Rosie Hewitson

Has the arrival of the warm weather got you looking forward to a sport-filled summer? Great news, because the Wimbledon Tennis Championships – aka the oldest, and arguably the very best, tennis tournament in the world – is back in SW19 in a matter of weeks.  Missed out on tickets in the ballot this year? Can’t face camping out on the street for a chance to nab day tickets? Not to worry! You don’t have to make the pilgrimage to Murray Mound (fine, Henman Hill) to feel like you’re part of the action. London is a city that gives back, and as usual it’ll be peppered with big screens showing all the Centre Court action in so much blown-up high-res glory that you might as well be court-side.  This year the tournament (which started in 1877!) runs from Monday June 30, 2025 to Sunday July 13, 2025 and you’ll catch screens across the capital showing televised matches for the duration of the contest, so there are plenty of opportunities to spend an afternoon or evening in a sweet viewing spot.  There will be more big screens announced nearer the time, many of which will also have extras such as special edition cocktails, food offers and even pop-up tennis coaching. So grab yourself some M&S gins in tins – and a nice big punnet of strawberries while you’re at it – and pull up a pew at a summery screening near you.  RECOMMENDED: Our full guide to Wimbledon 2025.

If there’s one symbol of the rivalry between academic titans Oxford and Cambridge, it’s the Boat Race – the annual oars-off between the two unis. Typically, over 300,000 people line the banks of the Thames to get a glimpse of the action. If you’re like the majority of them, then as well as the sporting spectacle, you’re also there for the excuse to knock back a few pints (or more). Whether you’re a diehard supporter or a fair-weather fan, here’s our guide to everything you need to know about the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race 2025. What is the Boat Race? Every year, rowing teams from Oxford and Cambridge duke it out on the waters of the Thames to be crowned Boat Race victors. It’s a tradition that stems all the way back to 1829, when two pals – Cambridge student Charles Merivale and his Oxford counterpart Charles Wordsworth – organised the first-ever race down at Henley-on-Thames. Nearly 30 years later, it became an annual event, only pausing during wartime and, more recently, for the Covid-19 pandemic. A women’s race was added in 1927 and, since 2015, has been contested on the same day and at the same location as the men’s race. When is the Boat Race 2025? Traditionally, the Boat Race takes place on a Sunday in April and this year is no different. The Boat Race 2025 will take place on Sunday April 13. What time does the race start? The competition kicks off at 1:21pm with the 79th Women’s Boat Race, followed by the 170th Men’s Boat Race at 2:21pm. There’ll be other races in

Spring is most definitely here and another sun-soaked weekend is on the cards for London. According to our weather app, temperatures are set to climb to nearly 20C on Saturday and Sunday, so make sure to take advantage of the long bright days by exploring London’s parks and gardens, which are suddenly coming into bloom, looking at all the beautiful spring blossom popping up across the capital and spending some time in London’s brilliant beer gardens.  London’s cultural scene also has a spring in its step. This weekend, head to the Tate Britain to see a huge body of work by Ed Atkins, one of the UK’s most influential contemporary artists.  Explore how style and design have shaped the way we swim at The Design Museum’s latest blockbuster exhibition Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style, and visit Now Play This at Somerset House to play some of the newest and most cutting-edge board and video games out right now.  There’s also a slew of brilliant annual events to join. Pick a place on the riverside and cheer on the teams competing in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, sip on sweet suds at BrewLDN – one of the best craft beer festivals in the country, and collect new fern babies for your garden at The Garden Museum’s spring plant fair. What are you waiting for? Get out there.Looking for some budget-friendly fun? Here are 5 of the best free things to do in London this weekend.  Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight t

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, disco, afrobeats, heavy rock ‘n’ roll. Whatever your taste may be, my god does London have a day festival for you. After a flurry of acts announcements in February and March, the line-ups for summer’s festivals have pretty much taken shape by early spring, which means it’s time to make some decisions about which festivals are worth your time and money. Have a scroll through our comprehensive guide – which we keep meticulously updated with all the latest line-up announcements – see what takes your fancy, 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 the portaloos are installed and the stages are constructed. Grab your tickets right now if you know what’s good for ya! RECOMMENDED: ⛺ The best UK music festivals🌍 The best festivals in Europe

Easter is an underrated holiday. It doesn’t get anywhere near as much hype as Christmas, but is almost as good. Sure, you might not get sacks full of presents, but you still get an excuse to stuff your face with chocolate, tuck into a big roast dinner, and a whole four-day weekend to spend however you like. This year, this glorious double bank holiday lands with Good Friday on April 18 and Easter Monday on April 21. The only thing standing between you and a glorious four days of fun is figuring out how to fill all your extra time off. Don’t worry – as always, Time Out has your back. There’s tons to do in the capital over Easter weekend, from checking out spring flowers and other kid-friendly activities to making the most of the spring sun (hopefully) at one of London’s top rooftop bars and parks. You could also spend your time checking out a free art exhibition or, of course, treating yourself to a proper pub roast on Easter Sunday. Make the most of your extra-long weekend with our top things to do in London this Easter. RECOMMENDED: Check out our eggcellent guide to Easter in London.

We all know that it costs an arm and a leg to enjoy a day out in London these days. Step out the front door and you’re probably already down a mysterious tenner. And once you’ve factored in transport, food, drinks and tickets for whatever takes your fancy, you’re looking at some serious damage to your poor old bank balance. But not all is lost: you’re in a cultural capital, for goodness’ sake. Let’s not forget that we can enjoy some world-class art in world-class galleries, right here on our doorstep, free of charge. Pretty much every major museum in London is free to enter, as well as every gallery – and while the temporary exhibitions will usually take a fee, you can still see some of the greats (we’re talking your Monets, Michelangelos and Emins) at places like the Tate Modern and National Gallery without splurging a penny of your hard-earned cash.  Below, you’ll find all of the free art and photography exhibitions happening in London right now, but that’s not everything: don’t miss out on the permanent collections of some fantastic free museums and galleries right here. Enjoy. RECOMMENDED:All of the free galleries and museums in LondonExplore our full guide to free LondonThe best art exhibitions in London

Is that blue sky and actual sun we can see? We’ve been treated to glorious weather in London lately and it looks set to continue this week with temperatures set to climb to nearly 20C over the weekend. It certainly seems this big dose of Vitamin D has unleashed a sunny sense of optimism across the city and it feels like spring is ours for the taking. Use the long bright days to take advantage of London’s parks and gardens, which are suddenly coming into bloom, look at all the beautiful spring blossom popping up across the capital and spend some time in London’s brilliant beer gardens.  London’s cultural scene also has a spring in its step. This week, head to the Tate Britain to see a huge body of work by Ed Atkins, one of the UK’s most influential contemporary artists.  Explore how style and design have shaped the way we swim at The Design Museum’s latest blockbuster exhibition Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style, and visit Now Play This at Somerset House to play some of the newest and most cutting-edge board and video games out right now.  On top of this, there’s also a slew of brilliant annual events to join. Go crate-digging for Record Store Day, pick a place on the riverside and cheer on the teams competing in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, sip on sweet suds at BrewLDN – one of the best craft beer festivals in the country – and collect new fern babies for your garden at The Garden Museum’s spring plant fair. What are you waiting for? Get out there.Start planning:

April 2024: Spring has finally sprung in the city and Londoners are daring to venture outdoors once more. And if you ask us, spring is the perfect time of year to take in some of the city’s most famous attractions. As well as avoiding the crowds during peak tourism season, spring sees the arrival of a wealth of temporary exhibitions at some of the city’s most iconic landmarks.  Heading to the Tate Modern? Its Leigh Bowery show is a real hit. Keen to visit one of the Palaces? Be sure to check out the new temporary exhibitions on Edwardian fashion and royal court dress at Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace respectively. And if you want to see even more bling, there’s ‘Cartier’ at the V&A too. With the Easter double bank holiday coming up, you could squeeze them all in and some, you absolute culture vulture. The London Eye. Hyde Park. Wembley. The Shard. London landmarks are iconic for a reason!  Even if you’ve lived here for years and pride yourself on steadfastly avoiding ‘tourist traps’, you really ought to check these places out at least once. Marvelling at the capital’s museums, galleries, monuments and parks is a London rite of passage, whether you’re a day-tripper visiting for the first time, or a lifelong local who knows the entire Tube map by heart.  But where to begin? Right here of course, with our massive list of the capital’s 50 best attractions. We’ve thought long and hard about what is worthy of your London bucket list, so you can expect to find a real mixtur

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 17 to Monday April 21 2025, 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

March has cherry blossom, April has bluebells and May has wisteria. But come late summer, you might suddenly smell a sweet, herbal aroma in the air. It can only be lavender season.   The fragrant purple flowers typically arrive between June and September, peaking in August, and there are plenty of opportunities to lay your eyes – and nose – on the stuff around the city. Kennington Park, Kew Gardens and Vauxhall Park are top London destinations for lavender, or there are whole farms dedicated to the mauve blooms just outside the capital, in Kent, Surrey and Hertfordshire. Immerse yourself in a purple haze this summer by visiting one of London’s fragrant lavender gardens, or head out of town on a day trip to find sweeping fields of the stuff. Got the bug for a wholesome, sweet-smelling day out? Pay a visit to some of the blooming, beautiful lavender farms further afield across the UK.  RECOMMENDED: The best things to do outdoors in London.

Given its dreaming-spires background, you’d be forgiven for associating the Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race with more hoity-toity events in the sporting world. But unlike the polo and the horse racing anyone can rock up for free along the four-and-a-quarter mile race route from Putney to Mortlake. In fact, more than 300,000 spectators are expected to cram on to the banks of the Thames in west London on Sunday April 13 to get a load of the action. The men’s race kicks of at around 2.20pm, but the riverside will be bursting with activity from around noon, with fan zones and pubs along the course putting on a whole host of food, drink and entertainment in anticipation.  So, where will you be? We’ve put together a list of prime locations along the route, in Putney, Fulham, Hammersmith, Barnes and Chiswick, all perfect for spectating. RECOMMENDED: Everything you need to know about the Boat Race

There’s a lot of talk about the state of London nightlife right now. Naysayers lament the fact that venues are closing at an alarming rate, blame Gen Zs for not going out and claim that it’s impossible to get a drink in central after 1am (it’s really not). With all that negativity and uncertainty, it’s tempting to just stick to what you know – or worse, stay in – rather than get out there and experience what this vast city has to offer after dark.  There are new nights popping up all the time. Heart of Soul, Jungyals and Gays, Club Stamina and Joyride are all relatively new (and totally brilliant) additions to London’s club scene. There’s also the nights that have remained classics for good reason – Rowans, the Palm Tree fridays, K-Hole – as well as more wholesome late-evening activities like life drawing, spoken word nights and supper clubs.  There’s nights out for everyone in this city. Nights for foodies, film buffs, audiophiles. Nights for marathon ravers, old-school movers and for when you need a proper good singalong. Even nights out for when you just want a nice sit down.  We curated this list by asking Time Out staff members for their favourite nights out in the city – and trust us, we know our stuff. Our list features nights in central London, east London, west London, north London and in south London. They all take place frequently, or semi-frequently, throughout the year and each offers something unique. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your next night o

A decade after it first opened, Boxpark’s Shoreditch site looks set to close at some point in the not-too-distant future to make way for new development Bishopsgate Goodsyard, even if the OG branch of the open-air food hall chain has managed to secure a lease extension until the end of summer 2025.  Fortunately for the East End, its final months coincide with the opening of an exciting new concept from Boxpark. Taking over the Metropolitan Arcade, which first opened in 1912, Boxhall City is the first of a series of planned spin-off concepts branching out from the original Boxpark concept. Unlike existing venues, this 17,000-square-foot space isn’t made from shipping containers, but actual bricks and mortar. Taking inspiration from the popular Chelsea Market in Manhattan, it features 13 permanent retailers alongside a pop-up space, Kitchen No 8, and several bars, including a 3000 square foot roof terrace set to open later in the year. Current vendors include plant-based Mexican street food concept Club Mexicana, indie bakery Sourdough Sophia, Argentinian steak chain Gaucho, Singaporean street food spot Old Chang Kee and gourmet ice cream purveyor Soft Serve Society, while Dalston’s 40FT Brewery are a drinks partner. 

This indie brewery and taproom styles itself as ‘Dalston’s backyard’, and fills up with hip hops-drinkers on sunny weekends. It benefits no end from its next door neighbours – live fire restaurant Acme Fire Cult. They offer a short version of their menu, alongside cocktails, cans and 10 taps pouring fresh beer that's brewed on-site. Signature beers include crisp golden lager Disco Pils and hazy IPA Dalston Sunrise. 

Head to Canary Wharf for a bit of shopping over the next few months and you may well be greeted by a slightly unusual site; a magnificent blue whale leaping out from the water on Wood Wharf. Crafted from masses of plastic waste collected from Hawaiian beaches, the spectacular four-storey-tall sculpture was inspired by the shocking fact that, pound for pound, there is more plastic waste swimming in the world’s oceans than there are whales; 150 million tonnes of the stuff. To highlight just how much of a problem plastic waste is, NYC-based design firm StudioKCA worked with the Hawaii Wildlife Fund to collect plastic litter and turn it into the 11-metre sculpture. Alongside recycled plastic, the sculpture incorporates recycled steel and a low-carbon concrete base incorporating spent coffee grounds sourced from the area’s bars and cafes. The clever installation is the latest addition to a series of more than 100 artworks featured around Canary Wharf in the UK’s largest free-to-visit public art collection, which includes pieces from the likes of Camille Walala, Henry Moore and Helaine Blumenfeld. For more information on the many artworks in the neighbourhood, visitors can download Canary Wharf’s Art Map, which is also available on the Bloomberg Connects app. 

Munch your way through dishes from the great and the good of the capital’s restaurant scene at this sprawling culinary festival in the picturesque surroundings of central London’s Regent’s Park. Guy Ritchie’s gastropub Lore of the Land, Japanese-Korean joint Akira Back, masters of Pan-Pacific cuisine Los Mochis and cool Hackney wine bar Bambi are among the restaurants peddling plates and appearing at the event for the first time this year. If you’re not in a food coma by the end, there’ll also be kitchen masterclasses, chef talks and tastings to get involved with. Our advice? Have some Rennies on hand. 

Located between Vauxhall and Stockwell, just a short walk from The Oval cricket stadium, this 8.5-acre public park was opened in 1890, following a public campaign headed up by suffragette Millicent Fawcett, in memory of her husband, the blind MP Henry Fawcett.  The park is well-known for its lavender garden, planted the former bowling green in 2003. It hosts a popular harvest event each September, where dozens of locals help to pick the fragrant plants. The flowers are then processed to make lavender oil, and profits from its sale are put towards maintaining the park.  Other attractions include a recently renovated children’s playground, a multi-use games area, two tennis courts, chess tables, a fenced dog-walking area and a café. 

Founded in 2006 by Brendan Maye, who previously worked in the luxury fragrance industry for Wella UK and Procter & Gamble, Mayfield Lavender is a 25-acre organic farm planted on a Victorian site used when the local area was home to a booming lavender industry in the nineteenth century. The business grows two varieties of iridescent blue English lavender on the chalky soil, with flowers harvested and distilled to produce lavender oil, which is sold at the farm alongside culinary products, toilets and other aromatic gifts made using it. The farm is open to visitors during the summer season each year, from around mid-June to mid-August. Visitors are welcome to wander the field, enjoy its scent and take photos (although it should be noted that visitors using professional cameras are required to pay a fee). There’s an alfresco teashop on site where visitors can enjoy breakfasts and lavender cream teas, and the farm hosts a variety of events over the summer, from craft workshops to alfresco yoga among the flowers.  Keen to visit during the off-season? The farm also runs a gift shop and cafe at its plant nursery just down the road in Epsom, where you’ll also find a small apple and plum tree orchard and a 250-seat outdoor auditorium used for outdoor theatre performances over the summer. Those arriving by public transport are advised to take the 166 bus from Epsom.

After a successful first two years, this charming August bank holiday festival is making its return for a third time in 2025, transforming Battersea Park into a serene space to take in some majestic orchestral renditions of your favourite tunes.  This year’s line-up sees the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra perform two concerts. Symphonic Disco (Saturday August 23) traces the history of disco music from the heights of Studio 54 to contemporary chart-toppers, featuring a live disco band, singers and hits from the likes of Abba, Chic, Kool & The Gang, Donna Summer, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Dua Lipa. The following evening sees the Royal Philharmonic’s 60-piece concert orchestra return for A Night at the Movies (Sunday August 24), where they’ll perform soundtracks from some of the most iconic film franchises in history, from James Bond and Harry Potter to Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean, culminating in a magnificent firework display. The final evening of the three-day festival sees Jools Holland and his famous Rhythm and Blues Orchestra headline a full day of lazy afternoon jazz, accompanied by longstanding vocalists Louise Marshall and Sumudu Jayatilaka. As usual, spectators are invited to pack a blanket and some picky bits for a Bank Holiday picnic, with gourmet hampers, street food stalls and bars also available on the site, plus a kid’s area where you can entertain 3-10-year-olds with a variety of games and interactive activities. Grab your tickets here. 

Walthamstow’s mahoosive brewery and beer hall Big Penny Social is throwing a big ol’ day-to-night party to celebrate the arrival of the double bank holiday. They’ll be barbecuing up a storm in the spacious garden from 2pm (weather permitting) and live band Truly Medley Deeply playing a jukebox set featuring some unique medleys of your favourite disco classics, 90s boyband hits, stadium rock anthems and more, before DJs keep the party going until 2am. A dreamy start to your four days off!

It might be a bit of a trek compared to Kew Gardens or Vauxhall Park, but visitors making the journey up to north Hertfordshire to check out Hitchin Lavender are rewarded with a true purple paradise. Cadwell Farm in Ickleford has been managed by five generations for more than 100 years, and first planted lavender here back in 2000. The farm features plenty more attractions besides its 30 acres of indigo flowers, including a 17th-century barn housing a cafe, children’s play area and gift shop, a display field planted with over 60 varieties of lavender, a British wildflower meadow, a sunflower field and autumn pumpkin patch.  If you visit during the flowering season, you’ll even be able to pick some blooms to take home with you, while the shop is open year-round for you to stock up on pretty much any kind of lavender product imaginable, from candles, eye masks and aromatherapy oils to teas, jams and infused gins. It’s worth going the extra mile(s) for.

What’s better than a load of chocolate for Easter? A load of hard, cold cash of course! And that’s what Walthamstow’s expansive beer hall Big Penny Social is offering up this Easter Sunday when one lucky team in its Big Easter Quiz will be taking home the jackpot prize of £1000. And there’s plenty more to win, besides the wonga. Each team taking part will receive a chocolatey prize, and there’ll also be bar tabs, rounds of drinks and various other treats on the line. And we heard the Easter Bunny himself might put in an appearance. 

Organised by the people behind Percolate and Love International festival in Croatia, mid-September’s electronic music one-dayer Waterworks is a final chance to squeeze every last drop of festival fun out of the summer. Returning to west London’s Gunnersbury Park for its fifth edition, the festival’s line-up features DJs playing just about every genre of dance music, including the likes of Two Shell, Yung Singh, Special Request, Palms Trax, Skee Mask, Lukas Wigflex, Octo Octa, Eris Drew, Tash LC, DJ Stingray and Djrum. You’ll struggle to find a festival line-up more packed with world-class selectors than this. 

Brixton’s annual disco festival will make you feel like you’re dancing in hot pants even if you’re actually wearing dad jeans. Returning for its seventh year, the event takes place across a host of SW9’s best venues, including Brixton Jamm, Phonox, Electric Brixton and the Black Cultural Archives. Line-up stalwarts returning for the 2025 festival include Dimitri From Paris, Norman Jay MBE and Faith residents Terry Farley, Stuart Patterson and Dave Jarvis. Also featured are noughties party-starters Crazy P, Rinse FM resident Charlie Dark veteran soul singer Omar and NTS regular Ruby Savage. And as well as plenty of music to get you up and dancing, the festival will feature a screening of Luther: Never Too Much, a new documentary about legendary R&B singer Luther Vandross, at the Ritzy cinema, plus plenty of delicious food to try at Brixton Village’s late opening. Category is: an amazing night out!

2025 is shaping up to be a pretty special year for the London-born food hall chain Boxpark. Hot on the heels of a lease extension saving the brand’s OG Shoreditch site from closure comes the opening of Boxhall City in nearby Liverpool Street.  The first of a series of spin-off concepts planned by the brand, the 17,000 square-foot space isn’t made from shipping containers like the chain’s other locations but is instead a bricks-and-mortar venue that takes its inspiration from the ever-popular Chelsea Market in downtown Manhattan. First announced all the way back in 2022, Boxhall was originally slated to open in 2024, so we’re thoroughly excited to finally check it out.  Here’s everything you need to know about the buzzy new opening.  Where is Boxhall City? Boxhall City has taken over the historic Metropolitan Arcade, which first opened in 1912 and took its name from its location directly above the railway tracks of the Metropolitan Line. Located just around the corner from Liverpool Street station at Boxhall City is at 1-27 The Arcade, Liverpool Street, EC2M 7PN. Photograph: Boxpark Full list of food vendors and bars at Boxhall City Boxhall City features 13 food retail spaces, and encompasses a huge variety of global cuisines. The current vendors are: Club Mexicana – a well-regarded plant-based Mexican street food chain founded in Hackney in 2014 Farzi – a fine dining restaurant combining traditional Indian cuisine with British seasonal ingredients Gaucho – an outpost fo

A lot has been made of the ‘death’ of London nightlife over the last decade. And, sure, there’s no denying that the city’s nightlife spots have had a tough old time of it in recent years, what with rising rents, constant threats to licenses and the oft-touted claims that it’s impossible to go out in London past 1am and that Gen Z simply aren’t that keen on going out at all. In the last few years, we’ve seen more of our favourite venues than we care to recall threatened with closure – thoughts and prayers go out to Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, Matchstick Piehouse and the Moth Club, to name a few – and said a final goodbye to legendary clubs like Printworks, G-A-Y Late and The Glory. Last April, it was announced that an astonishing 3,000 clubs, pubs and bars had closed since the pandemic. And yet, in 2025 there’s hope for the city’s late-night culture. Back in February, the Mayor of London launched a nightlife taskforce charged with figuring out how to boost the capital’s struggling nighttime economy. Last month, we published our fabulous (if we do say so ourselves) new list of the 50 best nights out in London, filled with everything from marathon raves and quirky karaoke sessions to supper clubs and spoken word nights. And now comes the exciting news of a brand new 750-capacity venue with a 24-hour license, opening in nightlife hotspot Brixton. The first venue in the area to be granted a 24-hour music and alcohol license, Brixton Storeys occupies the site formerly home to

There’s something seriously wonderful about rifling through a crate of cardboard-wrapped vinyls, and music fans all over London agree. That’s why this city is going all out for Record Store Day this Saturday April 12, with parties, gigs, and even a dedicated limited edition beer from hip craft brewery DEYA.  Founded back in 2007, this massive international event is all about showing a bit of love for vinyl records and the indie shops that peddle them, and many of London’s 50-odd record stores will be selling limited-edition vinyl records produced especially for the occasion. There are some big names involved, including Charlie xcx & Billie Eilish, Air, Black Sabbath, Tori Amos, and even Taylor Swift, but that ain’t all. Many of London’s record stores will also be laying on live music, DJ sets, free drinks and more to mark the occasion. Here’s where to get into the groove. London’s top 10 Record Store Day events in 2025 Miraval’s Mystery Vinyl Pop-Up Inject some excitement into the run-up to RSD courtesy of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s wine brand Miraval. It’s running a mystery vinyl pop-up at The Truman Brewery, which invites punters to pay a fiver to bag a brand-new surprise record, and get their hands on a glass of pink vino into the bargain. Can’t wait til you get home to find out what you reckon? Spin your brand new vinyl in a dedicated listening space, as well as browsing exclusive prints by artist Yinka Ilori, and checking out an acoustic set by vintage-inspired rocke

London is absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to summer music festivals. Just when we think there couldn’t possibly be any more headliners to add to the already jam-packed line-ups of the city’s numerous major festies, another press release lands in our inbox, announcing the latest wave of musical talents to be gracing stages across the city in the next few months.  Hot off the heels of this morning’s SXSW London music line-up comes another announcement, of yet more acts joining Little Simz’s Meltdown at the Southbank Centre in June. And there are some major names in the mix.  The biggest name of the bunch is prolific Grammy- and Mercury-winning electronic artist and producer James Blake, who arrives at Royal Festival Hall with a solo piano show (Friday June 20). Also appearing at the Southbank Centre’s largest space are R&B singer-songwriter Mahalia (Friday June 13), Afrobeats legend Tiwa Savage (Saturday June 14) and Canadian instrumentalists BADBADNOTGOOD (Monday June 16). The Queen Elizabeth Hall, meanwhile, will play host to genre-defying London-based saxophonist Nubya Garcia (Thursday June 19) and neo-soul singer MEGA supported by rising star Jon Poppii (Friday June 20). Illinois-based singer-songwriter Kara Jackson will perform an intimate show in the Purcell Room (Tuesday June 17).  These join an already stacked line-up that includes gigs from The Streets, Ghetts, Sasha Keable, Lola Young and, of course, Little Simz herself, in a unique performance alongside th

World-renowned multi-disciplinary festival SXSW arrives in London in just a few short weeks, and we’re pretty excited about it. The likes of Steven Spielberg, Barack Obama and Malala Yousafzai have spoken at previous iterations of the Austin festival, which has also helped to launch the careers of numerous world-renowned acts including Amy Winehouse, Little Simz and Billie Eilish, so we’re expecting pretty big things from the first-ever European edition of Texas export.  Time Out is thrilled to be partnering with SXSW London for its inaugural edition to give both festival-goers and our culture-loving readers (that’s you!) a no-holds-barred insight into the epic affair, which features a whopping 600 talks, 600 gigs and 200 films screenings, all taking place around Shoreditch over six days this June. While details of the festival’s conference arm having been announced back in February, we’ve been eagerly waiting for more information on the musical line-up, which has been co-curated with a host of esteemed musical partners including The BRIT School, BBC Introducing, Sony Music, Abbey Road Music, Keep Hush, City Splash, Eastern Margins and Reform Radio. Joining previously-announced headliner, Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Tems, are the likes of Brit Award-winner Mabel, Crystal Castles’s Alice Glass, east London-based R&B artist NAO and rising south London star Sasha Keable. The full list of venues for the music festival has also been announced this morning, and it includes plent

London is never short when it comes to exhibitions, but this month is looking particularly great, packed with awe-inspiring art shows, brilliant photography and much more. Spring has most definitely sprung and Londoners are coming out of hibernation, seizing the city with both hands, milking it for all it has to offer. This month’s cultural calendar is appropriately packed, with a load of new exhibition openings set to add to all of the excellent ones already showing. From the brilliant but unsettling Ed Atkins at Tate Britain to multi-disciplinary works interrogating language at the ICA, to a blockbuster photography takeover of Somerset House and experimental bodily sculptures at White Cube Mason’s Yard, London is packed with plentiful opportunities for thought-provoking visual indulgence. These are the best exhibitions to see in London in April.  The best new London art exhibitions in April 2025 Photograph: Luke Hayes 1. ‘Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style’ at the Design Museum This one technically opened at the end of March, but we gave it a well-deserved four stars, so it would be a miss for us all not to include ‘Splash!’ in this round-up. The Design Museum is celebrating all things swimming – from Pamela Anderson’s Baywatch swimsuit, to a rainbow display of budgie smugglers – via the pool, the lido and nature, and features a selection of swimwear from throughout the ages as well as some pretty Wes Anderson-style photography. ‘Splash! A Century of Swimming and St

The Victoria & Albert Museum is one of London’s grandest and most impressive cultural institutions, a magnificent showcase of art, design and culture throughout history and across the globe.  Opened in 1899 by Queen Victoria, the South Kensington institution boasts some 150 galleries, but its Fashion Gallery is one of the grandest spaces in the building. Housed in the imposing Octagon Court, it displays treasures from the largest collection of dress in the world. Spanning more than five centuries and featuring everything from 17th-century mantua dresses to present-day ’fits worn by the likes of Elton John and Harry Styles, the collection forms the basis for many of the museum’s most exciting temporary displays, from its current exhibition on Naomi Campbell to upcoming openings Cartier and Marie Antoinette Style.  However, with the gallery not having undergone any structural changes since 1962, it’s high time it was given a bit of a makeover. In fact, it was due to be redeveloped in 2020, before plans were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, following on from major redevelopment of Young V&A and the imminent opening of the museum’s new V&A East Storehouse, the Fashion Gallery is the next space to receive some attention, undergoing a major refurbishment project supported by luxury British fashion house Burberry. The gallery will be closed for two years to complete the project, and will reopen in spring 2027 as the Burberry Gallery. Photograph: Victoria and Albert

Few areas of London seem to undergo such constant evolution as Shoreditch. Once the epicentre of London nightlife, the area might still be home to a handful of the city’s biggest venues, but these days it seems to be far more preoccupied with seeing just how many small plates restaurants, boutique hotels and ‘lifestyle stores’ one neighbourhood could possibly sustain.  It’s pretty exciting, then, that a brand new warehouse venue, Unlocked Shoreditch, is opening in E1 this weekend. It’s calling itself an ‘experience-led’ venue (no, we’re not really sure what that means either), and it opens in a previously unoccupied warehouse at 118 Curtain Road that was once regularly used as a venue for illegal squat raves, and most recently hosted immersive experience Lost in Light. The venue is set to fully open in the autumn but will be soft-launching over the spring with Unlocked Origins, a series of four nights taking place between now and mid-April, and headlined by an eclectic line-up of international selectors including Australian tech-house DJ Tobiahs, genre-hopping global music aficionado Nooriyah, Rinse FM regular Jyoty and London-based underground trio Mason Collective. Here’s the full line-up for the series. Photograph: Unlocked Tickets for the series are on sale via Unlocked’s website now, and the venue will be sharing more details about its full opening soon.  After some late nights? Check out our roundup of the 40 best clubs in London And, curator Little Simz has revealed

The days are getting lighter, daffodils are popping up all over the city and all manner of chocolatey treats are arriving in the supermarkets ahead of Easter. It can only mean one thing; spring is here at last! With London finally enjoying a bit of sun this week, we’re feeling thoroughly excited about all the great events on the horizon as the days get brighter, longer and warmer, from the latest art exhibitions to major stage openings, exciting new festivals to landmark birthday celebrations.  Looking for some ways to spruce up your social calendar over the coming weeks? As Time Out’s events expert, it’s my job to keep you as informed as possible about all the great stuff going on around the city, and here are ten events I think you’d be a fool to miss this spring. Time to grab your diary! London Soundtrack Festival An exciting new addition to London’s roster of excellent film fests, this new festival celebrates an often unsung part of our favourite movies – the soundtracks – via talks, screenings and performances. Highlights include a concert from Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (who did the scores for Tár and Joker), David Cronenberg and Howard Shore in conversation and a concert of great movie music featuring guest appearances from Jake Shears, Neil Tennant and Omar. Find out more here. Roundhouse Three Sixty  Photograph: Lloyd Winters Serving up an eclectic mix of live music, spoken word, podcasts and club nights, Roundhouse Three Sixty is another new springtime

London has long been enamoured with vintage clothing, and for good reason. There are loads of advantages to foregoing new clobber in favour of second-hand garms. They’re more affordable, way better for the environment and massively decrease the likelihood of you turning up to your friend’s birthday party in the same dress as them.  And then there’s the simple fact that a lot of vintage clothing is often way better quality,  and way more stylish than the stuff on the high street. We’d imagine this is particularly true when you’re shopping for retro gems curated by the fashion-obsessed editors at British Vogue.  That’s exactly what you can do at the Vogue Vintage Sale this weekend. Staged in partnership with eBay, the charity event is co-hosted by singer Jorja Smith and model and actress Iris Law. Fashion mavens attending the event will have the chance to get their hands on some extremely covetable archival pieces sourced from eBay, from rare Louis Vuitton bags to a leather jacket from Tom Ford-era Gucci à la Victoria Beckham in the ’90s, plus items from past Vogue shoots and pieces donated from the wardrobes of industry bods.  And you’ll be doing some good while splashing the cash, too, with all proceeds from the sale going to Smart Works, a lovely charity that helps out-of-work women secure employment by providing them with coaching, business attire and the confidence boost they need to ace their job interviews.  Ready to start rifling through the rails? Sign up via this onl

Ah, Tate. However you feel about the UK’s most famous gallery conglomerate, you can’t deny that the institution behind two of London’s most well-respected arts venues really delivers when it comes to curating season after season of blockbuster exhibitions. It’s done it again with its 2026 programme, which features a whole bunch of thoroughly exciting, just-announced shows running the gamut from the first days of photography to 90s design. Tate Modern The year kicks off with a landmark retrospective tracing the 40-year career of key YBA Tracey Emin at the Tate Modern (Feb 26), showcasing career-defining works like her neons and the Turner Prize-nominated installation My Bed alongside material never exhibited before. Photograph: Tracey Emin, My Bed, 1998. Tate. Lent by The Duerckheim Collection 2015, On long term loan.© Tracey Emin. All rights reserved, DACS/Artimage Summer sees the South Bank gallery stage a celebration of Argentinian artist Julio Le Parc (Jun 11), an influential figure in the Op Art and Kinetic Art movements best known for his interactive installations and pioneering kinetic sculptures. This arrives alongside two hugely exciting exhibitions on feminist icons. First up is history’s most famous unibrow owner, Frida Kahlo, in Frida: The Making of an Icon (Jun 9), followed by the largest UK exhibition to date on Cuban-American artist Ana Mendieta (Jul 9), the 20th-century sculptor, photographer and video artist best known for her ‘earth-body’ sculpture works. 

Last month, it was revealed that Mercury Prize-winning rapper Little Simz would have the honour of curating the 2025 edition of Meltdown, joining the likes of David Bowie, Grace Jones, Nick Cave and Chaka Khan in selecting the line-up for the Southbank Centre’s renowned summer arts festival.  Time Out’s editorial team was thoroughly excited by the prospect of a festival masterminded by one of London’s most creative musical talents, and we’re looking forward to it even more following this morning’s initial line-up announcement.  On the bill for Meltdown’s 30th edition an eclectic roster of established and up-and-coming artists, including a healthy number of London-made talents.  The festival opens Thursday June 12 with The Streets, performing at Royal Festival Hall in what is currently the only UK date this year for the legendary Mike Skinner-led project. The Southbank Centre’s largest auditorium also welcomes 2025 BRIT nominee and ‘Messy’ hitmaker Lola Young, MOBO-winning rapper Ghetts and multiple Grammy-winning jazz musician Jon Batiste.  Also on the line-up are British-Columbian singer-songwriter Sasha Keable performing with inner-city youth music project Flames Collective, while Little Dragon vocalist Yukimi will perform a solo set following the release of her first album this month.  As with previous editions of Meltdown, the festival culminates with a one-off headline show from the curator herself on Sunday June 22. Performing hits from her stellar back catalogue and up