India Lawrence

‘Party songs’ are a broad genre, and throughout the eras, they’ve come in all shapes, sizes and vibes. However, for a song to be a proper, hip-shaking party song, there are some rules: it’s gotta be a banger, and it’s gotta give you absolutely no choice but to get up and boogie.  No wonder then that this list includes everything from funk, soul and disco classics to ‘90s RnB tunes and 2025 chart-toppers. There’s a tonne of variety on here, but pass the aux cable over to us and we’ll have your party shaking in no time. Ready to throw some shapes? You’re in the right place – these are the best party songs of all time.  RECOMMENDED:🎤The best karaoke songs🍻The best drinking songs🎶The best ’80s songs🎊The best pop songs This guide was recently updated by Georgia Evans, who covers Time Out’s music section. Entries are by Time Out Editors. For more about how we curate, have a look at our editorial guidelines.

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

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 Below Stone Nest in Chinatown, Rasputin’s by London Fields, Bar Lina, an Italian aperitivo spot underneath the famous Soho deli, Jumbi hifi bar in Peckham, Oranj's vertitable wine warehouse in Shoreditch, and Helgi’s, a suggestively Satanic rock bar in Hackney. Now go forth and booze. 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.

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

We all want to be absolutely glowing and super fresh-faced. Alas, living in London can really get in the way of having dewy, delicious skin. That’s thanks to the combined efforts of pollution and air-conditioned offices, as well as the added bonuses of harsh weather, booze, sun exposure, dehydration and – our least favourite – the inevitable passing of time. Just thinking about what we put our skin through is enough to give you frown lines. Happily, there are loads of great spas, treatment rooms and estheticians in London who can give your face a break and a much-needed zhuzh. Whether you’re after a relaxing, soothing facial massage, some instant radiance, a total skincare overhaul or something a little more intense such as microneedling or laser treatment, read our pick of facials in London.  RECOMMENDED: The best spas in London. 

London’s swiftly expanding Mexican food scene is better than it’s ever been. You’ll get incredible tacos if you want them, but there are also quality quesadillas, terrific tostadas and exemplary enchiladas on offer from a new wave of authenic restaurants and Michelin star rated spots. Read more about the enviable current state of Mexican food in London, and then check out London’s very best Mexican restaurants for incredible antojito street food, classic sopes, flawless flautas, and magnificent moles. RECOMMENDED: London's best street food. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

February is big month for dance in London, because the new Sadler’s Wells East will officially open. I’m so excited to get down to Stratford to see the new space which now means that London will now have tonnes more innovative and expermintal dance shows on every month.  This Feb you should be excitied about Humanhood’s ‘dance theatre meditation’ at Sadler’s East, as well as Phaedra + Minotaur, a collaboration between the Royal Ballet and Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House, and the inaugural Rose International Dance Prize, which is dance’s answer to the Turner Prize.  Here are the best dance shows in London this February.  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

This is about the time when the January blues start to hit pretty hard. It’s dark at 4pm, you’ve got no money left after Christmas and winter feels like it’s dragging on forever. But we’re here to tell you that things are looking up, because 2025 is going to be a corker of a year for the UK.  It turns out that 2025 is going to be a bit of a big one, with a number of landmark occasions being celebrated across Britain. There’s Jane Austen’s 250th birthday in Southampton, as well as the art-packed Folkestone Triennial, a celebration of 200 years of the British railway in York and Bradford’s 2025 City of Culture festivities. Then, there are up-and-coming foodie towns in Cornwall, music scenes that are popping off in Cardiff and Belfast, and the reopening of grand cultural insitutions like the Tate Liverpool.  If there’s ever been a good time to book a trip, it’s now (it might even help keep some SAD at bay). There is so much fantastic stuff happening across the country this year, so read our list curated by local experts of the best places to visit in the UK in 2025, and get stuck in.  RECOMMENDED: 🇬🇧 The 25 best new things to do in the UK in 2025📍The 12 most underrated city breaks in the UK 🏨 The UK’s 13 best new hotels opening in 2025👨‍👩‍👧 6 amazing places to stay with Kids in the UK

Twice a year, fashion Christmas comes to London, bringing with it whole closets full of covetable new looks you’ll dream of wearing. After a successful 40th anniversary celebration last year, London Fashion Week returns in February for another deep-dive into the trends and styles that will be dominating runways, shops and streets in the months to come. Dig out your chicest ‘fit and strut your way to 180 The Strand to join the flocks of fashionistas ogling for a look at the latest looks for Autumn/Winter 2025 (AW25). Don’t know where to begin? Here’s all the information you need.  When is London Fashion Week 2025?  LFW takes place twice a year: in February and September. The next fashion week will be from Thursday February 20 to Monday February 24.  Where is London Fashion Week held?  London Fashion Week usually takes place at the British Fashion Council’s own show space at 180 The Strand. The closest tubes are Holborn and Temple. Several events will also be held at external locations across the city. How do I get tickets to London Fashion Week 2025?  Unfortunately, most of the LFW shows are invite-only, so you can’t buy tickets.  What designers should I be watching out for?  As well as the big names that even the fashion averse know like JW Anderson, Burberry and Manolo Blahnik, LFW also plays host to tons of newer designers. This time around, get to know Sinead O’Dwyer, whose brand is making luxury ready-to-wear accessible for all bodies, using satin, sillicone and more. Che

Amsterdam is one of the world’s best cities, no doubt about it. Every wander down a cobbled street will take you somewhere excited, whether you're a foodie, curious about the Red Light District, or in the mood to party for 24 hours straight. And as a tourism capital, it’s no surpise that it’s overrun with exceptional places to stay, from 18th-century canalside mansions to converted bridge keepers’ houses and seriously high-grade establishments.  So if you’re looking for a tip-top place to bed down after a day of exploring the city’s best museums, attractions and coffee shops, you’ve come to the right place. From the city centre through to De Negen Straatjes, here are the best hotels in Amsterdam right now. Updated January 2025: We re-reviewed Amsterdam’s five-star Conservatorium Hotel to see if it’s up-to-scratch (spoiler: it is). See where we ranked it below! RECOMMENDED:🏠 The best Airbnbs in Amsterdam🌳 Where to stay in Amsterdam 📍 The best things to do in Amsterdam🍴 The best restaurants in Amsterdam🎀 The best boutique hotels in Amsterdam Ella Doyle and Grace Beard are Time Out’s travel editors. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by experts. 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. 

Peckham locals have always been proud of the area’s brand: a melting pot of cultural vibrancy, eccentric individuals, and an artsy, young DIY crowd thanks to nearby Goldsmiths University and Camberwell College of Arts. It rivals Dalston and all those other East End upstarts as the place to hang out, and it’s the perfect spot for new restaurants to find their feet. Here are some of the best in the area, as well as a host of notable places to eat just down the road in Camberwell, too.  RECOMMENDED: The best 50 restaurants in London. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and luckily for London, the city caters to every possible whim. These days, London isn’t just home to the fry-up, but the ubiquitous smashed avocado on toast, bowls of shakshuka and many more besides. In fact, London genuinely might be the best place to eat breakfast in the world. Whether you’re the kind of person who favours a posh restaurant over a greasy spoon, or who champions a caff over a swanky hotel, we’ve rounded up the ultimate list. From morning mezze to croissants, udon noodle bowls and south Indian platters – it’s all here. RECOMMENDED: Breakfast’s a little too early for you? Try one of London’s best brunches instead. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our London restaurants WhatsApp channel. Follow us now to tuck in.

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

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. 

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

If you don’t like tuna, this one’s not for you. But if you do, listen up. Los Mochis City has pinched Juno head chef Leonard Tanyag to come up with an omakase experience centred complelety around a massive Bluefin (which he chops up in front of you). The 10-course menu takes you on a tuna odyssey of sushi big hitters including sashimi, nigiri and maki, all with a nod to Mexico. Stand outs include the sticky rice and the tostadito. Admittedly, the vibe of Los Mochis City is a bit City Boy, but if you can look past all the gilets and briefcases, there’s much to be enjoyed. At £195 per person (plus an extra £110 for wine or sake pairings), this is one for a very special occasion. If you don’t fany the tuna ceremony, Los Mochis has a huge à la carte menu of sushi, tacos, crudos and more, plus multiple tasting menus including a vegan option. 

The Olivier Award–winning dance company for dancers of Black and Asian descent will bring it’s double-bill to the Royal Opera House this November, following its May run at the Barbican. Acclaimed choreographer Mthuthuzeli November explores the purpose of life in The Waiting Game, while If At First, by Sophie Laplane, the Choreographer in Residence at Scottish Ballet, contemplates the complexity of humanity, heroism and self-acceptance.  

Krumping, freestyle hip-hop and contemporary will merge in the UK premiere of ‘4/4’ by acclaimed aussie dance company Chunky Move. Going since the mid 1990s, Chunky Move is known for innovative, genre blending and intensely physical choreographies. Prepare to work up a sweat just watching these dancers. 

London isn’t short on luxury things. We’ve got Mayfair’s glitzy art galleries, designer shops and restaurants, then down the road there are the megamansions of Knightsbridge. And we can’t forget about the tower blocks of luxury flats that seem to be appearing in the city every other day.  Now, Forbes Travel Guide has crowned the best luxury hotels in the world. And it’s no surprise that two of them are in the Big Smoke.  Every year, Forbes sends out a crack team of  ‘incognito investigators’ to assess hotels on their quality of service (which amounts to 70 percent of the score) as well as the quality of the facilities (the other 30 percent). It then compiles a list of the best establishments around the world.  In the 20-strong global list, the London hotels that made the cut were... drumroll please. The Cadogan and Raffles London at The OWO.  Raffles at The OWO is no stranger to accolades. The uber posh hotel, which opened in 2023 in the former Old War Office building, was named one of the world’s greatest places to stay by TIME magazine in 2024, and was named one of the world’s best hotels last year by National Geographic.  The Belmond-owned Cadogan is quite a bit older. It opened on Sloane Street in 1887 and is known for its propa Bri’ish service, which includes butlers, afternoon teas and garden picnics.  See the full global list of the world’s best luxury hotels here.  Our ranking of the 100 best hotels in London.  All the London restaurants that won (and lost) Michelin s

‘Dating in London is more cut-throat compared to other places,’ says Matt Marshall, 21, who moved to the capital from Brighton eight months ago.  ‘My first date in London was with this guy who didn’t look like his photo.’ Matt considered coming up with a reason to leave early, but it seemed his date had a similar idea. ‘I went to the toilet and when I came back he was gone.’ Matt isn’t the only person with horror stories about looking for love in London. His tale is the kind of experience that many Londoners will be all too familiar with. Situationships, ghosting, creepy love-wanted posters, AI-generated catfish and emotional unavailability are just some of the things singles are all too used to experiencing in 2025.  In fact, according to census data, more people than ever are single in the Big Smoke. It’s not necessarily unique to London: according to analysis by the Financial Times, we are currently facing a ‘relationship recession’ around the world, leading to rising numbers of singles and falling birth rates globally. In the UK, marriage rates are declining. Recently, research by the thinktank Civitas found that the number of marriages in the UK almost halved over the past 35 years – the company even predicted that marriage could be extinct by 2062. That said, finding a suitable partner in the capital feels especially testing right now. Less than 37 percent of people were married across all central London boroughs in 2021, according to the census. Lambeth was the borough

Former indie-kids are going to be going crazy in London this weekend, because Snow Patrol are officially playing the O2 arena. To coincide with the release of their latest album, The Forest Is The Path, the ‘Chasing Cars’ singers are putting on a headline show in the capital for the first time in over a decade.  The noughties indie rockers from Northern Ireland, known for hits ‘Run’, ‘Open Your Eyes’ and ‘Just Say Yes’, last played in London in 2012, so this comeback is a pretty big deal. They’re playing the Big Smoke as part of a mega UK, Ireland and USA tour. Are you heading to the show? This is all the information you need, including the setlist.  When are Snow Patrol playing at London’s O2?  Snow Patrol’s headline London show takes place on Saturday, February 15.   What are the timings?  Doors to the O2 will open at 6.30pm. It’s expected the band will hit the stage between 8-9pm. The O2’s Saturday curfew is 11pm.   What’s the setlist?   The setlist is likely to look like this.  Take Back the City Chocolate Called Out in the Dark All Crack the Shutters Set the Fire to the Third Bar Run The Beginning The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?) Talking About Hope Open Your Eyes Make This Go On Forever Shut Your Eyes Heal Me Chasing Cars You're All I Have But I'll Keep Trying Just Say Yes Who is supporting?  Snow Patrol will be supported by Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt.  Can I still get tickets for Snow Patrol at London’s O2?  Yes! Tickets are still available

Some people are organised. They like to meticulously plan things weeks, maybe months, in advance. Their Valentine’s Day plans are going to be executed with military precision. Others like to be a bit more spontaneous, and take the days as they come. For that happy-go-lucky bunch who haven’t made any V-Day plans yet, no worries. We’ve come up with a few things you can do in London last minute this Valentine’s Day. Just don’t take your date to Morley’s, OK?  RECOMMENDED:💐Best florists in London🌹Same-day flower deliveries in London  Catch the Shaggers stand-up Valentine’s Day Special Following a whole host of sell-out performances of this cult show, from not just all over the UK but all over the world, Shaggers is returning to its beloved Leicester Square theatre venue for a special this V-day. More info here.  Go to a Valentine’s break-up party If you’ve just gone through a break-up or you’re just still not over your ex, Valentine’s Day can feel a little like rubbing salt in the wound. Trust London to have some refuge for you, namely this Valentine’s break-up party at Oslo Hackney. Gather your besties, dance the night away, and have a good cry. More info here.  Watch a romantic film at the BFI The BFI is delivering a stellar programme of romantic flicks for Valentine’s Day. On the bill are Thatcherite Britain romance My Beautiful Laundrette, sporty rom-com Love and Basketball, Aussie mystery drama Picnic at Hanging Rock, Céline Sciamma’s period romance Portrait of a Lady on

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, and more industrial action is taking place for several months on Avanti West Coast services. These have already begun, and they’ll last until the end of May (at least).  Now, it’s been announced that nearly 500 drivers on the Elizabeth will be walking out over a pay dispute across four weeks. Here’s everything we currently know, from dates to which services and lines will be affected.  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 latest strikes to be announced are the Elizabeth line drivers strike. Drivers who are members of Aslef will walk out for four days in February and March.  The Avanti West Coast strikes took place on New Year’s Eve and January 2, and will follow every Sunday between January 12 and May 25. Find out more here.   How long will the London train strikes last? The Avanti West Coast strikes will last five months – four more to go! The planned Elizabeth line strikes will l

It’s official, the huge Heathrow expansion is a-go. The airport has confirmed a multi-billion pound investment plan to expand two of its terminals ahead of applying for the government’s permission to build a third runway this summer. Heathrow’s chief executive Thomas Woldbye said he wants planes to take off from a new third runway in as soon as 10 years’ time. Both terminals two and five, meanwhile, will get significantly expanded.  The west London hub already one of the world’s busiest airports, but Heathrow has lofty plans to become even bigger. Revealing the privately-funded expansion plans, Woldbye said the airport’s makeover would include upgrading the terminal buildings  to ‘enhance passenger experience and improve resilience and sustainability’. ‘This privately funded programme will upgrade existing infrastructure while laying the groundwork for a third runway, boosting UK investment and economic growth, with tangible benefits felt this year,’ he said. Last month Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she would back a third Heathrow runway as it would help drive economic growth in the UK, but this sparked climate concerns as many said this move would be at odds with the government’s target to be net zero by 2050. The third runway is already controversial, with London Mayor Sadiq Khan previously saying he would ‘use any tool in the toolkit’ to block the aviation hub’s expansion.  Heathrow is one of three London airports set to undergo massive makeovers in the next few years, wi

UK Beyhive, this is not a drill. Fresh off her Grammy win, Queen Bey is coming to the UK this summer. Yep, the rumours were true, and Beyoncé will be bringing the Cowboy Carter world tour to London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a whopping six nights in June. And ticket sales are already underway, with several presales haven taken place this week.  Last week Beyoncé picked up the Grammy for ‘album of the year’. She decided to celebrate by announcing a globe-spanning Cowboy Carter tour on Monday February 3. Lasting from April to July 2025, the tour will see her play some of the planet’s biggest arenas across Europe and the USA. At first Bey announced just four nights at the north London arena, but after unprecedented demand the superstar added two more nights. Find all the information about the tour and which dates she’s playing in London here. Now, the prices of Cowboy Carter tickets have been revealed. Hold on to your rhinestone cowboy hats, here’s how much a Beyoncé ticket is going to set you back in 2025.  How much will Beyoncé tickets cost? Tickets will range massively in price, from just over £70 (£71.60) way up to £950 for seating, and exact pricing is now confirmed. Here’s the breakdown:  Seating: £71.60 to £950 General Admission South, East and West Standing: £224.85 Real Live Boogie: £357.10 Club Ho Down: £486.10 Buckin’ Honey Pit and Sweet Honey Pit: £858.10 You can compare that with the pricing for Beyoncé’s Paris shows below.  Category 1: €167.70 (£140) Catego

Music heads, sonic frequency fanatics and club rats, listen up. The Barbican has just announced a brand new exhibition that will see one of its underground car parks turned into a temporary club.  This rave space is going to be part of Feel The Sound, a brand new multi-sensory exhibition that will explore the relationships between sound, movement and the human body.  Through a series of immersive installations throughout the brutalist building – with locations including the Curve gallery (this will be a Boiler Room installation), the Silk Street entrance, the lakeside terrace and underground car parks – the Barbican wants visitors to experience sound and music in unconventional, visceral ways.  Perhaps most exciting of all is that for the first time installations will be set up in Car Park 5, beneath the building. Now stay with us here, because this isn’t just going to be a straight up rave, but a series of high-concept sonic experiences. Firstly, the uber cool Dublin-based dancefloor design team (they call themselves rave architects) Temporary Pleasure will be putting up one of their post-modern club installations in the car park. The installation will use modified car sound systems to make music and sounds.  Also taking over Car Park 5 is Domestic Data Streamers, an arts, technology and research studio. This installation will see monoliths around the car park using generative AI and music boxes to ‘create future music memories that haven’t yet happened’. Sounds like some pr

Have you noticed that TfL doesn’t charge you for contactless payments straight away, but instead takes the money from your bank account at 4am each night? Ever wondered why? In fact, TfL charges everyone after 4am each day so that the whole day can be applied as a single transaction. This is so daily caps can be applied. Usually, travellers using pay-as-you-go contactless will be charged 10p at the time of tapping in as a first-use fee, their bank then provides your account with credit for travel for the whole day. It’s not until the end of the day (after 4am) that all the trips will be totted up to a total, and then your account will be charged.  According to the TfL website, ‘A daily cap is calculated over 24 hours for pay as you go journeys that start at 4.30am and end on 4.29am the next day’.  How much is the TfL daily cap? The price of a daily cap depends on where you are travelling to and from. The daily cap for adults travelling in Zone 1 and Zone 2 is £8.50 (although this will rise to £8.90 in March 2025). For Zones 1-3 it’s £10, rising to £10.50 in March. Zone 1-4’s daily cap is £12.30, rising to £12.80 from March.  You can compare different caps and fares on the TfL website. And want to know more about the TfL fare increases in March 2025? Here’s why and by how much.  TfL has added refunds and Oyster top-ups to the TfL Go app.  Council tax is going up in 33 London boroughs – here’s by how much in each borough.  Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from

Did you know that Notting Hill isn’t London’s only carnival? In fact, east London has been hosting its own Afro-Caribbean parade since the 1970s. But the future of the Hackney Carnival is in jeopardy, as funding for the biennial event has been slashed for the ‘foreseeable future’, Hackney Citizen has reported.  Hackney Carnival was last put on in 2024, but prior to that the event wasn’t hosted for five years thanks to Covid, the death of the Queen in 2022 and budget cuts in 2023: in 2023 Hackney Council decided the carnival would be hosted once every two years, instead of annually, to save money.  Now, there’s a chance there might never be another Hackney Carnival, as Hackney Council has decided to withdraw funding for the parade amid budget cuts. The council announced that £500,000 previously earmarked to go towards the carnival would be axed.  In a Town Hall meeting on February 10, Hackney’s culture chief, councillor Chris Kennedy said the borough needed to ‘ensure frontline services and the needs of Hackney’s most vulnerable residents are put first’.  He said: ‘We know how much carnival means to so many people in Hackney. However, as a fully council-funded event, we sadly cannot commit the significant investment that it requires in our budget for future years at a time when vital services are severely stretched.’ However, Kennedy said the council would aim to ‘help all our carnival groups as far as possible to have a carnival of some fashion in the future’. Groups involved

Are you afraid of snakes? We have some bad news, because scientists have warned Brits about a new snake species living in the UK, and it’s invading our homes.  Researchers at Bournemouth University have discovered that 6.5-foot-long aesculapian snakes, which are native to warmer parts of Europe, have arrived in Britain and are surviving by living in attics, walls of houses and compost heaps.  ‘The use of buildings for shelter and vegetation piles for egg laying appear to be important to their success in a temperate climate,’ the researcher’s wrote. ‘We observed aesculapian snakes actively seeking and returning to use inhabited buildings and… climbing large structures to access the attics and wall cavities of houses.’  The non-venomous snakes are excellent climbers and feed on small animals such as rats, killing them by constricting, as boas do. It might be startling to find one in your home, but they pose no threat to humans.  The first of these snakes ‘accidentally’ arrived in Colwyn Bay in north Wales and London’s Regent’s Canal after escaping from the Welsh Mountain Zoo, and they are breeding.  As Europe’s largest snake, aesculapians can grow to as big as two metres long. In theory they shouldn’t be able to survive in Britain, but they have adapted thanks to discovering how to get into people’s houses. Fossils show they were present in Britain around 300,000 years ago, but they never recolonised it after being wiped out during a glacial period. If you discover an aescula

Huge news, because the Natural History Museum (NHM) has just announced its first new permanent gallery since 2016. Punters will be able to visit the Fixing Our Broken Planet (no prizes for guessing the theme of the collection) gallery for free from April 3 2025.  A Sumatran rhinoceros, parasitic worms and whale’s earwax are just some of the items that will be on display in the collection, which will explore the biggest challenges facing our planet, and some of the solutions to overcome them. More than 250 specimens will be on show, and the gallery will highlight cutting-edge research into fungi, bacteria, mosquitos and more.  ‘Fixing Our Broken Planet: Generation Hope’, the Museum’s free youth climate programme, will also make a comeback from April 20 to May 3, with a series of free workshops, panels and talks created in collaboration with young climate leaders from across the world, Museum Director, Dr Doug Gurr, said: ‘Our scientists have been working to find solutions for and from nature. Fixing Our Broken Planet places this research at the heart of the Museum, allowing us to offer visitors positive ways in which they can act for the planet. ‘By combining the inspiring science and advocacy found in the gallery with the voices of Generation Hope changemakers, we’re showing that we all have the power to make change’ Arts Minister, Sir Chris Bryant, said: ‘To create effective lasting change for the planet we must inspire all generations. This new free permanent gallery, part