India Lawrence

There’s nothing much better than a properly good night out. Chaotic pre-drinks, sweaty dance floors, thumping bass, the promise of running into a crush and the end-of-night kebab are some of life’s biggest joys. We know it’s hard not to feel glum about the state of nightlife in the UK right now – we can’t ignore the fact that venues are closing at alarming rates across the country (an average of 10 are closing every month, per Night Time Industries Association data). However, the UK’s late-night culture is far from dead yet. In fact, it is alive and kicking.  Our dancefloors are changing, and instead of stalwart nightclubs being the go-to places, now the hottest parties travel around to different venues. They are DIY, independent and grassroots nights out, powered by the most banging tunes, the fiercest outfits, and a genuine vigour for making sure everyone has a fantastic time in the dance.  From thriving queer scenes, to the big trance revival, and the explosion of genres like amapiano, gqom and dancehall, going out in the UK has never been more exciting or varied. Here we’ve asked local experts to compile a by no means definitive list of some of the best parties in the UK that you can dance the night away at right now. India Lawrence is Time Out’s Staff Writer, UK. She has written extensively about nightlife and festivals in London for Time Out, and thinks all Friday nights should be spent on a sweaty dance floor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guideline

We don’t know about you, but we think we’re pretty damn lucky to have world-class festivals just a tube ride away. Forget trekking across the country to live in a field for five days. When you live in London, you can hop on a tube, and an hour later you’re listening to your favourite artists, tinny to hand, knowing that there’s a hot shower and a cosy bed waiting for you once the day is over. We Londoners love live music, so it’s no surprise that we’re absolutely spoilt for choice when summer rolls around. You’ve got festivals devoted to hip-hop, jazz, leftfield pop, afrobeats, heavy rock ‘n’ roll. Whatever your taste may be, my god does London have a day festival for you. Have a scroll through some of our recommendations and start planning a fantastic summer in 2025.  But be warned, most London festivals get more expensive the later you leave it, and plenty of them will sell out long before summer starts. Grab your tickets right now if you know what’s good for ya! RECOMMENDED: ⛺ The best UK music festivals🌍 The best festivals in Europe

Perhaps you’re an expert at identifying celebrities by just their noses, or you can recount the top scorer for every Premier League match in 2003, when it comes to pub quizzes, everyone has their niche. And London is absolutely packed full of trivia-loving boozers where you can show off your GCSE history knowledge and polish off a few pints as you do it. Whether you’re a certified Mastermind, or just in it for the vibes, there’s something for everyone when it comes to quizzes in the Big Smoke. From raucuous trivia nights hosted by drag queens, to oh-so-serious tests for boffins, we’ve got so many quizzes you could compete in one almost every night of the week if you so desired. All this trivia talk got you feeling competitive? Here we’ve rounded up a cracking selection of London’s best pub quizzes. After all, there may be a cash prize waiting for you.  Interactive Map of all the Pub Quizzes in London One helpful person has compiled an interactive map of all the pub quizzes in London (that they know of). If our list below isn’t enough for you, read more about that here.  Recommended: 101 things to do in London. 

Need a place to stay in London? We’re here to make it easy for you. Every year, a wealth of new hotels open in the capital which is a testament to the fact that London remains one of the most desirable places to visit in the world. However, that can make it tricky to decide which hotel to choose. But worry not because we have slept our way across the city and hand-picked our favourites for the ultimate list of London hotels, which covers locations right across the city, and every category from blowout luxury (including having your own butler, might we add) to budget basic and brilliant. In this mega list, we've listed everything from our favourite five-star hotels in Mayfair to more affordable hotels outside of zone 1. Plus you’ll be able to check out one or two of the capital's many Michelin-starred restaurants because yep, loads of them call London hotels their home. But if spending a small fortune on food isn’t your bag? There’s also an ever-increasing number of good-value food options for budgeteers, too. Throw great design and architecture into the mix, plus superb bars, world-class hospitality and the opportunity to have a home-from-home in the best city in the world and, well, you’re laughing.  Which area is best to stay in London? It's not just the range of hotels that's so impressive – you're also spoilt for choice when it comes to picking a neighbourhood to stay in London. The city is made up of a sprawling network of dynamic neighbourhoods, all with their own uniqu

It’s been a fantastic year for new music. We’ve had long-running artists finally break through (hello, Chappell Roan), what felt like the longest and most carefully calculated album roll-out of all time (Charli, we’re looking at you), as well as niche new finds and epic comebacks from old faves (The Cure).  As the year draws to a close, it’s time to share our favourite albums of 2024. From intergalactic post-punk to gritty, lyrical hip hop, dance floor-ready pop and everything in between, grab your best headphones or line up the speakers: these are the albums Time Out had on repeat this year. RECOMMENDED:The best movies of 2024The best TV shows of 2024 you need to streamThe best songs of 2024

Want a drink? You've come to the right place. This is Time Out’s list of best bars in London, our curated guide to London’s drinking scene, featuring the buzziest booze dens in the capital right now. If it’s on this list, it’s excellent. These are the 50 places we'd recommend to a friend, because we love drinking in them and have done many times over. From classy cocktail joints to delightful dives, hotel bars, speakeasys, bottle shops, rooftops and wine bars, London's got them all. But what makes a truly good bar? Well, our critieria for inclusion on this list is simple; a menu of genius drinks is important, but so is overall vibe – there’s no point having the perfect paloma if you have to drink it in a bar that smells of bins. To make the Top 50 a bar has to be fun, full of lovely folk, be inclusive and also look the part.  The latest additions to our list include whisky wonderland Dram Bar on Denmark Street, the hypnotic Bar Lotus in Dalston, Below Stone Nest in Chinatown, Rasputin’s by London Fields, and Bar Lina, an Italian aperitivo spot underneath a famous Soho deli. Now go forth and drink. RECOMMENDED: Like bars? Then you'll love London's best pubs.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor, and she'll have a dirty gin martini if you're buying. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

It’s sometimes easy to forget that London is home to world-leading nightlife. Sure, we have cracking pubs on every corner, amazing restaurants and a buzzy bar scene, but often what you really need is a full-on dance: I’m talking smoke, strobe lights and an absolute stomper of a sound system. I promise you, it’s good for the soul. Since I moved to London, I’ve been making my way around the city’s many dancefloors, and I like to think that by now I know a thing or two about what separates an average club from a venue which will have you itching to come back week after week. From Sunday day raves at FOLD to secret line-ups at Venue MOT and no-nonsense pop nights at Moth Club, we are home to some absolutely banging nights out in this city. You just need to know where to look. That said, the best thing about going out in London is the sheer variety on offer. You can go to a huge daytime party at Drumsheds with international superstar DJs then head to an underground warehouse party in the Docklands the very same weekend. You can try your best to master Northern Soul footwork, sing your heart out to some serious cheese or dance the night away at one of the capital’s many LGBTQ+ institutions. Want a big night out? Not sure where to go? We’ve got you. Our list features clubs in central London, east London, west London, north London and in south London, and all of them have been selected for their quality of programming, sound system and straight-up vibes. These are the best nightclubs

Spring has sprung, and with the return of day drinking, sunbathing as soon as it hits 15C, and pretending like we never had any winter depression at all, comes a load of fantastic dance in the capital. It’s almost like the ballerinas are emerging from hibernation themselves.  This March a mega contemporary dance festival is taking over Sadler’s Wells, the Southbank Centre, Royal Opera House and the Tate Modern, showing a massive range of envelope pushing contemporary. Highlights include the coolest ballet company to come out of France, La(Horde), the iconic Trisha Brown Dance Company and a double bill of works by the pioneer of modern dance Merce Cunningham. For the trad heads, Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo & Juliet is back on at the Royal Opera House.  Here are the best dance shows in London this March.  India is in charge of dance listings at Time Out. She was first shoved into a leotard and ballet shoes aged four, and has loved it ever since. Nowadays India prefers contemporary (or throwing shapes in the club) to ballet, but still has a soft spot for the odd grand jeté every now and again. As well as being a dancer herself, India has been reviewing dance all over London since joining Time Out in 2022.  MORE STAGE: Dance classes in London Best theatre shows this yearBest theatre shows this monthBest comedy shows this month

There’s nowt wrong with a pork scratching or bag of Scampi Fries to accompany your hand-cranked pint of amber ale, but we are ever grateful for the invention of the gastropub. London boozer The Eagle, which opened in Farringdon in 1991, is widely regarded as the first one. Its chalkboard full of dishes with ‘big flavours and rough edges’ brought proper butcher’s sausages with lentils, generously portioned pasta dishes with fennel and lemon and lovingly crafted steak sandwiches to the polished pedestal table. It changed the pub food game in the ’90s and the dining world has never looked back. Outside of London, one of the best ways to enjoy a gastropub is to arrive several hours before your booking and take yourself off on a hike to work up an appetite. That first sip of a pint when your chosen trail guides you right back to the pub’s door tastes even sweeter when your cheeks are ruddy and your glutes are burning. When it comes to the main event, dishes can be hearty classics or surprising takes, like when a ‘pickled onion’ accompaniment comes as a swoosh of gel on your plate. Ingredients must be as local as possible, seasonal, obviously, and there has to be a decent wine list as well as a cracking pint. Oh, and you should absolutely never be at risk of going home hungry.  There’s a separate list for you if you’re looking for London’s best gastropubs. But here are 14 of the best gastropubs across the rest of the UK right now. Tuck in.  Kelly Bishop is a food writer based in M

We know that Londoners love to dress in hiking gear: you can’t move in east London without rubbing shoulders with a sentient Arc’teryx jacket, or stomping on a pair of fresh Salomon trainers. So, why not put all that technical wear to good use and take it on a scenic ramble through the English countryside. You can’t go wrong with a bit of fresh air, especially if it’s followed by a good sesh in a traditional pub. While there are a number of pretty walking routes in London, if you fancy something a bit more rural – the kind of trek that isn’t perennially two minutes from a bus stop – then head off on these hikes near London and you'll discover that the green and pleasant land beyond Zone 6 has plenty to offer.  From a bluebell-laden amble through Epping Forest, to a bracing walk along the Seven Sisters cliffs, there’s loads to choose from. So pop on your XT6s and head to one of these wonderful hikes near London.  RECOMMENDED: The best walks in and around LondonThe best forests in London for woodland walksThe prettiest walks in London

We know that London is the best city in the world. But like any metropolis, it can also get a bit much sometimes.  Occasionally, what you want isn’t to drink cocktails in a trendy bar after seeing the hottest Gen Z bedroom popstar at the Islington Assembly Hall, but a little peace and quiet, actually. Enter: the weekend getaway, invented by the Victorians (probably), there’s a reason why Londoners have been taking sojourns to the seaside on sunny bank holidays since the 1800s.  In fact, for the sake of my own sanity and that of those I love, I try not to go longer than two months at a time without venturing outside of the M25, if only for a wee day trip to somewhere with some greenery and/or a bit of coastline. After more than a decade living in London, I’ve done my fair share of exploring its outskirts – as have the native and adopted Londoners that comprise my colleagues on Time Out London’s editorial team. Together, we’ve come up with a cracking list of our favourite day trip destinations near London. There’s something for everyone here, from historic cities and cute villages to sandy beaches and rolling countryside.  And we’ve included some recommendations for ace restaurants, quaint little pubs, and our favourite things to do at each destination on the list – all of which are close enough to the city that you can get there and back in one sweet day.  Feeling a little tense after being cooped up in the concrete jungle for too long? Here’s everything you need to start plan

Covent Garden is so rammed with restaurants that decision fatigue can easily threaten the quality of your dinner. Weave through the tourists and theatregoing crowds and you'll discover that this area hosts many of the best restaurants in London, including French-styled Story Cellar, and The Portrait by Richard Corrigan, as well as old faves The Savoy Grill and J Sheekey. We’ve compiled a list of the best in the area, from cutting-edge eateries and classy counter joints to party-ready and casual hangouts, with pre-theatre favourites and cheap eats among them. Think of it as your Covent Garden bucket list. RECOMMENDED: The absolute best restaurants in Soho. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

This June, Tate Britain will stage Edward Burra’s first retrospective in over a decade, and the first in London in 40 years. The 20th Century painter is best known for his vivid and surreal scenes of cafés, clubs and cabarets, capturing life in the Roaring Twenties. In more than 80 paintings, the exhibition will look back at Burra’s life, including his time spent in the cultural scenes of Paris and Harlem, and his personal experience of conflicts in Europe. A ticket to Edward Burra will also allow entry to Ithell Colquhoun, also at Tate Britain, as the exhibitions are running in tandem.   

What is a spatial audio festival, you might be wondering? If you go to Polygon Live LDN, you’ll probably find out. The gist is seeing live music in a 360-degree arena surrounded by high-tech lights and loads of crystal-clear speakers – a spectacle which event organisers actually call a ‘spaceship’. Artists on the lineup so far include dreamy Pakistani-American singer Arooj Aftab, electronic legend Jon Hopkins, and composer Cosmo Sheldrake. This is one for audiophiles looking for something a bit more immersive. 

Wake up babe, a new house and techno festival in London just dropped. Legendary house DJ Jamie Jones has announced he is bringing a brand-new festi to the capital this summer, taking over Boston Manor Park with one of his world-famous Paradise parties. Spread across four stages, Paradise in the City promises to have ‘cutting-edge sound and state-of-the-art production’, all produced by partners LWE. The line-up hasn’t been anounnced yet, but it’s going span to a variety of techno and house DJs, all hand-selected by Jones. Expect a day of four-to-the-floor belters with an Ibiza vibe. 

40FT brewery is teaming up with neighbouring ‘live fire’ restaurant Acme Fire Cult for a proper Irish knees-up this St Paddy’s Day. The Dalston brewers will be launching their Nitro Deep Stout for the occasion, with boozy Jameson Boilermaker cocktails also on offer. On the food menu? Spice bags! For anyone unacquainted, these are an Irish takeaway staple, featuring chips, fried chicken and peppers all shaken up in a paper bag with loads of spices. Chef Andrew Clarke’s take on them will feature grilled, herb-fed chicken, chicken fat potatoes, peppers, onions and chicken skin doused in a special Acme Vadouvan curry sauce. And there’ll also be DJs on from 7.30pm. 

There’s a lot going on at Dram Bar. Beneath this cool Denmark Street hangout, bartenders are making their own ferments, cordials, and low ABV wines in a basement lab. They are also whisky specialists, and there’s a vending machine packed with Dram’s homemade, pre-packaged cocktails. Vibe-wise, this 17th century, Grade II-listed building has been converted into a Bauhaus by way of Blade Runner drinking cave. It’s drenched in pink and orange neon and has a cute terrace out the back – a rare find for a venue so close to Tottenham Court Road. For drinks, you’ve got whiskys, the usual suspects of beers and wines, and a small, seasonal menu of superb, innovative cocktails. Also: they serve fantastic pickles, which are the perfect accompaniment to Dram’s well thought-out tipples.  Order this  Do not sleep on the ‘taps’ section of the menu, pre-made on site and available on tap. I started off with the Stone Fruit. Made with seasonal fruit that has been fermented in-house, my peach-y edition was refreshing and light with a hint of natty wine funkiness aka pure catnip for trendy London drinkers.  Time Out tip Dram serves 350 kinds of whisky. If you’re open to trying new things, tell the knowledgeable bartenders what you like and they’ll sort you out with something decent.

Watching Humanhood’s spellbinding new show, ∞ {Infinite}, feels a bit like being hypnotised. For one hour and 15 minutes you get to be mesmerised by dancers moving with liquid limbs; their flow is impeccable as they execute flawless spirals, their spines constantly twisting and arms almost always undulating, as they roll, dive, slide and leap across the space.  Humanhood’s directors Julia Robert and Rudi Cole are known for looking at dance through a spiritual lens, incorporating shamanic practice into their choreography. They call ∞ {Infinite} their first ever ‘dance theatre meditation’, and it certainly delivers on the meditation. There is no story or plot to the piece, Instead it’s a visceral exploration of the human body and its connection to the elements and wider universe. This isn’t just a load of mumbo jumbo – as viewers, we get to go on the spiritual journey too. A serene, echoing voice asks us to close our eyes. Breath. Listen to our bodies. The gentle sound of birdsong and crashing waves takes us deeper into the meditation. The smell of incense fills the auditorium and fog is gently pumped out across the stage, making the room smokey.  Elements of South Asian mysticism are certainly evident here. Many times the dancers sit on the floor cross-legged and stoic, eyes closed. At other times their formations and floor patterns are mapped out like a Buddhist zen garden, all spirals, swirls and perfect circles. Almost in constant flow, Humanhood’s signature fluid choreogra

All of London’s hippest and hottest people will once again be making the pilgrimage to Peckham for the tenth edition of electronic music bonanza GALA. Returning in its usual slot over the late May bank holiday, the festival is celebrating reaching double digits with a stellar three-day line-up curated in partnership with NTS radio, plus some of the city’s most acclaimed music and nightlife brands. Friday’s slightly mellowed line-up features headline sets from Floating Points, Moodymann and Theo Parrish, while Avalon Emerson, Ben UFO and KiNK get top billing on a Saturday line-up that leans towards the heavier end of the dance music spectrum, with curation from Chapter Ten and The Cause. Headlined by Caribou, Floorplan and Hunee & Antal, the festival’s closing day features artists from Rhythm Section, plus several stalwarts from London’s queer party scene. Also on the line-up across the three days are: Anz, Batu, Bradley Zero, Gideön, Heléna Star, Horse Meat Disco, Hudson Mohawke, Michelle Manetti, Surusinghe, Tash LC and many, many more. 

Yes, the landmark exhibition opening Somerset House’s 2025 season is all about soil. Unless you are a pedologist, you might question if SOIL: The World At Our Feet will be worth your while. Can a topic as humdrum as the dirt beneath our feet be interesting? My answer is: sort of.  The exhibition is part science display, part art show, part anti-climate change call to action. If you think it sounds a tad confused, that’s because it is. Other than just ‘soil’, it is hard to sum up exactly what this exhibition is about. ‘Soil abounds with life,’ reads the wall text that begins the exhibition. ‘Look down’ it tells us, hoping to inspire awe at the ground we walk upon. It opens with some quite beautiful up-close images of bacteria, and planet-like photographs of microbes making patterns in earth. Not so pretty are the zoomed-in black and white photos of bugs – including a very scary ant – and grim up-close videos of slime mould. Not for the squeamish, but great if you’re into that stuff. Then there’s a nice immersive installation showing beautiful time lapses of seed germination and roots growing. After this everything gets a bit more random.  Can a topic as humdrum as the dirt beneath our feet be interesting? Sort of.  The bulk of the show is made up of artworks inspired by nature, made with natural materials (sometimes literally made with soil), or pertaining to some wider theme about the natural world. There’s definitely some cool stuff in here, including an Ana Mendieta super-

Most people will know a fair bit about the last French royals: the exuberant wealth, the massive hair, the questionably true confectionary-themed catchphrases. And perhaps the most iconic thing about the late kings and queens of France? The Palace of Versailles.  Versailles: Science and Splendour explores the marvellous scientific research and discoveries that took place at the royals’ fabulous home before all the guillotining took place. Told in chronological order, the exhibit offers up digestible and fascinating bits of information about science, art and design – with treasures of the era to match – spanning the last years of the French monarchy from Louis XIV’s ascension in 1643 to the French Revolution in 1789.  Louis, who liked to call himself the Sun King – because what is more essential to humans than the Sun? – set himself the task of giving Versailles the biggest glow-up it would ever see when he came to the throne. And to do that, he needed technology. We learn about the engineering feats that were needed to create Versailles’ symmetrical gardens (the biggest ever made in the style), and how the royals used hydraulic power to channel more water into their fountains than supplied the whole of Paris.  It does a great job paying homage to under-the-radar figures, especially women Gems on display include gilded astronomical devices, the earliest models of pregnancy, a stunningly detailed moon map and the Breguet No. 160: one of the most intricate and expensive watches

The Bell in Ticehurst is the manic pixie dream girl of boutique hotels. In Ticehurst, a sweet East Sussex village, the 16th century pub and hotel is a local legend. Its beautiful upstairs room, kitted out with bespoke baroque-style wallpaper and grandiose chandeliers, still hosts the town hall meetings. On a Sunday evening in October, the downstairs pub has a merry, community feel, with seasoned locals propping themselves up at the bar alongside the trendy down-from-Londoners who inhabit the inn’s seven rooms for weekends away.  For décor, the Bell’s interior designer, Richard Brett, has taken a whimsical page straight out of Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland. There are riddles written on the walls and pillars made entirely out of dog-eared books. The room I stayed in, one of four outside lodges, had the word ‘pretty’ written on its concave ceiling over and over again, in a hypnotic spiral (a bit weird, but also kind of fun). The place also has a mad art collection belonging to the Bell’s owner, which includes a Tracey Emin, Graham Sutherland and a Banksy.  As arty as it is, The Bell also has a quaint English charm about it, with its communal areas populated by squidgy arm chairs, low ceilings showing off exposed tudor beams, taxidermied critters and abundance of fireplaces. Inside the room was just as cosy: the bed was immense and plush, with crisp, white sheets. I was more than happy to spend an hour soaking myself in the pristine bathroom, which had a roomy bathtub and p

  Who said ballet had to be boring? MADDADDAM, inspired by Margerat Attwood’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi trilogy of the same name, has a plot to rival a blockbuster movie. Sure, capturing three complicated dystopian novels, and all the world building within them, is a lot to take on for a 2.5 hour ballet. Somehow, Wayne McGregor pulls it off.  Now stay with me here; in Act One we meet Snowman, a dishevelled survivor of a major pandemic, dressed in rags and a battered red baseball cap. Snowman, AKA Jimmy, lives among the mysterious blue humanoid ‘Crakers’, who move about the stage like organisms in a harmonious ecosystem. Snowman believes himself to be the last human alive. We encounter other survivors too; the rifle-wielding Toby, who battles the hideous pig-human hybrid monsters (pigoons); Ren, a former stripper; and the thuggish Painballers, a gang of violent criminals.  The most important part though is a nostalgic dream sequence, where we are introduced to Crake, Jimmy’s childhood best-friend-turned-creepy-Steve-Jobs-super-scientist, and the love of Jimmy’s life, Oryx, a mysterious but pure-hearted former sex worker hired as an assistant to Crake, played by a buoyant and beautiful Fumi Kaneko. When Kaneko is on stage, dressed in a silky blue dressing gown, all eyes are drawn to her. Her deft movements give off an ethereality that others simply cannot. Joseph Sissen’s Snowman/Jimmy is a fantastic counterpart. His effortless performance is packed with strength and heart, and t

We enter to a room set up like the backstage area of a fashion show. A row of light-up mirrors, and dressing tables littered with makeup, lines the wall. Strips of tape map the floor marking the standing spots for the models: Naomie, Kate, Cindy. ‘Models, be yourself!’ a hand drawn poster tells us before we enter the Lightroom’s main space, a massive box in that has projections on all four walls and the floor. It’s a fun touch, but this is all the physical stuff you get to see at Vogue: Inventing the Runway.  A collaboration between Vogue magazine itself and the Lightroom, the ‘exhibition’ is essentially a 50-minute documentary film, which covers a lot of ground, taking us on a whistlestop tour of fashion’s greatest hits. It’s not entirely clear whether the film is meant to be a history of the clothes, the designers, the runway, or of Vogue and fashion reporting. The non-chronological piece, split into chapters under themes like ‘The Audience’ and ‘Disruptors’, plays on a loop – it’s designed so you can walk in at any moment and the film will still make sense. Covering the first couture house in the 1850s (Charles Frederick Worth), going all the way up to Pharell Williams’s first Louis Vuitton collection in 2023, and Maison Margiela’s Spring Summer ‘24 glazed doughnut models, it makes a lot of ground. All of this is atmospherically narrated by Cate Blanchett’s soft drawl.   If you want to look at massive images beautiful clothing, alongside cinematic music, this is a fun exp

When Debenhams closed on British high streets in 2021, we never imagined that one of the department stores would be transformed into a massive skatepark.  But, the world works in mysterious ways, and it’s just been confirmed that a huge skating wonderland will open at the site of the former Bristol Debenhams this March. They’re calling it... Shredenhams. We see what they did there.  The skaters paradise will open its doors on Friday, March 21 from 3pm-11pm with a launch event that will see free skating passes given out all day, plus DJs, beers, cocktails and coffee.  After that, it will be open as a skatepark, cafe, and bar kitted out with retro arcade games, pool, and table tennis. Shredenhams, owned by Campus Skateboarding, will only be open to over-16s for now, but the owners promised a family day would be organised for youngsters soon.  Taking over the ground floor of the big Debenhams, Shredenhams will only be a temporary installation as planning permission was granted in 2024 for a major new development which will see the site turned into a 28-storey tower. Tim Noakes, company director at Campus Skateboards, said: ‘At Campus we've been setting up and running skateparks for almost 14 years and this is honestly the dream scenario; city centre, massive space, fully licensed it what we have always wanted. Having said that we are taking quite a risk with this one. Opening an indoor space in springtime with a short term lease that could end in 6 months is far from ideal. Th

For some people, buying a house in the right postcode is more important than the house itself – we’re talking about coveted, prestigious neighbourhoods, where your next-door neighbour might be a footballer, an actor or just a very rich banker. So where exactly are these highly sought after streets? And how much would it cost to buy a property on them? Using data from Rightmove, the Sunday Times has revealed the most expensive streets to buy property in Britain in 2025. To be included on the list, the street must have at least five properties advertised for sale right now. This discounts neighbourhoods that are inactive in the property market or may not have many residential properties.  These are the kind of postcodes that a Buying London agent would only dream of snapping up for their portfolios – we’re talking London’s Hampstead, Chesire’s Alderly Edge and Poole’s Sandbanks.  Predictably, the UK’s most expensive street is in London. In fact, sorted by price alone, 18 of the UK’s 20 most expensive streets were in the capital – you can read more about that here. But the Times also broke down the data by region, revealing the most spenny street in each part of the UK. Here’s what they are.  London Winnington Road, Hampstead/East Finchley, N2 Average house price: £11,906,522 East Midlands Burley Lane, Derby, DE22 Average house price: £1,264,990 East of England Loom Lane, Radlett, Hertfordshire, WD7 Average house price: £4,372,000 North West Macclesfield Road, Al

If you wanted to study music in the UK, London would be the place to do it. Not only has our city nurtured some hugely influential musical genres – grime, dubstep and britpop, to name a few – but it’s also home to some of the world’s best music schools.  In fact, three London universities are officially the best places in the world to study music in 2025, according to the new QS World University Ranking By Subject. British unis excelled across the board in this year’s edition of the rankings, with UK institutions coming out on top for arts and humanities and medicine. QS ranks scores on employability, research & discovery, and global engagement to give them an overall score out of 100.  For music, the Royal College of Music (RCM) was named the world’s best music university by QS. Founded in 1882, the conservatoire has trained some seriously important composers and musicians including Gustav Holst, Leopold Stokowski, Dame Joan Sutherland and Alfie Boe. QS called the RCM ‘one of the world’s great conservatoires, training gifted musicians from all over the world for international careers as performers, conductors and composers’. RCM scored 98.2 overall, and received 100 points for employer reputation.  In second place was the equally prestigious Royal Academy of Music (RAM), which was founded in 1822 and is Britain's oldest degree-granting music school. Scoring 97 overall, RAM received 97.1 for academic reputation and 96.4 for employability. Some of the RAM’s famous alumni inclu

Cycling in London can be quite a pain. Don’t you just love it when you’re going along in the cycle lane and it disappears in front of you? And don’t get us started on all the terrifying junctions.  But good news, because one kind graphic designer has created a new cycle map that shows all of London’s cycle paths connected to green spaces and waterways, which means you can avoid cycling through hair-raising junctions and main roads. And it’s totally free to download online. In 2020 Helen Ilus created the London Greenground Map, which showed all of the city’s parks. In 2024 she released its third edition, featuring all of London’s beaut walking and cycle routes, including endangered green spaces. And it’s just had a fresh update.  Ilus has released a new edition of the Greenground Map which connects London’s National Cycle Network, Cycleways and the extended cycle network to parks and waterways, and it’s the first map to do this.  ‘Since I released the original map five years ago, it has grown significantly, now featuring over a thousand green spaces,’ Ilus told Positive News. She added: ‘I hope this map encourages cyclists to green their commutes or explore new routes for leisure cycling. Cycling is growing increasingly popular everywhere, but I think many of the cycle paths are not particularly green or enjoyable to cycle. ‘Fortunately, London does have a network of routes that follow waterways, designated greenways or pass a number of parks. Lea Valley, River Ravensbourne an

Contrary to popular belief, Britain’s nightlife scene is thriving right now. Yes, we are losing nightclubs at alarming rates (an average of 10 are closing every month, per Night Time Industries Association data), but that doesn’t mean we’ve lost our creativity.  The UK’s dancefloors are changing, and instead of stalwart nightclubs being the go-to places, now the hottest parties travel around to different venues. From thriving queer scenes to the big trance revival and the explosion of genres like amapiano, gqom and dancehall, going out in the UK has never been more exciting or varied. So, with all this in mind, Time Out asked experts across the country to name the best club nights in the UK.  According to Time Out, Britain’s best night out is Ponyboy in Glasgow, a hair-salon-slash-club-night-slash-immersive-theatre-show dedicated to platforming trans and non-binary people in both its line-ups and policies. At a Ponyboy night, held at various Glasgow venues like EXIT and Stereo, expect fierce high fashion meets drag outfits, performance artists, DJs, and very big hair. Photograph: Spit.ting ‘We are concerned with bridging the gap between immersive theatre, fashion and art spaces with high underground art and providing our artists with the resources and support to contribute to increasingly ambitious productions,’ said Ponyboy co-founder Dill Dowdall. ‘Every event is a new opportunity to challenge ourselves artistically and contribute to a really special night.’ Coming in se

Bristol’s International Balloon Fiesta is pretty iconic. As Europe’s biggest hot air balloon festival, every year more than 100 colourful balloons fly over the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It's a spectacular sight, and not to be missed.  Over the past few years however the extravaganza has been struggling financially. Nevertheless, the organisers have decided to soldier on, and have just announced the return of the Balloon Fiesta for 2025. Hooray for hot air! Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s event.  Date of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta In 2025 the massive hot air balloon gala will take place from August 8-10. This year it will be spread over three days instead of the usual four.  Do you need tickets? The event is free to attend, just find a good viewing spot for the action. There will be a charge for car parking.  Events and programme Mass ascents take place twice a day at roughly 6am (sunrise) and 6pm (sunset), although they are weather permitting. This year will see the return of nightglows, evening hot air balloon events that will take place after dark on the Friday and Saturday nights of the festival. The exact time for the nightglows hasn’t been confirmed yet.    The tiny regional UK airport just named the best in Europe (again).  Birmingham is getting a vast new food market this summer.  Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.

For the past few years, the High Hill Taproom has been one of London’s best taprooms (according to us) and an important part of the Blackhorse Beer Mile – a cluster of independent breweries on Blackhorse Lane in Walthamstow.  Sadly, the days of the High Hill Taproom are coming to an end, as Hackney Brewery – which owns the space – announced it would be closing its taproom at the end of March.  In a statement, Hackney Brewery said: ‘The ongoing situation with our landlord, London Borough of Waltham Forest, has become untenable.’ It added that the council would not grant them a new licence to continue running the bar at the Walthamstow taproom, despite having paid rent consistently for the past two years.   View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hackney Brewery & High Hill Taproom (@highhilltap) ‘For the past two years, we have honoured our rent payments without fail,’ the statement said. ‘In June 2024, we entered into a voluntary agreement to settle post-COVID debt with our creditors over an extended period. However, this was not acceptable to the Council in respect to arrears due to them, and despite nine months of communication and attempts to resolve the situation, we have been unable to come to a satisfactory agreement. ‘As part of this arrangement, we were required to form a sister company to re-apply for our taproom license under its own name. While the licensing department approved our application, the Council’s property department

From phone thieves to rogue Lime bikers, Londoners face all sorts of perils every day.  One danger, and it’s actually quite a serious one, especially if you have accessibility needs, is the gap between the tube and the platform – in 2024 a total of 1,893 passenger train interface (PTI) incidents – AKA falling down the gap – were recorded, Metro reported. Out of those, 522 people were injured, and in the past five years six people have died after falling in, according to TfL figures. One Londoner, Sarah de Lagarde, lost her right arm and leg after she fell down and was run over by two trains at High Barnet in 2022. Meanwhile, Lord Blunkett, who is blind, called tube platforms a ‘death trap’ in 2024 after he was injured by falling when out without his guide dog.  So which tube stations pose the biggest risks? And where should Londoners pay extra attention to the gap? Here, we reveal which tube stations have the largest gaps.  Bank Bank station platforms are thought to have some of the largest gaps in the Underground network. The gap on the Central line platform eastbound at its west end is around 37cm, while the westbound platform throughout measures approximately 30cm. Piccadilly Circus The biggest gap at Piccadilly Circus station is a hair-raising 35cm. This is found at the north end of the Bakerloo line’s southbound platform. The gaps at the northbound platform’s north end and the southbound platform’s south end measure around 32cm. Waterloo Waterloo station’s biggest gap is

There’s all sorts of talk about how London’s nightlife isn’t what it used to be. With pubs frequently threatened by complaining neighbours, and nightclubs closing at alarming rates, it feels like soon London’s late night offering could become a shell of its former self. But what are councils actually doing about it?  Westminster Council has just revealed a strategy that will breath new life into the city in the later hours. Called Westminster After Dark, the scheme – which is currently open for public consultation – hopes to improve the West End’s environment between 6pm and 6am, making it safer, while creating more opportunities for late-night entertainment.  One strand of the strategy is to create ‘Late-Night Entertainment Zones’ in areas like Oxford Street, The Strand, and Victoria Street, where there will be live music, theatre and creative venues, while hopefully diverting noise away from residential areas. The council also plans to prioritise supporting ‘culturally significant LGBTQ+ spaces’. Westminster also hopes to create more family-friendly late-night entertainment venues that aren’t oriented around alcohol. This could look like extended retail hours, night-time museum openings, creative workspaces, and community-led events.  If you’re concerned about the racket, part of the plan involves encouraging venues to host sensory-friendly and inclusive entertainment, including specialised events with reduced noise levels, dimmed lighting, and designated calm zones. In ter

It’s been well over two years (coming up to three) since London’s rail workers first started striking over issues like pay, working conditions and job security. And while in recent months industrial action in the capital has mellowed (ASLEF voted to approve a pay deal and then called off strikes on November), the strikes aren’t completely over.  Over the Christmas and New Year period several smaller-scale strikes took place across London’s transport network, since then more industrial action has been taking place for on Avanti West Coast services. This week the RMT reached an agreement with Avanti West Coast, ending theses strikes.  Earlier this month it was announced that nearly 500 drivers on the Elizabeth would be walking out over a pay dispute across four weeks, but those strikes were called off, too.  RECOMMENDED: All you need to know about the train strikes across the UK.Find out how to get to London’s airports during strikes here. When are the next London train strikes? The next strikes that could potentially impact London come from Hull Trains, which runs trains to and from London King’s Cross.  The Hull Trains strikes began on March 7 and will finish on April 26, taking place every Friday and Saturday.   How long will the London train strikes last? The Hull Trains strikes are set to last nearly two months.  When will the Elizabeth line be on strike?    No Elizabeth line strikes are currently planned.  Why are UK train workers striking?  Hull Trains workers are prot

Over the next few years, Canada Water is set to undergo a huge transformation. A £4 billion project will create London’s first new town centre in 50 years and provide 3,000 new homes. Dubbed the Canada Water Masterplan, the scheme by British Land was approved by Southwark Council way back in 2020, and will see 40 new buildings and three clusters of high-rise towers built in the area, alongside new shopping streets, offices and green spaces. Plus, 11 buildings will increase in height by by between one and 13 storeys, while the use of many of the buildings will change.  The first phase of the masterplan is set to be completed this year, which includes a spectacular boardwalk (called Rafter Walk, which opened last year), a massive dockside entertainment called Corner Corner (set to open in spring) and council homes – some of which are already built and occupied, and more will be delivered this summer. In April a new leisure centre will open with two pools, a gym, three fitness studios and a sports hall.  Image: Allies and Morrison Eventually the masterplan will boast 3,000 new homes, green public spaces, up to a million square feet of retail and cultural space and up to two million square feet of work and lab spaces. The project is also investing £33 million in local transport, £13 million of which is going TfL for upgrades at Surrey Quays station. Image: Allies and Morrison The next phases, however, are where things get a little more complicated. Since being approved in 202

It’s turning out to be a big few weeks for stargazing in the UK. The other week we saw the astonishing planetary parade, while March will bring a new wave of heightened aurora activity (with a huge northern lights show last week). Next up is a rare lunar eclipse, which will be visible in our night skies tonight (March 13-14).  And that lunar eclipse is fast approaching. The eclipse, which will create a stunning bright red blood moon, is set to take place in the very early hours of tomorrow morning (March 14). The last lunar eclipse was in 2022, so this is a pretty unusual opportunity. Want to spot the phenomenon? Here’s everything you need to know and the lunar eclipse in the UK. When is the lunar eclipse? The eclipse will take place tonight – technically in the very early hours of Friday, March 14. This is when the Moon will travel through the Earth’s shadow, resulting in a total lunar eclipse for many around the world. Much like the solar eclipse last year, however, the UK is only getting a partial lunar eclipse – more on where is getting a full eclipse below.  The exact time to see the lunar eclipse in the UK Whether you plan on staying up (not advised) or waking up early (in our opinion, the more sensible option), you’ll need to set your alarms. A partial lunar eclipse is expected to be visible from the UK on March 14 at 3.57am, with the maximum of the eclipse at 6.19am. Weather for the lunar eclipse To see the eclipse you’ll want as clear skies as possible tomorrow morni