It's 1 April, meaning pranks galore, as companies and institutions everywhere hop on the annual April Fools' bandwagon. Here are some of the best jokes we've spotted in London this year — we'll add to it as more hijinx are revealed.
Candy floss pizza at Zizzi
Italian restaurant chain Zizzi — whose London locations include Strand, Victoria, Canary Wharf and Wembley — claims to be serving up a new candy floss pizza from today, adding "You'd be a fool not to try it!"
The Quattro Pomodoro Candy Floss Pizza features a tomato base, topped with a unique tomato-flavoured candy floss that melts into a sweet glaze that coats the pizza. The vibrant red candy floss topper is placed directly onto the hot pizza just before serving.
In other pizza-flavoured "news" coming out today:
- Indy pizzeria Fatto a Mano launches dough-less pizza, which sees the base removed, leaving just the crust and the toppings. It is, it says, a response to "evolving consumer habits, with increasing numbers of diners seeking lighter options".
- Tinned fruit brand Dole announces the launch of a tinned Hawaiian pizza, which "comes sealed in a tin, designed for maximum convenience and practicality, so Hawaiian pizza fans can enjoy the controversial classic whenever they like". Sounds... Dole-lightful.
Royal Albert Hall gets down with the kids
The Royal Albert Hall — which has offered up many an excellent April Fool's prank in the past — could soon ring with cries of kidz catchphrase "Six Seeeeeeven". It claims to be realigning its target audience, going after Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences with upcoming events such as Doomscrolling in Concert, An Evening of Ragebait, Aura Farming and Brainrot Fest.
James O'Follipar (👀), CEO of the Royal Albert Hall, said: "There's always more we can do to bring in new audiences. We want to be a place where people can Snapchat a twerk; the home of six-seven. To us, ragebait, brainrot and yapping aren't just words — they're central to everything we do."
The Heathrow Express "Training Train"
Passengers can now pack in a 15-minute workout on the way to Heathrow, as the Heathrow Express service teams up with PureGym to launch the "Training Train". Available from 1 April (naturally), the new service transforms the 15-minute Heathrow Express journey from Paddington into a high-energy fitness experience with a set of travel-inspired exercises, from "overhead locker lifts" and "luggage lunges" to "duty-free curls", "passport pocket squats" and "gate sprint drills".
(Perhaps the funniest bit of this is the disclaimer tucked away at the bottom of the press release: "Any references to PureGym workouts or exercise on board are fictional and part of the April Fools' concept. Passengers should not attempt these activities on Heathrow Express services.")
The Gillette "Close Shave" Water Park
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Instagram account @londonsuburbia slides in with the news that planning permission has been granted to install a number of "extreme water slides" on the roof of the Old Gilette Factory on the Great West Road in Isleworth. Attractions will be “carefully named to honour the heritage of our glorious Art Deco razor blade factory”, including the LubriStrip Rapids™, the ProGlide UltraMax Descent™, the SmoothCore™ UltraSlide Pro+, and the fearsome SkinGuard360™ Velocity Run. Ouch.
Reverse Stand Up at Angel Comedy
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If you get nervous enough sitting on the front row at a comedy show, Reverse Stand Up will have you quaking in your boots. Angel Comedy — slingers of daily stand-up shows in north London — announced its new policy on 1 April, in which audience members will be chosen at random to perform a three-five-minute set ahead of the real comedians taking to the stage. It's all in the name of 'experiencing the spotlight, navigating silence and reconsidering heckling offences'. And fear not; you will be judged 'firmly but fairly'. Hmm, any good dramas on at the theatre?
Croydon plans a waterpark with its own whale
At last, Croydon's half-deserted Whitgift Shopping Centre has found a use for some of its empty units, claims Your Local Guardian. Namely adding in winding slides, indoor lagoons and a central wave pool — to create what developers are calling a 'fully immersive aquatic high street'. Just imagine drifting past shop windows, as part of a 'submerged retail trail' — ingenious! The live whale, 'Whitgift Wally' would pull in extra punters too, although before you get too excited, swimming with him is strictly prohibited. Spoil sports.
Watches for dogs by Olivia Burton
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London-based watch and jewellery brand Olivia Burton has announced its "Paw o'clock edit" on Instagram. Details are light, but it's accompanied by a series of photos of dogs wearing watches as dog collars.
River Thames perfume by Secret London
An article published on Secret London this morning claims that "You can now buy a perfume that smells like the River Thames", going on to claim that "The new London startup has captured the essence of the Thames and bottled it up for everyone to enjoy". The CEO of that startup? Joe King.
Smells very similar to City Cruises' prank last year. This year, the river tour company has stuck to the theme with Scratch & Sniff Cruise Cards, along you to smell each landmark as you pass it on the water.
The Simmons hotel
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Cocktail bar mini-chain Simmons announces the launch of its first hotel, opening in Soho in 2028. Highlights include private overnight karaoke rooms, teapot cocktail room service, and recovery kits available on request.
IKEA's meatball lollipop
IKEA have announced a "world-first" collab that brings their legendary meatballs to a stick, in the form of a meatball lollipop, complete with a tangy lingonberry finish. "No assembly required" reads the tagline...
The blue water of Bluewater
Just over the border from London in Kent, Bluewater shopping centre is unveiling its glowing blue lake, formed by the introduction of bioluminescent algae earlier this year. The spectacle, it says, is similar to naturally existing bioluminescent lakes in Australia and the Caribbean, and is best viewed at sunset.
If the above have made you chuckle, remind yourself of the best London April Fool's jokes from previous years:
