Things to do in London in March, April and May 2025
Cultural events in London in spring 2025
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH: March is Women's History Month, so there's plenty going on to celebrate the achievements of women and non-binary people, including exhibitions and one-off events, as well as International Women's Day celebrations. Browse our pick of events.
LITERARY FOOTPRINTS: The guides at Footprints of London have once again put together a series of guided walks themed around literature, creating the Literary Footprints festival. Throughout March, join walks (and some virtual tours) on topics including Wolf Hall, Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens, literary Soho and much more. 1-31 March
THE OTHER ART FAIR: The Other Art Fair takes over the Old Truman Brewery for four days of artwork that's accessible to all. Affordable and original pieces are up for grabs, alongside immersive installations, live performances and a bar. 6-9 March
AFFORDABLE ART FAIR: Prices for artworks start at £100 at the Affordable Art Fair, which is held at Evolution Battersea. Thousands of contemporary artworks are for sale, with special events including late night openings and a family hour at the weekend. 12-16 March
ST PATRICK'S DAY: Around the middle of March each year, many Londoners embrace their distant Irish heritage, by getting stuck into St Patrick's Day celebrations. The main event is the St Patrick's Day festival and parade (16 March), but look out for plenty of other Irish-themed parties, supper clubs, menus, bar crawls and events. Maybe acquaint yourself with one of London's best Irish pubs too. 17 March
EARTH HOUR: For one hour on a Saturday evening, London's switching the lights off for WWF's Earth Hour, raising awareness of the effects of global warming. Individual businesses and households are encouraged to take part by turning off the lights, but several of the capital's major landmarks will be plunged into darkness too. FREE, 22 March
TULIP FESTIVAL: Over 100,000 bulbs bring a riot of colour to the gardens of Hampton Court Palace for its annual Tulip Festival — one of the UK's largest displays of planted tulips. Wander through the formal gardens and historic courtyards, and see 'floating' bowls in the Great Fountain and a free style of planting in the kitchen gardens. Find other places to see tulip displays in and around London. 11 April-5 May
VAISKHI FESTIVAL: Vaisakhi — the Sikh and Punjabi cultural festival — takes place on 14 April this year, but London's main celebration returns to Trafalgar Square the following weekend. The free festival features live entertainment and performances, martial arts demonstrations, a showcase of Sikh art, plus food and drink stalls. FREE, 19 April
ST GEORGE'S DAY: 23 April is St George's Day, a celebration of the patron saint of England (plus Catalonia, Ethiopia, and various other regions). London's free St George's Day Festival takes place in Trafalgar Square a couple of days before, with live music and performers, family activities and refreshments. FREE, 20/23 April
OUTDOOR CINEMA: As soon as the sun comes out, London's cinemas go al fresco, pitching up on rooftops, at palaces and in lidos across the capital. We'll provide details as soon as they're announced — in the meantime, browse London's previous outdoor cinemas to get an idea of what to expect. Usually from early May
WIMBLEDON ART FAIR: More than 180 artists exhibit at Wimbledon Art Fair, giving you a chance to purchase artworks directly from their creators. There's also a rare opportunity to go inside artists' studios. FREE ENTRY, 8-11 May
DULWICH FESTIVAL: A celebration of art and culture in the local area, Dulwich Festival has yet to announce its full programme, but will include an artists' open house weekend, and the Dulwich Festival Fair on Goose Green. 9-18 May
OPEN AIR THEATRE: For a high-brow night under the stars, head to London's open air theatre in Regent's Park. Shucked, Noughts and Crosses, Bridadoon and The Enormous Crocodile have been confirmed for the 2025 schedule. From 10 May
EUROVISION: If you're partial to sequins, disco balls and cheese by the truckload, whack 17 May in your diary. That's the date of the Eurovision final, taking place in Basel, Switzerland this year. Here's our guide to London parties and screenings, which we'll add to closer to the time. 17 May
CHELSEA AND BELGRAVIA IN BLOOM: Two separate (free!) events usually run at the same time as the Chelsea Flower Show (see below): Chelsea In Bloom has a fashion theme this year, with dramatic flower installations erected outside shops, restaurants and cafes in the area. We're still awaiting confirmation on Belgravia In Bloom's 2025 concept. FREE, 19-25/26 May
CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW: A highlight for any green-fingered Londoner, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show takes over the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, with gardeners from all over the country showing off their work; stalls where you can buy flowers and plants to take home; and a chance to pick up tips from gardening experts. 20-24 May
FLOWERS: For more even more flowers, take a look at our guides to where to see cherry blossom, wisteria, bluebells and roses in London.
Family events in London in spring 2025
EASTER HOLIDAYS: The middle two weeks of April are the Easter holidays for the majority of London schools. If you've got children or teenagers to entertain, take a look at our Easter holidays events guide — we've covered shows, exhibitions and one-off events, as well as some free things to do. 6-21 April
BANK HOLIDAYS: What, with the Easter bank holidays, plus the double dose in May, our guide to spending bank holidays in London should come in handy over the next couple of months. Just remember to check opening hours before you travel, as some venues operate to different hours over bank holiday weekends.
CHEAM CHARTER FAIR: Rumour has it that the Cheam Charter Fair dates back to 1259 — though even the modern-day organisers can't verify that. Either way, head to the London-Surrey border for a traditional fair of stalls, kicked off with a procession at 9am. FREE ENTRY, 17 May
URBAN VILLAGE FETE: Live music and dancing, street food stalls, crafting workshops and talks on topics including sports and sustainability are all part of the Urban Village Fete. It's a family-friendly event taking over Greenwich Peninsula. FREE ENTRY (charge for some workshops), 18 May
Unique London events in spring
THE PASSION OF JESUS: As a gift to the people of London, the Wintershall Players perform a rendition of the Easter story for free every Good Friday (in fact there are two 90-minute performances). The event takes place in Trafalgar Square, and thousands of people turn up to watch every year, so turn up early to get a good view. FREE, 18 April
TWEED RUN: Style meets cycling at the Tweed Run meanders through London's streets and parks, with cyclists competing in categories including best-dressed individuals, finest moustaches, and most elegantly adorned bicycles, among others. Stops for tea, a picnic, and a celebratory cocktail are built into the schedule. How sophisticated. 26 April
CANALWAY CAVALCADE: If you go down to the canal over the May Day bank holiday, you're in for a big surprise. Dozens of canal boats moor up in Little Venice for the Canalway Cavalcade, a vibrant festival with live music, children's activities and boat-based fun. FREE, 3-5 May
GRAND FLANEUR WALK: 'A celebration of the pure, the immutable and the pointless, taken by the bold, the adventurous and the inebriated' is how organisers describe the Grand Flaneur Walk, a stroll without purpose, with participants wearing their finest dandy, flaneur or fop outfits — think top hats, handlebar moustaches, pocket squares, pocket watches — the works! FREE, 11 May
PUPPET FESTIVAL: One of those unique London events we love, the Covent Garden May Fayre & Puppet Festival is back. It celebrates the first recorded production of a Mr Punch show, as seen/recorded by Samuel Pepys in Covent Garden in 1662, and draws puppeteers from all over the country for a procession, church service, shows, stalls and workshops. FREE, 11 May
KENSINGTON DOLLSHOUSE FESTIVAL: Experience life in miniature at the Kensington Dollshouse Festival. 120 top miniaturists from around the world exhibit and sell their works for anyone looking to kit out their own dolls house, plus there are displays, kids' activities and more. 16-17 May
Sport events in London in spring 2025
RIVER RACE: The Head of the River Race is rowed annually from Mortlake to Putney, with up to 400 crews of eights taking part. Get down to the river's edge to watch the action. FREE to watch, 22 March
PALACE HALF: If ever a half marathon route was fit for a king/queen, it's the Palace Half. Start your run at the gates of Hampton Court Palace and take in the local area — including crossing the Thames twice, before finishing in the palace gardens. Plenty of charities are still looking for runners to take part on their behalf at time of writing. 23 March
BOAT RACES: The Oxford-Cambridge Boat Races take place in mid-April. They'll be broadcast on TV as usual, but if you're keen to see them in person, get down there early to grab your spot by the river. Preferably a pub garden. FREE to watch, 13 April
KEW THE RUN: Another one for London's athletic types, Kew the Run is a 10K or half marathon route finishing in Kew Gardens. The 10K course (Saturday) is entirely contained within the gardens, while the half marathon (Sunday) starts and ends in the gardens, meandering down to Ham House in Richmond and back. 29-30 March
LONDON MARATHON: It's that time of year again, when thousands of runners pound the pavements in London — many in bizarre costumes — to raise money for good causes. This year's London Marathon follows the usual route and format. Even if you're not watching or taking part, be aware of widespread road closures, bus diversions and the like, on and around 27 April
Music events and festivals in London in spring
For a detailed look at music festivals taking place in London this year — from early spring round until the autumn — have a browse of our guide to London's best music festivals, and get booking.
COUNTRY TO COUNTRY: Three days of country music come to The O2 as Country To Country festival returns. Rising Nashville stars take to the stage (several stages, actually) between sets from headline acts including Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Cody Johnson. 14-16 March
BARNES MUSIC FESTIVAL: Pianists, saxophonists, organists, singers and a concert band are some of the performers lined up for this year's Barnes Music Festival, which takes place at venues across the area. The Music in the Dark concert is a particularly popular aspect of the programme. Under-12s get free entry as part of the festival's Youth Programme. 15-30 March
TEENAGE CANCER TRUST: The Who, The Sex Pistols and The Corrs (talk about variety!) are among the headliners at a series of gigs in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust, taking place at the Royal Albert Hall. 24-29 March
ROUNDHOUSE THREE SIXTY: Camden's Roundhouse replaces its In The Round festival with new event Roundhouse Three Sixty. Running throughout the month across the entire site, the programme features music, spoken word, theatre, visual arts, podcasts and club nights — all celebrating unapologetic and boundary-pushing artists. Corinne Bailey-Rae, Tom Odell and Vogue Rites all feature, and the legendary Roundhouse Poetry Slam is back. 1-30 April
MESSIAH ON GOOD FRIDAY: For the 149th time, the Royal Choral Society performs Handel's Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall on Good Friday — a tradition that's only ever been interrupted by the Blitz and Covid. 150 singers are conducted by the choir's Music Director Richard Cooke, and accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a quartet of soloists. 18 April
LATIN MUSIC FESTIVAL: La Linea Latin music festival shimmies into several venues around central London. It opens with Latin Grammy award-winner Eliades Ochoa, one of the original members of Buena Vista Social Club, performing live at Barbican. Browse the full programme. 22 April-5 May
BRICK LANE JAZZ FESTIVAL: The Brick Lane Jazz Festival returns for a weekend of live music. Headline acts include American multi-instrumentalist Laraaji, soul-funk-r&b artist and producer Adi Oasis, and MOBO-nominated Ragz Originale. 25-27 April
New exhibitions in London this spring
WINTER SCULPTURE PARK: Claiming to be London's largest sculpture park, Winter Sculpture Park opens on the disused former Thamesmead golf course, with 40 artworks by 34 artists spread across 6.5 acres. FREE, 2 March-26 April
PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZE: View works by the four shortlisted photographers of this year's Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize. Cristina De Middel, Rahim Fortune, Tarrah Krajnak and Lindokuhle Sobekwa's photos are on show, spanning documentary photography, constructed images, self-portraiture, performance and family archives from around the world. The winner is announced on 15 May. 7 March-15 June
DRESS CODES: The written and unwritten rules of dressing at the royal court are explored in Dress Codes at Kensington Palace, which showcases a rare survival of Queen Elizabeth II's childhood clothes, debutante dresses, court suits and clothing worn by members of the Royal Family such as Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales. 13 March-30 November
ARPITA SINGH: Serpentine North opens the first solo exhibition of artist Arpita Singh outside of India, spotlighting the artist's 60 year-career. Remembering features her paintings from the 1960s through to more recent years, including large-scale oil paintings and more intimate watercolours and ink drawings. 20 March-27 July
VICTOR HUGO: The imaginary worlds of the author of the Hunchback of Notre-Dame are revealed in the Royal Academy's new show, Astonishing Things: The Drawings Of Victor Hugo. His artworks are lesser-known than his writing, but this is a chance to see his ink and wash visions of imaginary castles, monsters and seascapes. 21 March-29 June
SPLASH!: We're looking forward to diving into the Design Museum's latest exhibition, Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style. It ploughs through three settings: the pool, the lido and nature — looking at how design influences our experience of swimming in each, displaying objects including Pamela Anderson's Baywatch swimsuit. 28 March-17 August
PIRATES: Ahoy, mateys! The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich opens an exhibition all about pirates, challenging their depiction as swashbuckling adventurers in search of buried booty. Real-life pirates feature, as well as fictional characters from books, TV and film. Orlando Bloom's Pirates of the Caribbean costume is among the objects on display. 29 March-4 January
MUDLARKING: The London Museum Docklands hosts Secrets of the Thames: Mudlarking London's Lost Treasures, an exhibition showcasing artefacts sourced from the Thames foreshore, including a Tudor knitted hat, a medieval gold ring with an inscription and a Viking-era dagger. 4 April 2025-March 2026
CATS IN CARTOONS: The Cartoon Museum puts felines in the spotlight for its Cats in Cartoons exhibition. The greatest cats to grace comics, newspapers and magazines feature, including Bagpuss and Garfield, to explore why we're so drawn to cats. 5 April-7 September
EDWARDIAN ELEGANCE: This exhibition at the King's Gallery (Buckingham Palace) showcases over 300 objects from the Edwardian era, many displayed for the first time, detailing the lives and tastes of two of Britain's most fashionable royal couples: King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and King George V and Queen Mary. Notable artists include Carl Fabergé and Edward Burne-Jones. 11 April-23 November
CARTIER: The V&A's glitzy new exhibition is Cartier, a deep-dive into the luxury jewellery brand's history and legacy, featuring more than 350 objects, including precious jewels, historic gemstones, watches and clocks. From 12 April
SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS: One of our favourite photography shows every year, the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition returns to Somerset House, showcasing images taken all over the world in the past year, spanning portraiture, documentary photography, architecture, sports and more. Previously unseen works by the 2024 Photographer of the Year Juliette Pavy are also on show. 17 April-5 May
PHOTO LONDON: International fair Photo London is back at Somerset House for a celebration of all things snap happy. As well as a chance to collect and purchase photos from around the world, there are talks, tours and workshops on all aspects of photography. 14-16 May
Food and drink events in London in spring 2025
BREW LDN: Raise a glass at Brew LDN — the beer festival is back at Between The Bridges on South Bank this year. Toast Brewing, Renegade Brewery, Jiddler's Tipple, and Mad Squirrel are among brewers attending, and the festival doubles up as the launch event for Between The Bridges' summer 2025 season. 10-12 April
HOT SAUCE FESTIVAL: How hot is too hot for you? Find out at the Hot Sauce Festival in Peckham, where hundreds of small-batch sauces from 40+ traders are available to try and buy, along with live music, games, street food — and a bar for those all-important, palate-cleansing drinks. 10-11 May
LONDON COFFEE FESTIVAL: Get your fill of caffeine and then some, at the London Coffee Festival, a four-day programme of tastings, demos, competitions, shopping and more at The Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. 15-18 May
FOODIES FESTIVAL: Head to Syon Park for Foodies Festival, a three-day celebration of all things edible (and quaffable), with a side of live music. Pixie Lott, The Wanted and Scouting For Girls are among the performers, with live demos by celebrity chefs, street food and artisan markets, kids' cookery sessions, pop-up bars and more. 24-26 May
PUB IN THE PARK: What do you get if you mix Glastonbury Latitude with Saturday Kitchen? Pub in the Park of course — the roving culinary/music fest pitching up in Gunnersbury Park (among various other Home Counties parks). Mainstream artists — this year including Soul II Soul and Jack Savoretti — provide the soundtrack, and there are talks/live cookery demos from chefs you'll know from TV. 30 May-1 June
