Looking for something fun to do today? Something eye-opening to watch tonight? Something delicious to eat tomorrow? Our guide to things to do this week in London is personally curated, ensuring there's always a diverse range of events for you to choose from. Get stuck in!
All week
BACKYARD CINEMA: The festive season at Backyard Cinema in Borough continues until New Year's Eve at its Borough venue. Get your last fill of Christmas films such as Elf, Love Actually and The Muppet Christmas Carol at an 'enchanted forest' cinema where it snows before each screening. Until 31 December
NEVERLAND AT KENWOOD: Final week of dazzling light trail Neverland at Kenwood, which has a Peter Pan theme — transformed into glowing installations, including a giant skull, pirate ships and illuminated versions of London landmarks. Until 3 January
CHRISTMAS AT KEW: Last chance to visit Christmas at Kew, another light trail, this one winding through Kew Gardens via twinkling light tunnels, illuminations choreographed to music, and large-scale glow-ups on the famous glasshouses. It's one of our favourite annual events in London, and well worth seeing if you can get a ticket. Until 4 January
LIGHTS EXPRESS: Also pulling into the station for the last time is the Epping Ongar Lights Express, a steam train covered in fairy lights which whisks you into the Essex countryside, with illuminated lineside displays to be admired from the train windows. Until 4 January
GINGERBREAD CITY 2025: Gingerbread? Lovely. Model towns? Cute. A combination of the two? Absolutely charming (and delicious-smelling) festive fun. Gingerbread City is exactly that — a scale city made from gingerbread and other sweet treats, designed and built by architects and engineers. This year's build can be seen in King's Cross. Until 4 January 2026
ICE SKATING: Take a last twirl, as several of London's seasonal ice rinks, including at Battersea Power Station, Leicester Square, Hyde Park and Queen's House Greenwich, close for the season at the end of this week. Fear not though, a few continue into next week — and one keeps going right up until February half term! Full details and dates here.
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Most of the West End's Christmas lights should be on until at least this weekend (and it does tend to be slightly less busy this side of Christmas). View them on this free self-guided walking tour, or hop on a TfL bus and head to the top deck to get a closer look.
PIRATES: Avast! The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich is all about Pirates, in an exhibition covering both fictional and real pirates. Long-John Silver, Jack Sparrow and Captain Pugwash feature on the pop-culture side of the exhibition, while the Global Pirates section delves into issues such as the bombardment of Algiers. Until 4 January
PLAY OF THE WEEK: Just before Christmas we went to see the rollicking bad taste American Civil War comedy Oh, Mary! — and boy, is it a hoot, with Mason Alexander Park slaying the role of catty boozehound Mary Too Lincoln. Get tickets here. ★★★★☆ Until 25 April
Today's events: Monday 29 December
CANAL BOAT TRIPS: Head to the London Canal Museum in King's Cross and board a "mince pie cruise" winter boat trip. As you travel by canal boat through the Islington Tunnel, enjoy a mince pie and hot drink, along with guided historical commentary about the tunnel and the route. 29 and 30 December
THE NUTCRACKER: A beloved staple of this time of year in the capital, the Birmingham Royal Ballet's enchanting production of The Nutcracker, featuring Tchaikovsky’s glorious score, returns to the Royal Albert Hall. Watch Clara's toys come to life at the stroke of midnight, and take a journey through a winter wonderland of dancing snowflakes to the kingdom of the Sugar Plum Fairy. 29-31 December
TWILIGHT SAGA: Feeling very much over this time of year, and need somewhere to hole up away from the madness for a few hours? The Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square screens the entire Twilight Saga — that's all five films back to back, in an event lasting almost 11 hours. You'll probably need to go for a, er, bite sometime. 11.30am
WONDERS OF THE WAREHOUSE: London Museum Docklands offers a Wonders of the Warehouse tour, taking you behind the scenes in the museum building — one of the last remaining fragments of the old West India Docks, and formerly a sugar, rum and tea warehouse — and neighbouring streets. 1.30pm (repeated on Wednesday)
BLITZ WALK: Meet on Moorgate for a two-hour guided walk around the City of London focusing on the effects of the Blitz, and what was preserved and restored in the aftermath. Wander through the area north of St Paul's — one of the most heavily affected areas during the aerial bombardments — hearing about people who were killed or injured, and buildings which were destroyed. 2pm-4pm
KING GONG: Brutal comedy open mic night King Gong takes place at the Comedy Store in Leicester Square, hosted by Thanyia Moore. 30 budding comedians take to the stage, each hoping to last for their entire five-minute slot — but three audience members are randomly assigned as judges, and when all three hold up a red card, the performer is gonged off stage. 8pm
Today's events: Tuesday 30 December
OLIVER!: Now you've got the festive films done and dusted, how about watching a classic musical on the big screen? The Garden Cinema is showing Carol Reed's 1968 film Oliver! this afternoon — ideal for a singalong to blow off the Christmas cobwebs. Pay what you can, 1.30pm
GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA: The Glenn Miller Orchestra brings 1940s big‑band swing to the Barbican Hall, performing Miller’s wartime arrangements and familiar hits. Special guest Ray McVay joins the ensemble, and the band will appear in US Army Air Force uniforms for the second half of the concert. 3pm
DOCHOUSE SHORTS: Bertha Dochouse in Bloomsbury celebrates the best of 2025, with some of its favourite short films shown at the cinema in the past 12 months. Four films, spanning documentary genres from animation to archive, and each lasting between 10 and 28 minutes, are on the programme. 6pm
VIENNESE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR: Celebrate Christmas, Viennese style, as the London Concertante perform a festive programme at Cadogan Hall, with soprano Claire Wild joining the orchestra for arias and songs by Lehár, Strauss and Suppé. The concert includes Strauss's Die Fledermaus Overture and The Blue Danube, Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty music, and other Viennese favourites. 7.30pm
HIGHGATE VAMPIRE: Last chance to catch comedy horror The Highgate Vampire, at Clapham's Omnibus Theatre today — although it then moves to another venue for a short stint at the end of this month. We recently spoke to one of its creators. 7.45pm
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Celebrate New Year's Day at the biggest-ever London Parade
London is starting 2026 in style, with a star-studded celebration stretching 2.2 miles across the capital. And the best bit? It’s completely free to enjoy.
This is the (extra special) 40th anniversary edition of the London Parade. It sets off from Piccadilly – right by the Ritz – at 1pm on 1 January, before dancing its way along the likes of Regent Street St James's, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall, finishing up around Parliament Square. Over 800 performers are taking part, including some BIG names such as Eurovision sensation Sam Ryder and soul legend Heather Small, who'll be singing their hits en route.
Other highlights include beloved children's TV presenter Andy Day and his life-sized dinosaurs; The Dream Engine's jaw-dropping aerial show, The Heliosphere; and an array of samba dancers, cheer squads, stunt teams, and cultural groups from more than 27 countries. A fair few London boroughs are getting in on the action, too – performing as part of the London Borough Competition, which to date has raised over £2.5 million for local charities.
Intrigued? There’s no need to book tickets — just turn up and find somewhere to stand along the parade route to enjoy a feel-good, family-friendly start to the new year.
London Parade. 1pm-4.30pm on 1 January 2026. See the route and line-up here, or follow @lnydp on Instagram for the latest updates.
Today's events: New Year's Eve/Wednesday 31 December
NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTIES: It's the biggest party night of the year, and London's doing New Year's Eve in style. Still not made plans? Our New Year's Eve guide has loads of ideas for places to see in 2026. Wanting to watch the fireworks? You'll need a ticket to get close to them. Otherwise, they'll be shown on TV as usual (and let's face it, watching from home is warmer, and there's no queue for the toilets!).
But before all that, here's our pick of things to do in the daytime on New Year's Eve:
KIDS' COUNTDOWN: Kids buzzing for New Year, but not going to last until midnight? Take them along to Southbank Centre on NYE morning for the Kids' Countdown — a full-on party with singing, dancing and a NYE-style countdown to midday instead of midnight. FREE, 10.30am
SECRETS AND SYMBOLS: City of London Guides offer their regular Secrets & Symbols guided walk. Get an insight into some of the odd street names in the Square Mile, find out the story behind the badges on the lamps outside the Royal Exchange, and discover other clues to the City's past in strange marks and curious symbols along the way. 11am-1pm
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY: It's become something of a tradition for Leicester Square's Prince Charles Cinema to show 1989 rom-com When Harry Met Sally on New Year's Eve (makes sense if you've seen the film). We're pleased to say they're not letting us down this year, so you can spend the evening huddled away in the cinema watching Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, and still make it out to a party/home for the Hootenanny. Given recent events surrounding the late director Rob Reiner, this screening's set to be particularly poignant. 1.30pm/7.30pm
FILM SCORES: The London Concert Orchestra performs the best scores from two of the greatest film composers of all time, Hans Zimmer and John Williams, in a single show at Barbican. Hear music from Star Wars, Jurassic Park, the Lion King and others. 2.30pm
Today's events: New Year's Day/Thursday 1 January
Happy New Year! Get 2026 off to a flying start with our complete guide to things to do in London on New Year's Day (including the London Parade). These are just a few of the highlights:
VELODROME: The traditional New Year's Day Madison CX is back at Herne Hill Velodrome, inviting cyclists of all ages, categories and abilities to take part in pairs races. If you're on your own, they'll fix you up with a partner. To take part you'll need to sign up before 29 December. Or just come and watch. 10.30am-3pm
NYD CEILIDH: More into doing the dancing yourself than watching others at the parade? The Ceilidh Liberation Front are at Southbank Centre for a New Year's Day Ceilidh, a family-friendly event which requires no prior experience. Simply turn up, pick up the steps and get dancing. FREE, 1pm
LONDON BRIDGE TOUR: Unseen Tours guide David leads a walk around the London Bridge area. Visit some of Borough’s mysterious alleys, Borough Market, Southwark Cathedral, the Clink prison and a secret archaeological dig, before ending up at one of the city’s oldest pubs. 2pm
NEW YEAR'S DAY PROMS: Barbican's usual New Year's Day Proms concert is a celebration of classical music, including Nessun dorma, Auld Lang Syne and Land of Hope and Glory, performed by the London Concert Orchestra. 3pm
BALLET NIGHTS: World-class dance meets live music at Ballet Nights at Cadogan Hall. Gareth Haw, Principal of the English National Ballet, Liudmila Konovalova, Prima Ballerina of the Vienna State Ballet, and Kevin Poeung, Principal of Northern Ballet, all perform to a soundtrack of both classical and contemporary music. 5pm
AMY WINEHOUSE: Camden's Jazz Cafe hosts a tribute to singer and local resident Amy Winehouse. Hear some of London's finest musicians performing her albums, Frank and Back to Black one after the other. 7pm
Today's events: Friday 2 January
AMELIA HAMILTON: Soho Theatre Dean Street gets 2026 off to a strong start with Amelia Hamilton: Forget Me Not. The ISH Comedy Award Best Newcomer and BBC-featured performer presents her debut hour of stand-up that blends live rap, musical backing and sharp observational jokes. Expect tracks and punchlines about intrusive thoughts, rap battles and campaigning for women in STEM. 2-3 January
IRON WINTER: Catch new-release documentary film Iron Winter, about two friends who battle freezing conditions to herd 2,000 horses through Mongolia's coldest valley. Young herders Batbold and Tsagaana, see the trek through the Tsakhir Valley in the Mongolian Steppes as an opportunity to reconnect with the traditions of their nomadic ancestors. Shown at Bertha DocHouse. 2-8 January
MYSTERY MOVIE: Another chance to hunker down at the cinema comes in the form of one of the Prince Charles Cinema's mystery movie screenings. No details about the film — not the title, director, stars, or even the genre — are given away until you arrive. The venue is upping the ante with these screenings in 2026, and this is the first in a new series of Friday matinees. 12pm
THE WASHING MACHINE: Over in Farringdon, the Nickel cinema screens 1993 horror film The Washing Machine, about a young couple who move into an old villa in Rome, only to discover a nightmarish secret lurking in, that's right, their washing machine. 6pm
PUNK: The infamous 100 Club on Oxford Street doesn't waste any time cranking things up to 11 in 2026; today sees its annual punk festival, Resolution, get under way, with Discharge and Kick in the Teeth leading the charge. The festival runs till 11 January. 7.30pm-11pm
Today's events: Saturday 3 January
MARCHING ORDERS: Take the kids along to Chelsea's National Army Museum for a family-friendly gallery tour, focusing on some of the paintings on display in the collection. Each tour lasts around 30 minutes, is suitable for ages five+, and tells the stories of some of the artworks which you might otherwise overlook. FREE, 3-4 January
THE NUTCRACKER: Clara's toys are out of the toy box again as another version of The Nutcracker comes to town, this time at Artsdepot in Finchley. The Let's All Dance Ballet company offers a very family-friendly performance, transporting you to the magical Land of Sweets to meet the Mouse King, Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy. 3-4 January
BACKSTAGE TOUR: The first Saturday of the month means Hampton Hill Theatre Open Morning — a chance to glimpse backstage at this community venue, learn how it operates — and perhaps even volunteer to get involved in the future. FREE, 10am-12pm
FLEET STREET PUBS: This sounds like our kind of Saturday afternoon! Spend a couple of hours on a guided walk exploring the pubs of Fleet Street. Hunt down some of London's legendary pubs and finest pub buildings, and hear stories of great writers, disgraced courtiers and misleading pub names. Naturally, a pub interval stop is built into the route. 2pm-4.30pm
DULWICH HAMLET: Head to Champion Hill to cheer on south London team Dulwich Hamlet in a match against Brighton-based Whitehawk FC. Kids aged 12 and under go free. 3pm
BLUES FESTIVAL: If we're being honest, we didn't realise either the Animals or Geno Washington were still kicking about, but both appear at 229 near Great Portland Street, to kick off 2026's January Blues Festival, itself running for much of this month. 7pm
WORLD DARTS FINAL: Tickets to watch the World Darts Championship live at Alexandra Palace sell out way in advance. But tonight, Big Penny Social in Walthamstow screens the all-important final — the biggest event in the darts calendar. It's shown on a massive screen, with '180' cards to wave provided, plus prizes for best group in fancy dress, a DJ, and other entertainment. 8pm-1am
Today's events: Sunday 4 January
ROMAN LONDON: A Roman Wall, Roman baths, a military fort and the Temple of Mithras are just some of the sites you'll learn about on the Roman London guided walk through the City. Meet your guide in St Paul's Churchyard and spend two hours acquainting yourself with old Londinium. 11am-1pm
TWELFTH NIGHT: Barmy bacchanal descends on the South Bank, as part of Twelfth Night celebrations featuring the Holly Man and many of his eccentric friends. For an afternoon of bizarre mini-plays, storytelling and cider flinging, this can't be beat. We've written all about it here. FREE, From 12pm
NATIONAL GALLERY: 2014 film National Gallery is shown at Bertha DocHouse in Bloomsbury, as part of its Frederick Wiseman season. The film goes behind the scenes at the National Gallery, following restorers, curators and visitors. 2pm
COMEDY: A panoply of top tier comedy awaits at the Bill Murray today, with a WIP from Celya AB, a virtuoso performance from comedian-violinist Tasmin Sarkany and a recording with Bella Hull (who you might've seen on HIGNFY recently). 4pm, 5.30pm and 8pm
QUIZ OF THE YEAR: By today, 2025 probably seems like a distant memory. But if you reckon you've still got a handle on some of the details, make your way to Woolwich Works for the Quiz of the Year. Gather a team and go head-to-head with others on subjects including music, a picture round, and mystery voices. 7pm
NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA: 160 teenage musicians of the National Youth Orchestra, conducted by Alexandre Bloch, give a concert at Barbican Hall. Works performed include Claude Debussy's Ibéria, and Karim Al-Zand's City Scenes. 7pm
COMEDY STORE PLAYERS: As always on a Sunday, the Comedy Store Players (Neil Mullarkey, Josie Lawrence, Richard Vranch, Lee Simpson and Ruth Bratt) put on an improv show. They take suggestions for characters, stories and locations and whip them up into a hilarious show. Just the giggle you need ahead of the most Mondayest Monday morning of the year. 7.30pm
