57 Magnificent Things To Do In London This Month: March 2024

57 Magnificent Things To Do In London This Month: March 2024
Someone dressed as Mickey Mouse posing in a spotlight on the ice
Disney On Ice returns to Wembley Arena

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH: March is Women's History Month, when the often-overlooked achievements of women, and women who have fought for their right to be recognised, are celebrated. We've rounded up some exciting events here including exhibitions, talks and tours. 1-31 March

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

ANGELICA KAUFFMAN: The Royal Academy's new exhibition puts the spotlight on Angelica Kauffman, a child prodigy-turned renowned painter who helped shape the direction of European art. Find out about her rise to fame in London, her role as a founding member of the Royal Academy and her later career in Rome, through her drawings and paintings, including some self portraits. 1 March-30 June

ST DAVID'S DAY: Whether you're a Welsh person in London, or just an avid fan of all things from England's western neighbour, check out our guide to being Welsh in London, and find a little slice of Cymru just in time for St David's Day. 1 March

COMIC CON: Dust off your costume and head to Olympia London for London Comic Con Spring, a three-day celebration of film and TV. VIP guests on the line-up this time around include Billie Piper, Ruth Madeley, Alfie Allen, Tom Savini and Michelle Greenidge. 2-3 March

WOMEN OF THE RNLI: Greenwich's National Maritime Museum opens its exhibition Women of the RNLI, celebrating the bicentenary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. It features 42 photographs taken by Jack Lowe, photographer on the Lifeboat Station Project, each depicting women who volunteer for the RNLI. From 2 March

Women of the RNLI opens at the National Maritime Museum

BOOK WEEK: Previously known as Jewish Book Week, Book Week takes over Kings Place in King's Cross for nine days of talks, performances, debates and workshops. Topics covered are many and varied, but include women working in the intelligence services, Jewish-Italian cooking, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and Charles Dickens. 2-10 March

COLLECT 2024: Head to Somerset House to browse contemporary craft and design pieces at art fair Collect 2024. 400 artists are represented, spanning ceramics, glass, jewellery, metalwork, textiles and more. Until 3 March

LETTERS LIVE: Popular annual event Letters Live is back at the Royal Albert Hall for International Women's Day, with a host of famous faces readings out letters which have been written over the centuries. The performers aren't revealed until they appear on stage, but Gillian Anderson, Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch and Stephen Fry are among previous participants. 6 March

DISNEY EXHIBITION: Remember the Disney100 exhibition which opened in October and closed earlier this year? Well, it's back for another innings, returning to the ExCeL Centre, with 250 rare artefacts, artworks, costumes and props on show. From 6 March

AFFORDABLE ART FAIR: Prices for artworks start at £50 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. 6-10 March

After a short break, Disney100 reopens. Photo: Luke Dyson

POLISH FILM FESTIVAL: Now in its 22nd year, the Kinoteka Polish Film Festival returns to venues across London, showcasing the best new and classic Polish films. The programme spans documentaries, dramas, animations and kids' films, including short animations made by women, shown on International Women's Day. 6-28 March

SWAN LAKE: The Royal Ballet’s production of Swan Lake returns to the Royal Opera House's Main Stage. Late choreographer Liam Scarlett reimagined Tchaikovsky's legendary score, capturing Prince Siegfried and Odette’s relationship as it unravels over two acts under the malignant influence of Von Rothbart. 6 March-28 June

MJ THE MUSICAL: Opening at the Prince Edward Theatre, MJ The Musical celebrates the life and work of Michael Jackson, one of the greatest (and these days, most controversial) entertainers of all time. It focuses on the period of his Dangerous World Tour in 1992, and how it made him into something of a legend. Sounds like it'll be a... Thriller. From 6 March

DISNEY ON ICE: Double delight for Disney fans this month: in addition to the exhibition reopening (above), Disney On Ice slides back into town. Minnie, Mickey, Moana, Coco and the cast of Frozen are among the characters appearing in Dream Big at Wembley Arena. 7-10 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. 7-10 March

The Affordable Art Fair is back in Battersea. Image: Graham Turner

SOUTH ASIAN SOUNDS: Southbank Centre launches an new event series, South Asian Sounds, celebrating the musical traditions of the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Afghan diaspora. More than a dozen events take place across four days, including performances by the Afghan Youth Orchestra and Indian folk singers Malini Awasthi and Anwar Khan Mangania. 7-10 March

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: 8 March is International Women's Day — here's our pick of events going on in London to mark the occasion. 8 March

MILITARY MUSIC: The Massed Bands of His Majesty's Royal Marines give three concerts at the Royal Albert Hall for the Mountbatten Festival of Music, which showcases the skills of some of the world's finest military musicians. 8-9 March

COUNTRY TO COUNTRY: Three days of country music comes to The O2 as Country To Country festival returns. Rising Nashville stars take to the stage between sets from headline acts including Kane Brown, Carly Pearce, Jake Owen and Brothers Osborne. 8-10 March

IMPROVATHON: Wilton's Musical Hall hosts a 50-hour improvised live comedy soap opera on the theme of weddings. It's split into 25 two-hour episodes, so you can dip in and out and watch as many or as few as you'd like. 8-10 March

BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK: The Royal Observatory Greenwich marks British Science Week with a programme of special events for all ages. Full details yet to be revealed at time of writing but the programme includes a talk about supermassive black holes, and an evening of astrophotography. 8-17 March

Swan Lake returns to the Royal Opera House. © 2022 ROH. Photographed by Tristram Kenton

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 always a particularly popular aspect of the programme. Under-12s get free entry as part of the festival's Youth Programme, in a bid to reach a younger audience. 9-24 March

MOTHER'S DAY: A reminder to pick up a card and some flowers and chocolates. Perhaps treat her to afternoon tea too, eh? 10 March

COMPANY WAYNE MCGREGOR: Choreographer and director Wayne McGregor presents two works at Sadler's Wells this month, performed by Company Wayne McGregor. Autobiography (v95 and v96) merges genetic code, AI and choreography, using a new AI tool developed with Google Arts and Culture utilising machine-learning trained on McGregor's choreographic archive. UniVerse: A Dark Crystal Odyssey reimagines cult 1982 film The Dark Crystal. 12-16 March

BFI FLARE: London's LGBTQIA+ film festival BFI Flare is an 11-day celebration of queer cinema featuring gala screenings, panel discussions, short films and more. 13-24 March

LORD OF THE RINGS: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra perform Howard Shore's Academy Award-winning score live, as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is shown on screen at the Royal Albert Hall. It's part of the venue's Films in Concert series — look out for Indiana Jones, Top Gun, Ghostbusters and Harry Potter later this year. 14-17 March

UNTOLD LIVES: Kensington Palace opens a new exhibition, Untold Lives, celebrating people from all walks of life who worked at the Royal Palace over 300 years ago. Find out about roles including rat-killer, 'Groom of the Stool', who was responsible for looking after the monarch on the toilet, and the 'Keeper of Ice and Snow’. 14 March-27 October

Malini Awasthi is among the performers at South Asian Sounds. Photo: Innee Singh

SISTER ACT: Praise be! Sister Act The Musical is back in the West End, taking over the Dominion Theatre, with Beverley Knight reprising her role as Deloris van Cartier. Meanwhile Ruth Jones is Mother Superior, and Lesley Joseph and Lemar are also among the cast. From 15 March

SIX NATIONS: International rugby tournament the Six Nations continues into March — with the six final games. Whether you're supporting England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France or Italy, here's our pick of places screening the Six Nations action. Until 16 March

RAILWAY MODELLING: Model railway enthusiasts from all over country gather at Alexandra Palace for the London Festival of Railway Modelling. 35+ exhibitors show off their layouts, and there's a chance to pick up rarer scales and gauges. 16-17 March

ST PATRICK'S DAY: Around the middle of March each year, most Londoners tend to remember their distant Irish heritage, and embrace it by getting involved in the St Patrick's Day celebrations. The main event is the St Patrick's Day festival and parade, 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

RETRO GAMES FAIR: Traders from all over the UK come together for the Retro Games Fair at the Royal National Hotel in Bloomsbury, where retro video games, board games and merchandise are available to buy. 17 March

TEENAGE CANCER TRUST: The Who, Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds, and The Chemical Brothers are among the headliners at a series of gigs in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust, taking place at the Royal Albert Hall. 18-24 March

50 consecutive hours of comedy soap opera theatre at Wilton's Music Hall.

WHERE'S WALLY: This year's Where's Wally Fun Run is completely remote, meaning you can take place wherever you are, with no central event. Don your best Where's Wally stripes, choose whether to run 1km, 5km or 10km — and get sponsored in aid of The National Literacy Trust. W/C 18 March

BOOK FESTIVAL: We're still awaiting final details, but bookworms will want to stick the North London Book Festival at Alexandra Palace in their diaries. Natalie Haynes, Peter Hain, Lemony Snicket, Erin Kelly and Michael Rosen are all confirmed to be taking part so far. 21-24 March

PRINT FAIR: Print dealers and publishers from around the world gather at Somerset House for the 39th London Original Print Fair, which claims to be London's longest running art fair. Works by new artists are for sale alongside those by more established artists, with pieces by Hockney, Rego, Milhazes, Picasso, and Matisse all on display. Particularly exciting is the promise of new work by Londonist favourite Adam Dant. 21-24 March

IDEAL HOME SHOW: Pimp up your pad at the Ideal Home Show at Olympia. Interior designers, furniture suppliers, window and conservatory installation services, candle brands, home accessory stores, and garden DIY experts congregate under one roof to help you make the changes you want in your home. 22 March-7 April

EAT & DRINK FESTIVAL: As part of the Ideal Home Show, Eat & Drink Festival is also at Olympia, aimed at London's foodie types. Tuck into all manner of street food at The Great Eat, stock up your kitchen cupboards with produce from the Artisan Producers Market, and pick up tips, inspiration and possibly a new recipe or two from celebrity chefs on the Eat & Drink Stage. 22 March-7 April

UniVerse: A Dark Crystal Odyssey is one of two Wayne McGregor shows at Sadler's Wells. © Andrej Uspenski

MODEL RAILWAY SHOW: If you didn't get your fill of tiny trains at Ally Pally last weekend (see above) chug down to south London for the Beckenham and West Wickham Vintage Model Railway Show. Up to 12 layouts from the likes of Hornby, Hornby Dublo, Bassett-Lowke, Marklin, Triang and Chad Valley will be on display, and specialist traders will be present, selling you what you need to work on your own layout at home. 23 March

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 unfold. FREE to watch, 23 March

EARTH HOUR: For one hour on 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, 23 March

SOUNDS OF BLOSSOM: Kew Gardens is going all out for blossom season this year, with a musical soundtrack playing in the gardens' blossom hotspots. The new pieces of music were composed and recorded by students from the Royal College of Music, and are included in your entry ticket. 23 March-14 April

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. 24 March

Paws on the Wharf comes to Canary Wharf

PAWS ON THE WHARF: London's latest free sculpture trail is Paws on the Wharf, which sees individually designed sculptures of dogs dotted around Canary Wharf in aid of Guide Dogs. The free trail is in situ for six weeks, after which the artworks are auctioned off to fundraise for the charity. FREE, 25 March-17 May

EASTER BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND: Easter falls over the last weekend of March, into April this year. Make the most of it with our guide to spending a bank holiday weekend in London — we've got you covered, come rain or shine, whether you want culture, the great outdoors, or fantastic day trips. We've also got our Easter event listings, for four days of fun. 29 March-1 April

MESSIAH ON GOOD FRIDAY: For the 148th 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. 29 March

PASSION OF JESUS: Every Good Friday, Trafalgar Square is packed out with thousands of people gathering to watch The Passion of Jesus, a free retelling of the Easter story, with 100 actors taking part. Everyone's welcome, but it involves — spoiler — a crucifixion scene so may not be suitable for younger kiddies. FREE, 29 March

The work of Enzo Mari is celebrated at the Design Museum. Photo: Danese Milano

ENZO MARI: The Design Museum opens a new exhibition dedicated to the life and work of 20th century Italian designer Enzo Mari. His projects ranged from furniture, children's books and games to product and graphic design, and more conceptual installation-based works, and the exhibition gives an insight into his research and creative process. 29 March-8 September

BOAT RACE: The Oxford-Cambridge Boat Races take place on Easter Saturday this year. They'll most likely be broadcast on TV as usual, but if you're keen to see them in person, get down there early to grab your spot. FREE to watch, 30 March

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. 30-31 March

EASTER HOLIDAYS: The first 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. 30 March-14 April

CLOCKS CHANGE: A reminder that the clocks go forward an hour in the early hours of 31 March (which also happens to be Easter Sunday). The bad news is that we lose an hour, but the good news is that it heralds the start of lighter, brighter days. 31 March

CHERRY BLOSSOM: April bears the bulk of the cherry blossom season here in London, but it sometimes comes out in March if conditions are right. Take a look at our guide to seeing cherry blossom in London for the best places to spot and snap the photogenic pink flowers.

LAST CHANCE TO SEE: A few things are closing this month too. It's your last chance to see:

Cirque du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall ends. Photo: Matt Beard

ORCHIDS: This year's Orchids festival at Kew Gardens has a Madagascan theme, with rare plants from the island nation on display in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Until 3 March

HORNIMAN WALRUS: A reminder that the comically-overstuffed walrus at the Horniman Museum is going off-show until 2026 as part of the museum's refurbishment works. You can only see it until 3 March

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: Cirque du Soleil's latest show, Alegria: In A New Light, closes at the Royal Albert Hall. It's an update of a Cirque show now marking its 30th anniversary, telling the story of a power struggle between the old order and youth, with typical Cirque flair. Until 3 March

Last Updated 01 March 2024