parks and spectacular walking routes, and there’s arguably nowhere that better caters for the sober and sober-curious. Of course, if you’d rather just s

2026 has officially landed. An entire year of adventure awaits, with Britain set for a deluge of thrilling new things to see and do. Beyond the individual openings, however – the new bars and restaurants, museums and attractions – where should be on your radar for places to visit in the UK?  If you’re up for being inspired here at Time Out, as always, we’ve got you covered. We’ve scoured the listings of all that’s happening in Britain in 2026 and consulted our nationwide network of writers and editors, harnessing all that info to put together a guide to the places that should be on your radar over the next 12 months.  Destinations made it onto Time Out’s list for a vast range of reasons. Some have swaggered onto the scene with a quickfire burst of thrilling new attractions. Others have built their cred slower and reached a point of quiet brilliance, while others still are established spots that simply remain very much worth their rep. Several places will be made even more tempting by those aforementioned 2026 openings, whether that be delicious places to eat and drink, game-changing new transport options or unmissable cultural events.  From trendy seaside towns to revived industries cities, medieval forts to ‘the new Berlin’: here are the UK’s 14 top places to visit in 2026. RECOMMENDED: 🇬🇧 The best new things to do in the UK in 2026.📍 The 26 best stuff to see and do in London in 2026. 

Whatever your vibe (and whatever your budget), London’s got it all – and anyone will find something they love here. Historic pubs, leafy parks and gardens and an unmatched restaurant scene make this city worth visiting year-round, but before you’ve booked anything in London, you kind of have to know where you’re going to be based. To get you started, we’ve rounded up the city’s best Airbnbs available to book right now, with expert tips from our local editors.  Should I choose an Airbnb or a hotel in London? London is not short on lovely hotels, ranging from budget to luxury and just about everything in between. But it’s fair to say that even the cheaper options cost a pretty penny – and you’ll often find them in more central, touristy areas in the city. If you want to live like a Londoner, an Airbnb can allow you to properly immerse yourself in a more residential area of London – and all the locally-loved bars, pubs and restaurants that come with it. You’ll find lots of our local tips below, but for a detailed breakdown of the best neighbourhoods to stay in London, check out our ultimate area guide. More of a hotels guy? No problem. Here’s our list of the best hotels in London.  📍 RECOMMENDED: Ultimate guide to the best hotels and Airbnbs in London Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every Airbnb featured, our writers have based our list on expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, amenities and in-depth research to

December 2025 update: There's new songs being added to karaoke machines on a regular basis, so we see it as our duty to keep this list bang up to date. Our latest additions include a K-Pop Demon Hunters anthem, as well as an addicitve tune courtesy of Benson Boone. Whether you’ve got the voice of an angel or you’re totally tone deaf, karaoke unites us all. But heed our warning: choosing the right song is crucial (aka, don’t opt for that Whitney Houston tune if you haven’t the range. And if you don't quite have the skill, steer clear of rapping.) So we thought we’d help out a little bit. In our list of the best karaoke songs ever, we’ve got everyone from Adele to Toto, and from Frank Sinatra to Ricky Martin. There's even recent singalongs from Sabrina Carpenter, Huntr/x and Chappell Roan. Something for everyone. So down that shot, grab that mic and take to the stage. Your audience awaits you. Here are the best karaoke songs ever.  RECOMMENDED:❤️ The best love songs🎶 The 40 best songs of 2025🎉 The best party songs🕺 The 25 best albums of 2025  

Even after a couple of vintage years for new music, 2025 has been special. Sure, we didn’t get a clear-cut ‘song of the summer’, but artists have been instead putting out defining works in a longer format. The past 12 (well, 11) months have featured all manner of extraordinary album releases.  Belted-to-the-rafters country pop, plunderphonic majesty, ecstatic dance music, intimate electronic world-building, history-collapsing art rock, triumphant hip-hop… these are just a few of the sounds and styles that have been executed marvellously in 2025. Here are the year’s finest 25 albums, chosen by Time Out editors and contributors.

Gather your brood and join Hackney’s ceilidh band Cut A Shine for its afternoon of family friendly St Patrick’s barn dancing. The bandmembers will teach you and the little’uns all of the crucial ceili moves and ensure that everyone is kept fueled with traditional Irish stew and champ (vegan option available). Things will round off at 3.30pm with a disco where the kids can show off all their newly-learned Celtic choreography. Oh, and there’s a fully stocked bar of Guinness and whiskey for the grown ups. 

Prepare to have your senses thrown into chaos. Anish Kumar’s first major UK exhibition in the UK took place at the Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery in 1998. Nearly 30 years later, the internationally acclaimed sculptor’s work is coming back to the gallery for his largest UK show to date. The exhibition displays recent pieces by Kapoor made with futuristic light-absorbing nanotechnology, as well as works that defined the early part of his career.  There will be huge disorientating mirror sculptures, a colossal PVC installation, a foreboding mass of red and black wax drooping from the ceiling, and a striking collection of carnal paintings made using silicone, resin and pigment.  

Homely isn’t quite the word that comes to mind when you pull back the heavy velvet curtain separating Casa Felicia from the dozy Queen’s Park street outside. Chic, for sure. Elegant, certainly. A parade of two-cover tables are packed close together in the main whitewashed dining room, and over in a far corner, there’s a booth for larger groups which is painted entirely in an intense sultry red. But the deeper into the evening we go, the more we’re taken in by this place’s unexpected down-to-earth charm.   Fettuccine porcini and paccheri with mussels and squid are simple but impeccable Casa Felicia is helmed by chef Francesco Sarvonio, formerly of Manteca and currently of Elephant. The menu switches up daily, but always promises southern Italian ‘soul food’. A pleasing heap of puntarelle salad embellished with pear and hazelnuts, and a faultless seabass crudo speckled with crispy red pepper starts us off. We’re then presented with the most intriguing take on parmigiana I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t come in the traditional form of layered aubergine coins, but as the whole vegetable roasted, skinned and fried in a tempura batter, then cocooned in cheese fondue with a pool of marinara on the side. It’s fantastic – the batter lightly encases the vegetable like a chiffon blanket and the aubergine manages to be both firm and completely melt-in-the-mouth.   Don’t get carried away with the antipasti, as the bowls of pasta (handmade with just semolina and water, no egg) are truly generou

Adoh! (Sri-Lankan for ‘oi!’) is loud.  Sat on Maiden Lane in frenetic, tourist-packed Covent Garden, this Sri Lankan spot from Kolamba duo Eroshan and Aushi Meewella fits right in. While Kolamba and its sister restaurant on Liverpool Street are sleek, sophisticated haunts, this is a maximalist whirlwind. Chopped roti gets more heavenly with each chewy bite Adoh’s goal is to emulate the rapid, chaotic energy of Colombo and its street food culture. The decor is raucous – the tables a striking shade of red and the walls busy with storybook murals depicting hand-painted trucks of South Asia. As for service, it’s full speed ahead. You can very easily be in and out within an hour, and fully satisfied. In the throbbing heart of the theatreland that’s no bad thing.  The menu features a blend of authentic bits (isoo vadai, mutton rolls or roti and curry) and some milder hybrid dishes (fried chicken and curry leaf waffles are best suited to less adventurous members of your party). Shiny squares of prawn toast dolloped with tamarind sauce start us off, swiftly followed by a supple dosa spread with smoky masala, alongside a rather dry coconut roti with eye-wateringly hot lunu miris chilli paste.  The must-order main (which at £17 is the priciest item on the menu) is crab kothu, a late-night classic in Sri Lanka. The bronze mountain of chopped roti, egg and stir fried crab meat (mutton, chicken or jackfruit kothu are available too) isn’t particularly pretty, but drenched in curry sauce (p

One hundred years ago, a strange curtained box appeared on Broadway in New York City. If you went inside and slotted in 25 cents, you’d emerge with eight sepia tinged photos of yourself in a matter of minutes. It was the Photomaton – the world’s first fully automated photobooth. Fast forward to the 21st century and photobooths are in bars, train stations, cinemas, record shops and on streets all over the world. The Photographer’s Gallery is marking a century of the machines with Click!, an archival exhibition exploring their imperfections, their quirks and their most famous fans. Naturally, there’ll be a working photobooth for visitors to take their own snap.

The UK’s first major retrospective of acclaimed Ukrainian artist Boris Mikhailov is coming to the Photographers’ Gallery. A ‘kind of proto-punk’, Mikhailov has been capturing and commenting on life in Ukraine since the 1960s – from the everyday consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union to the realities of people living on the edges of society – through photography, conceptual work, painting and performance art. Ukrainian Diary brings much of that work together to illustrate the tumultuous social and political changes that have shaken Eastern Europe over the past fifty years.

In 1978, Zofia Rydet decided that was going to photograph the inside of every Polish household. Aged 67, she began knocking on doors and asking occupants if they’d be willing to partake in her project. She continued to knock on doors for the next three decades, collecting everyday stories and creating ‘one of the most important achievements in 20th century Polish photography’. More than 100 of Rydet’s prints will be on display at the Photographers’ Gallery alongside books and personal letters offering extra insight into her sociological mission.

When a place rates itself as assuredly (in huge bold letters, no less) as Good Hotel does, it’s natural to feel a little sus. But it’s true: Good Hotel really does make you feel good. Service is cheery and laid-back without being overly casual, the food leaves nothing to complain about and – maybe it’s the luxurious silence of the area or perhaps the proximity to gently lapping water – I visited in 2024, and I don’t know if I’ve ever had a better night’s sleep in the city. Aside from all that, guests can walk out of Good Hotel feeling extra gratified by virtue of its ‘do good’ DNA. Why stay at Good Hotel? As you walk along Royal Victoria Docks, this huge black shipping container is impossible to miss. Originally built as a Danish prison, this floating hotel docked in London in 2016 after sailing across from Amsterdam. Its founder, Marten Dresden, had come up with the Good Hotel concept four years prior while travelling in Guatemala. Now, each night you spend there pays for a week of school for a child in South America, with profits also going towards hospitality training for long-term unemployed locals (lots of whom become Good Hotel employees).  The hotel also hosts regular community workshops and events that guests can attend. There are comedy nights, yoga classes, salsa classes, kids art clubs and, if you’re in the mood to be extra good, litter-picking around the local area. What are the rooms like at Good Hotel? Throughout the hotel, the interiors are slick, earthy-toned

One of the more recent additions to Wimbledon Village, Good Fortune Club is bright and buzzy with a sprawling menu of Cantonese dishes, the best known of which is its handmade dim sum. Stop by with a large, hungry posse to pack your table with bamboo steamers and sample har gau (shrimp-filled dumplings,) xiao long bao (pork soup dumplings), cuttlefish cake and more.

Of its four south-west London outposts, DropShot’s Leopold Road location serves up hefty brunches on the daily. The portions here are breathtakingly generous, and the tennis-themed menu goes well beyond the standard eggs benny or avocado on toast; think mozzarella and chilli jam-filled potato pancakes andbig fat slices of French toast laden with monterey jack cheese and fresh pesto, or loaded with tiramisu cream and berries. The coffee is fantastic, too.

Crack Comedy Club brings pre-party laughs to Tunnel 267 – Wimbledon’s only nightclub – every Saturday night from 8pm to 10pm. For standup sets from four or five comics, tickets are £25 for general admission on the door or £21.50 if you book online in advance. You can also buy tickets that include dinner from a local restaurant beforehand, and if you stick around afterwards you’ll get free entry to Tunnel’s clubnight. Three in one. 

This quirky, tiki-themed minigolf course first popped up in Dalston's Efes in April 2015. A decade later, that debut site is no more, but you can now find Plonks outdoors in London Fields and under the arches at Borough Market. The Hackney course, which recently got a big ol’ refurb, takes you through a ‘Polynesian themed putt paradise’ complete with a tiki forest, a volcano canyon and octupuses. There are plenty of satisfying holes that fire your ball onto tricksy little mechanisms, a loop the loop, and a lot of impossibly steep ramps. All in all: it’s a great place for a plonking party. Prices start from £9.35 per person per play. 

Yep, Harry Styles has announced even more dates for his London residency this summer. Last week Styles revealed details of a six-night run at Wembley this June and he’s since boosted that to a whopping 12 nights. Yep twelve! His residency now will last from mid-June through to the start of July, and it beats the record for the number of Wembley shows by an artist in a single year (Coldplay set the last record in 2025 with 10 dates).  The megastar released his new single ‘Aperture’ last Friday (January 23) ahead of his fourth album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, due to land in March.  The Together, Together tour will look a little different to the average world tour. Instead of playing dozens of different venues, Harry has chosen seven cities in which he’ll do a run of residencies. That includes an enormous 30-night residency at New York’s Madison Square Garden and six dates at London’s own Wembley Stadium. Oh, and he’ll be joined by some truly huge names along the way.  The Wembley Stadium shows will be Harry’s only UK performances this year, so these are set to be hot tickets. Here’s everything you need to know if you want to be there.  RECOMMENDED: The 20 best major music tours coming to the UK in 2026. When is Harry Styles going on tour in 2026? He’ll be playing in major venues across Europe, North America, South America and Australia between May and December.   What London tour dates have been announced so far? Right now, Harry has 12 shows lined up at Wembley

Often, when the tube is engulfed in strikes, Londoners can still turn to the Overground to get them to where they need to be. But from next month, it’s an Overground line’s turn to be impacted by industrial action.  The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) has announced that signallers and telecom staff working on the London Overground will walk out on three separate occasions between February and April. It says that the action is over a pay and conditions dispute with a TfL subcontractor.  RMT may reach an agreement with the subcontractor before the strikes roll around, meaning they could be called off. But if you’re an Overground frequenter, here’s everything you need to know about the planned industrial action.  When will London Overground staff go on strike?  The strikes are planned for three Thursdays across the next three months. Each strike will last 24 hours and they may also have an impact on services the following Friday mornings.  Thursday February 26 Thursday March 26 Thursday April 23 Which lines will be affected? The only Overground line that will see disruption due to the strikes will be the Windrush line, which runs from Highbury and Islington to Clapham Junction, West Croydon and Crystal Palace.  Why are Overground staff striking? The signalling and telecoms staff work for subcontractor Cleshar CS Ltd. They’re taking industrial action over below inflation rate pay rise (of 1.5 percent), overtime and annual leave pay and unsatisfactory terms and conditi

The UK’s railway stations are an eclectic bunch. One day, you may board the train from a grotty, crumbling platform, another you’ll find yourself stepping off at one the the country’s most magnificent examples of architectural prowess.  Separating the grim from the grand, the Telegraph has just revealed its pick of the best and worst railway stations in the UK. The list has been compiled by the paper’s travel writer Rob Crossan, who says that he has visited around 500 of the country’s 2,600 stations.  Let’s start with the good stuff, shall we? Crossan waxed lyrical about the ‘monumentally beautiful’ Wemyss Bay station at the ferry port of the Isle of Bute. He said: ‘Built in 1903, it was designed to get passengers and their luggage off the train and onto the vessel without exposing them to an excess of the hoolie winds that blow in from the Firth. The result is a masterpiece of glass and ironwork, meshing multiple architectural styles, that feels both forensically thought out and yet effortlessly graceful.’   Photograph: Shutterstock   The list of Britain’s finest stations also included Cromford, which is ‘perhaps the UK’s quintessential rural train station’, the Grade II-listed art-deco Leamington Spa and Hebden Bridge, which has ‘resisted modernity with exquisite resilience’.  Over in the capital city, London Marylebone, ‘the city’s most civilised mainline station’ was named one of country’s best while the relentlessly chaotic London Euston with its infamous ‘Euston Rush’

The government has officially committed to building a new high-speed railway line between Birmingham and Manchester. Yes, that’s pretty much what was promised in the HS2 plans that were controversially scrapped back in 2023, though the government says that it ‘won’t be a revival of HS2’.  The plan for the new route was set out by the government earlier this month. It’ll run between the two cities via Manchester Airport and Warrington, with new stations built at Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly and Warrington Bank Quay Low Level. It’s hoped that it’ll ease pressure on the West Coast Main Line and cut travel times between northern towns and cities.  There’s quite a while to wait, though. First, the government says it’ll work with local partners to carry out a feasibility study. Delivery isn’t expected to start until the 2030s.   The new line is part the second phase of a wider scheme that the government has called Northern Powerhouse Rail, which aims to improve links throughout the north of England. This phase also involves improving connections across the Pennines between Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield and could see upgrades to busy hubs like Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool Central. The third and final stage will apparently focus on improved connections between Manchester and Sheffield, Manchester and Leeds and explore options for Manchester to Bradford. Heidi Alexander, the UK transport secretary, said: ‘For too long, the North has been held back by un

Rarely a year goes by without a London gallery putting on some sort of David Hockney exhibition – everybody’s just mad for the guy. And 2026 is no different.  David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts About Painting will be on at the Serpentine this spring and summer. Here’s why, alongside a Frida Kahlo show at the Tate and a Renoir retrospective at the National Gallery, we reckon it’ll be one of the best exhibitions to see in London this year.  The 88-year-old artist’s A Year in Normandie is a 90m long piece that he produced on his iPad during the pandemic. Made up of 220 panels depicting the changing seasons in and around his French garden, it’s inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry – which fittingly will be on display in the UK for the first time in nearly a millennium later this year – and Chinese scrolls. This will be the first time that A Year in Normandie has been on show in London.  Image: David Hockney‘A Year in Normandie’ 2020-2021 (detail) Composite iPad painting© David Hockney The show will also focus on works like Moon Room, which reflects the painter’s lifelong interest in the lunar cycle, and several other digital paintings that were created during lockdown as part of his Sunrise series.  At the time, Hockney said of his iPad paintings: ‘I began drawing the winter trees on a new iPad. Then this virus started… ‘I went on drawing the winter trees that eventually burst into blossom. Meanwhile the virus is going mad, and many people said my drawings we

With the dark evenings and miserable weather still dragging on, Londoners could really do with a boost right now. And what better than a free seven-day celebration of the city’s art, music and night life?  Art After Dark will give us a reason to look forward to the evenings next week. It’ll be bringing light, music and colour to the streets of the West End from February 3 until February 10.   The main event at Art After Dark is a free public art trail. And the headline artwork this year is ‘Rise and Shine’ by London-based artist Lakwena Maciver. Towering seven metres in the middle of Piccadilly Circus, the installation (pictured below) is made up of disco light boxes and intends to channel the energy of ’80s and ’90s London nightlife. Illuminated with acid-bright visuals and playing a soundtrack of hip-hop, soul and funk, you’re unlikely to miss it.  Image: Art of London Maciver said: ‘This installation is a celebration of joy, community, and the vibrant energy that pulses through London’s music scene. By unveiling it in Piccadilly Circus, we’re inviting everyone to gather, dance, and experience London’s music culture in a space transformed by colour, light, and sound. I’m looking forward to bringing people together to celebrate and support the culture that defines our city.’ More public art will be unveiled across the West End for the week-long event, including new digital artworks displayed daily on the enormous Piccadilly Lights and screens.  A whole host of galleries a

When The Greatest Showman came out back in 2017, it was a phenomenal, truly world-conquering hit. Its soundtrack won a Grammy, its standout song ‘This Is Me’ got a Golden Globe and it quickly became one of the highest-grossing movie musicals of all time. Given its monumental success and the fact that it comes pretty much ready-made, a stage version of the film was only a matter of time. Ladies and gentlemen – after years of anticipation The Greatest Showman: The Musical is set make its global debut right here in the UK in just a couple of months. And Time out has named it one of the best things to see in the country in 2026.  RECOMMENDED: This once-in-a-lifetime London exhibition will be the best thing to see in the UK in 2026.  The musical from Disney will come to the stage for the first time ever at Bristol Hippodrome from March 15 until May 10. Time Out’s theatre editor Andrzej Lukowski, said: ‘Clearly the goal is for it to head to the West End and Broadway, but a musical of this scale always gets an out-of-town try-out first.’ In case you’re not familiar with the film, it’s (very, very loosely) based on the life of American showman PT Barnum, depicting his rise from poverty-stricken kid to his founding of the travelling circus he called the ‘greatest show on Earth’. The stage adaptation will feature all the songs from the movie, as well as new ones from original songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and the cast will be led by West End heavyweights Oliver Tompsett as PT

Getting a table at Dim Sum Duck isn’t easy. Since quietly opening in 2020, the tiny, unassuming family-run restaurant on Kings Cross Road has grown into a cult-favourite and become one of the best Chinese eateries in the city.  The thing is, the restaurant has a grand total of just 20 seats. That means there are regularly queues stretching out the door and down the street. But soon, if you can’t be bothered to wait up to an hour in line, you’ll be able to grab a seat at a brand new Dim Sum Duck location just around the corner (at least until everyone else catches on).  Dim Sum Duck has announced that it’s opening a second branch at 186 Pentonville Road, which is only a two-minute walk from its original restaurant. It’ll serve exactly the same menu seven days a week, with dim sum dishes costing around £6 to £8 and plates of roast meat or noodles starting from £12. There’ll also be beers like Asahi and Peroni on draught.   Laura Gallant for Time Out In our list of London’s greatest Chinese spots, Time Out contributor Elaine Zhao said: ‘As a HongKonger, I’m immediately suspicious when somewhere serves dim sum – traditionally a breakfast or afternoon meal – at night. How authentic can it truly be? ‘However, I was fully converted by Dim Sum Duck’s particularly plump hargau (prawn dumplings) and huge xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) alongside a delicious array of Cantonese classics, including roast duck, beef ho fun (flat noodles) and charred salty green beans with minced pork. Com

Big news commuters! We could finally be getting digital Oyster cards. That’s right, TfL’s Oysters could soon catch up with modern tech and be uploaded to smartphone wallets. TfL has awarded a seven-year contract to Spanish tech company Indra Group to run its run its revenue collection systems. Indra will be replacing US company Cubic, which has operated the Oyster card since it was introduced in 2003. Part of Indra’s job will be to modernise the Oyster system, meaning that Oyster cards and travel passes are one step closer to being integrated with smartphones. Not only would that mean Oyster users can tap in and out without relying on a physical card (easy to lose or accidentally leave at home), it would allow them to top up their travel balance instantly and track their journeys and spending in real-time.  Photograph: Shutterstock Shashi Verma, director of technology strategy and revenue at TfL, said: ‘Millions of journeys are made on our public transport system every day, and it is vital that customers can trust the ticketing system to ensure they are charged the correct fare. We look forward to working with Indra group on the next evolution of our Oyster and contactless ticketing system. ‘I also want to thank everyone at Cubic Transportation Systems for their work and innovation in delivering, maintaining and improving the Oyster and contactless system over the past decades. The hard work and innovation by Cubic helped make the system as instantly recognisable and succe

The relaxing of security rules at major UK airports have been promised for a long, long time. Brand new CT scanners that would mark the end of the 100ml liquid limit and the clear plastic bag rule were announced way back in 2018. But it’s taken seven years for that new tech to be widely installed. The strict liquid rules at airports were first introduced in 2006 following a foiled transatlantic bomb plot. Since then, airport’s have also required passengers to remove large electrical items like tablets or laptops from their hand luggage for checking. Those days are finally over.  Now, the new machines have been installed at most of the UK’s major airports. They can take a 3D picture of a bag’s insides, meaning that passengers no longer need to faff around at security decanting their liquids into a plastic pouch, digging their laptop out of their bag or chugging down their bottles of water. The idea is that getting rid of those rules will speed up the whole security process.  Days after London Heathrow became the latest airport to axe the old security restrictions, here’s the full rundown of the airports where passengers no longer need to worry about the 100ml liquid limit.  What are the new hand luggage rules?  The new CT scanners mean that passengers can now pack containers with up to two litres of liquid in their hand luggage (as many as you like) and keep them inside their bag. Laptops and tablets can stay inside your hand luggage too. Refillable metal or ‘double walled’

Teignmouth Grand Pier in Devon has been around since 1867. In those 159 years, it has survived two world wars and countless storms, so is well used to taking a battering. But last weekend’s Storm Ingrid proved to be a tempest too far.  The end of the pier collapsed and was washed away to sea on Saturday (January 24) during the intense storm. Teignmouth National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) shared pictures of the damaged pier and warned locals that it ‘never seen [the sea] this rough before’.  Teignmouth’s mayor Cate Williams told Sky News: ‘[The pier] goes out for a bit and then effectively there is a portion of it that has just washed away, dissolved, and then you have another little bit of the structure that is still standing. ‘The arcade aspect to it, the games, are used by residents and visitors of all ages, so it’s a really important feature. It stands out. As we know, at seaside resorts those with piers are very few and far between, so the fact we have it here is something that we appreciate and enjoy.’ The pier is privately owned by a family, so the council doesn’t have the power to immediately repair and renovate it. In a post on social media immediately after the storm, the owner’s said that it had been a ‘dreadful night’. In a later update the owner said: ‘We are fully aware that the cosmetic appearance of the pier isn’t perfect; however, the reality is that constant structural maintenance over the last decade is what has allowed Grand Pier Teignmouth to remain sta

Coffee really is an art form. There are so many components that can make or break a good cup of joe – the beans, the roast, the grind, the brew, the milk – but, lucky for us, London is blessed with hundreds of coffee shops that have all of those mastered. Now, 11 of the city’s coffee shops have been named among the best in the entire country.  The Best Coffee Shops UK has scoured the country for coffee joints that excel in nine different categories. Those categories include the quality of coffee (of course), barista expertise, customer service, ambience, quality of food, consistency and community. A jury of coffee connoisseurs chose their top spots, then those choices were combined with public votes to create the final list.  Of the 44 coffee shops across the UK on the list, a quarter are here in the capital. They include Holborn’s Scandi-style Catalyst as well as Prufrock Coffee, which is just around the corner and has its own barista training centre.  Photograph: Andy Parsons Photographer Carbon Kopi, which moved from New Zealand to Hammersmith in 2019 also made the cut alongside Hackney’s Specialty Cafetiere, which has a special water filtration system to ensure it serves the best brews possible. There’s also Curators in the City of London which is run by Send Coffee, a social enterprise providing coffee training to people with special needs and disabilities.  Every place that made it onto the list are now in the running for a spot on the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops 20