Exciting things to do close to the capital in January 2026, all easily accessible in a day trip. Browse our Beyond London section for ideas for other day trips and weekends away, and start your year on a high.
ICE SKATING: Not done with ice skating this season? Hop on the train down to Brighton, where the Royal Pavilion ice rink stays open for the first few days of the year. Take a twirl on the ice against a gorgeous backdrop, safe in the knowledge that it's environmentally friendly, as it's powered entirely by wind and solar energy. Find other things to see and do in Brighton while you're there. Until 4 January (East Sussex)
LEWES SPEAKERS FESTIVAL: Politicians Jeremy Corbyn and Caroline Lucas, radio broadcaster Iain Dale, and psychologist Claudia Hammond are among the guests on the line-up at the Lewes Speakers Festival. They discuss their books on topics ranging from Margaret Thatcher to AI. Read our guide to the town of Lewes to help you make a weekend of it. 16-18 January (East Sussex)
WINTER WOODLAND LIGHTS: Head to The Hawk Conservancy near Andover after dark for a live owl display and light trail through the woods, accompanied by music and sound effects. Winter Woodland Lights has a self-led trail, with the on-site restaurant open for refreshments. 16 January-1 February (Hampshire)
RIDE THE DINOSAUR EXPRESS: If you've got a budding palaeontologist in the family, head for the Spa Valley Railway in Tunbridge Wells, and hop on board the Dinosaur Express. For one weekend this month, you can get up close and interact with a selection of life-like dinosaurs, while riding the heritage railway's 1960s carriages. Ynder-15s go free! Find other things to see and do in Tunbridge Wells while you're there. 17-18 January (Kent)
MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION: Kickstart the year at Canterbury's model railway exhibition. 13 layouts are already confirmed to be on display, with train rides from the Canterbury and District Model Engineering Society, and a chance to buy the products you need for your own layouts from a range of suppliers. 17-18 January (Kent)
SEAFRONT RUN: Taking up running this new year, or just need to blow the cobwebs away? Sign up for the BrighTEN Brighton 10 mile/10k race, and pound the pavements along the seafront. Pick your distance, and run past landmarks including Brighton Palace Pier and the i360 tower. 18 January (East Sussex)
MAGICAL MISCHIEF: The chaos caused by the Weasley Twins is put in the spotlight at Magical Mischief, a new temporary exhibition at The Making of Harry Potter studio tour. Begin in the Great Hall, watching Fred and George Weasley’s departure from Hogwarts as fireworks illuminate the set and Professor Umbridge watches from afar. You'll also learn about the techniques used to bring the invisibility cloak to life on screen. 24 January-27 April (Hertfordshire)
WINTER BEER FESTIVAL: Here's one to tempt you to throw in the Dry January towel a couple of days early: the 17th annual Colchester Winter Beer Festival. The beer and cider list for this CAMRA event isn't available yet, but we're promised real ale, real cider, food, soft drinks, English wine, foreign beers and more. Something for all drinkers. 28-31 January (Essex)
Book now for later in 2026
A heads-up on upcoming events which are likely to sell out. Start planning the rest of your year!
CATHEDRAL WHALES: After a stint at Winchester Cathedral last year, Tessa Campbell Fraser's Whales splash into Rochester Cathedral this February. See three majestic sperm whale sculptures (measuring 5.2m, 4.6m and 3m) suspended in the nave. Even better, admission is free during the day. Read our guide to visiting Rochester for other things to see and do while you're there. 10 February-7 March (Kent)
RAILWAY WALK: If the dinosaur weekend (featured above) isn't your ideal way to experience the Spa Valley Railway, how about walking the line instead? In order to replace a bridge along the route, the organisation holds a fundraising Stride the Line event this spring. It's a six-mile walk along the railway line, from Tunbridge Wells West to Groombridge, then back to High Rocks, where a train will take you back to where you started. A rare chance to (legally) walk along a railway line. 29 March (Kent)
VISIT GUERNSEY: Good news for anyone who fancies travelling even further afield: from April this year, British Airways is launching a new daily flight route from Heathrow to Guernsey, making it easier to visit the Channel Island. From 19 April
TULLEYS TULIP FEST: For the third time, Tulleys Farm near Crawley holds a tulip festival, and if it's anything like last year, tickets will be gone as soon as they go on sale. The best way to make sure you get in on the action is to sign up to the mailing list. The second batch goes on sale on 23 January 2026, with future releases TBC. (Exact opening dates TBC depending on flowering, West Sussex)
£1 FESTIVAL TICKETS: When the full line-up is announced for this year's Ventnor Fringe festival on the Isle of Wight, a limited number of tickets will be available for just £1 each, inspired by the trend for rural Italian and Spanish towns offering houses for just one Euro. The 10-day festival features hundreds of performances, with shows in secret coves, ancient churches, locals' front rooms and even a 1930s Parisian bus. Worth bearing in mind if you're planning an Isle of Wight trip this summer. Ticket release date TBC (sign up to be alerted), festival runs 17-26 July (Isle of Wight)
Further ideas for trips from London
Our Beyond London section is packed full of ideas for getting out of the capital for the day, or even for a long weekend. Our pick for this month:
WEEKEND IN GIBRALTAR: If you're looking to escape the London winter, how about a few days in Gibraltar? It's got monkeys and incredible viewpoints, and even London-style red phone boxes... and the temperature tends to average a few degrees above London.
